The future of the LSESU’s Saturday night entertainment, Batteries Not Included, is uncertain after a dispute arose between the night’s promoters.
Having replaced the LSESU’s previous offerings at the beginning of this academic year, Batteries Not Included may already be heading the same way as Afterskool Klub, the Chuckle Club and Exilio, which were discontinued after the summer.
The Beaver has uncovered that issues first arose after Lee Rider, promoter of Batteries Not Included, refused to pay fees to other external promoters. Paul Nickeas, another promoter, was continually avoided by Rider in spite of being owed hundreds of pounds in outstanding fees from an event organised in early December.
Seemingly for this reason, although Rider had already approached Nickeas to book acts for a New Year’s Eve event at the Quad, the event was cancelled and once again Nickeas did not receive compensation.
It was also claimed that Rider similarly refused to pay the promoters of Common People, a collaborative event with James Buckley held in mid-December. Common People was marketed as a rebranding of Batteries Not Included, which had been altered to a monthly event, rather than a weekly one.
Having been hounded by Nickeas and others, Rider finally circulated an email announcing that the night had been cancelled, stating that “sadly, Batteries Not Included is no more.”
However, this statement has been contradicted by the LSESU, who are currently reviewing the situation.
When approached over the issue, LSESU General Secretary Aled Dilwyn Fisher stated that “this is a dispute between two independent promoters and whilst we have no responsibility over this dispute, we have previously encouraged the two parties to rectify the situation.”
Related posts:
- LSESU appeals to the Common People
- LSESU Timed Out
- And the winner is: Cancellation
- Quad laid bare
- Too cool for Skool