Fat As Butter have been making headlines recently for less than desirable reasons as they continue their ongoing legal tussle with Flo Rida over his no-show a few years back. But despite the legal drama, the Newcastle music festival is forging ahead with expansion plans and as the Newcastle Herald reveals is hoping to offer camping for the 2013 event.
Mothership Music, the promoters behind Fat As Butter have submitted an application to create a temporary camping precinct for up to 1500 festival-goers for this years event.
Newcastle City Council’s economic development and tourism services manager Jan Ross confirmed that an application had been made for a 750-site camping area to run across the weekend, although Mothership Music have remained tight-lipped about the project, revealing only that they expect to make an announcement sometime this month.
According to documents submitted to the council, the camping site would be 18+, include fenced, licensed areas, a fun fair, a spit roast buffet and entertainment. In addition, Mothership Music are proposing dedicated free ferry services that will take campers to and from the festival.
Last year nearly 11,000 people attended Fat As Butter in 2012, which had Good Charlotte, 360, and Grinspoon headlining.
The 750-person camping site would be 18+, include fenced, licensed areas, a fun fair, a spit roast buffet and entertainment.Ross said the application was currently under review, and included reports on security, transport, police surveillance, first-aid, noise management and environmental impact and safety. The council is expecting the camping facilities to bring between $120,000 – $145,000 in extra business to the local community and could be a model for similar events in the future so that the area has low-cost accommodation close to the city.
‘‘Fat as Butter camping will act as a trial for other potential events requiring low-cost, secure, contained accommodation, such as the national surfing titles or surf rower events held at Stockton,’’ Ms Ross said.
The expansion plans come amidst a nasty legal tussle with Flo Rida, real name Tramar Dillard, was ordered by a NSW court to pay financial reimbursement to the organisers of the music festival for not fulfilling his scheduled appearance in 2011, pulling out just two hours before he was due on stage, angering many of the 11,000-strong crowd – who’d payed upwards of $110 a ticket – with presenters fluffing, “Flo Rida has slept in and will not be able to make the concert.”
The rapper hadn’t actually partied too hard, but instead had reportedly chucked a “hissy fit”, according to promoters, after issues with accommodation. Promoters Mothership Music tried everything they could to transport the headliner from Sydney to the Newcastle event, apologising profusely over social media to the many disgruntled punters. Following the US star’s no-show, Mothership Music attempted to sue Flo Rida and his management, VIP Entertainment and Concepts, who attempted to dodge lawyers until they were eventually served with papers over Facebook.
Last September, Flo Rida and his management appealed against the $380,400 in damages and $37,745 in legal fees ordered to be paid to Mothership Music, but in the Court Of Appeal last week Flo Rida is now claiming that the Australian court has no power over him. The case continues.
