HALIFAX — The owner of the promotions company responsible for booking Chris Brown for a Dartmouth show says he won’t bow to public pressure to cancel.
In a press release sent out Monday morning, Stephen Tobin of Drop Entertainment Group said while he does not condone the artist’s prior actions, his company is focused on Brown’s music. Brown is scheduled to play at Energy Rush 2013 on Aug. 31 at Alderney Landing in Dartmouth.
“I believe it is a very slippery slope when we start trying to censor, or dictate, who can or cannot perform in this province,” the release said. “If some do not want to support him, or this homegrown event, they can exercise their right by simply choosing not to attend.”
Brown was convicted following a vicious assault in 2009 on his then-girlfriend, superstar musician Rihanna. An online petition calling on the city to remove the artist from the concert lineup drew hundreds of signatures on the weekend.
Rogers Communications said Saturday it was pulling its sponsorship of the event in response to Brown being announced as the headline performer.
Halifax mayor Mike Savage also chimed in on Sunday, saying the thought of Brown performing at the concert made him “sick.”
The full text of the Drop Entertainment Group press release is included below.
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