Music Frog Hopping Mad

The local promoter for one of the shows The Rolling Stones canceled in 2006 is launching a second appeal against a fine imposed on him because he took too long to issue ticket refunds.

Joan Albert of Music Frog, whose Aug. 16 show at El Ejido was canceled after Mick Jagger complained of laryngitis, told Pollstar he’s going to challenge the fine in court.

The General Director of Public Games and Spectacles levied the euro 60,150 fine because the company took more than the legal limit of 15 days to refund 50,500 ticket-holders.

“Everybody has had their money back and we were only a day or two late, but still they want us to pay so much more,” Albert explained.

He has already made one appeal using the General Director of Public Games and Spectacles’ own grievance procedures, but it was rejected.

The preceding show at Valladolid had already been canceled but the 20 trucks containing light, sound, pyrotechnics and audiovisual equipment had made the 350-mile journey to El Ejido in the hope that the singer would recover in time to perform at the Estadio Santa Domingo.

It was the second disappointment for the Stones’ Spanish fans, as the no-shows in Valladolid, which was promoted by Gay Mercader of Live Nation, and El Ejido followed the cancellation of Mercader’s May shows in Barcelona and Madrid.

They had to be pulled after guitarist and veteran hell-raiser Keith Richards fell out of a coconut tree and banged his head.