Being an adult male in clown paint just doesn't pay as well as it used to.
Several vendors who supplied goods and services to the 2013 Gathering of the Juggalos have reported that Psychopathic Records, ICP's label and the promotors of the festival, have yet to pay them or have issued bad checks, resulting in upwards of $300,000 debts.
Patrick Gail, owner of Event-Tex, who supplied power and distribution to the Gathering, says that a check written for $54,000 has yet to clear. In a statement distributed to national media outlets, he stated:
“In conversation with many of the other vendors who were contracted for the event, it has been learned that none of them have been paid. The total amount owed from our discussions with the vendors exceeds $300,000.”
Other vendors claim they have yet to receive payment at all, including Indiana-based Shortline Amusements, who tell the The Southern Illinoisan that their company is owed $40,000.
The Hardin County Sheriff's Department received a check for "a decent amount" that bounced as well. The "donation" was ostensibly for tasers and bullet-proof vests, but Sheriff Jerry Fricker told the paper “I’m kind of old-fashioned. I waited until the check cleared before I ordered anything.”
In response, Psychopathic Records issued a statement to the AP, saying:
...putting on a five-day music festival this ambitious is a very time consuming and expensive process. Unfortunately, in our attempt to provide the best possible event for our fans, expenses exceeded estimates and expectations, which we had not previously planned for. The company putting on the event, Juggalo Gathering Inc., has no intention of turning its back on these financial obligations and is in the process of preparing a plan to take care of all vendors. We thank all of our vendors for their understanding."
This news comes just days after a former publicist and attorney for Psychopathic Records sued for sexual harassment, among other things. This matter may be unrelated to the lack of payment, but perhaps their clowny empire is finally crumbling.
It's gonna take a miracle to save them now. Fortunately, they know all about that:
