Amnesia Rockfest organiser hits back at Twisted Sister roadie

The founder of a Canadian festival described by a Twisted Sister roadie as the “worst ever” says he does not give any artist priority.

Twisted Sister tour assistant Terry Sapp said this week that staff at the Amnesia Rockfest in Montebello, Quebec, failed to provide a proper rider or dressing room space for the band and crew and also complained that the group’s set was cut to just seven songs.

But in a statement, Amnesia founder Alex Martel says Sapp’s rant – which has since been deleted – was the first he had heard that the band had any problems with the way they were treated.

Martel says: “I was extremely disappointed earlier today to read the comments made by Twister Sister’s blogger after their show at Amnesia Rockfest 2016. We contacted the band’s team as soon as we became aware of these comments, and they immediately decided to remove the blog post outlining their dissatisfaction.

“However, I think it’s important that we set the record straight to prevent misunderstandings. In the 11 years of the festival, I have never seen anything like this. No member of the Twisted Sister camp contacted me at any point during or after the festival to express any concerns – we are always open to constructive criticism and improvement.

“I could tell the other side of the story. I could explain how running a festival with 130 bands over two days works and how our entire team makes serious efforts to accommodate them all, rather than giving priority to a single band.”

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Martel continues: “I could mention that all the logistical information was sent to performers weeks prior to the event to ensure there would be no surprises about our hospitality, production or the site’s geographic location.

“I could also name the hundreds of bands who are satisfied with their experience at Rockfest year after year. Even though I strongly disagree with their claims and the way they chose to share their views, I still have tremendous respect for this legendary band and I wish them the best in their future endeavours.”

Amnesia Rockfest was held in June and, as well as Twisted Sister, featured performances from Blink-182, Jane’s Addiction, Korn, Bring Me The Horizon, Puscifer and others.

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Steel Panther hail hair metal heroes Twisted SIster