Ill Wind May Blow Lawyers Some Good

A dispute between The White Stripes and festival promoter Nick Triandafyllidis over an outdoor show the act cut short because of high winds doesn’t look as if it’ll be settled outside of court.

The Detroit duo’s tour manager stopped the band’s set at Athens Olympic Beach Volleyball Stadium when he deemed conditions made it dangerous to continue.

The group’s agent, Russell Warby of The Agency Group in London, who was standing on stage at the time, said the wind blew stage furniture over, came close to tearing the backdrop from its frame and shook the lighting truss.

Triandafyllidis disputes the wind was strong enough to stop a show, so the arguments have gone back and forth.

Warby said the band and its management have opted for legal action because Triandafyllidis has promised a settlement of (at least some of) the outstanding balance and hasn’t come through. Apart from that, he said there are witness statements to say it had become too dangerous to play.

–John Gammon