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ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) – A new complaint filed by Listen Live Entertainment and LouFest alleges that a local sound and light company has interfered with the festival and forced it to cancel.
Last August, a week before the annual St. Louis Music Festival, reports from St. Louis Public Radio and other media revealed that LouFest was having trouble paying vendors. Chip Self of Logic Systems stated that their company had been hired to provide lighting and sound and had not yet been paid. LouFest at the time said, "We are 100% good at going there – loading has already started."
Six days later, the festival was canceled. A few days before the first group was supposed to play, Mike Van Hee, owner of LouFest, attributed the cancellation of the festival to the media coverage and the "unstable weather of Saint-Louis". The statement at the time also stated that "the loss of two of the major sponsors of the event, scheduling and contract issues with great artists and existing debt from previous events all exerted enormous pressure on the balance sheet.
A lawsuit filed by LouFest says that Chip Self and Logic Systems Sound made false statements "with the aim of harming plaintiffs and the plaintiff's ability to organize and promote Loufest in 2018 and thereafter."
He also states that Self was interested in taking charge of the music festival in 2018 and in the years to come.
On the phone, Self told KMOV that he had not yet seen the trial but that he was aware of it.
"We are aware of a frivolous legal maneuver, although we have not seen the trial yet. We expected this and are ready to defend it vigorously, "Self said.
Self filed its own lawsuit in December for breach of contract to recover the sums due. Self says he and the majority of the sellers have never been reimbursed as a result of the cancellation of the 2018 festival.
Mike Van Hee says this lawsuit is the first step to remedy the cancellation. In a prepared statement sent by Van Hee's lawyer, he does not exclude a future for the festival.
"This litigation is just one step forward to remedy the cancellation of the festival last year and is working to rebuild it for years to come. Various circumstances have made LouFest 2018 impossible to carry out and we will continue to shed light on this wider story, if any. We apologize for disappointing the city of St. Louis and its music fans, as well as LouFest's sponsors, partners, musicians and salespeople who were financially affected by the cancellation of the event. Our work has not stopped since September and we are committed to restoring the lost trust in our journey to the future. "
The City of St. Louis has stated that it has not received any permit applications for Forest Park for LouFest or any other similar music festival.
This is a story in development.
Copyright 2019 KMOV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved
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