Promoters abandon Rocky show

More than a hundred Rockhampton dub fans make the trip to Mackay every month to listen to their music; why did local venues pull the plug on a gig which is packing them in elsewhere?

O week uni celebrations at the uni club. DJ Zac Ross. Generic music, DJ, show, lights, performance, live music, nightclub, rave

MOST fortnights he finishes 10 days work around Rockhampton then Mitch Anderson spends his days off in Mackay.

The railway worker and his mates, a group of 20 or more, drive north to enjoy the techno or dub step music he said is hard to find in Central Queensland.

So he's decidedly unimpressed a popular event in Rockhampton has been cancelled after several local venues refused to host it.

The Tuckshop Team, which organised the Disciple Round Table Takeover, alleged the manager of a CBD venue said he was forced by his company directors and the police to cancel the event.

Director Gabriel Clayton, who has been hosting gigs around Queensland and NSW for six years, said up to 150 punters from Rockhampton regularly attend Mackay gigs.

But his attempts to secure a Rockhampton venue fell through not once, but seven times.

"We've had Rockhampton managers knock us back or ghost us," he said.

"One of the venues accepted our $500 down payment but rang us the next day to say they'd taken a look at our Facebook page and decided to cancel."

"Then the (CBD venue) manager was extremely accommodating - we attracted 400 likes to the event on Facebook and sold 60 tickets - but we got a call to say his directors didn't want us."

"Our Rockhampton supporters have been really positive, nobody's throwing us shade about having to cancel, but at this late date, we've had to move the event to Townsville.

The Tuckshop Team is selling out shows in new destinations in Airlie Beach and Townsville, as well as its traditional haunts in Mackay and Newcastle.

So why would an event which attracts hundreds of fans to other centres not be snapped up by Rockhampton businesses?

Admittedly, the Tuckshop Facebook site contains some mature content and language but the director said the gigs have a sterling reputation when it comes to security.

Mitch Anderson reckons it's the case that Rockhampton clubs have fallen out of touch with what his generation wants to listen to.

"The older generation of people who own or manage the clubs have turned away from techno to a more mainstream, R&B style of music," he said.

"Whereas there are two clubs in Mackay which compete for the dub crowd, so there's something on for us there after a fortnight.

"We usually arrive there the day before and do some shopping, book a couple of motel rooms, and eat out before we go to the venue where we pay for drinks and tickets, and fuel the car for the return trip."

"You'd have to conclude Rockhampton is losing money hand over fist because its venues aren't getting behind the kind of music we want to listen to."

The venue's manager and the Rockhampton police were contacted for comment.