Blueprint Music Festival debts won't be paid

DISGRUNTLED contractors met in Ararat yesterday to discuss the failed Blueprint Music Festival, which has left them thousands of dollars out of pocket.The meeting included Grampians Hire owner Peter Nicholson, who is owed about $22,000, farmer and festival site owner David Powne (owed about $20,000) and cleaner Sally Gallagher ($11,000).The Courier last week revealed that festival organisers Tristan and Aaron Gray were almost $500,000 in debt following the festival's failure, and bands and subcontractors were chasing payment.The brothers' company, Blueprint Festival, is going into liquidation.Yesterday Tristan Gray apologised to his creditors."We sold tickets cheaper than we should have, and counted on making a lot of money from food and alcohol sales. We made about a quarter of what we expected," he said."It wasn't until after the festival that we realised we didn't have enough money to pay everyone."My partner and I are going to go personally bankrupt because we've got nothing left."My car is about to be repossessed, I've got no house to live in ... and I owe my family and friends nearly $100,000."I've got nothing, I've got no job, I've got nowhere to live. My life is ruined. "At yesterday's meeting, contractors resolved not to take legal action."It would only be an additional expense for us," Mr Nicholson said."We decided to just put it down to the good nature of country folk to try and lend and hand and we've been let down," he said.