Following today’s news that Fat As Butter promoters Mothership Music had gone into voluntary liquidation, owing almost $200,000 to the Australian Tax Office as well as smaller debts to a handful of other unsecured creditors, the festival’s organisers have issued a statement reaffirming that this year’s edition of the Newcastle music festival would go ahead unaffected.
The shock news of Mothership Music entering liquidation followed closely after the promotions company lost an ongoing court case against Flo Rida, suing the international rapper for his no-show at the 2011 edition of Fat As Butter for over $400,000 in damages, only for Flo Rida to weasel his way out of paying the fees in a court appeal.
Despite the sad news, organisers issued a statement this afternoon that says they “guarantee and 100% confirm that it’s business as usual for Fat As Butter,” saying the liquidation of Mothership Music would “in no way effect the running of the festival.”
“Fat As Butter is a totally separate Proprietary Limited company and is in no way financially linked to Mothership Music or effected by the decision of the Flo Rida appeal,” reads the statement. “Despite all of this, Flo Rida is still a prime dickhead, and it would take a lot more than someone like him to stop this awesome festival,” they add with panache. “Flo Rida is still a prime dickhead, and it would take a lot more than someone like him to stop this awesome festival.”
Mothership Music had been chasing through the courts since 2011 where he cancelled just minutes after he was scheduled to on stage to an audience of 11,000 attendees, who’d paid upwards of $110 a ticket, at the 2011 Fat As Butter festival.
After dodging summons from Mothership Music, a NSW Court judge approved that the serving of papers to Flo Rida over Facebook and ordering he pay $380,400 in damages and $37,745 in legal fees to Mothership Music, but on Tuesday a panel of judges at the NSW Court of Appeal upheld Flo Rida’s appeal that using Facebook to issue the summons against him was not appropriate, resulting in him weaselling his way out of the $400,000 fine. Eventually leading to Mothership Music going into liquidation after failing to win the case and securing the more than $400,000 in damages from Flo Rida and his management team.
Luckily the “prime dickhead’s” actions won’t affect the running of this year’s Fat As Butter. “The festival has been running successfully since 2008, bringing awesome experiences to the region, with this year’s extravaganza on track to being the biggest yet,” champion organisers of the event, with a lineup featuring Gym Class Heroes, Matt Corby, Bliss N Eso, Boy & Bear, and more. “It’s business as usual here at FAB HQ, and we’re all excited about how things are shaping up for Oct 26,” they add.
Flo Rida may not have canned the festival, but local residents aren’t too happy with organisers as Fat As Butter makes its debut this year as a camping festival, after Newcastle City Council are looking to approve submissions to allow up to 870 punters to pitch tents on Shortland Lawn at the Foreshore for the duration of the festival, running from 25th – 27th October.
David Stewart of the Newcastle East Residents Association calls the camping proposal “unacceptable”, while the Sandhills Community Garden group are also in opposition, complaining that drunken youths at last year’s Fat As Butter destroyed and littered in local gardens.
Responding to concerns over noise regulations, a spokeswoman for the city council said the festival would face large fines if they did not adhered to strict volume guidelines, while police would be on hand to ensure ‘rigid’ security measures, but had extended the community consultation period to decide on the camping permit issue by another two weeks before they reach a final decision.
Promoters Mothership Music say they have provided extensive information to meet council and community requirements for Fat As Butter, which is expected to draw 18,000 people and around $1.8 million to local economy.
