This is a very long story, please feel free to contact me for full information, copies of emails, and other details.
I hired Chase Larson and his company BluIce Entertainment to do some lighting and sound for me. (Before I even get into that please note the BluIce is not a legal company by any means. It is a 19 year old kid whose father never taught him about responsibility, and a father who is a liar and thief.)
Chase, then brought in his fathers (Rob Larson) company for assistance, Larson Lighting and Audio.
Then together both of those companies brought in a third party Stage-Tech (they do wonderful work!), to handle a lot of the gear.
So in short, I hired Chase Larson and BluIce, who then contracted work out to the other companies.
I went over with Chase a very strict budget. Almost everyday we were on the phone discussing this budget. Which was around $45,000. About a month before the show, Chase had his father step in to finalize everything with me.
About 2 weeks prior to the show I received an invoice, but it was horribly out of format and very hard to understand, numbers were all over the place but the one thing that mattered to me was "total amount due." This number was very comfortably under budget. I IMMEDIATELY called Chase (and have the phone records to prove it) to discuss the confusion and the verify that we were still under budget, not all the numbers added up and I wanted to be sure. Chase assured me several times in that short conversation that the sound was costing around $25K plus labor, stages, etc. Etc. The total amount would have put us right around our budget so everything was great. I paid all deposits and everything was perfect for the show.
The show came and went, sound and staging went perfect. Everything StageTech did was awesome. Basically BluIce and Larson Lighting and Sound contracted everything out and just "managed" it.
About 10 days go by and I make an accounting error, I sent in the final payment of $9,500 when only $4,500 is due - so I call the sound company.
The sound company tells me I owe then another $15,000 and I laugh, thinking they are joking, and I tell them that they can just send me the refund of $5,000 when they get a chance, I wasnt in a rush.
They were serious...
So basically StageTech informs me that Larson Lighting and Audio never even told them that there was a budget.
We BOTH call Larson Lighting and Audio, Chase Larson and Rob Larson, who then tell me that I approved a $75K budget?! Are you serious? I would have never ever ever done such a retarded thing.
Chase Larson then becomes reclusive. His father specifically tells him not to talk to me at all. I call him on several occasions just to ask what happened and he ALWAYS responded with "my father says I cant talk to you about it."
Are you serious? YOU are the one that I hired. Not your father. Man up and talk to me you did this, and now YOU are being called out on here and this will never be removed.
So basically no one will talk to me for about a month - which is when I receive paperwork from their lawyer threatening a lawsuit.
I call again - first I call Chase Larson who, before I even get a word out says "my father says I cant talk to you about it." So I call his father who, in his smug way, says he is very happy to hear from me.
Anyway, negotiations go on for a month, I work 2 jobs, I travel, I dont have time for a lawsuit so I agree to pay $8,000 directly to the sound company. The sound company didnt do this and they dont deserve to be shortchanged because Larson Lighting and Audio is the worst sound company in Los Angeles.
I know I should have fought it, but honestly, how much time and money would I have to spend to defend myself? It isnt worth it, these guys will go out of business and I will be happy.
I have thrown events from 30 people to 5,000 people... And used sound companies and managers for years - the truth is that this company is the most unprofessional I have ever come across - luckily the job got done, unfortunately it was at a HUGE expense to me. I caught Chase Larson on drugs (ecstasy) several times - in fact I have blogs with pictures of him posted up.
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