Morrison’s venture was scheduled for August 3 at The Crown Hotel in Everleigh in Wiltshire – about 70 miles southwest of London. According to a statement on behalf of the singer, he will not be performing “due to an unacceptable and fundamental breach of contract.”

In response, pub landlord Gary Marlow has countersued Morrison for more than $200,000, seeking “substantial damages arising out of the cancellation of the performance,” according to the BBC.

In addition to the nearly two years it took to persuade Morrison to agree to the gig, Marlow and his wife had forked out around $56,000 of their own money to encourage the singer to commit and even had a stage built for the performance.

The 1,500 tickets for the show, which were set at £34.50 ($51.75) a pop, have already sold out, with some fans coming from as far away as Australia. Morrison was due to play with his eight-piece band, with opening support coming from guest singer Chris Farlowe.

This isn’t the first time the Crown Hotel has featured well known artists on its relatively small grounds. Previous performers include Peter Green, who performed again with his Splinter Group this month.