The Herd

The Herd has released details of why they pulled out of last week’s regional music festival, Coal to Coast.

In an open letter posted on their myspace page, The Herd said the decision to withdraw from the festival was solely due to the connection the festival sponsors had with the coal industry.

“We can categorically state that we (The Herd) were never made aware of the sponsors nor the involvement of the coal industry in the event. We had no direct communication with the organisers until the day of the event,” the band said.

“We concede that we should’ve researched the event more thoroughly, but it’s easy to say this in retrospect. We don’t usually seek out details of sponsorship and background of events we play, and until now, we’ve never encountered a situation like this one. This ordeal has been a lesson for us.

“The main reason we pulled of the event was because it was reported that one of the employees of Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal was the “brainchild” of the event. We felt this was contrary to assurances that it was entirely organised by Mackay Regional Council. This report was in the Daily Mercury in Mackay and also appeared on the Coal to Coast Festival website.”

The Herd said their decision was not made based on any bullying by green groups.

“We’re not naive – we understand the vital role industry plays in communities such as Mackay. We also understand that industry usually has some level of involvement in community events,” the band said.

“We feel that the “brainchild” quote indicates the event was set up to promote the coal industry. We can’t support that as it goes against our principles and it’s on these grounds that we decided to pull out.

“We have no quarrel with the families and members of the community employed in the industry.

“We’re sorry to the people in Mackay – I realise there is a lack of live music tours and we’re disappointed we couldn’t perform for you. This was our last show for the forseeable future so we were looking forward to it.

“We will be looking at getting to Mackay at some point soon to make it up to you.”

The Coal to Coast Festival is a community celebration of the positive impact the mining industry has had on the Mackay region, a statement on the events website said.

The festival is held over three days at the Sarina Showgrounds.

Tags | festival, The Herd