The Field Day Music Festival - which plans to bring together 50,000 people on the first weekend in June to see the likes of the Beastie Boys, Beck, Radiohead and NERD, was yesterday refused a licence by authorities in Suffolk County, New York. forcing event organisers back into negotiations with the local authorities in an effort to save the concert.
Local Police Chief David Hegermiller said that his department wouldn't be able to patrol the Calverton Enterprise Park and ensure the safety of police and party-goers, and that the licence application came to late to engage extra police forces.
But promoters of the two-day event remain optimistic, and hope that the issue can be resolved in time. A spokesman told reporters: "We are moving ahead with efforts to keep the Field Day Music Festival on track. This notice of denial was premature, and we are continuing to work closely with the town of Riverhead and Riverhead police with ongoing meetings scheduled for this evening. Obviously we are disappointed by this decision, but it appears to be based more on procedural issues than substantive problems. We believe we can resolve this issue quickly."