Listener turns up at fake dead festival

One listener has complained after being left disappointed when Prince, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie failed to turn up in person to a JACK fm gig. in the UK.

The Oxford station had been promoting a festival called Dead Good Live and was giving listeners the opportunity to listen to the live performances of a whole host of dead artists.

Divorced mum of three Sarah Vermouth from Oxford was left angry after taking the day off to attend the festival: “I took the day off work and put my kids in the car and hoped to be able to buy tickets from a tout outside.

“It turns out the venue didn’t exist and the list of artists they had said would perform were all dead – how was I to know?

“It was an absolute waste of my day.”

JACKfm had planned the ‘event’ for months with faked interviews with artists, stage managers and security companies culminating in a three hour show on Friday that saw breakfast show hosts Trevor Marshall and Caroline Verdon ‘presenting’ the festival live.

JACKfm Programme Director Tim Parker said: “DEAD GOOD LIVE was simply a way of being able to play three hours of live music from some of the best artists the world has ever seen.

“We are sorry Sarah feels disappointed but do feel that we were clear and obvious from the outset.

“The venue was made-up, no tickets were ever available and all of the artists were dead.”

Breakfast Presenter Caroline Verdon added: “Our interviews with dead artists included Michael Jackson claiming to have spent the last 7 years dressed as Mickey Mouse, Freddie Mercury officially renaming Queen “four old ladies still rocking” and John Lennon claiming to have been on a 36-year solid bender.

“It was VERY tongue in cheek and could not have been clearer.”

This story appeared on our partner at Radio Today UK