Peats Ridge Festival Owes John Butler $100k, Fairfax $50

The usually chillaxed hippie John Butler is now fighting the Peats Ridge Festival for over $95, 000 – a due owed to him for his performance in the three day music festival held over New Years. After the collapse of Peats Ridge was announced earlier this month, liquidators have quantified $1.27 million worth of debt owing to a range of over 200 performers, production vendors and suppliers – ­the John Butler Trio being the second-largest creditor among them.

JBT is in the process of trying to recoup unpaid monies along with many other performers and contractors for their performance at Peats Ridge,” states the band’s manager, Phillip Stevens.

Liquidator Andrew Spring has revealed in a report to the creditors that the Peats Ridge company, whose sole director and secretary was Matt Grant, had only $140,000 left in assets. He also revealed that Grant has been the director of four separate companies that have all also collapsed since August 2011.

Contractor and booker Damien Cunningham of Elastic Entertainment, a creditor owed almost $50,000, has announced his shock on the Elastic Entertainment website as he found out of the collapse only minutes before the official press statement.

I never had previous knowledge that this would happen and I am angry and devastated that my relationship with artists/managers/agents has been tarnished by this situation, writes the booker.

Other acts that remain unpaid include Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Falls, Cass Eager & The Velvet Rope, Fanny Lumsden & The Thrillseekers, Lolo Lavina, and The Black Seeds.

A meeting of the creditors will be held next week where these acts, John Butler, the taxation officers and a number of production suppliers will be fighting for their dues.

via SMH
Words by Stephanie Squadrito

Photo by Mark Metcalfe via Getty


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