Rock & More Rolling Again

Wolfgang Klinger says the new Rock & More isn’t affected by any of the problems dogging the old one and expects to be doing summer shows with The Rolling Stones.

Speaking on the eve of this year’s ILMC, and with a Vienna show from The Police already in the diary for September 19th, he said he’s confident that the lawyers looking into the old Rock & More won’t find anything unlawful about the way the company traded in the period just prior to bankruptcy.

Klinger, who is a consultant for both companies but not a director of either, also said he’s certainly not under any investigation himself and just wants to get on with the job of being a promoter.

This looks to have become easier since Österreich Ticket has felt happier to free up some box office cashflow, after company chief Andi Egger – who partnered Klinger in Rock Produktion until it went bust for euro 2.5 million in 2002 – checked whether official receiver Dr. Susi Pariasek could seize any of it.

Pariasek, who also oversaw the winding up of the old Austrian Promoters’ Group after the collapse of Rock Produktion brought it down, told Pollstar she doesn’t have the power to do that.

"I’m still investigating and I now have the books from the old Rock & More. If I find out there could have been a criminal acts, I have to inform the prosecutor," she explained.

Klinger said he understands it’s her duty to make a thorough investigation but said she won’t find anything.

Egger declined to comment on the situation on the grounds that he won’t "disclose any details of our contracts with promoters – whoever they are – to the public."

He also wouldn’t comment on presale developments of upcoming shows, or whether it was his decision or the decision of Klaus-Peter Schulenberg of CTS Eventim – which co-owns Österreich Ticket – to turn off Rock & More’s cashflow in the first place.

Dieter Semmelmann from Germany’s Semmel Concerts, which is also co-owned by Eventim via its Medusa Promoters’ Group, had discussions with Egger regarding his Vienna-based LSK – in which fellow German promoter Marek Lieberberg has a share – taking over the shows.

Not the least of the pitfalls was the fact that John Giddings of London’s Solo is agent for Genesis – whose June 19th show at Linz Gugl Stadion is by far the biggest – doesn’t have a good business relationship with Lieberberg and would almost certainly have resisted the move.

Apart from Genesis, The Police and the Rolling Stones shows he expects to announce shortly, Klinger and Rock & More also have upcoming dates with Lionel Richie, Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Il Divo, Pink, and Within Temptation.