Was Rockfest just one big criminal action?

[DILLIGAF]

That would suck if it turns out that way.....
ROCKFEST
FAR FROM ROCK SOLID
Top Bands Seeking Payment;
Many others as well
LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ - The potential for a major black eye for Lake Havasu City is there. The first Lake Havasu City Rockfest, heavily promoted by local businessman Ron Paterson, is now the subject of major criminal investigations. TSN has learned numerous entities have not been paid at all or have had their checks bounce or stop payments applied. Complaints have come in from various sources, including event security personnel, various vendors and many of the rock bands themselves - including The Black Crowes, Cheap Trick, The Doobie Brothers, Live, and Slightly Stoopid. Those performers and others are owed substantial sums of money.
One person complained directly to TSN. John Espinoza of Intense Creations, the $10,000 winner of the motorcycle build-off, says he wasn’t paid despite repeated attempts at getting a check from Paterson. Espinoza says Paterson “doesn’t deserve” to have another Rockfest next year.
Also, the liquor license at the event was put under the name of the Pop Warner Youth Football program and not under PatersonÂ’s name, say several sources. The reasons are not detailed, but Paterson earlier said the organization would be receiving a percentage as a charity. ItÂ’s not understood why and itÂ’s still not clear who was actually paid at all. Repeated attempts to reach Paterson on his private phone yesterday were not returned.
Contacted by TSN, Lake Havasu City Police Chief Dan Doyle says “several” criminal investigations are currently taking place. That number may possibly increase.
Meanwhile, Paterson has publicly stated that 35,000 attended the Rockfest and yet thousands of tickets were counterfeited. The 35,000 figure is disputed by most observers, who say a much lower number attended the event.
Lake Havasu City itself may well receive bad publicity. One manager of a band that performed at Rockfest told TSN that management companies and agents tend to think of the city where the event took place in a negative way if they donÂ’t receive their payment.
TSN and e-Press will stay on top of this story. Companies or individuals should contact us via email at epress@maddog.net if they werenÂ’t compensated for services rendered.

[BajaMike]

What a scam....anyone know this Ron Paterson guy??

[Rexone]

Is it just my perception or does everything that comes out of Havasu, promotions, marina, city government, etc, just reek of corruption and favoritism.
Rex(notahavasuguy)one

[LaveyOne]

That's too bad ... :(
We were there for all three days and had a BLAST !!! I don't think there were NEARLY 35,000 people there and things could've been a little more organized, but it was definitely a fun weekend.
Sorry to hear that and I hope things get worked out for the best. I am looking forward to another one next year. :p

[Bradman]

That's too bad ... :(
We were there for all three days and had a BLAST !!! I don't think there were NEARLY 35,000 people there and things could've been a little more organized, but it was definitely a fun weekend.
Sorry to hear that and I hope things get worked out for the best. I am looking forward to another one next year. :p
We were there for all 3 days and had a blast too! As far as 35,000 people, ya right.

[Starloans]

I know who he is. We're in the same line of work by profession.
Sounds like his side job as a concert promoter has him up the creek without a paddle. I spoke to him back in the summer and he talked about Rockfest and coaching Pop Warner.
Honestly, I was excited to see some music talent come to Havasu. But in the back of my mind I thought it was too much for the small town of Havasu. Even though some of those bands are dated they still demand big bucks.
rockfest (http://www.lakehavasurockfest.com/home.aspx)

[ChumpChange]

I floated past Rockfest a few times throughout the weekend. It looked pretty empty in there. They had lot of unused space within those chainlink fences.

[Havasu Hangin']

We were there for all three days and had a BLAST !!!
You were there? :idea:

[Devil's Advocate]

That was a great weekend but we passed on the Rockfest.

[Brian]

That was a great weekend but we passed on the Rockfest.
Saw you guys a couple of times in the channel and waved. You seemed, ah, preoccupied or something... ;)
Rockfest looked less than stellar the times we cruised past. Sound was bad out on the water, hopefully sounded better up close. We had a great weekend in any case.
:cool:

[No Name]

Saw you guys a couple of times in the channel and waved. You seemed, ah, preoccupied or something... ;)
Rockfest looked less than stellar the times we cruised past. Sound was bad out on the water, hopefully sounded better up close. We had a great weekend in any case.
:cool:
I hoped we waved back, if not we didnÂ’t see yaÂ…..I donÂ’t want you to think IÂ’m like kilroty.
Just kidding KT. :)

[Not So Fast]

We were there for all 3 days and had a blast too! As far as 35,000 people, ya right.
More like 3500 seems to me???????? NSF

[LaveyOne]

You were there? :idea:
Yeah, don't you remember ???
I said "hello" to you down in front during Buckcherry but you must've been too busy making out w/ that rock chick ... :jawdrop: ;) :D :D
We hung out with A.Jay from "LIT" in the new Lavey cat before the show. What a weekend !!!
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1371100_0592.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1371100_0589.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1371100_0586.jpg
RiverToysJas' boat in the background ...
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1371100_0587.jpg
http://www.musiconphoto.com/UD_050601_1/LIT_A.JayPopoff_01C_50.jpg
NICE !!!

