BREAKING NEWS: Joan Rivers was set to perform tonight at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall as part of her Australian Tour, but things have gone VERY wrong.
Apparantly, Joan Rivers is NOT getting along with her Promoter (NOT the New Mardi Gras, the ‘one in the middle’, not that we know what that means). At show time, Joan came on the PA system and annouced that there were some ‘problems back stage’ and that she would be 5 mins late. When she did eventually come on, she really let loose.
It appears her Australian Promoter has not impressed her at all. In fact, she asked everyone to obtain a full refund before she would go ahead with her show at 9:30 FOR FREE! We’re not sure what happenend between the two, but we do know that Joan has a very impressive vocabulary and knows how to let loose when she needs to. We can’t repeat it here, but it was brilliant.
At the moment it is CHAOS at the Arts Centre as patrons try to obtain a refund, but the Arts Centre seem to have been caught off guard, and no refunds are forth-coming. We’ll see what happens as this eventful night unfolds.
UPDATE: Well it seems that the show did eventually go ahead at 9:30, but no refunds were issued. Apparently the size of the venue was mis-represented.
Joan, if you need us to bitch-slap someone for you, just let us know!
Official Response From NEW MARDI GRAS
Thanks to the guys from New Mardi Gras who contacted us with the below message to help clarify what happened at Joan Rivers’ Melbourne show. In response, we’ve made it a little clearer up top that the promoter in this instance is not the New Mardi Gras.
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From……: Damien Emaes
Hi guys,
I think you have wrongly based your Joan Rivers Melbourne show story on the notion that Joan has been let down by New Mardi Gras. This is not the case and our relationship remains excellent.
See for example:
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25157681-2902,00.html
Below is our statement on the situation.
MEDIA RELEASE 9 MARCH 2009
CLARIFICATION REGARDING JOAN RIVERS MELBOURNE SHOW
Joan Rivers, who is currently in Australia for performances in Sydney and Melbourne announced on stage last night that she would not be performing as scheduled at the Arts Centre’s Hamer Hall.
Ms Rivers came on stage after a delayed start to say that she would like the audience to go to the Box Office and request a refund and that she would do the show for free at 9.30pm.
She went on to say that she loved Australia and Mardi Gras. The shows were part of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival and Joan Rivers was the festival headline act. In billing the act, New Mardi Gras, the presenters promised patrons in advertising that Joan Rivers would be in town to cause a scene – and boy has she!
The disruption to the Melbourne shows occurred due to a disagreement between two American agents regarding miscommunication of ticket sales. There is no disagreement with New Mardi Gras who are the presenters, not the producers of her Australian shows. Ms Rivers went on the Today Show this morning to further point out the disagreement was not with New Mardi Gras and said she looks forward to coming back as she had such a great time.
Ms Rivers personally called Danielle Harvey, New Mardi Gras Executive Producer on her way to the airport this morning to apologise and to reiterate what a great job she feels New Mardi Gras did and to assure everyone it is being dealt with by the American agencies in question.
The show in Melbourne did go ahead, with Joan starting after her support act at 9.22pm. For those that left and did not stay for the show a full discount will be offered. Audience members are requested to contact the ticket office they purchased their tickets through on Tuesday morning.
New Mardi Gras regrets any inconvenience caused to Melbourne patrons and will be pursuing the matter further with the agents and producers involved.
-ends-
For further information contact Danielle Harvey on 0418 251034 or by emailing danielle.harvey@mardigras.org.au
I was at the show, and I am disgusted with her utter unprofessionalism. I am sure the sums of money she was arguing about were much higher than the $95 I paid for my ticket, but that money is a huge amount to me. I was many of the many who left 45 minutes after the scheduled show time. Her bizarre ranting and her insistence that the audience leave was really weird. I doubt I will get my money returned.
Surely a professional would have performed and sued the promoter later for any contractual breaches? She must have gotten some very bad advice from the skimy manager that was slithering about on the stage near her.
I hope the selfish bitch never returns to Australia.
It was a great show and to pissed off and poor ex- please fuck off
Hi guys,
I just want to say that I (& my hubby) was one of the audience members who had a fabulous nights’ entertainment at Hamer Hall on Saturday night with the irrepressible, Joan Rivers.
After most of the people went up to the box-office attempting to get a refund, I was fortunate enough to actually meet Joan as she graciously climbed off stage to have her photo taken with me; she even gave me her signed autograph.
I thanked her, saying “this was better than just a concert”, she is sensational, colourful language ‘n all!!!