Live Nation and its ScoreMore subsidiary allegedly called on certain Astroworld staffers to sign legal waivers in order to receive pay for their work at the Houston music festival, according to a new report.
Approximately 300 lawsuits, involving north of 1,250 plaintiffs, have already been filed over the tragedy that unfolded at Astroworld 2021, while Travis Scott as well as Live Nation denied responsibility for the resulting injuries and deaths earlier this month.
Additionally, Travis Scott spoke with Charlamagne Tha God in his first post-Astroworld interview about 10 days back, and it’s worth noting here that Live Nation acquired Austin-based ScoreMore, a promoter of hip-hop concerts and festivals, in late May of 2018.
Now, as mentioned at the outset, a new report states that Live Nation and ScoreMore prompted Astroworld workers to sign “a revised employment contract” that released the promoters from liability over the music-festival tragedy, which claimed 10 lives.
Rolling Stone shed light upon the retooled contract that festival employees were allegedly made to sign, relaying that a higher-up emailed the involved team members just hours after a nine-year-old attendee passed away from injuries that she sustained at the event.
These team members had signed an agreement before the festival, but it looked to have been “repurposed” from the Astroworld 2018 contract – including featuring “the 2018 date right at the top,” the report reads.
In said email, the Astroworld manager (who had an “@astroworldfest.com” email address, per the piece) expressed a desire to “‘wrap up payroll and get everyone paid ASAP.’” But before doing so, the individual indicated that the initial agreement (and its aforementioned 2018 date and details) “‘has been updated so if you can resign [sic] and send back,’” the report maintains.
Of course, the modified contract specified that each of the signee Astroworld employees “‘assumes full responsibility for any injuries or damages that may occur to’” them “‘in, on or about the festival and its premises and fully and forever releases and discharges the released parties from any and all claims, demands, damages,’” and more, according to the report.
At least one employee refused to sign the contract and is considering legal action, per the same source. And at the time of this piece’s writing, Live Nation and ScoreMore execs didn’t appear to have commented publicly on the matter, and it remains to be seen whether other Astroworld staffers will come forward.
Notwithstanding the tragedy, the involved lawsuits, new COVID-19 lockdown measures, and the reportedly increasing no-show rate for gigs, Live Nation stock (NYSE: LYV) is currently hovering around $104 per share – a more than 47 percent boost since 2021’s start and a roughly $30-per-share hike since late December of 2020.
