Moonfest cancelled (From Wiltshire Times)

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Moonfest cancelled

1:55pm Wednesday 20th August 2008

comment Comments (23) Have your say »

By Victoria Ashford »

ORGANISERS of this year's Moonfest have reacted angrily after they were forced to cancel the entire event.

The news comes after police won a court order at Chippenham Magistrates Court on Monday to stop the opening night festivities in Westbury on August 29, which was due to be headlined by Pete Doherty.

Moonfest organisers have reacted angrily to the decision in a statement on their website.

It said: "With Pete and Babyshambles being our headlining act for the weekend, this draconian action taken by the Police make it impossible to run the event at the end of August.

"To say we are surprised and devastated would be an understatement."

Organisers are currently contacting people involved in the festival and will shortly begin contacting people who have purchased tickets.

There is no news as to whether all ticket holders will be refunded.

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Your Say YourTimes

Local Bloke, Leigh Park, Westbury says...
2:05pm Wed 20 Aug 08

As only about 150 tickets had been sold, it should not take long to contact the 75 or so ticket-holders (assuming most tickets were bought in pairs).

There is a strong suspicion that the Police are being used a scapegoats for a festival that was not selling tickets well ...

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Necker, Trowbridge says...
2:05pm Wed 20 Aug 08

MoonFarce

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Local Bloke, Leigh Park, Westbury says...
2:05pm Wed 20 Aug 08

Shambles ...

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joolz, trowbridge says...
2:16pm Wed 20 Aug 08

I hope they do make full refunds, I was only going cos I wanted to see Babyshambles one of my favourite bands ever, I had to scrape the money together but it would have been worth it for that one gig alone! You are so right local bloke....SHAMBLES is the word!! I can think of plenty more but would hate to ofend readers......

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anna, Swidnon says...
2:25pm Wed 20 Aug 08

http://news.bbc.co.u
k/1/hi/entertainment
/7570675.stm

Just have a look at that and then write about Police. What a stupid Local Bloke you are! I wanted to go as well and now I can say "thank you" to Police!!! Maybe they were worried about ticket sales to pathetic CrimeStoppers?

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Wiltshire Resident, Wiltshire says...
2:31pm Wed 20 Aug 08

anna wrote:
http://news.bbc.co.u k/1/hi/entertainment /7570675.stm Just have a look at that and then write about Police. What a stupid Local Bloke you are! I wanted to go as well and now I can say "thank you" to Police!!! Maybe they were worried about ticket sales to pathetic CrimeStoppers?

Anna, get your facts right. This is not the fault of the Police !! Firstly, the proposals that were agreed at the outset are not the same as the 10 security staff for 5000 people that it tunred out to be and secondly, why should Police have to patrol at an event laid on by private individuals who could have stood to make money from it ?? Quite rightly, Police representatives made their concerns known, concerns which had been raised earlier and which were not adequately dealt with by the organisers. Undountedly, there are a lot of unhappy people, but leave the Police alone - look to those who arrnaged this event and compare their results with the other top events held each year. The Police should be used to support the event NOT to manage it for others.

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Local Bloke, Leigh Park, Westbury says...
2:34pm Wed 20 Aug 08

anna wrote:
http://news.bbc.co.u k/1/hi/entertainment /7570675.stm Just have a look at that and then write about Police. What a stupid Local Bloke you are! I wanted to go as well and now I can say "thank you" to Police!!! Maybe they were worried about ticket sales to pathetic CrimeStoppers?

I read that BBC report last night. Your comments make no sense. The Police got a court order to stop the Friday events. It was the festival organisers who then decided to pull the whole three day event. It is obvious that the total cancellation is a result of poor ticket sales. Indeed, if the organisers had offered to increase the stewards on Friday, the Police would have reconsidered their application to get the Friday cancelled.

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Real music fan, malvern says...
3:37pm Wed 20 Aug 08

I have 3 tickets for the Saturday, and am furious that the entire weekend has been scrapped when the only objection was to Friday and Mr Doherty. Saturday would have been a day of fine music. I think if rumours of low ticket sales are true, then it seems an easy escape route was taken. Poor organisation, seems at the route. However, the police were I assume present at all the other meetings concerning the licensing, why didn't they raise their concerns long before my family and me spent our hard earned cash on tickets?

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zippy, Staverton says...
4:18pm Wed 20 Aug 08

Wiltshire Resident wrote:

anna wrote: http://news.bbc.co.u k/1/hi/entertainment /7570675.stm Just have a look at that and then write about Police. What a stupid Local Bloke you are! I wanted to go as well and now I can say "thank you" to Police!!! Maybe they were worried about ticket sales to pathetic CrimeStoppers?
Anna, get your facts right. This is not the fault of the Police !! Firstly, the proposals that were agreed at the outset are not the same as the 10 security staff for 5000 people that it tunred out to be and secondly, why should Police have to patrol at an event laid on by private individuals who could have stood to make money from it ?? Quite rightly, Police representatives made their concerns known, concerns which had been raised earlier and which were not adequately dealt with by the organisers. Undountedly, there are a lot of unhappy people, but leave the Police alone - look to those who arrnaged this event and compare their results with the other top events held each year. The Police should be used to support the event NOT to manage it for others.

