MOBILE (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Zewtopia II Festival, being staged by promoter Soundstage LIVE and local radio station WZEW-FM was scrapped at the starting gate when Monterey International pulled four headlining artists from the lineup.
In a post on their website, concert organizers cited a "breakdown in communications" but the root of the problem seems to have been difficulty in obtaining financial backing from sponsors.
In a series of emails obtained by CelebrityAccess Monterey International agent Gerry Buck negotiated with Tim Camp, the Director of Operations/Programming at WZEW and Frank Giglio from SoundStage Live. Camp agreed to a revised "drop dead" date for deliver of a 50 percent deposit which was apparently not forthcoming.
Citing numerous attempts to acquire the deposit, Monterey International finally pulled their artists, Blue October, Sister Hazel, Little Feat & Susan Tedeschi from the festival's lineup last week.
Monterey International agent Gerry Buck told CelebrityAccess that "Frank Giglio of Soundstage Live, who acted as producer of Zewtopia, allowed the 2 day festival to advertise and sell tickets without having the funds to secure the talent as signed and contracted. After months of attempts by my company to secure the required deposits, the artists finally had no other option but to exercise their right to cancel. We and our clients could no longer abide the continued misleading of the fans and ticket holders."
Frank Giglio however maintains that he had no involvement in the promotion for the event, that he was responsible for booking talent only. In an email he provided to CelebrityAccess, he appears to have made his position clear, noting that Buck was aware of issues with buyer, WZEW.
After all is said and done however, the festival, for this year at least, is dead. Gov't Mule and The Drive By Truckers, who were also on the line-up, will play at the Soul Kitchen Friday and Saturday nights, respectively, however Zewtopia tickets will not be honored.
Concert organizers state that ticket-holders will be given full refunds at the point of purchase starting on April 18th. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
