Atrocity Exhibition

Greetings,
I have decided to address the masses, myself, on the current status of this year's Atrocity Exhibition. We have been wrestling for several weeks now with the announcement I'm about to make and we are finally sound in our decision.
As you all know, Atrocity was a screaming success last year. We were able to host a dark cabaret focused on the ART of fetish performance, bringing artistic and visually stunning performances to the stage by people who are skilled at their crafts as well as housing fellow dark artists and it was brilliant.
We have been struggling for the past several months on venue location for this event. I have been lied to, put off, ignored, and told "no" at every turn. Last year's venue was more than willing to accomodate, up until night of show. We were hassled, treated disrespectfully, and refuse to ever work with anyone who operates on that level of unprofessionalism.
This year, I found a new location to host the event. At first, the response was extremely positive and all seemed to be settling into place.....at first. For the past 3 months, I have been chasing down the booking agent, begging for return emails, and begging for contracts. WE ARE PROFESSIONALS. I have been doing events in this city for over 10 years and I've never had to BEG for someone to hand me a contract, so that I can give them my money. I refuse to do so any longer. I feel that I should not have to pay top dollar for a phenomenal location, only to have restrictions put on our performers and keep on top of people to DO THEIR JOBS. The venues in this city have been shutting down left and right and it's no wonder. My stress levels are higher than they ever have been and I can't go into this with a clear head at the moment.
The problem has mainly been accomodating our suspension team. They are part of our sideshow family and we refuse to do the event without them. We stand firmly behind our own, as that is the way it should be. The team has always been very good to us and we have the highest level of respect for The Hook Is Family. Not only do they offer a true PERFORMANCE, but not everyone has the extreme mental and physical capabilities of Rev and Alice and can do what they do. We will not lay down on the matter and will not go forward with out them.
We were offered an alternative to accomodate them, but this late in the game....it is an incredible crunch on promotion and preparation and we run the risk of low attendance when an event is improperly promoted. We pride ourselves on hosting fantastic, well thought events and to sloppily and frantically prepare, would only injure the quality. I can't ask our friends and comrades to travel far distances for something that I feel would be "half assed".
It has also recently come to light, that we have several copycat events running a little too close to our originally planned date. It seems that dark cabarets incorporating fetish and art displays are popping up everywhere. Miraculously, almost mirror images of Atrocity, but with poor and juvenile taste. Atrocity is about artform. Atrocity is stepping inside what the dark imagination can paint from sexual desire and morbid curiosity. We hand pick our entertainers and displaying artists because they have an understanding and an appreciation for ART. They put time and dedication into everything that they do, as do we, and that is why we all work together as such a fantastic family of misfits and oddballs.
What does this all boil down to? We are cancelling our date of November 12th for Atrocity Exhibition and there will be no 2010 show. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE ABANDONING THIS EVENT OR ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT US. This event is our wicked, little child and we will not orphan it. But sometimes, you have to listen to the beat of life and it has clearly said that it is not the time.
So now what? We regroup. We plan. We attack this with a different strategy. We pick a new season and a new location.
As everyone knows, the good Doctor and myself take the winter off to concentrate on our work without the stress of travelling and producing for events as well as the shoppe. We get back to doing what we love with no stress of deadline. We are also using this time to prepare for the next Atrocity Exhibition......and it will be bigger, badder, and more wicked than ever. When we are told that we "can't" we work harder to prove that we can.
This time around, we will not disclose any information until it is time for promotion on the event. We are tired of people who lack originality and thoughts of their own riding on our coat tails and taking credit for sloppy reproductions of our hard work, it is infuriating.
We hope that you will all respect us for this decision, stand behind us, and continue to support us and our event. See you at the next Atrocity....

Thank you.....parting is such sweet sorrow,
Macabre