Prince Promoter Problems

A UK-based company that claims to help secure “A-List entertainment” for “high net worth individuals” has denied having any connection with a Swiss promoter that lost its Prince show in Geneva after allegedly failing to pay its deposits.

Promoter Daniel S. Quarcoopom, who runs Larger Than Live, released a statement saying the July 23 show at the 40,000-capacity Stade de Geneve was pulled “for reasons beyond the control of the promoter.” He said the cancellation was because of “technical specifications relating to the venue.” The statement came on paper bearing the name and company logo of London-based Kikit.

Sources told Pollstar the stadium scrubbed the event because it hadn’t received any financial guarantees. Quarcoopom’s firm is also being sued by Resaplus, the Geneva-based ticket company that sold the tickets.

“Kikit is not connected with the promoter. Kikit acts as producer of shows for and on behalf of Prince,” said company spokeswoman Kiran Sharman. She said “the whole Geneva situation has gotten out of hand” and that she spoke with Quarcoopom and told him to stop using her company name.

The Mayfair-based company helps produce Prince shows and once helped secure the American superstar for a charity event in London that was attended by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. It included a dinner with former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev as one of the items up for auction. Kikit has also worked with Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, Annie Lennox, Alicia Keys, Bon Jovi and Chaka Khan.

“I don’t see how they could have encountered any technical problems as they didn’t actually start loading in the production,” explained Stade de Geneve chairman Benoit Genecand. “We didn’t receive the money to secure the stadium and so we closed it. The trucks didn’t get in,” he said. The show was scrapped a day before it was to happen.

Quarcoopom said the late announcement of the cancellation was because he tried to make the show happen up to the very last minute, but “intense negotiations brought no positive result to make the show go ahead.” The show was originally scheduled for July 10.

He apologized for the trouble caused and said the company would make a detailed announcement “at a later date.”

Resaplus says it’s taking legal action because it’s paid the ticket receipts to Quarcoopom and can’t make refunds until that money is returned.

“No precise instructions have been received from D. S. Quarcoopom or the promoters, and the advance payments have not been returned,” it said in a statement.

“For this reason, Resaplus SA will take legal action as of August 2, 2010, in order to reimburse the clients for those tickets. Resaplus will not abandon this and payments made for the concert must be recovered and our clients reimbursed.”

Prince’s press agency released a statement saying the tour organisers regretted to inform his fans in Switzerland that his concert at Geneva’s Stade de Geneve on Friday July 23 was canceled.

“Due to apparent difficulties between the promoter and the venue Prince has been informed he is now not able to perform,” it said.