The planned 2024 staging of Sting has been cancelled hours before it was set to take place at Jamworld on Boxing Day.

A disheartened Isaiah Laing, head of event organiser Supreme Promotions Ltd, said the company has been forced to cancel the show after a major production company Clearsound Production Services Group, pulled out of the event at the 11th hour.

“I am saddened because this will cause a major ripple effect throughout the economy and the music industry. Hundreds of vendors and concessionaires have invested their money and wanted to recoup during the show, dozens of artistes have rehearsed and are waiting for their chance to shine, and thousands of patrons will be disappointed by the cancellation of the show but it is beyond my control,” Laing said.

Clearsound Production, Laing said, was contracted to provide stage and sound for Sting 2024. The company’s equipment, sound and technical personnel have been situated at the Jamworld event site since last Friday.

Laing explained that a deposit of $1 million was remitted to the production company on Tuesday, while the remaining sum of $6.5 million was deposited via bank transfer this week. However, he said the public holidays meant that the sum has not been reflected in the company’s account resulting in what the production outfit dubbed a non-compliance of “RTGS processing standards”.

LAING…I am saddened.

“Clearsound Production has been paid in full but the show, sadly, cannot go on,” Laing said.
Laing said that patrons who purchased tickets online will be entitled to a full refund.

The Supreme Promotions boss said he received a call from one of the Clearsound company’s directors that the company would be removing its sound and staging equipment and technical personnel from the event site.

Hence, Laing said he is forced to pull the event.

“Due to the complexity of the setup, it is impossible to get a replacement at this time, because to meet the high technical standards of Sting, the personnel will need at least three days to set up, not a few hours. We have no option but to postpone the event for a date to be announced,” Laing said.

In the 40 year history of the show, this is the first postponement or cancellation, even with dire weather problems.

“In the year 2000, when Merciless defeated Beenie, Ninjaman and Bounty, there was a lot of rain, we removed seven truckloads of water from the venue. That did not stop us and we still sold 10,000 tickets, people put their shoes in plastic bags and walk go over there, so for this to happen now, it is hard to stomach,” Laing said.

Laing said the show’s cancellation has created a “logistical nightmare”.

“I had a great relationship with the previous owner of Clearsound, and they had provided stage and sound last year so I am surprised at this turn of events. This is a logistical nightmare,” Laing said.

When contacted, Kelvin Osbourne, chief executive officer of Clearsound Production Services Ltd, said he could not comment on the issue and suggested that all questions should be directed towards Supreme Promotions.

Observer Online obtained a copy of an internal memo sent by the Board of Directors of Clearsound to Osbourne, outlining a litany of problems and that the terms of the contract were “materially breached”. Further, memo said that the money purportedly sent by Supreme Promotions had not been deposited “in our designated account” nor does “it comply with RTGS processing standards”.

“In light of these breaches, we are issuing a formal cease and desist letter, effective immediately. Additionally, the operations team has been instructed to commence withdrawal of all equipment and personnel from the event site by 5 pm on December 25 unless full payment is reflected in our account prior to this deadline,” the letter said.

No promissory notes or deferred payment arrangements will be accepted, the letter said.

“Only the receipt of the outstanding funds in full will prevent further action,” the letter concluded.

The planned Sting 2024 had been set to be headlined by Tommy Lee Sparta, Turbulence and Teflon among other acts.