Organizers of the ‘Blue Ridge Rock Festival‘ have issued a brand new assertion, explaining the continuing delay in refunds for individuals who attended the seemingly doomed fest. Whereas inclement climate battered the pageant initially, the final word explanation for its premature cancellation this previous September has turn out to be extra murky. Festival organizers have maintained that the occasion was cancelled solely to climate.
Nonetheless, on the bottom stories from employees and the media allege logistical dysfunction behind the scenes, a employee strike and extra all having performed into the partial cancellation. The Alton, VA occasion was billed as ‘America’s largest rock & tenting pageant’ and was booked to characteristic headlining units from Slipknot, Pantera, Shinedown and lots of extra.
Whereas quite a few bands did get to carry out, the fest was in the end minimize quick, resulting in a backlash from indignant followers that has continued to today.
Talking at the moment, December 29th, the next assertion was issued through the pageant’s social media:
“We’re extraordinarily sorry for the delay in offering a transparent decision for 2023’s partial cancellation. We all know that frustrations are persevering with to compound, and followers deserve extra communication and knowledge from us. It has pained us immensely that now we have not been permitted to take action to date. For the primary time, now we have just lately been given permission to concern this extra full assertion.
Our occasion had the advantage of pageant interruption and abandonment insurance coverage. Receiving protection for a declare of this magnitude takes a substantial period of time. The companies representing the Festival anticipate a response to the declare within the first quarter of 2024 or shortly thereafter. After the response from the insurance coverage corporations, we’ll replace all of you and start the method of offering full resolutions for everybody.
Our insurance coverage coverage has language limiting our public pronouncements till the declare is settled. That is the explanation now we have largely been silent. It has been extremely troublesome to not publicize proof to refute lots of the stories surrounding the Festival. Nonetheless, we’re unwilling to jeopardize the restoration of the coverage for you the followers, prejudice our rights, or prejudice the insurance coverage carriers’ rights. We eagerly await the second once we can present full transparency.
The unanticipated, sudden, and extraordinary storms, which put followers, crews, bands, and the occasion in grave hazard have been extremely unlucky. The harm attributable to these storms has but to be totally revealed. Regardless of the time this course of has taken, now we have not stopped working diligently in your behalf. The second now we have the authority, we’ll handle the whole lot in full. This has been brutal for all of us. We proceed to work tirelessly to make sure a well timed decision and have taken each step attainable on our finish to shorten the method.
We totally perceive the animosity that a lot of you will have in direction of this case. There may be a lot extra to this story than what has come to mild. A particular thanks to these of you who’ve continued to assist us throughout these laborious instances. Your endurance and style has been a testomony to the passionate group that surrounds this occasion and constructed it to the most important on the continent. It goes with out saying that we might be nothing with out every of you.
The Blue Ridge Rock Festival Staff”