A black metal festival at Glasgow’s Classic Grand was cut short after a pigs blood swastika was painted on a dressing room wall.
The venue claims it has been left with a four-figure repair bill after the dressing room was defaced during the Caledonian Darkness festival at the weekend. The blood was to be used by Pseudogod, Sortilegia and Ifrinn during their sets – but it was instead used to paint the racist symbol on the walls.
Pictures captured by STV show the damage caused to the Classic Grand’s dressing room.
The vandalism took place after some acts learned they would not be paid, as the festival didn’t bring in enough money. As a result, headlining Swedish outfit Nifelheim were still able to perform, but Dead Congregation and Svartidaudi did not play.
Promoter Oracular Phantasm admit they struggled financially to fund the show due to unexpectedly low ticket sales, with Britain’s decision to leave the European Union partially blamed.
They say: “This event began haemorrhaging money around the start of the week due to lack of sales. We did not anticipate this in the slightest as the line-up speaks for itself. Everyone predicted it would sell out, we here did not but we still believed it would sell 400+.
“We were optimistic that we could break even with door sales. but it turned out not to be. As a result we could only afford flights, accommodation and catering for the bands.
“But with the cost of things like flights absolutely through the roof due to factors such as the value of the pound fluctuating as a result of the so-called ‘Brexit’ referendum, the festival really struggled to stay on budget. This was made harder with lack of sales.”
Classic Grand blamed “rising tensions” for the promoter’s decision to wrap up early – and have accused “several” of the bands of causing damage to the venue.
A spokesman says: “Bands had flown in from all over Europe, with performance fees agreed by the promoter, as well as riders etc. It soon became apparent that the agreed fees were not going to be available to the bands, or venue.
“When certain acts discovered they were not going to be paid by the promoter, some took it upon themselves to challenge them/refuse to play etc.
“Several, unnamed, bands then decided to cause severe damage to the venue. Which has resulted in a four-figure repair bill. To ensure everyone’s safety, the promoter decided to cut short the event, a decision which The Classic Grand agreed with.”
The incident follows the news that a neo-Nazi festival due to take place in Falkirk, Scotland, was called off last week.
- Bring Me The Horizon launch Doomed live video
- Metallica to premiere new song Atlas, Rise! on Halloween
- Outrage in Scotland leads to cancellation of neo-Nazi gig
- Watch Los Angeles cop join garage band jam session
Blastfest pulls Peste Noire from bill in face of 'Antifa' protests
