Popular Ghanaian artiste, Mr Drew has responded to a lawsuit by an event organiser that he was a no-show at a recent Easter party.
The dispute began when JamRock Event Centre filed a complaint on April 15, 2024, alleging that Mr. Drew had agreed to perform at their concert but withdrew at the last moment, despite having been paid a portion of his fee.
The event centre claimed that the artiste’s absence was unannounced and unexpected. It therefore demanded compensation to the tune of GH¢200,000.
However, Mr. Drew has vehemently denied these claims, calling them a “falsehood”.
In a detailed press release dated April 17 and shared by the artiste on his X handle, Mr. Drew’s camp provided a chronological breakdown of events leading up to the scheduled performance on April 1, 2024, in Akosombo.
According to the artiste, negotiations with the event organisers concluded with an agreement that required a 50% advance payment to confirm the booking, with the remainder due on the day of the event, before the performance.
Mr. Drew’s statement mentioned that he had fulfilled his promotional obligations, including shooting a video to endorse the event.
“The Organisers were required to pay 50% of the amount to confirm the booking. The remaining 50% was agreed to be paid to him on the day of the event before his performance.
“It was further agreed that Mr. Drew would shoot a promotional video confirming his participation in the event, which he shot and delivered to the organisers to be used as promotional material for the event.
“It was stated that the event would commence at 8:00pm and Mr. Drew the headline act would perform at 11:30pm to close out the show,” the statement read.
However, on the day of the event, despite the musician and his team’s timely arrival, the event did not start at the agreed time of 8:00pm.
Furthermore, the organisers failed to communicate effectively and did not honour the payment agreement.
“On the day of the event, Mr. Drew and his team hired a private vehicle to take them to Akosombo. The team arrived at 2:40pm and were lodged at Atta Korea Guest House by the organisers.
“Contrary to the agreement the event did not commence at 8:00pm and had not begun as at 12:00 am on 2nd April. Mr. Drew and his team waited at the guesthouse to be called to perform by the organisers.
“The organisers did not contact the team throughout this episode but at 12:26am came to the guesthouse and asked that the team join a convoy through the town to draw patrons to the event,” it added.
The press release went on to state that Mr. Drew and his team left the venue after hours of waiting without any update or payment.
The aftermath of the event saw the organisers resort to threats and defamatory statements on social media, prompting Mr. Drew’s legal team to demand a retraction and threaten legal action if the situation is not rectified.
“Organisers of the event refused to make payment and rather demanded that Mr. Drew move to the event first, citing the low turnout as the reason for their refusal to make payment.
“As at 1:00am on 2nd April the event was yet to start with the supporting acts yet to perform. After waiting for a further 50 minutes with no communication on when he would receive his payment, Mr. Drew and his team left Akosombo at 1:50 am,” it said.
The artiste’s legal representatives are now calling for a public apology from JamRock Event Centre and are prepared to take the matter to court to defend Mr. Drew’s reputation.
View the full statement below
PRESS RELEASE ‼️ pic.twitter.com/hD3TWoymQx
— Mr Drew (@mrdrewofficial) April 17, 2024
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
