Concert no-shows are naturals for business litigation courts
In Georgia as well as elsewhere, contracts for live concerts tend to run into quite a bit of contention between the parties. When the dispute cannot be mediated or resolved by private negotiations, the dispute will go to court and become another entry into the state’s roster of business litigation cases. There are many different reasons for disputes over live entertainment to be commonplace, such as the failure of performers to make the show, the failure of promoters to sell enough tickets, and the failure to pay the entertainer the full amount promised.
Many other reasons can arise based on the particular facts of the situation. One recent lawsuit illustrates a common kind of business litigation matter between a performer and the promoters. The promoters recently sued rapper Travis Scott for not showing up at a scheduled concert. He responded with a counterclaim asking for the remainder of his $200,000 fee even though it is undisputed that he did not show up.
The conflict is about travel arrangements and each side has a different point of view about how the facts transpired. The promoters say that Scott did not show up in Minneapolis as per their contract and they want all their losses compensated to them. Scott says that the promoters failed to confirm their part of the bargain, which was that they would arrange flights for him from Los Angeles to Minnesota and then to Las Vegas that same night for a concert to take place at 1:30 a.m.
Scott alleges that because the promoters could not verify the travel arrangements he was compelled to go directly to his later venue. The promoters say they did have a flight scheduled for the entertainer. These kinds of disputes are commonly settled after the parties spend some time jockeying for position in the business litigation case. In a particularly hard-headed conflict, where there is no hope of a resolution, the case will go to trial with the judge or jury determining the outcome. Both state and federal courts in Georgia handle numerous personal service contract disputes each year.
Source: msn.com, “Travis Scott Fires Back With Counterclaim Over Super Bowl Lawsuit“, Margie Manning, April 17, 2018