I don't think it's a fraud (it's not like they pre-sold a bunch of nonrefundable tickets or something), I just think these guys really don't know what they're doing. "Naive enthusiasm", if you will.
Actually, that term could be applied to their whole public persona. Their press statement (all their press statements, really) convey a naive, black-and-white mentality. Like when they say that everyone who "claimed this tour would fail" could "have a field day" and "rejoice for its fall" if they cancel in 2007. As if legions of metal fans are sitting at home praying for the failure of an arena tour of bands that they like. These guys don't seem to understand that all the seemingly negative comments they're hearing aren't people who want them to fail. No one who actively follows underground metal (which is anyone who would spend time on metal message boards) is sitting around hoping for it to fail. People are simply voicing realistic concerns about the feasibility of what's being planned... because they would rather see such a tour succeed than overreach itself and fall flat on its face.
But the big, powerful "businessmen" at "Contiga" seem to take every comment that's doesn't read like it was written by a cheerleader to be an attack on their hallowed dream tour. So now they apparently believe there's a whole bunch of people who are going to "have a field day" and "dance around" if this tour fails, not seeming to realize that a whole lot of people are actually just going to shrug with slight touch of disappointment but little or no surprise.
Then, as if releasing a public statement dripping with pointless "if you're not with us you're against us" invective wasn't enough, they follow up this boneheaded siege mentality by thanking "those who have stuck by the tour" (which I guess means the gung-ho, yes-man cheerleaders?), and say that they hope you will "understand our reasoning for rescheduling". Apparently though, they're expecting this understanding to come through some sort of psychic means, since earlier in the same press release they state that the postponement is occuring "due to factors we will not release publicly".
Oh well. All I can really say is, I wish these kids the best of luck. I hope I'm 100% wrong, and this tour can fill arenas across the US. But I won't exactly be gasping in surprise if it doesn't.
