Pandemonium Rocks: Gold Coast festival boss Andrew McManus fires back at social media critic

The beseiged promoter of Pandemonium Rocks festival featuring Blondie and Alice Cooper has fired back at a keyboard critic saying he “should have just walked away” from the event.

Besieged Gold Coast music festival promoter Andrew McManus has come under heavy fire on social media over chaos and confusion surrounding his Pandemonium Rocks festival featuring Blondie and Alice Cooper.

Besieged Gold Coast music festival promoter Andrew McManus has hit back at a social media critic, telling him he will meet him “anytime, anywhere bud”.

Mr McManus has come under heavy fire on social media over chaos and confusion surrounding his Pandemonium Rocks festival featuring Blondie and Alice Cooper.

The touring festival is due to kick off in Melbourne on April 20 before heading to Sydney, Newcastle, the Gold Coast and Brisbane.

But it has been plagued by problems which have led to headliners Placebo, Deep Purple and the Dead Kennedys being removed from the line-up, the festival being downgraded to a single-stage event and late venue changes.

Cooper and Blondie took to Instagram at the weekend to reassure worried ticket-holders that Pandemonium was still on “despite serious challenges that threatened the festival … although there have had to be some changes”.

Concert promoter Andrew McManus has fired back at a social media critic. Picture Glenn Hampson

Ticket-holders unhappy with the changes have been offered compensation in the form of either a $70 partial refund, one free extra ticket or a Pandemonium hoodie, prompting an angry backlash from some.

Mr McManus took aim at one social media critic.

“You look like an incredibly intelligent individual … you slagged me on Alice Cooper (social media) site … so you obviously know me to have such insight, where did we meet?” McManus wrote in an online attack re-posted by King.

“If we haven’t, I am happy to meet you, any time, anywhere bud.”

Legendary rocker Alice Cooper is set to play at the festival.

McManus told the critic that “comments like yours make me feel sick to my stomach and I should have just walked away and dumped this whole project and the hundreds of people relying on jobs and income be let down by another collapsed festival”.

“Walk in another man’s shows (sic) before you hide behind a keyboard and slander them … as I said, anywhere, anytime.”

The comment was re-posted by Rolling Stone Australia executive Joel King, who called out the “disgraceful” retaliation.

King accused Pandemonium Rocks organisers of misleading music fans about the line-up and said communication with ticket-holders had been “nothing short of atrocious”

Pandemonium Rocks is due to be held on the Gold Coast on April 27 but is being moved from original venue, Doug Jennings Parks on the Southport Spit, to the Broadwater Parklands.

The festival was also to have been held on Bribie Island on April 28 but has been moved to the Eatons Hills Hotel in Brisbane in a show that will not include Blondie.

McManus has not responded to The Courier-Mail’s requests for comment.