Iron and Wine kicked off Harvest Picnic because of U.S. show
Organizers say they had no choice but to enforce contract terms
Greenbelt Harvest Picnic organizers ousted Iron and Wine from this year's show because of a dispute over the band's contract, the prominent folk act says.
The harvest picnic's organizers first announced the band wasn't playing last week, calling it a "scheduling conflict."
However, Sam Beam – who performs under the Iron and Wine moniker – challenges that. He released a statement Monday night saying the band was kicked off the show because of a dispute over whether a side project's show in Buffalo last week violated terms of their contract.
"Their statement that there was a scheduling conflict is inaccurate," the announcement reads. "Iron & Wine made multiple attempts to reach a solution to make good on what the festival saw as a problem.
"They saw it as a significant enough problem to tell us not to come at all."
According to Beam, Iron and Wine was kicked off for violating a "radius clause," which he challenges. However, festival organizer Jean-Paul Gauthier says he had to begrudgingly make the decision.
"It's a very unfortunate circumstance, but contracts have terms and conditions," Gauthier told CBC News.
A radius clause is an agreement in a band's contract that dictates they not play another show within a certain distance of the venue close to the same date, to maximize crowd size.
Buffalo show sticking point
At issue is a show Iron and Wine played with Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses at Canalside Thursday in Buffalo, supporting their new covers album, Sing Into My Mouth.
"We didn't see Buffalo as a conflict when we booked the tour for Iron & Wine with Ben," the statement reads. "It was a different project with a different band with different songs and, we thought, far enough away from the festival."
According to Gauthier, the band's contract for the Harvest Picnic dictated Iron and Wine not play within 100 kilometres of Hamilton for a 90-day period leading up to the show. According to Google Maps, Buffalo is just under 125 kilometres from the Christie Conservation Area where the Harvest Picnic is taking place.
But a radius clause doesn't go by roadway, Gauthier says — it deals in straight lines. Measured that way, Buffalo is roughly 80 kilometres away, and so the band violated the terms of its contract, he said. Gauthier maintains that cancelling the band's performance is not something he wanted to do.
"I felt ill when I found out about it," he said. "But I don't think we were inaccurate or that we caused this."
The post says that Iron and Wine disagrees that they "were technically in the wrong," and wanted fans to know that the "scheduling conflict" statement didn't mean "something more important came along."
"It's important to us that you knew that wasn't the case and we're sorry we won't be able to be with you this weekend," the statement reads.
"We are working to reschedule an event in the area sometime very soon."
Performances by Arkells, Gordon Lightfoot headline festival show
Here's Iron and Wine's full statement:
The Rural Alberta Advantage has taken Iron and Wine's spot at the picnic.
The Greenbelt Harvest Picnic is taking place this Saturday at the Christie Conservation Area, and includes performances by Arkells, Gordon Lightfoot, Bahamas, Terra Lightfoot and more.
"It's still shaping up to be a great event," Gauthier said.