Kilimanjaro And K2 In Summit Talks

Kilimanjaro chief Stuart Galbraith and K2 agency boss John Jackson were said to be meeting April 17 to discuss the fallout from the cancellation of Sonisphere Festival’s UK leg.

An email that Galbraith sent to Jackson April 13 appears to have been mistakenly sent to some unintended recipients.

The correspondence, which was forwarded to Pollstar, reveals that Galbraith was keen to set up a meeting to “stop this whole thing collapsing around our ears,” fearing that some acts on the bill would take legal action regarding their cancellation settlements.

It details how they intend to “go through all aspects of Twin Peaks current cash position / income projection etc.”

Twin Peaks Festivals is the partnership behind Sonisphere, whereby Kilimanjaro is the show promoter and Jackson sources the talent.

Jackson voices concern that “Twin Peaks must remain solvent,” while stressing the importance of keeping “William Morris and the various other key agencies on side” and retaining their goodwill – “given the critical importance of returning to Knebworth in 2013.”

This hasn’t been easy, as William Morris Endeavour was apparently threatening legal action if the settlements for Faith No More and Incubus weren’t agreed to by April 13.

The other acts keeping a close eye on the situation include KISS and Queen, while agencies such as CAA and X-Ray Touring are in the process of negotiating cancellation compensation on behalf of the other bands on the bill.

Nothing in the emails indicates that Twin Peaks isn’t in a position to deal with the cancellation payments.

Ticketholders have already been told that they will “automatically receive a full refund direct from their ticket agents.”

Until the middle of March, AEG was a 50-50 partner in Kilimanjaro but says it doesn’t have “a financial interest in or any obligation to the Sonisphere event at Knebworth.”

Although both sides say they’ll continue to work together in future, the exact nature of the deal is far from clear.

A couple of UK music trade papers have said Kilimanjaro has bought out AEG’s share, while the American company won’t go further than saying the deal’s been “restructured” and that Galbraith’s company remains a “strategic partner.”

As most of the deals for the UK Sonisphere bill were struck before the restructuring, it’s likely that AEG had already fulfilled any financial commitment it may have had to the Knebworth show.

Kilimanjaro’s next major project is Red Hot Chili Peppers, which plays Knebworth June 23 and Sunderland Stadium of Light, before heading off to Ireland to play Dublin Croke Park.

So far the other Sonispheres in mainland Europe, which are in Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Finland and France, are believed to be going ahead as planned.

The other acts on the UK lineup included Evanescence, Marilyn Manson, Within Temptation, Wolfmother, Mastodon, Lacuna Coil, and The Darkness.