Fat As Butter organisers have “100% confirmed” that despite the festival’s promoters Mothership Music going into voluntary liquidation, owing debts of more than $200,000 to the ATO and creditors, its financial collapse will not affect the running of this year’s Newcastle-based music festival.
A reassurance that came from Fat As Butter as they labelled Flo Rida, who Mothership Music have been chasing for over $400,000 in damages after his 2011 Fat As Butter no-show, a “prime dickhead;” the international rapper managing to wriggle his way out of paying the fees in a court appeal saying that the method in which he was served his summons was ‘inappropriate’.
“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,” explained Fat As Butter organisers in a statement that guaranteed that this year’s edition of the festival would be going ahead unabated. “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.
In fact, organisers can “guarantee and 100% confirm that it’s business as usual for Fat As Butter” for its 2013 edition this October, and along with a lineup featuring Gym Class Heroes, Matt Corby, Bliss N Eso, Boy & Bear, and more, Fat As Butter will host a special event this year: the burning of a Flo Rida effigy.
A statement on the Fat As Butter Facebook page reads:
Hey guys – thanks for all your support in light of the appeal decision in the Flo rida case [hereafter known as Prime Dickhead]. In order to rid ourselves of his slimy presence we want you all to post a drawing depicting him as we all feel.
The best drawing as judged by you guys will then be turned into a life-size effigy that we’ll have a local artist create. WE WILL THEN HAVE A SACRIFICIAL BURNING AT THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL – LIGHT PRIME DICKHEAD UP.
The winning entry gets 2 x VIP tickets and the honour of lighting the wick! From that point onwards he will forever be erased from our memories!
Flo Rida has been a thorn in Fat As Butter’s side ever since he failed to turn up for his scheduled appearance at the 2011 Fat As Butter festival, cancelling just minutes after he was scheduled to on stage to an audience of 11,000 attendees, who’d paid upwards of $110 a ticket.
Fat As Butter’s promoters, Mothership Music, had been chasing Flo Rida and his management down for festival no-show and after repeatedly dodging court summons, 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 crucial financial reimbursement from Flo Rida and his management team.
Along with the inaugural ‘Sacrificial Burning of Prime Dickhead’, this October’s Fat As Butter is also getting its debut as a camping festival, after Newcastle City Council looked at approving 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.
A decision that some local residents are none too happy about. 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.
Fat As Butter 2013 Lineup
GYM CLASS HEROES [USA]
BLISS N ESO
MATT CORBY
BOY & BEAR
PORTER ROBINSON [USA]
DIGITALISM DJ SET [GER]
BOOKA SHADE DJ SET [GER]
MICKEY AVALON [USA]
BOMBS AWAY [LIVE]
BRITISH INDIA
THE ASTON SHUFFLE DJs
COSMO JARVIS [UK]
OWL EYES
GOLD FIELDS DJs
SPIT SYNDICATE
THE HOLIDAYS
PEKING DUK
THE M – MACHINE [USA]
DIALECTRIX
BATTLESHIPS
WILLOW BEATS
Fat As Butter 2013 Dates & Tickets
Saturday 26th October, 2013
The Foreshore, Newcastle
15+ Event
FAB CAMP
Shortland Lawn, The Foreshore
18+ Event
Tickets On Sale Thursday 25th July
http://www.fatasbutter.com.au/
