Australia: Riff Raff Tour Canceled, NSW Ticket Laws, Wellington Named Most Creative, Photographer Ros O’Gorman Dies

Scott Dudelson / Getty Images – Riff Raff
Rapper Riff Raff performs onstage at Seaside Park on June 21, 2015 in Ventura, California.

Houston-based rapper Riff Raff’s Australian and New Zealand tour was canceled June 1, the day it was to kick off in Cairns, Queensland. It came a day after Melbourne woman Eliza Stafford accused the rapper of drugging and raping her after inviting her backstage at a 2013 show.

In a lengthy post, Stafford, who was 19 at the time of the alleged incident, stated, “I was offered a 60ml ‘party’ shot. I took the shot, it was syrup and I immediately asked what it was. Riff Raff and his support act told me that it was codeine and started laughing. I don’t remember anything from that point.”

She added, “I woke up as Riff Raff was pulling out of me and getting into the shower.”

Tour promoter Audiopaxx issued a statement, “Audiopaxx take these matters seriously and does not condone any of this alleged behaviour. In light of this, we have spoken to his management team and the scheduled tour of Australia and New Zealand has been cancelled, effective immediately.” Audiopaxx declined to further comment to Pollstar.

The venues had postings on their own Facebook pages. The Corner Hotel in Melbourne, a constant entry in Pollstar’s quarterly worldwide venues charts, emphasised, “The Corner & High Fi Events take allegations of sexual assault very seriously, and we have therefore cancelled Riff Raff’s upcoming show at the Corner Hotel. We are working tirelessly to ensure the venue is a safe and inclusive space for everybody and we don’t condone sexual harassment and assault of any kind.”

Riff Raff had not commented on the allegations or the tour cancellation.

Effective June 1, it is illegal to charge more than the original cost for a resold concert or sporting event ticket in the state of New South Wales (NSW). Transaction costs are also capped at 10 percent. NSW Fair Trading warned maximum penalties will be A$11,000 ($8,323) for individuals and A$22,000 ($16,765) for corporations. Resale platforms including Viagogo now must show the original cost of the ticket and specific seating details.

New Zealand economic analysis and forecast firm Infometrics’ 2017 update of its Creativity Index named Wellington as its most creative city as measured by those employed in creative jobs. Some 6.4 percent of the city’s population worked in the creative sector, with runner-up Auckland having 4.7 percent in that sector. Earlier this year to augment the diversity of the city’s arts and creative sector, Wellington city council committed an additional NZ$127 million ($88.8 million) to it.

The Australian music industry paid tribute to photographer Ros O’Gorman, who passed May 29 after a \battle with cancer in Melbourne. She and her husband, journalist Paul Cashmere, set up the Undercover and Noise 11 music sites, and were constantly present at concerts — In Australia as well as internationally.

Promoter Michael Chugg hailed her as a pioneering role model for women in the biz. “(She) was always the big smiling happy face in the photographers’ pit at all our shows for more years than I can remember, even when I was being grumpy at the photographers,” Chugg said. Singer Jimmy Barnes said O’Gorman and Cashmere “spent a beautiful life working together and raising a family. I was so said to hear that she had been tragically taken from him.”