No Pyramid Power

The Pyramid Rock Festival, held Dec. 30-31 near Melbourne, Australia, ended badly after an electrical storm caused the cancellation of the last four headliners. Organizers from Shiny Entertainment have been since responding to upset concertgoers.

The festival, held on Phillip Island and featuring more than 50 acts, was expected to ring in the New Year with a performance by Empire of the Sun, followed by a late-night performance by Van She. But an intense electrical storm hit the area around 9 p.m., damaging the lighting and effects systems of the main stage, according to a statement from the organizers. They canceled the event after deciding it would be logistically impossible to have the headliners play in the DJ tent instead. The Butterfly Effect, Grinspoon, Empire of the Sun and Van She were all canceled.

According to some of the postings on the festival’s Facebook page, along with fans’ comments to the media, fans were not as angry about the festival ending early as they were about waiting in the rain from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. to hear the bad news. The festival reportedly sold 15,000 tickets at about AUD$300 (US$273).

“Not only did they have no backup plan in case of he forecasted storms, but they sadly failed to provide a simple announcement, apology or even a traditional countdown into the new year,” one music fan told The Age newspaper.

According to one fan, the announcement was made over the P.A. by a stagehand, who did not come onstage, although the fan did admit that there would have been a safety issue because angry fans were throwing objects.

The organizers explained their situation on the festival’s Web site, then issued a subsequent, more detailed notice that included statements from three of the canceled acts and the station officer for Ambulance Victoria, who verified that the overriding decisions were based on safety.

Organizers said some of the problems came from patrons.

“The storm took out the Main Stage core systems which resulted in dangerous electrical leakage and shortages,” the statement said. “One channel was deemed safe and made available for DJ use, and the house lights gave electricians and stage technicians the ability to work on making the stage area safe. Unfortunately a small segment of the crowd was making working conditions dangerous and near impossible for staff and patrons, seriously disrupting our ability and desire to deliver the necessary information to the crowd.”

Organizers noted that 53 out of the 58 acts, including headliners Cat Power, The Cat Empire, Regurgitator and Architecture in Helsinki, performed and, in accordance with terms and conditions of sale, there will be no refund.