The Kiffness take on Oppikoppi

CAPE Town duo The Kiffness have launched a scathing‚ albeit tongue-in-cheek‚ attack on the organisers of the Oppikoppi music festival for failing to pay them for five months.

The duo of David Scott and Clem Carr played at the festival, which has been running for 22 years‚ in August. And they took to Facebook on Boxing Day to raise concerns that they had still not been paid.

“Dear Oppikoppi Festival‚” they wrote on their official page‚ “I am not outing you because I need the money that you owe me.

“I have been lucky enough to work with countless clients throughout the years who have been more than happy to pay me on time for my service‚ so despite being a musician‚ I am doing alright.

“However‚ I believe you are seen as one of the greatest festivals in South Africa‚ yet your treatment of your artists is far from great.”

The post continued that because this was not the first time artists had been treated poorly‚ “someone needs to speak up and I have taken that responsibility upon myself”.

Attached to the post were two lists: one of venues‚ events and festivals that had paid for The Kiffness’ gigs‚ and another of organisations that hadn’t paid. Only Oppikoppi was on the second list.

“You seem to think that it is ok to pay on your own terms‚ which would be excusable if musicians were NPOs that rely on the charity and goodwill of others‚ but you need to understand that we provide a service and we expect to be paid on time for our service.

“We understand that this has been a rough year for you and you have lost some money. I can sympathise to an extent‚ but to subject musicians to your financial problems is not only unprofessional but unethical.

“We understand that you need to sell some properties before you can pay us – but again‚ I hope you realise that this is not our problem‚” the band said.

The post said that financial trouble were “no excuse” for not making payment.

“It would even be excusable if you told us when we can expect payment so musicians can plan and budget their lives in adva but you haven’t.”

By yesterday morning the post has been shared 823 times‚ commented on 228 times and had more than 2 600 reactions. — TMG Digital