Band pull the plug on Perth show

Oct 7 2008 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

REFORMED boy band East 17 were forced to cancel a weekend Perth show after one of their members received death threats.

The nineties popsters, who scored massive hits with ‘Deep’, ‘It’s Alright’ and ‘Stay Another Day’, had been due to perform at the Ice Factory nightclub last Saturday.

But following threats issued to their controversial singer Brian Harvey, the band decided to scrap their entire Scottish tour.

Gary Howard, from event promoters Marshall Arts, said he had been told to pull the plug on the Fair City date at the band’s request.

He told Music Scene that Harvey was unwilling to perform at any of the band’s Scottish shows because he was “genuinely concerned for his life”.

Former drug addict Harvey was sacked by East 17 in 1997 after extolling the virtues of ecstasy during an interview.

In 2005 the ‘bad boy’ vocalist required extensive surgery after accidentally running himself over.

He was banned from driving for six months last March after being found guilty of driving at twice the speed limit.

The Ice Factory’s general manager Jamie Heald said death threats had also forced the London outfit, who reformed in 2006, to cancel a gig in Liverpool earlier last week.

“East 17 were a top band in the nineties so we were expecting a big crowd,” he insisted.

The cancellation was the second occasion in recent months that a star name has pulled out of an appearance at the Ice Factory.

In August, Dutch pop outfit Venga Boys arrived at the venue but refused to perform amid claims of “technical problems”.

Despite East 17’s withdrawal, the Shore Road venue still opened its doors to clubbers as usual at the weekend.