Greek Promoter Angry Over No-Show

Inter Show chief Teresa Kerasidis is angry about Dionne Warwick canceling her March 15 show in Athens at a day’s notice because the US songstress didn’t feel safe traveling to Greece.

“There were no strikes at the time, but we immediately collected information from Greek and foreign press offices, the Athens international airport, and the American Embassy in Athens, confirming with them that such danger did not exist in Greece,” Kerasidis explained, evidently surprised at the reason for the cancellation.

“We assured her and the agency that she wouldn’t have any problems while she was here. These arguments did not convince her to change her opinion about the false picture she has about our country and she insisted that she doesn’t want to be in this country when it’s dangerous.”

Kerasidis claims Inter Show was put in the awkward position of announcing the cancellation of Warwick’s concert because of the “unjustified and completely unreasonable” absence of the artist.

“We must condemn such unacceptable, unorthodox and insulting behaviour towards the Greek audience and our country,” she said.

Whatever information Kerasidis was receiving about Greece, a country that regularly totters on the brink of civil disobedience, it clearly wasn’t the same as that being picked up by the artist and her manager.

“People in authority said there was unrest over labour issues. She was in the EU and wanted to play the date. She’s going back this year to make it up,” manager Steve Leber of New York-based NAPG Inc. told Pollstar.