Criticism sees Killarney festival stage scrapped

A Kerry-based music festival has cancelled plans to host a stage for up-and-coming Irish acts, having been accused of asking emerging artists to pay to appear at the event.

The Killarney Festival of Music & Food in June is to host Burt Bacharach, Jools Holland, and TEXAS among other acts, but the terms and conditions attached to playing its Actbacker stage drew online criticism.

An email to bands who had expressed an interest in playing the stage indicated slots were available to 18 acts who would be required to sell a minimum of 50 day tickets to play at the festival. The more tickets a band sold, the higher up they would appear on the billing.

“The full amount raised per act will be split 70% / 30% (festival / act), after deduction of Ticketmaster commission and Vat,” the email read.

The proposal sparked online criticism and claims that the conditions effectively required bands to pay the festival for a slot.

“As a professional musician I have to say the conditions you have set for new acts to play on your ‘Actbacker’ stage are a con and a disgrace,” musician Robin James Hart said on the festival’s Facebook page.

“In 25 years of performing live, this must be the worst set-up I have encountered,” he said.

The festival yesterday announced it had cancelled the Actbacker stage.

“Contrary to misleading comments circulating through social media, we were not asking bands to ‘pay to play’. Bands and musicians who play would be paid a good fee (more than they would receive at any other festival), receive promotion through the festival’s website and be included on festival merchandise and in an extensive marketing campaign while getting the opportunity to play alongside world class acts including Burt Bacharach, Jools Holland, TEXAS and many more,” a statement from the festival read.