Rock Gone Wild Festival Update

Questions still swirl about the fate of Rock Gone Wild, set to take place August 20 - 23 at the Diamond Jo Casino in Northwoods, Iowa. Bring Back Glam! just spoke with an official at the casino regarding the festival, preparations and ticket sales.

“I’m not able to say it will or will not happen,” says Scott Smith, Marketing Director for the Diamond Jo casino.  

Rock Gone Wild general manager Nathalie Faghihi posted this online just hours ago: "Rock Gone Wild was notified on August 5, 2009, by email from legal counsel representing Diamond Jo Casino, that... 'The event cannot take place anywhere on the licensed premises.'"

That may or may not be true. According to Smith, the festival was never really going to take place on festival grounds anyway. Smith says Rock Gone Wild promoters were supposed to use grounds to the north of the casino. “We’re not a sponsor,” he adds. “More like a landmark.”

“It is our understanding ticket sales are good, but we don’t have official numbers,” says Smith. He also adds all the rooms in the casino are not booked for the weekend of August 20-23.

“We’ve been referring everyone back to the Rock Gone Wild website.”  Smith also adds the casino itself is in limbo and isn’t in a position to say whether the event is on or off. “I’ve not heard from a promoter regarding a confirmation.”

The last time anyone at the casino received official word from Rock Gone Wild was Monday, via email. Specific details of that email were not disclosed.

“[The] majority of people around here are excited for Rock Gone Wild. The prospect of having thousands of people [in town] only helps everyone,” concludes Smith.

Bands booked for Rock Gone Wild include Twisted Sister, Saving Abel, Candlebox, Lita Ford, Kix, Puddle of Mudd and many more.

Comments

[KixRules]

WTF???? Something is going on here that RGW is NOT telling the paying customers!!!

[kari]

SHADY STUFF, I tell ya. NOT that it's anything we didn't expect to happen. I'm soooo glad I had no intention of ever going to this festival. Thanks Ally for posting us with the dirt so far. Our ears are posted for further updates.

ARE YOU READY TO BLOW MY FUSE? HOT DAMN, They sure were electrifying at Rocklahoma. Say what you want about the lack of attendance at that festival (blah blah blah). Atleast the promoters at ROK know how to get the festival off the ground and make it happen!

DOH!

[Hmmmm]

Well i will say this, they seemed to only have 1 voice mailbox that was always full. no one could get through to order tickets... At least for the past couple weeks. when we left phone numbers we got no call backs. (this is the number off the RGW website btw)
I personally called no less than 100 times. Left 3 emails at their different contacts. Left return contact info and never heard a word back.

[Hmmmm]

Oh and it states above that all the rooms in the hotel are not booked.. thinkin this is a misprint?? when i called them last weekend they said all rooms were taken by the bands and VIPS.And that they would be selling tickets on site starting Friday.
I live about 45 miles north in Minnesota and really hope they get this back up and running at Diamnond Jo's seein as how I would be there anyway planted in front of a money hungry slot....RGW seems like a much better way to blow my hard earned money!

[Fitz]

I feel bad for the fans and bands loosing $$$ on this fiasco. I heard back at ROK that this festival would never happen and they were right. The line up sucked any ways except for sat and 1/2 of sunday. See you at ROK10

[Gil]

Here is a post I just found. Take it for what it is worth.

http://www.thegauntlet.com/article/1225/16551/Rock-Gone-Wild-canceled.html

[GloriaGlam]

Wow..
I read they never had a contract for a venue!
Isn't that illegal? To sell tickets to a non-existant event?


I feel sorry for some people, but those that bought tickets before there were bands booked or a venue announced.. all I can say is..
"If it sounds too good to be true.. it is"

[Lee]

Nat scammed another bunch of people. Not surprised.

Can't believe no one bothered to call the venue to see if it was going to be held there.
Seriously.. you just spent $600 on tickets without any research?
Wow.. I got some property I want to sell you and a couple of used cars.

[Hmmmm]

"Organiser Dana Young tells Blabbermouth.net, "I was informed on August 5, 2009, by email from legal counsel representing Diamond Jo Casino, that... the event cannot take place anywhere on the licensed premises."

- It is my understanding that this was never going to be held on Diamond Jo Licensed property anyway... Sounds to me like Diamond Jo only sent this email out to cover their butts in case anything bad did happen.... But to blame the casino for this not going on is B.S. Sounds like they are using the casino as a scapegoat for some very poor planning on the promoters part to me.

[Hmmmm]

To clarify the above post.. the land NORTH of the casino is not owned by the casino as far as I know... and that is where the concert was to be held.

[Caddi]

We did call the casino and spoke to a manager when the venue change was announced. She bragged about how great their facilities are and how happy would be about having the festival there. She stated the stages would be on concrete, which is part of the casino land, and that was the main advantage over freedom park. The casino did an about face on this for some reason. The person we spoke to was named Rene.

[Hmmmm]

I just got home from Diamond Jo Casino. There is no way they could have had a concert on the land to the north of the casino in the first place. (the PRIVATE owned land that it was supposed to be on) A sequel to Children of The Corn maybe ( seeing as how the entire field is covered in 4 ft crops)

[HenJeorse]

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