Music Stops At Delicious Rox

A promoter pulled the plug halfway through a heavy metal festival in Sedalia, Mo., September 30th, requesting assistance from local police to shut down the event.

The Delicious Rox Festival had 19 bands lined up to play at the Dodge Arena at the Missouri State Fairgrounds, but ended up leaving a bad taste in the mouths of some attendees when promoter Deacon Gower canceled the show before the headlining acts, Drowning Pool and Fear Factory, were set to play.

Sedalia Police Chief John Degonia said Gower approached police requesting help to shut down the festival, claiming his insurance policy mandated cancellation of the concert in the event of any injury, the Sedalia Democrat reported.

“Apparently a member of one of the bands that had played earlier in the day threw a beer bottle into the crowd, injuring a female,” Degonia told the Democrat.

Gower reportedly told attendees the show was being canceled and advised ticket holders to go to the company Web site for refund information.

A statement posted on Gower’s Andaro Entertainment Web site October 4th apologized for the closure. “We apologize for the unwanted early closing of the show. It was however necessary due to the injuries to the fan(s) which occurred. We were instructed earlier in the day by the authorities that if anything was to occur, we would have to shut it down, which we did as instructed.”

Gower could not be reached at press time.

Comments left by festival attendees on the Andaro Web site October 5th gave mixed reviews of the event and the refunds.

One comment thanked all the bands and said, “I really don’t think that a refund is in order,” while another said “the attendance to the show was flat out embarrassing…the turnout made me shake my head in disbelief more than once or twice.”

The show was expected to draw as many as 20,000 attendees, and police presence was beefed up for the event, the Democrat reported. Fans online ventured that the crowd appeared to be less than 1,000.