Punk rock star Elvis Costello faced a legal row today after he failed to turn up at Coventry's Mr George Club last night.
About 700 youngsters arrived for the show, but 200 of them did not bother to go into the club when they were told that he would not be performing, said the club manager, Mr John Whiteman.
Costello, who was a punch card operator a few months ago, has also pulled out of a date at a club in Redditch owned by F & H Entertainments, who own Mr George.
Now F & H, and the agent who booked the shows, have contacted their solicitors about Costello's non-appearance.
Mr Paul Conroy, general manager of Stiff Records, who manage Costello, said today that he did not appear because the dates had not been confirmed, and no contracts had been signed.
The dates at Coventry and Redditch had previously been advertised in the music press, but in one paper this week there was a cancellation notice.
Mr Conroy said: "When we originally did the itinerary, we didn't realise that he was going to take off as quickly as he did. We went through the itinerary taking out dates."
Mr Tony Sherwood, the Nottingham agent who had booked Costello, said that he had not received contracts, but there was no doubt that the dates had been accepted.
"They must have entered an agreement, because they have announced that the dates are cancelled. How can you cancel something that doesn't exist?"
He said the official reason he had been given for the cancellation of the Redditch date was that Costello wanted to prepare for a television show on the following day.
"I was told on August 2 that the Mr George date was out because I had cancelled it." said Mr Sherwood.
Costello, who is the latest hero of the music press, came into the album charts this week with his first longplayer, My Aim Is True.
He was booked at the Mr George Club for £100, or 60 per cent of the door takings.
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