I Called the Casbah and Asked for a Refund

"I called the Casbah and asked for a refund, and they flat out said no," e-mails Sam Sheppard about the Razorlight show on January 24.

"The singer sounded like he had the flu or something, and he wasn't even singing most of the verses by the end of the night. Lots of people were booing."

Lead singer Johnny Borrell of the U.K.-based band was diagnosed the day after with "a laryngitis-type infection," and he was prescribed "a round of antibiotics" (according to the band's website). The band canceled the tour's final sold-out show at Los Angeles's El Rey Theatre.

Tim Mays, the Casbah's owner, e-mailed the following response: "This is the first I have heard of this person's request for a refund. It is true that the band canceled the next two days of their tour due to illness, but there was never any indication given the day of the Casbah show that the singer was ill or losing his voice.

"A musical performance is a subjective thing -- one person may hate what another person loves. I know many people who thought the show was great. Finally, asking for a refund a couple days after a show has occurred because you have new information as to why you think it sucked strikes me as a bit out of whack. If you hated it so much that night, you should have asked for a refund then. "

Sheppard writes, "If the Casbah won't come through, then the band should.... They played the crappiest show I ever saw at the Casbah, and that includes Shonen Knife."