Orlando Runs Off To The Supper Club

Moscow-based promoter Aliona Chernaya is claiming a rogue agent fraudulently kept a deposit she paid him and has now run off to Thailand to run a venue called The Supper Club.

The City Concerts general manager told Pollstar she sent euro 30,000 to Swedish-based agent Orlando John for an Ace Of Base show at Moscow’s Barvikha Concert Hall in May 2009, unaware that the act had already sacked him.

The show was postponed twice and eventually canceled. John, who ran a company called Urbania Group, told her the band had split up. Chernaya says John also told her the money would be sent back in two weeks. That was the last time she heard from him.

When she realised she had problems getting her money returned, she took advantage of the fact she’d previously promoted the act and made direct contact.

“When I spoke to Ulf Ekberg, the singer of Ace of Base, he said the band was still together and was not aware of this show. He said they’d never signed a contract for it or received any deposit and that Orlando John had been fired in August 2008,” she said.

Chernaya alleges he was negotiating on behalf of Ace Of Base without the act’s knowledge and then made a false cancellation statement.

She’s talking to lawyers about suing John for fraud, but the problem is that Urbania has since been declared bankrupt and its former head is reportedly in Southeast Asia.

“I thought that show business was criminal only in Russia and Eastern Europe but it turns out the former manager of a well-known European band with a 20-year history can run away with money in the 21st century,” she said.

Apparently she’s not the first Russian promoter to lose money by paying John deposits for shows that were subsequently canceled.

Alexander Uneshkin from Radio Record, a leading St. Petersburg station, says he booked MC Hammer through Urbania for the city’s SuperDiscoteque-2008 festival.

“Months later we received a statement saying the artist couldn’t perform his obligations and that the advance payment would be sent back shortly.”

When the money didn’t arrive, Uneshkin contacted MC Hammer direct, only for the act to explain that he had no knowledge of the festival, had never received any proposals to play it and had never heard of Orlando John.

Uneshkin still hasn’t gotten the deposit back but did save the show by booking MC Hammer direct.

He said he’s also aware of promoters in The Baltics who’ve complained about losing deposits to Urbania in a similar fashion. They say he keeps the money and ignores all correspondence.

Although he’s said to be in Thailand, Chernaya is also concerned that the old Urbania Web site is still up and running and advertising artists including Tiesto and Ferry Corsten.

Chernaya has informed the police and issued a statement to warn any artists and promoters that may deal with John.