Ramsgate’s monster Bass Festival Cancelled, some council confusion.

I am sure many of you will remember last years Monster Bass festival in Ramsgate that got off to a flood of attention, see http://thanetonline.blogspot.com/2010/08/monster-bass-jazz-funfair-flooding.html

Anyway I am making an exception to my press release blackout protest and publishing this one:

“Ramsgate Town Council

PRESS RELEASE

MONSTER BASS

v Ramsgate Town Council has found it unable to come to an agreement with the organiser of the Monster Bass this year on financial and logistical grounds.

v The decision to terminate the negotiations with the Monster Bass organiser came about because of pressing time constraints.

v Fortunately another local organiser has stepped into the breach to organise an alternative event, planned for the middle of September.

v Ramsgate Town Council very much regrets the need to end its support for the Monster Bass this year and has offered instead to consider a revamped Monster Bass event for next year, if the resources are available.

v Ramsgate Town Council has put £30,000 into the Ramsgate Events budget this year and has just received £30,000 from Thanet District Council making a grand total of £60,000. Even with such a modest budget, several successful events have already taken place, with others due to be staged within the coming months. All are on target financially and logistically and it is therefore unfortunate that the Monster Bass failed to surmount its difficulties.

v It is the aim of Ramsgate Town Council to support Ramsgate based events of all sorts and tastes, so that the town has an arts and events base worthy of a town of our heritage and standing.”

There is a slightly different slant on the same story on the monster bass website see http://www.monsterbassfestival.com/

Then of course there is Thanet District Council, last year this event featured as a banner headline on the TDC website homepage, this year if you follow the council’s banner that says “What’s on This Summer” and click on “Read more” you eventually get to this page http://www.thanetyouthmatters.co.uk/events/local_event.aspx which tells you the event is on next weekend. This then directs you to http://www.visitthanet.co.uk/ that seems to have no mention of the event at all.

I think the idea here is to confuse any potential tourists.