SEATTLE — A leaked contract for the Hot ‘N’ Fresh Festival is causing a stir with it’s restrictive clauses that don’t allow bands to play another set within the same year or within the same country, sources who are only getting paid like $400 confirmed.
“We are proud to bring in the fresh faces of music and put them in front of a smattering of half-coherent college students who are so sunburned they are unrecognizable to family,” said festival founder Steph Pine. “In exchange for this sort of exposure, we ask the bands playing to adhere to a few simple guidelines. It’s all boilerplate stuff, if you play our fest you can’t play at any other fests, music, venues, basements, weddings, birthday parties, or even in your practice space for at least 364 days within 3,500 miles of our grounds. So this means bands can still play Australia, Europe, and inland Asia. Coachella does the same thing.”
The Polio Splits, an up-and-coming trio from Austin, admit they were excited to be asked to play the fest until they realized the limitations of their contract.
“We had a full tour planned and even re-routed things in order to play the fest. Even though we were playing on day three of the fest at 11:50 a.m. we figured it could be big step for us. But then we started getting official letters from the fest saying we needed to cancel all our other shows ‘or else,’” said Polio Splits guitarist/vocalist Brad Rugland. “We ignored it at first but then things started to get more serious. My cat went missing and there was a letter from the fest saying ‘Cancel the shows, save the cat.’ I tried getting the police involved, but they said they couldn’t do anything since we signed a contract. The fest is two months away and we’re all nervous we might violate the contract and get our legs broken.”
Longtime entertainment lawyer Patrick Yeller cautions young bands about getting involved with predatory fest promoters.
“I have seen so many of these kinds of contracts over the years and getting booked at one of these festivals can be exciting for a lot of groups,” said Yeller. “But the reality of the situation is far more serious than people realize. Last year a band booked on Boston Calling were foolish enough to book a show in Rhode Island the next day and their van mysteriously exploded on the highway.”
At press time, Hot ‘N’ Fresh promoters sent an email to all the booked bands informing them to bring their own food and water, for it will not be provided by the fest.