Twisted Sister Suing Rock Carnival Promoter for Unpaid Farewell Show Fees
Twisted Sister are suing Rock Carnival promoter John D’Esposito after he allegedly refused to pay the band their full performance fee. The show was Twisted Sister’s American farewell gig, but D’Esposito claims he “suffered catastrophic economic losses” due to rain and heavy winds throughout the festival weekend.
On Oct. 1, 2016, Twisted Sister said goodbye to the New York / New Jersey area with a headlining performance at Rock Carnival. Twisted were supposed to receive $200,000, but have reportedly only been paid $50,000 of their show money so far. Bad weather plagued the three-day event, which was held in Lakewood, N.J., at a minor league baseball stadium. However, Rock Carnival was advertised as a “rain or shine” event with the fest’s website stating, “There will be no refunds for the Rock Carnival.”
Court papers read, "Thousands of people were prevented from attending because of torrential rains and excessive winds," he said. "Refunds had to be issued."
"After a stellar 14-year reunion in which we played in 32 countries all around the world, to have this happen at the final show in the New York area is very disheartening to the band," Twisted guitarist Jay Jay French told The Associated Press.
Rock Carnival’s promoter also claims thousands of dollars in damage was done to the baseball field after vocalist Dee Snider’s limousine drove across it "because it was raining so hard that Snider refused to walk to the stage." “That is a lie,” Snider responded, choosing not to comment further.
Despite the rain, Twisted Sister put on a stellar show at Rock Carnival. For Loudwire’s full recap of the event, click here.
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