Dead and Company has become the latest band to decide they won't be appearing at Woodstock 50 if it goes ahead. Their departure comes after John Fogerty and Jay-Z confirmed they’d bowed out of the troubled event.

Rolling Stone reported that a source had confirmed Dead & Company’s decision. Following that development, Billboard reported that promoter Michael Lang had contacted the agents of all artists on the bill to advise that they “were still invited to play the festival, but were not legally obligated to show up.” It had previously been reported that, since the original contracts were signed when Woodstock 50 was to take place at Watkins Glen, NY, they were void in any case, even though many artists had already been paid.

Among those still potentially scheduled to appear are Robert Plant,  the KillersSantanaImagine Dragons and Greta Van Fleet. The Zombies stated their intention to remain involved following Fogerty's announcement. Last week Lang confirmed that the festival had found a new home at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md, 350 miles from the original location. With 19 days to go until the event is set to take place, tickets had still not gone on sale, and the latest reports indicate that many of the tickets will be given out free rather than sold.

A message on the Woodstock 50 website read: “To the more than 100,000 of you who have responded to our situation with support and solidarity… a heartfelt ‘thank you.’ Our intention holds firm. To deliver a world-class, once-in-a-lifetime festival to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock. To honor a cultural icon that changed the way we think about music and togetherness… and will do so again. We're in this together, as reflected by your words of support."

 

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