[Kilrtoy]

Bump for SK

[Brian]

I hoped we waved back, if not we didnÂ’t see yaÂ…..I donÂ’t want you to think IÂ’m like kilroty.
Just kidding KT. :)
It's ok, KT does drive the world's best...
:D

[C-2]

I sure hope somebody got a Rick Nielsen pick out of this whole dealio.... :cry: :cry:

[SummitKarl]

Bump for SK
Thanks Kiler

[SummitKarl]

What a scam....anyone know this Ron Paterson guy??
As soon as I saw Ron Paterson's company "Arizona Loan Guy" as a title sponsor of the Rockfest I stayed far away from it, He is one of only two people that have stiffed me on a set of plans :mad:
I really hope they find a nice jail cell for this guy :yuk:

[Havasu Hangin']

Yeah, don't you remember ???
I said "hello" to you down in front during Buckcherry but you must've been too busy making out w/ that rock chick ... :jawdrop: ;) :D :D
Shirley you must be joking...
...wasn't me! :notam:

[Boatcop]

Hmmmm.
We'll see.
Rockfest promoter: All OK
BY DAVID BELL
Monday, October 23, 2006 11:13 PM MDT
Reports of nonpayment to bands and suppliers at Lake Havasu Rockfest have the promoter seeing red.
Ron Paterson, BKR Productions managing director, said new reports of bounced checks and nonpayments are inaccurate.
“I still have receivables of $75,000 outstanding, we have paid more than are still due, and we're not two weeks over. How can anyone say anything is late?” he said.
The inaugural Lake Havasu Rockfest took place at Windsor Beach at Lake Havasu State Park Oct. 6-9. The three-day music and motorcycle festival featured the Doobie Brothers., Cheap Trick, Black Crowes, Blues Traveler and Buckcherry along with a motorcycle show and custom bike build-off.
Dave Frey with Silent Partner Management, management for Cheap Trick and Blues Traveler said, “We have received half the money through our booking agency, which they paid up front. We will be taking action shortly. There has been no contact with the promoter.”
However, Paterson said he has been in contact with the groups' booking agents and explained that checks weren't immediately forthcoming because of more than $200,000 worth of theft at the event.
“Admittedly, the only people that could be angry with me are a couple of bands that I stopped checks so I wouldn't bounce them, because of all the theft. I called them immediately to let them know and I just got off the phone with the president of the agency,” said Paterson.
Paterson points to the full pre-event payments of more than $20,000 to Lake Havasu City for street, parking and public safety services, $113,000 to LB Productions Center and R&R Sound for the stage and sound systems and $60,000 for hotels as proof he is not seeking to defraud anyone.
Lake Havasu City Police is investigating five separate complaints of checks and promises to pay but not paid. The reports total in excess of $200,000 and police expect another $33,000 complaint to be reported today.
“The issue we have to investigate is whether this is a civil issue or criminal,” said Lt. Joe Fiumara. “We will be working with the Mohave County Attorney's Office very closely on this.”
The investigation comes as a surprise to the promoter, who said the only investigations he is aware of are those he initiated concerning theft and ticket counterfeiting at the music festival.
“I've been a Havasu-goer since I was 3. I hate to see this for the city,” said John Esposito, who said he has not received the $10,000 prize money promised for winning the biker build-off at the Rockfest event. “I have not filed a complaint. I'm hoping to do this without criminal charges.”
“We had four bike builders at this event. How do you pay $10,000 for something that didn't really happen?” said Paterson. “We gave away 15 tickets to each team and they paid a $100 entry fee. The fees were to cover the prize.”
He also said he is disputing the amount owed to the firm that provided security services for not providing the full complement of staff and equipment for which he contracted. But charities promised funds would be receiving them, Paterson said.
“I have not had a chance to do charities yet but they are not being missed,” Paterson said. “The Tinnell Memorial Committee was the only one there though. We had tents there for the other charities but they never showed.”
The Tinnell Memorial Committee raised more than $2,000 through raffle ticket sales for autographed guitars. They turned the money over to the promoter. Paterson said he also assisted the group by bringing them to the bands to autograph T-shirts to be used as fundraisers at future events.
Another charity that's involved with some confusion is Pop Warner Football. News reports said the event liquor license was drawn under the Pop Warner name are inaccurate, Paterson said.
“I'm president of Pop Warner. I would do nothing to jeopardize Pop Warner,” Paterson said. “Under the license we pulled, we have to donate part of the liquor sale profits to a 501c3 (nonprofit charity) and Pop Warner is the beneficiary.”
Paterson said he's received “tons of e-mails and letters” about how positive the event was, including “bands that want to come back.”
“I just hope people see the positive side of what a great event this was and what an unfair deal the reporting has been,” Paterson said. “This event was one of the best things to have happen to Lake Havasu, a $1.2 million event with the majority paid up front. How can you can chastise someone for doing something right?”
Paterson said he still plans to stage a blues and jazz festival in February and a country music festival later in spring 2007.
You may reach the reporter at dbell@havasunews.com

[LaveyOne]

Shirley you must be joking...
...wasn't me! :notam:
No, I'm NOT joking ...
and DON'T call me SHIRLEY !!! :yuk: ;)

[BajaMike]

Good story above by David Bell of the Havasu News....
A couple of pointsÂ….
• Has the promoter filed a police report on the so-called “$200,000 worth of theft at the event”??
• Bands are always paid the balance due after they perform their act.
• Who are the $75,000 of receivables from?? Most people paid cash for their tickets.
It sounds pretty fishy to me :idea:
:rollside: