Irish Promoter Chased By Country Posse

Irish country music promoter James McGarrity is being chased by a record label and a posse of acts that claim he owes them money or advertised them for shows that were never confirmed.

Diane Delena, owner of Nashville-based River Run Records, is pursuing a winding-up order against McGarrity’s County Antrim-based JW Promotions.

She says he hasn’t paid a euro 15,000 debt despite having a court order against him last year.

Delena seeks the return of money advanced to McGarrity for promoting her act, Charlie Allen, which she claims he failed to do.

London’s High Court has also ruled she was due her share of profits as joint owner of the annual Country Fest festival, which McGarrity promotes.

An investigation by the Irish Independent has reportedly uncovered that McGarrity has also been involved in clashes with a string of top acts including Pogues frontman Shane MacGowan, singer Johnny McEvoy and country star Vince Gill.

They say McGarrity billed them as headline acts for concerts around Ireland even though they weren’t booked to play.

Ticketmaster says it’s already refunded customers who purchased tickets for McGarrity’s “Keltic Hooley” event.

Earlier this month the County Donegal festival was canceled because of poor ticket sales.

The cancellation came after MacGowan, who had been advertised as the headliner, posted a message on his official website saying that he wasn’t due to appear.

Last year McGarrity fell out with Gill and McEvoy, after they took legal action to stop him falsely billing them as headline acts of concerts he was promoting.

Delena’s winding-up order against JW Promotions will be heard in the Belfast High Court Sept. 15.