Techno Festival (Possibly) Cancelled Due To ‘Prisoner Issues’

As far as excuses to cancel a festival go, I think the reason behind Gold Coast City Council scrapping the Secret Session “three day techno rave” would have to be the best I’ve ever heard.

From Christie’s weekly column on TheMusic.com.au:

The three day techno rave The Secret Sessions Festival, due to be held on October 9 in Numinbah Valley, has been refused a permit. Reason was that the Gold Coast City Council felt it was being held too close to a prison farm and too tempting for its inmates to escape.

Who knew convicted felons were into techno?

Here’s the thing though – organisers of the festival are denying it has been cancelled.

From InTheMix:

… it looks as though somebody has their information distorted, as an updated news item on the Secret Sessions homepage has contested the original article, saying that the festival is indeed going ahead.

“Some of you may have read a misleading article this week in the Gold Coast Bulletin stating that Secret Sessions had been cancelled,” the statement read. “This is not the case! Secret Sessions will go ahead from the 9th to the 11th of October as we have done every year for the past 5 years!”

Evidently upset about the news item, the Secret Sessions administrators continued to set the record straight, taking aim at the original article and assuring fans that the festival will continue.

“The journalist Leah Fineran who took it upon herself to write this incorrect statement will burn in hell forever! Secret Sessions is currently in negotiations with the land owners and the GC City Council to try and rectify this situation. Regardless of the outcome Secret Sessions will find a new home once again and we promise we will not disappoint all our loyal followers!”

The plot thickens. It still remains to be seen whether or not the festival will take place at its original location and date, but we’ll be keeping a very close eye on upcoming developments in the saga!

A check of the Secret Sessions website would indicate the festival is still going ahead. I suppose the important thing is, we now know that if we organise a shindig anywhere near a prison, we need to ensure it features the sort of artists who are completely unappealing to hardened criminals.

Sorry, Guy. You’ve got a real pretty mouth, and jailbirds occasionally “like it like that”.