Big Love: Can you spare some change?

A star-studded program, the Big Love Music Festival attracted considerable attention even before it started in late June. It was also the most talked-about festival afterward, but not entirely for good reasons.

There are two opposing opinions about the festival in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province. Many of those who attended say it was the best ever music festival in China, but for some of those who were involved in organizing the festival, it was a nightmare.

Contracted companies, including the hotel, production team, and those who provided power and cars, claimed they did not get paid. Before the festival was completed, some of them had already gone on strike, and by the end of the festival, things were out of control.

The hotel wouldn't let some guests check out because the organizer didn't pay for their stays; and some artists, including Taiwan singer Lo Ta-yu, had to pay for their own accommodation to leave. The transportation team refused to take artists to the airport too. Staff members of the organizing company, which is based in Beijing, couldn't leave Chengdu because no one paid for their flights.

Director of the festival Chen Shu made a public statement after being taken to the police station to settle disputes with the contracted companies. He admitted there were problems with the management of the festival, and he would try to pay back the 8 million yuan ($1.26 million) he owes contracted companies as soon as possible.

I interviewed Chen last year, when he was preparing to hold the festival in October, in Mianyang, another city in Sichuan. He seemed very optimistic and estimated that an overall audience of 200,000 would attend the festival. That didn't work out because the local government changed its mind, but Chen was still optimistic about his festival and decided to hold it in Chengdu, in June.

In terms of lineup, Big Love was the best music festival of the year, with top-notch Chinese artists like Cui Jian, Xie Tianxiao and Miserable Faith, pop artists Chyi Chin, Alan Tam and Chang Chen-yue. There were also international acts like Extreme, Suede and Lisa Ono.