RocknRoots festival now looks for new festival site

Herefordshire Council have said why RocknRoots festival which was due to take place over this August Bank Holiday from Saturday 23rd August to Monday 25th August at Much Marcle, near Ross on Wye, Hereford has been cancelled, explaining that the promoters had failed to advertise the event sufficiently to people living in Much Marcle in order to obtain the necessary licence.

Festival director Mike Stephens, calls the decision a tragedy for the county's cultural music scene in an interview with the Hereford Times (here) and adds it will also be disastrous for local businesses.

The director is quoted as saying, "Herefordshire really has lost out here and the music industry will just ignore the county from now on. I have lost £120,000 personally but local restaurants and B&Bs will lose bookings, young musicians will miss out, and the bands who had booked flights from overseas will no longer play. It's just a disaster for everyone."

Kevin O'Keefe, Herefordshire Council's legal practice manager, explains why the event failed to get a licence in the article saying, "Unfortunately the applicant failed to advertise his planned event in accordance with the requirements of law. This was further compounded by a combination of other errors he made in the application process. The committee needed to decide firstly whether or not the application had been properly made. They decided it had not. We are acutely aware of the disappointment that this decision will cause to many who have purchased tickets and who were looking forward to this event but, having fully considered this matter, have reached a decision that is consistent with previous decisions."

Mr Stephens does have the right to appeal to the High Court for a judicial review, but he feels there isn't enough time, and is quoted as saying, "I will be speaking to my solicitor but as far as I am concerned the festival is off. Those who have bought tickets will get their money back."

The festival website has since been updated (here) to suggest that the festival is now seeking another site, and perhaps it will go ahead after all:

Message Dated Aug 13 2008
We are currently in negotiations for the use of a fully liscensed festival site for the same weekend
Please keep checking this website for the latest information

The festival which was expecting 5000 revellers had a line-up that included Steve Cropper, Curved Air, Jefferson Starship, Marillion, Cerys Matthews, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Walter Trout & The Radicals, The Wurzels, Wayne Hussey (The Mission) and The Animals.

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