Wiltshire resident you really do have a problem with anyone making any slightly negative remarks about the police.
The police have been involed at every stage of planning and have attended all the meetings, they are as much to blame as the organisers....so chill out and have a solero!

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Real music fan, malvern says...
4:44pm Wed 20 Aug 08

I'd love a solero, but cant afford one until I get my refund for 3 tickets, although I'd be far happier if they reinstated the Saturday and Sunday! 150-200 people would make a really intimate festival!

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Disgusted of, Westbury says...
4:58pm Wed 20 Aug 08

BRING ON THE BEAR. BRING ON THE BEAR!!!

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sick of reading all your old r, Trowbridge says...
4:59pm Wed 20 Aug 08

They couldnt afford to pay for the bands with only 200 ticket sales !!

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lastmanstanding, wiltshire says...
5:45pm Wed 20 Aug 08

Hooray! So much for the 'organisers' you need more than 10 security staff at a small nightclub let alone a festival! Anyway as previously mentioned probably used the police as a scape goat for poor ticket sales, I for one shall be glad the awful posters stuck to every available lampost will finally be removed!

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Droopy, westbury says...
9:16am Thu 21 Aug 08

Many business owners on the WWTE will be relieved, especially the ones who objected to it to the estate office, but then were happy to supply fencing etc. I agree with the security comments, 10 stewards is a joke for this event. What is also a joke and a blatant lie is the comment on the big poster on the side of club ice "Tickets Selling Fast", what all 150 of them. The organisers were going to end up with a flop lets face it, based on ticket sales of 150. You could not book my mums Choir based on those sales

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Necker, Trowbridge says...
9:21am Thu 21 Aug 08

10 staff is about right for 150 people so what was the problem again?

They knew the levels of interest before any of you did.
The question is ..
Who made the money from all of this?

Because someone has...

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the rabbit, Warminster says...
10:43am Thu 21 Aug 08

I think someone stands to lose a lot of wedge over this.

Everyone's going on about pete babysham or whatever his name is, spare a thought for Go West they were the real stars of this weekend not that heavy drinking pop wannabee.

The bottom line is it looks like not enough was done by the organisers and they expected police to foot the bill for extra officers to be on overtime duties. Everyone knows that kind of thing doesn't come from the tax payers pocket so if they didnt feel it was safe or within their budget then fair play to them I say.

Try again Mr Moonfest but get it right this time!!

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Disgusted of, Westbury says...
1:01pm Thu 21 Aug 08

Why shouldn't plod pick up the bill? Festival goers are tax payers. You want them to pay twice?

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Necker, Trowbridge says...
1:45pm Thu 21 Aug 08

If you had a demonstration with 150 people you would have at least that many police there...

It's a control thing, the police did not want the event so it did not happen.
When events are outside 'control' of the police i.e. demonstrations, large unscheduled gatherings, the presence is 'over whelming'

Theres only a select few that have had a 'pay cheque' over this, who are they?

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IAMLEGEND, Wilts says...
12:58pm Fri 22 Aug 08

haha i dont know what all the fuss is about Babyshambles SUCK anyway!!!!!!!! the whole even was set to be a failure, not allowing babyshambles to perform was just the excuse they needed to pull the whole event because only about 180 people wanted to go!!

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walter, wilshur says...
7:38am Sun 24 Aug 08

Disgusted of wrote:
Why shouldn't plod pick up the bill? Festival goers are tax payers. You want them to pay twice?

What about the vast majority who are NOT concert goers? Why should we foot the bill? Same applies to soccer - if fans cannot behave, it is they who should pay for policing.

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lastmanstanding, wiltshire says...
5:30pm Sun 24 Aug 08

Well Mr. Green, I hope this means you won't be trying again next year coz with those ticket sales its obvious Westbury don't want you! Be interesting to see how long it takes people to 'claim' and then recieve their refund!

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Disgusted of, Westbury says...
4:00pm Mon 25 Aug 08

walter wrote:

Disgusted of wrote: Why shouldn't plod pick up the bill? Festival goers are tax payers. You want them to pay twice?
What about the vast majority who are NOT concert goers? Why should we foot the bill? Same applies to soccer - if fans cannot behave, it is they who should pay for policing.

Why should we pay to subsidise scrumpy when we don't drink it?

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Disgusted of, Westbury says...
4:03pm Mon 25 Aug 08

Maybe it's the bands? Let's face it Doherty is a total load of old c r a p.
Get a few decent bands and results will be much better.

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