A disabled woman who travelled by coach from Hampshire as a birthday treat to herself to see Adam Ant play at the Party on The Hill says it is the worst gig she has been to.
Alison Burt, who goes around the country to see her 80s pop idol, shelled out almost £300 in travel and hotel costs but said: “It was more like a trumped up village fete.
“Adam Ant came on stage two hours late and only played for 30 minutes instead of an hour and a half.
“I was in the front row and heard organisers say he only had five minutes to set up. The local bands took half an hour to set up.
“He is an 80s legend yet it felt like the local bands were given priority,” she said.
Mum of three Alison, set off from her home near Portsmouth on Thursday to catch a coach to Cambridge where she stayed overnight in a hotel for £50.
She then travelled to Ely and paid £138 for a hotel along with the ticket for £37.50.
The 48 year old said: “I suffer nerve damage and have a condition where my throat closes up and have trouble swallowing. I have a trapped nerve in my spine so am on strong medication. Eventually I will end up in a wheelchair so I am doing as many gigs as I can before that happens,” she said.
“It took a lot to get to Ely. I feel so upset and disappointed.”
Posting on his Twitter page, Adam Ant’s management said: “Adam would like to apologise to any fans that turned up to the Party on the Hill show for the set being cut short.
“This was due to the festival running late and the local council curfew which forced Adam to play a short set.
“Adam was deeply disappointed as much as the fans.”
Event organisers have apologised to ticket holders on their official Facebook page.
They said: “We have always told you we will be completely honest and there is no change there.
“The performers were superb but the event was hugely affected by the technical problems we had.
“The disappointment this has engendered is shared by all, including us.
“We have no intention of ‘papering over the cracks’ but there isn’t a 30 second quick fix either.
“You will rightly be contacting us, and we know it’s a lot to ask, but please give us the time to sort things out.
“If you don’t get a prompt reply, we are not ignoring you, we are working on it and will be getting back to you as soon as we are able to respond properly in detail.”
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