By Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com
A long‑running Pink Floyd tribute act has been forced to cancel its Napier performance at the last minute after receiving a cease‑and‑desist order from the licence holders of the legendary British rock band.
The Pink Floyd Experience, a New Zealand tribute group that has toured for nearly 30 years, was due to perform its latest show The Wall+ at the Napier Municipal Theatre on Wednesday night. But organisers announced late on Tuesday that the concert could no longer proceed, saying they were “absolutely devastated” and blindsided by the legal notice.
“Due to unforeseen licensing issues completely outside of our control, we have been forced to immediately cease and desist performing our show while we work to mitigate and resolve these matters,” the group said in a social media statement.
The cancellation comes after the band had already completed nine of its 11 scheduled shows. Both the Napier and Palmerston North dates had previously been postponed in March due to illness. Organisers said they were only contacted about the licensing issue last week and acknowledged the disruption for fans who had booked travel and accommodation.
“This has blindsided us just as much as it has all of you,” they said. “We did not see this coming, and to say this is a nightmare situation for our team would be an understatement.”
Ticketholders for the Napier show will receive full refunds. The group said tomorrow’s Palmerston North performance was still expected to go ahead “at this stage”, though fans questioned how one show could proceed while another was cancelled.
Comments online reflected frustration, with some attendees saying they would now be out of pocket for accommodation and travel. Others questioned how licensing issues had arisen so late in the tour.
Intellectual property specialists say tribute acts typically require multiple layers of licensing — including rights to music, lyrics, names and imagery — and disputes can arise if any part of an agreement is breached or altered without approval.
Pink Floyd’s representatives and the Pink Floyd Experience have been approached for further comment.
