Contrary to Promoter Nigel Harding’s report that an arrangement would be made for compensation of damaged equipment following the unfolding at the recently staged mash explosion, no monies have been paid as promised and the promoter has left the country. Reports are that he has also been blacklisted by local authorities.
However, if all does not go well soon, his brother, Kenneth Grant Stuart, a mason will be in the hot seat because he has signed a document with the police as the show’s co-promoter.
According to an agreement made in the presence of ranks at the Alberttown police station Harding will have to pay a total of almost $3m in damages for equipment and other cash related expenses starting with US$1000 followed by other payments.
The US$1,000 was to have been paid on Wednesday but that never materialised.
Danley Major, owner of Kingdom Friends Studios, whose sound equipment were used for the show said all told, his losses amount to almost $3M and that his studio is seriously hindered by the damage to his equipment.
Hoping that the promoter will honour his promise, yesterday he said, “I’ve not received any payments to date, only promises.” He said that his equipment was chartered at the last minute by Ian Johnson and Gail Vieira of Vision Sounds.
He reported that from communication with Ian Johnson and Gail Vieira for Vision Sounds they cannot undertake repairs or payment for the equipment. From the inception of the promotion Vieira said her company is not the promoter neither is it in charge of the promotion “we merely reached out to the promoter who sought our assistance”.
Yesterday Major said, “I saw disaster coming since earlier in the day but I did not expect it to be at such a degree”.
He said that on the night of the concert when he realised that something was not right because of the delay in the arrival of the artistes, he went home and returned to the national park at 2:00hrs when the show was to have been concluded.
He said, “People start pelting bottles and a DJ had to run for cover off the stage and left the music playing”. In his description he said “If you see bottles like rain… They break up everything on stage”.
But that was nothing compared to watching several men with broken bottles in hand heading to the area where his sound console was. He said, “I watched in horror as they walked to the console and throw it down and one start lashing it down”.
He had spent years accumulating the money for this vital piece of equipment.
While the promoter, Harding, reported that the artistes did arrive at the National Park Major is adamant that he did not see any of the artiste at the location.
He reported, too, that “I did hear one gunshot ring out and then I see everybody scatter”.
Reflecting further he said, “When the confusion started firemen, police and everybody bruck out, including some of the unarmed police ranks who couldn’t do anything.”
Major, while expressing worry at his losses, said the experience proved that there is need for a governing body to whom promoters must lodge a security deposit that covers any eventuality like this one. He also said there should be a serious screening process before permission is granted to promoters to stage shows locally. This is done in Suriname.
He said that what made things worse is the fact that while the unfolding was taking place at the National Park the promoter was nowhere around. Several persons who offered assistance to the promoter reported that they could not locate him after the show.
One said, “It was only after we reported the matter to the police station that they were able to invite him to the station where he said that he was fearful for his life”.
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Mondale Smith
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