Groovin The Moo, Australia’s favourite regional touring festival, kicked off last weekend and was a resounding success, delivering stellar performances from the likes of The Rubens, Twenty One Pilots, Alison Wonderland, and many more.
However, the first of the festival’s three weekends was not completely without incident. As Tone Deaf reported earlier this week, a 15-year-old girl was one of two punters rushed to hospital after suffering a suspected drug overdose at GTM Maitland.
Paramedics performed CPR on the girl after she collapsed and stopped breathing. She was subsequently rushed to John Hunter Hospital where detectives were looking to question her in relation to large amounts of an unknown substance found on her clothing.
Meanwhile, punter Joana Perkins has slammed security at GTM Canberra, describing their attitude as “patronising” and “inadequate” after she was allegedly urinated on by a male punter as she attended the festival with her 15-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter.
Ms Perkins claimed that when she asked members of the ISEC security company why the male punter hadn’t been thrown out “one of the security guards looked at me extremely aggressively and said ‘if you don’t shut up you’ll be chucked out’”.
Festival organisers have now released a statement in which they address last weekend’s incidents, writing, “Groovin the Moo’s first weekend is wrapped, and the GTM Famooly rolls into Bendigo VIC and Townsville QLD this coming Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May.”
“While the majority of GTM’s Moo crew partied safely, we would like to continue to remind everyone to look after themselves, their friends and other Moo patrons. We’re very thankful to the many service providers who are an integral part of each GTM event.”
“Red Frogs, State Ambulance, each local Medical supplier, Headspace, Police and Security assist Groovin the Moo throughout the planning process, on each event day and following each event with a detailed report.”
“Groovin the Moo takes the responsibility of patron care seriously. Our systems are developed in consultation with our service providers.” Organisers concluded the statement by backing their service providers.
“We acknowledge several media reports with regards to the welfare of patrons and conduct of security and emergency service providers at both GTM Maitland and Canberra,” they wrote. “Groovin the Moo believes all actions taken by service providers were delivered in the best interest of GTM patrons.”
It’s important to note that that police praised the conduct of the majority of punters who attended both Groovin The Moo Maitland and Canberra. The event is set to continue this weekend with events in Bendigo and Townsville.
