Yesterday's piece, retained below in its original form, has hit a nerve in some one quarter. We're also gratified to relay our piece spawned a healthy influx of heartfelt thanks and support to our inboxes. From people that matter.
The essence of the blowback we received – mostly from trolls pushing barrows and also some genuinely interested parties – boils down to:
1) Was the event actually cancelled at the time the Tone Deaf article was published?2) Our concern no sources, named or otherwise, were cited to support a massive claim
In relation to the latter, there has been a flurry of narrative revisions in various quarters since our article spread like wildfire. The original TD aricle was promoted and styled across their group as, "Tone Deaf has spoken to PR who cannot confirm the event will proceed in 2024" over the top of a full Splendour In The Grass poster emblazoned with "Cancelled". The article itself offered nothing further in relation to sources.
Rolling Stone Australia, a part of the Brag Group, which also publishes Tone Deaf posted, unedited:
Conversely at 19:00 AEDT yesterday (7pm) Tone Deaf edited its Instagram headline to remove reference to the 'PR cannot confirm so we're calling it cancelled' line. It can be seen this was a direct result of a reader calling them out for "irresponsible 'journalism'".
In relation to the first issue of whether the event was cancelled at the time of TD's publication, and if so who leaked internally, and if so whether they were authorised (hot tip: they weren't) may be the subject of a follow-up piece.
EDIT 16:03 AEDT, 27th March: Splendour In The Grass has announced its cancellation for 2024. We have changed the name of the headline to reflect this. The original headline is maintained below.This article will remain live as all the claims herein remain valid, in particular
The head Tone Deaf article, from which the media frenzy started, cited zero sources. Nor did that same article even claim "unnamed inside sources confirm..." They only said a SITG publicist couldn't "confirm or deny" which is a far cry from a cancellation. Notwithstanding any claims TD make about what they knew and when, tens of other news sites ran with the story as fact. Which it wasn't. At the time of writing both this article and the head article, Splendour had not been cancelled. Tens of articles remain online, many from the same news sources, claiming Pandemonium Rocks has been cancelled. It hasn't. Original article posted 14:17, AEDT, 27th MarchSplendour Is NOT Cancelled. What Is Wrong With You Bottom Feeders?Splendour In The Grass is not cancelled. At time of writing.
Repeating, Splendour In The Grass is not cancelled. There is no such statement from the promoter. Tickets are still on sale.
Which begs the question: why is the media reporting it has been cancelled? The answer is these writers and publishers are base bottom-feeders. Opportunistic, click-hunting morons who forget themselves, the industries in which they work and their obligation for fair, objective and balanced reprorting.
In the past hour, the Australian Internet has reached meltdown with Channel Nine, ABC and all the rest – including my colleagues in independent media – running hot with news of the Splendour cancellation.
All on the basis of one phone call, this time from music site Tone Deaf (irony much?), asking the Splendour publicist – the publicist! – if they could guarantee the event would proceed in 16 weeks time. And because they were unable to do so, Tone Deaf saw fit to pronounce the event as cancelled. One phone call from a pleb on the hunt for a story on a slow entertainment news day.
Last week, Channel Nine reported the cancellation of Pandemonium Rocks without a skerric of evidence to support the claim. In a vacuous television news segment the main desk crossed to a barely-adult reporter who breathlessly (and incorrectly) reported Pandemonium's demise. And the entire substance of the claim was she called the promoter's office and they hung up on her. The same news media lost their minds – and their professionalism.
Anyone with an ounce of intelligence would understand the devastating effect these wildfire claims, presented as fact, have on market sentiment. Anyone with an ounce of respect for the promoters, the artists, the ancilliary businesses associated with festivals would tread so very delicately before they trumpeted.
Deep Purple are no longer on the Pandemonium bill. So what? Run with that as a news item. Someone hung up on a random gotcha call. So what? Run with that as a news item. Start a bull run with claims of cancellation. Shame on the f...ing lot of you. Shame.
My strong suggestion to promoters affected by these stories is to investigate their rights under claims of Injurious Falsehood (call me). A victory or two would slow these clowns and their masters right up. ... and if the event is cancelled at some time in the future then by all means report and enjoy your splendid day in the sun. Bottom feeders.
