The (Vichy) Chicks File $6.6 Million Insurance Suit Over Canceled ‘Gaslighter’ Tour

Variety ^ | Mar 5, 2021 | Gene Maddaus

[a fool in paradise]

The Chicks have filed a $6.6 million lawsuit against an insurance underwriter over its refusal to cover losses from the cancelation of the “Gaslighter” tour last year.

The band, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, released their first studio album in 14 years last July. They also planned a 48-show North American tour, which was to kick off at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The tour was canceled, along with every other concert tour, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chicks’ touring company, Tunashoe Tours, had an insurance policy through Lloyd’s of London that provided up to $40.4 million in coverage in the event that the tour had to be canceled.

According to the complaint, 14 underwriters subscribed to the policy, but the suit only targets one of them: W/R/B Underwriting. The suit alleges that W/R/B has refused to acknowledge its obligation to pay, and has repeatedly asked whether the 2020 tour could be postponed to 2021.

The complaint argues that would be impossible. For one thing, the album has already been released.

“As of the filing of this complaint, it appears highly unlikely that the spread of SARS-CoV-2 will sufficiently subside and herd immunity will be established to allow concerts and other live events to resume in 2021,” the complaint adds. “Estimates of when this will occur are further complicated by variants of the virus that are already spreading in the United States.”

The suit states that W/R/B had urged The Chicks to drop Live Nation and find another promoter, or perform live-streamed concerts instead of live shows. The suit alleges that W/R/B’s suggestions were impractical, would have constituted a breach of Live Nation’s agreement, and were designed merely to mitigate W/R/B’s losses on the policy.

Of the 14 underwriters, the suit states that only W/R/B has taken this position. The suit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

[Rummyfan]

The band, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, released their first studio album in 14 years last July. They also planned a 48-show North American tour, which was to kick off at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

I'm surprised there were 48 venues who were interested. I mean, was anyone crying out for a return of the Dixie Chicks?!

[a fool in paradise]

>>They went ahead and released the lead single March 4 (it bombed),

I wonder if they were planning to drop in at SXSW to stage a coming out party.

https://www.austin360.com/entertainment/20200304/dixie-chicks-release-new-song-announce-first-album-in-14-years

The 2020 festival was cancelled on March 6th.

[b4me]

they should be called the dixie idiots, they knew well before the July release that a tour was stupid to consider. They are just greedy. considering they are in much better financial situations than many other people they are showing just how selfish and uncaring they can be. Any possible monies they would get from this ridiculous pursuit would be in long run hurting other people thru their insurances going up. IF ANYTHING they should file against Fauci and Dems who perpetrated and prolonged this baloney shut down etc stuff.

[a fool in paradise]

https://www.austin360.com/entertainment/20200304/dixie-chicks-release-new-song-announce-first-album-in-14-years

March 4th

Tour dates have not yet been announced, but the tour page on the band’s website teases that the group has been a “long time gone...but coming soon!” The Dixie Chicks played the amphitheater at Circuit of the Americas in 2016 as part of an extensive U.S. tour. More recently, they’ve made two local appearances at ACL Live for fundraising occasions: 2018′s Mack, Jack & McConaughey concert and last month’s Voices for Justice benefit with Gary Clark Jr.

[a fool in paradise]

As of now the Stones and Who have still not cancelled their postponed tours.

And there are country artists like David Allen Coe, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Asleep At The Wheel who ARE touring.

[KarlInOhio]

This reminds me of Monty Python's Motor Insurance Sketch

Vicar It's about this letter you sent me regarding my insurance claim.

Devious Oh, yeah, yeah - well, you see, it's just that we're not...as yet...totally satisfied with the grounds of your claim.

Vicar But it says something about filling my mouth in with cement.

Devious Oh well, that's just insurance jargon, you know.

Vicar But my car was hit by a lorry while standing in the garage and you refuse to pay my claim.

