Pensacola Bills Promoter For Slow Show

Gulf Coast Summer Fest took place on Pensacola’s Casino Beach over Labor Day weekend featuring Johnny Gill, Will Downing, Dru Hill, and Average White Band, among other acts.

The Santa Rosa Island Authority provided $105,000 to the concert, knowing it was a risky investment, according to the Pensacola News Journal. 

The concert needed 2,000 paying customers to break even but reportedly sold only 960 tickets.

Promoter William “Cadillac” Banks, who received the loan, told the paper he was surprised by recent bills from the SRIA that added up to $10,000, considering his deal with the authority.

Because his contract for the loan from the SRIA states that the fee will be repaid from the “first $105,000 in ticket sales,” Banks claims he isn’t liable for any more payments to the authority.

“I feel I really shouldn’t have to pay it because I lost just as much as the Island Authority,” he said. “I had to pay for the travel costs and hotels for the artists. I had to pay for ground transportation and portable potties and security. And I paid $9,000 for rain insurance.”

Officials disagree. SRIA Executive Director W.A. Lee told the paper Banks must pay a facilities fee for using the beach for the show, pointing to another promoter of a recent fest who was required to pay $20,000 to use the beach and an adjacent parking lot for several days.

“We are trying to recoup our money,” Lee said.