Heartland show went on...barely
The Heartland Music Festival on the Westside Bluff last weekend was on the brink of collapse just hours before the show and is now mired in losses and allegations of lost and missing money.
Sources tell the Capital News that unpaid workers and contractors threatened to stop work Thursday and would close down the show less than 24 hours before country music star Reba McEntire took the stage Friday night.
Creditors, investors, volunteers and promoter Deborah J. Cameron met until nearly 10 p.m. Thursday to put together a new deal to prevent the concert from being canceled.
In the end, it was long-term investors in the festival who kicked in more money to ensure the show would go on.
But that came with a price for Cameron who lost some control over her own show when smaller investors wanted an independent accounting.
When asked Tuesday if she would be back next year, Cameron said: “I hope with all my heart I am back next year. I intend to continue producing shows.”
Both the Heartland Music Festival (McEntire and LeAnn Rimes) and Rock the Bluff (ZZ Top and Evanescence) flopped in terms of ticket sales.
Final tallies couldn’t be confirmed by the ticket agent.
McEntire and ZZ Top drew well, but couldn’t make up for huge losses on Evanescence and Rimes.
Cameron said marketing strategy called for potential losses in the first few years while the festival grows, but she wasn’t prepared for such large losses.
“I don’t lack integrity, I lack money,” Cameron said.
“That is what it came down to.”
Stop the Violence is the local charity that held the special occasion liquor licence for the beer gardens.
Director Dewey Lotoski, also a chartered accountant, said he was called to a meeting late Thursday in which his society agreed to forego the proceeds from the beer tent and put it back into the festival.
“We felt it was important for Kelowna and its music industry to have it go through. It wouldn’t look good for tourists or (the music industry in) Nashville if it was called off at the last minute. The negative publicity would have been extremely bad,” he said. “A lot of people really got thrown into it and pulled it off.”
But it was in large part due to volunteers and professionals in the local music industry who saved the show, which many described as very disorganized.
That included accounting and missing money that left the show strapped at the eleventh hour.
The RCMP got complaints on several fronts about money missing from various accounts.
Cameron confirmed the losses in the show, but said faith in her abilities was confirmed by her long-term investors who bailed her out.
The one thing everyone involved in the show seems committed to is the site.
The Bluff remains one of the last few undeveloped spaces in the area, a picturesque setting for an outdoor music venue.
Brad Krauza was one of the local professionals called in to help salvage the show.
He said as far as he’s concerned, the show went on and people had a great time.
“If the crowd heard some good music and they left with a good feeling, then it is a success.”
CLICK HERE to discuss in our forum.
Sources tell the Capital News that unpaid workers and contractors threatened to stop work Thursday and would close down the show less than 24 hours before country music star Reba McEntire took the stage Friday night.
Creditors, investors, volunteers and promoter Deborah J. Cameron met until nearly 10 p.m. Thursday to put together a new deal to prevent the concert from being canceled.
In the end, it was long-term investors in the festival who kicked in more money to ensure the show would go on.
But that came with a price for Cameron who lost some control over her own show when smaller investors wanted an independent accounting.
When asked Tuesday if she would be back next year, Cameron said: “I hope with all my heart I am back next year. I intend to continue producing shows.”
Both the Heartland Music Festival (McEntire and LeAnn Rimes) and Rock the Bluff (ZZ Top and Evanescence) flopped in terms of ticket sales.
Final tallies couldn’t be confirmed by the ticket agent.
McEntire and ZZ Top drew well, but couldn’t make up for huge losses on Evanescence and Rimes.
Cameron said marketing strategy called for potential losses in the first few years while the festival grows, but she wasn’t prepared for such large losses.
“I don’t lack integrity, I lack money,” Cameron said.
“That is what it came down to.”
Stop the Violence is the local charity that held the special occasion liquor licence for the beer gardens.
Director Dewey Lotoski, also a chartered accountant, said he was called to a meeting late Thursday in which his society agreed to forego the proceeds from the beer tent and put it back into the festival.
“We felt it was important for Kelowna and its music industry to have it go through. It wouldn’t look good for tourists or (the music industry in) Nashville if it was called off at the last minute. The negative publicity would have been extremely bad,” he said. “A lot of people really got thrown into it and pulled it off.”
But it was in large part due to volunteers and professionals in the local music industry who saved the show, which many described as very disorganized.
That included accounting and missing money that left the show strapped at the eleventh hour.
The RCMP got complaints on several fronts about money missing from various accounts.
Cameron confirmed the losses in the show, but said faith in her abilities was confirmed by her long-term investors who bailed her out.
The one thing everyone involved in the show seems committed to is the site.
The Bluff remains one of the last few undeveloped spaces in the area, a picturesque setting for an outdoor music venue.
Brad Krauza was one of the local professionals called in to help salvage the show.
He said as far as he’s concerned, the show went on and people had a great time.
“If the crowd heard some good music and they left with a good feeling, then it is a success.”
CLICK HERE to discuss in our forum.
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