Heat's on rap group D12 over Heatwave Festival no-show

CHART-TOPPING rap group D12, famed for its links with bad-boy music star Eminem, is being sued in the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

CHART-TOPPING rap group D12, famed for its links with bad-boy music star Eminem, is being sued in the Adelaide Magistrates Court.

The liquidators of this year's Heatwave Festival have launched action against the Detroit-based group for no-showing the January event. Liquidators Martin Lewis and Tim Mableson want D12 to immediately refund the $35,475.73 it was given to perform and pay court costs and interest.

D12, also known as The Dirty Dozen, achieved mainstream success after Eminem rose to international fame.

Other members of the group include Kuniva, Bizarre, Kon Artis and the late Proof, who died in 2006.

Their albums Devil's Night and D12 World debuted at No. 1 on the US Billboard Top 200 chart, and songs including Fight Music and Purple Pills were highly successful.

D12 was due to perform at the three-day Heatwave Festival at Middleton in January, then at events in other states.

That month The Advertiser reported the group had "reportedly missed its flight" and therefore the festival.

In their statement of claim, Mr Lewis and Mr Mableson say D12 breached its contract.

"On or around November 2, 2011, the defendants entered into an agreement with Heatwave's organisers (and) were paid two instalments of $US18,000," they assert.

"The defendants failed to perform at three of the festivals, in breach of the agreement. (We) are entitled to a refund of the total monies paid."

Yesterday Luke Rowley, for the liquidators, asked for leave to issue summons to the group's US management.

Under South Australian law, parties can issue proceedings interstate or overseas only with the permission of a court.

"I also need to liaise with the court registry to determine what the costs of doing that might be," Mr Rowley said.

Magistrate Simon Milazzo gave Mr Rowley 42 days to compile his documentation and ordered that the matter return to court later this month for a status hearing.