Devious (rising and crossing to a filing cabinet) Oh well, reverend Morrison...in your policy...in your policy...(he open the drawer of the filing cabinet and takes out a shabby old sports jacket; he feels in the pocket and pulls out a crumbled dog-eared piece of paper then puts the coat back and shuts the filing cabinet)...here we are. It states quite clearly that no claim you make will be paid.

Vicar Oh dear.

Devious You see, you unfortunately plumped for our 'Neverpay' policy, which, you know, if you never claim is very worthwhile...but you had to claim, and, well, there it is.

Vicar Oh dear, oh dear.

They shouldn't have bought the Neverpay policy.

Seriously though, this is strictly a contract issue over whether the policy covers "cancellation due to world wide pandemic". Although I don't have any love for the Dixie Chunks, the insurance industry is one of the most weasel filled collections of humanity ever gathered together.

[b4me]

seems you are talking of something i wasn’t.

[StAnDeliver]

New Dixie Chicks Album, Arena Tour Coming in 2020, Confirms Natalie Maines

"Dixie Chicks fans, Natalie Maines says the wait for new music is almost over. On an episode of the Spiritualgasm podcast, the singer confirms that a new record from the country trio will be out in 2020, and that it will be accompanied by an arena tour...As for the tour, Maines says that she recently received the trek's proposed routing details."- TheBoot.com, Angela Stefano, September 20, 2019

---

[heavy metal]

asleep at the wheel is supposedly touring the white house...

[airdalechief]

I haven’t laughed one time today until I saw “The “Chixie Dicks”.

Thank you.

[Chewbarkah]

Seems like the Covid crisis and related government prohibitions of large gatherings constitute a little old thang called force majeure. Insurance policy almost certainly has a force majeure clause. So sad.

[dynachrome]

Yeah, I try to laugh at least once a day. Usually at myself.

[blueplum]

act of God clause

not to mention, there was nobody to attend, so no ticket sales. They might as well sue the individual cities for not forcing people to attend for as far as they will get in this lawsuit.

[deks]

Thank you for confirming what I was thinking...the album was recorded and the tour was already planned in 2019.

Considering my current opinion of GW Bush, I don’t know if I can still hold a grudge against them for Natalie Maines ill timed remark about him (their being ashamed that he was from Texas)...but I guess they are still Ditzy Chicks.

[IncPen]

One from the archives:

Lipton Foods Apologizes for Sponsoring the Dixie Chicks [Gold Medal Freep- 24hrs!!]
https://freerepublic.com/focus/news/864728/posts

[a fool in paradise]

They entered into the agreement while the pandemic was already in progress. Therefore the pandemic is insufficient reason.

It’s like buying flood insurance while there is already water in your home.

Wasn’t Lloyds of London one of the backers of their policy?

Time was Lloyd’s was the insurer of famous legs and other odd things. And aren’t their claims paid by the members of the company? Isn’t it more like a co-op type thing?

[StAnDeliver]

"They entered into the agreement while the pandemic was already in progress. Therefore the pandemic is insufficient reason."

Did you not read the post that stated Maines had LiveNation's tour dates in hand late September 2019?

The prior planning by the Plaintiff is right there in the Complaint. The album release and the planned arena tour were a fait accompli, the single went out the week before the March shutdown.

You can hate on gNat all day but it doesn't change WRB has defaulted. WRB is also trying to screw Emerald Holding. It's cheaper for WRB to roll the dice on a suit and maybe make an offer for 50c on the dollar than to just simply pay out 6M.

If they were half-serious about their defense, WRB would counter-claim against LiveNation for suspending their tours, but this is strictly a shakedown play. Have you ever had an insurer try to rip you off?

[a fool in paradise]

The Austin 360 article from March 4th said they still didn’t have the tour solidified. That was the week Austin cancelled SXSW. They were planning on July dates at that point when it was clear they wouldn’t be happening.

[StAnDeliver]

Your Austin 360 link says: "Tour dates have not yet been announced".

That is not even remotely : "They still didn't have the tour solidified."

[a fool in paradise]

Internally can they produce a list of confirmed shows (venues, local promoters, ticket sales)?