4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Promoters blamed for The Fratellis cancelling Scots festival appearance set to enter liquidation
Third-party promoter Wannasee Ltd has confirmed it "is now in the process of entering liquidation" after being blamed for the band withdrawing from their headline slot.
The third-party promoter blamed for The Fratellis withdrawing from their headline slot at the forthcoming Back Doune the Rabbit Hole festival is on the brink of liquidation.
The 'Chelsea Dagger' hitmakers pulled out of their planned performance at the revamped festival this August, pointing to the failure of the promoters to "fulfil contractual obligations to pay deposits to confirm the band's appearance".
Back Doune Ltd, the festival's organisers, pointed the finger at a third-party promoter, Wannasee Ltd, for the band's withdrawal.
This week, Wannasee Ltd has confirmed its involvement in the festival's launch and indicated through a spokesperson that the company "is now in the process of entering liquidation".
Despite the set back, Back Doune Ltd directors – Brian Harkin, Colin Black, and Paul Aspey – have stressed their commitment to proceed with the festival.
They assured fans last week: "We know that is disappointing news. We feel it too. But we want to reassure you that this is not part of a wider problem with the event. Everything else is on track, and we are already working on a brilliant new Saturday night headliner."
They added: "In the early planning stages, we brought in external support from several individuals to help with logistics, ticketing and artist bookings. Some of those individuals were affiliated with the Wannasee Group.
"For many in the live events world, that name is now associated with a series of cancelled festivals and serious concerns about mismanagement.
"We want to be really clear that these individuals were never directors or owners of Back Doune the Rabbit Hole. At the time, there were no obvious signs of the problems that later came to light at the other events they were involved with.
"Like many others, we have had to deal with the consequences of how they operated, and that has included the cancellation of The Fratellis performance."
Wannasee Ltd this week confirmed that it was involved in assisting with the launch of Back Doune the Rabbit Hole, adding that it was "working collaboratively with the team at Back Doune Ltd while they got the event up and running".
A spokesperson for Wannasee Ltd said: "To clarify, Wannasee Ltd has never held a shareholding or directorship in Back Doune the Rabbit Hole, nor has it ever had any ownership of the event.
"Wannasee Ltd is now in the process of entering liquidation following wider industry challenges affecting its own portfolio of events.
"We wish the team at Back Doune Ltd every success in delivering what we're sure will be a fantastic festival this summer."
Wannasee, known for promoting its own festivals, has had to cancel their events amid the company's difficulties.
Back Doune the Rabbit Hole director Brian Harkin reflected on the festival's challenges last week, saying: "This has been a challenging moment, but our commitment to the festival and its future hasn't changed.
"We took on Back Doune the Rabbit Hole because we believe in the power of independent music events and the community they bring together.
"Being independent means we are able to stay true to our values and keep building something real, even when things get tough.
"The rest of the lineup is solid, and we're focused on delivering the weekend we've promised. We're in this for the long haul, and doing everything we can to create a festival that our audience, artists, team and local community can be proud of."
The eagerly anticipated event is set to take place at the Cardross Estate in Port of Menteith, Stirling, with the dates locked in for August 1-3.
Top-billed names so far include The Zutons, who are set to headline Sunday, and Marc Almond leading Friday night's festivities, while attendees await the announcement of the Saturday headliner which will fill the spot left by The Fratellis.
The line-up also boasts Scouting for Girls, The Feeling, Newton Faulkner, Skids, The Bay City Rollers and others.
This year marks the inaugural edition of the revamped festival, taking the baton from its former entity, the Doune the Rabbit Hole Festival.
Doune The Rabbit Hole had previously secured its spot as a highlight within Stirling's cultural agenda before encountering difficulties and inevitably folding.
The festival was previously managed by Jamie Murray – who accumulated nearly £1million in debts, leaving only £2.38 in the company account to pay creditors. When Mr Murray closed the company behind the festival in 2022, numerous performers, staff and businesses were left unpaid.
His father, the jailed Salmond blogger Craig Murray, assumed control over the 2023 festival under a new company, aiming to clear the debts owed by his son's former firm using profits generated by the festival. However, the event was scrapped a month prior to its scheduled date, leaving creditors in the dark.
