Police investigating former Bald Faced Stag tenant

Hospitality industry sources have told Australian Hotelier that police are investigating the former tenant of Sydney live music venue Bald Faced Stag.

However NSW Police have not made an official comment on this yet.

As reported last week in TMN, building owner Marvan Hotels sacked Ulladulla Property Services (Ulladula), led by its GM Scott Alwyn Mackenzie, over two months of unpaid rent and non-payment of an estimated $100,000 to acts including The Peep Tempel and The Dillinger Escape Plan dating back to October.

Mackenzie has since defended himself, saying that the delay in paying the bands was due to an in consistent cash-flow due to the fact that he changed the format when he took over the Stag in early 2017.

As reported in TMN, Mackenzie took a punt on showcasing live music: he pulled out its money-making poker machines to signal it was to be a music venue, and to use the pokies’ space to widen the band stage.

Marvan Hotels has taken over running the Stag as a music venue under its Group Operations Manager Alex Goold.

Clouding the current issue of non-payment of bands is the coming to light of news that Mackenzie, a property manager by trade, was given a jail sentence of 3 years and eight months in New Zealand in 2009 after pleading guilty in Auckland to ten charges of obtaining by deception.

He had received $6.7 million from the Bank Of New Zealand, three former New Zealand Rugby League players and two high profile businessmen.

The Auckland District Court heard that over a 22 month period, he used 129 false invoices to get $1.6 million paid into three companies he owned, $3.6 in loans from the bank using forged documents to buy six properties, and further defrauded the Inland Revenue Department of $509,000 through false GST returns.

He had before sentencing paid back $122,000.

Since the sacking from Bald Faced Stag, former employees, speaking under anonymity, claimed that money was also owed to advertisers, printers and other suppliers involved in Once Human and Pain tours by McKenzie’s tour company Stag Music Touring Australia.

One contended that Harbour Agency pulled Rick Dangerous and The Silkie Bantams from the Blood Oath festival over concern over non-payment to other acts.

Marvan is also said to have discussed the possibility of legal action against Mackenzie but have decided against it.

Marvan’s Alex Goold told Australian Hotelier, “It’s very disappointing to be honest, especially for the people who work there who probably would have left a long time ago, but their hearts are in live music.

“As we all know, live music in New South Wales is a difficult form of entertainment to actually succeed at, and these guys – our current licensee and duty managers and all the staff there – they’ve actually put their own financial situations aside to keep the doors open.”

He said that for the time being Marvan would run the venue and ensure that all future bands and suppliers would be paid.

“We are open to expressions of interest for the venue.

“We know that live music venues do take a certain type of skill and knowledge of the industry.

“But for the time being we’ll run it as best we can with the instruction of the people who are still loyal and have the best interests of the venue at heart.”