A 34-year-old man has been charged with multiple counts of fraud after he allegedly claimed to represent UK hit-maker Mark Ronson, booking a fake gig for the superstar producer at the Matisse Beach Club in Perth.
As Tone Deaf reported in July, scores of Perth punters spent up to $1,100 on tickets and hospitality packages to Matisse Beach Club’s Winter Funk Fest, which went down at the Scarborough venue during Splendour In The Grass weekend, after organisers advertised a feature DJ set from Mark Ronson.
But the producer, who was in Byron Bay performing at Splendour In The Grass, never arrived. Moments before doors opened, the club issued an apology via the event’s Facebook listing, claiming Ronson’s promoter had informed organisers that “he is unable to make it to our Winter Funk Fest tonight”.
The organisers cited “unforeseen logistical issues getting back to Perth from Byron Bay today”, adding, “This is completely out of our control but we are doing everything we can to ensure that our customers are looked after tonight & moving forward.”
“We are working with Ronson’s promoter on a possible reschedule. All ticket holders will receive a ticket to this new event or applicable refund, regardless of attending tonight.”
However, it soon became apparent that Ronson was never going to appear. Ronson, who’d played a well-received gig at Metro City in Northbridge on Wednesday, took to social media to lambast the “shady” promoters of the event, saying he had no knowledge of the “fake gig”.
“Perth, [one] of my fave cities in the world! A promoter falsely advertised I’m DJing a club [tonight]. COMPLETE BS. Truly sorry if [anyone] bought tix,” Ronson wrote on Twitter, later urging fans to seek refunds.
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Police say the 34-year-old Alfred Cove man they’ve arrested in connection to the fake gig contacted the club in June and convinced management to make a contractual agreement with him to book Ronson for an appearance. The club subsequently transferred a sum of money.
However, as WA Today reports, investigations later revealed that the alleged promoter, whom police believe also acted the part of two other men to help book the sham gig, in fact had no connections with Ronson.
Major Fraud Squad have charged the unidentified man with three counts of fraud and he is set to appear in the Perth Magistrates Court on 1st October.
