A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PROMOTER

Concert promoters have an array of responsibilities when it comes to putting together an event. If these responsibilities are not preformed completely, there is a long list of legal issues just waiting around the corner. In 2003 there was a deadly fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The fire was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager, which ignited flammable sound insulation foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. The fire killed 100 people. In the video below you can see the fire take place. Many affiliated parties were sued because of all the lives lost. Most of the defending parties chose an alternative dispute resolution of offer and settlement, but the two club owners and the tour manager was charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. When putting together any event, there are going to be things you can and cannot control. In this case, the club promoters, club owners, and the tour manager should have done a better job covering all safety measures for this event.

Another case of negligence took place when the stage collapsed at the state fair in Indiana. Country music duo Sugarland was set to perform on an outdoor when gusty winds caused the stage to collapse, killing seven people. The 48 victims in this case sued several people including the concert promoter (Live Nation) and the stagehands’ union. The band and the other defendants owed a duty to concertgoers to provide a safe environment, and to use reasonable care in setting up and supervising the show.

There are cases when a promoter does everything right and an artist doesn’t show up. Paid 4 Entertainment, concert promoters in the Virgin Islands, sued rapper Young Jeezy for breach of contract. The rapper told the promoter he might not be able to make it on the date scheduled, so both parties agreed to renegotiate the contract for the rapper to preform the next day. The promoters even agreed to send a jet to pick Young Jeezy up and deliver him to the Islands, and the rapper never showed up for his flight. Since the U.S. Virgin Islands follow the same common law principles as the U.S., the rapper had a legal obligation to show up and perform after the original contract was modified.