‘Fantasist’ promised music stars for festival that never happened

Kayley Thomas & Clare HutchinsonBBC NewsRick BronksJames Kenny claimed he ran the backstage bar on the Nationwide Tv Awards, however his bosses on the occasion mentioned he was really there as a brief workerIt boasted a line-up of bands together with The Killers, Pulp, Def Leppard, Moist Leg and The Libertines.The 45,000 capability three-day occasion was attributable to be held this August financial institution vacation and was billed because the world’s first hydrogen-powered music competition.However there was a snag: It was primarily based on lies.A BBC Information investigation has uncovered how “fantasist” and convicted fraudster James Kenny deliberate a make-believe competition from his aged mum’s kitchen that pulled Glastonbury headliners, Hollywood stars and even a rustic’s authorities into its orbit.After we tracked Mr Kenny down he insisted he supposed for the competition to go forward, including he was “really sorry” to those that had misplaced cash.Many we have spoken to say the competition business is brimming with characters like Mr Kenny, full of huge concepts and grand plans. So when the bar supervisor who ran accommodations and a nightclub in Liverpool pitched a multi-million pound competition greater than Latitude, claiming funding from traders such because the co-founder of restaurant chain Leon John Vincent, business insiders thought he would possibly simply be capable of pull it off.However as time went on, workers and suppliers who had been “100% satisfied” advised us they then began to query if it was actual.”It was a competition made from paper,” one former worker mentioned.”All the things form of unravelled and I realised it does not exist for anyone else however him.”Some now imagine Mr Kenny by no means supposed for his formidable competition to occur – deposits weren’t paid for bands, licence purposes had been by no means made and traders he claimed to be speaking to say they’ve by no means heard of him.So how did a competition constructed on lies get thus far?Monmouth Rising was attributable to be held on a leafy showground exterior the Welsh border city – an area extra used to internet hosting Saturday morning automobile boot gross sales than festivals with 5 levels.Competition literature boasted inexpensive tickets, cashless funds and a “dedication to inclusivity” with no VIP areas.At a packed city corridor assembly in February, the 47-year-old confirmed detailed web site maps he claimed had been designed with the identical software program used to plan the Paris Olympics.BBC Radio Wales would broadcast the competition stay and a cannon would even hearth bacon butties into the campsite within the mornings, or so he claimed.Monmouth RisingImages for Monmouth Rising’s pitch deck had been created utilizing AI, resulting in wonky Welsh flags on the artworkHe advised potential workers that traders included “one of many founders of Creamfields” and mentioned an financial influence evaluation from the Welsh authorities confirmed the competition would carry £28.9m into the world.One business insider mentioned: “I’ve labored within the business for 20 years and it’s actually, actually unprecedented to do a competition that massive for the primary time.”The person, who equipped companies for the competition and did not wish to be named for worry of lacking out on future jobs, added: “It is embarrassing [that I believed him], however on this business you need somebody to be a bit loopy.”Idris Elba DJ setsEmployees and suppliers discuss of a secretive tradition Mr Kenny constructed up: Headline acts weren’t being introduced and no-one knew what number of tickets had been offered.Music producer Chris Whitehouse was requested to signal a non-disclosure settlement earlier than making a soundtrack for the competition’s advert to be “voiced” by Idris Elba, who – he was advised by Mr Kenny – would additionally DJ on the competition alongside dance headliners Groove Armada and Whigfield. However Chris mentioned issues did not add up.”These guys apparently have an £8m price range to do that music competition and he seems to be like he is simply walked out of Wetherspoons,” he mentioned.Chris hasn’t been paid for his work and has issued courtroom proceedings towards Mr Kenny for breach of contract.Elba’s agent mentioned there was, “no document of Idris doing something for this man” and Groove Armada and Whigfield mentioned they had been by no means booked.Genevieve BarkerGenevieve mentioned she felt “lovebombed” her into taking a job with James KennyGenevieve Barker is among the few folks Mr Kenny let into these secretive conversations.”He’d say ‘oh my gosh we have this band, however do not inform anybody’,” she recalled.Having frolicked elevating her 5 kids, the advertising and occasions specialist in Monmouth felt “lovebombed” into leaving her job to be head of partnerships for the competition.”I would spent the most effective a part of 16 years elevating kids,” she mentioned. “For those who’ve all the time been working half time or a stay-at-home dad or mum, this was the profession transfer of a lifetime.”She mentioned the “bigger than life” businessman supplied her more cash than she’d ever made, in addition to a pension and personal dental and healthcare cowl for her household.However after she began working for the competition, she mentioned it was, “like a poisonous relationship”.She added: “He made us really feel actually particular, dangled a few carrots, however then remoted us. He by no means inspired us to speak as a bunch except he was there.”One other Monmouth Rising worker works for festivals over the summer time. As a part-time carer she mentioned she jumped on the likelihood for a longer-term gig working from dwelling.She doesn’t wish to be named for worry of not getting work in a struggling business that’s “already troublesome for older ladies”.She says {that a} 10-minute job interview noticed Mr Kenny run by means of “a great deal of bands that he was in talks with, so quick that I could not write them down. Then he mentioned sure to all the things I requested for”.Varied suppliers additionally advised us they offered hundreds of kilos price of labor and had been promised hundreds extra in future. The BBC has seen WhatsApp chats the place Monmouth Rising’s workers spoke excitedly concerning the plans.However, out of the blue in late February, a brand new message appeared. Mr Kenny claimed he was getting funding to pay his workers”The place is our pay?”Workers had woken as much as discover they’d not acquired their first pay packet.The competition’s web site was down they usually could not entry work emails. The Loyalty Co founder Adam Purslow mentioned his agency constructed the web site at a cut-price price for his “serial entrepreneur” buddy Mr Kenny.After quite a few requests for fee, Adam pulled the web site when his crew had been introduced with a “fishy” wanting doc as proof of incoming funding.”All of the suppliers began to query how real that entire factor was,” he mentioned.Workers like Genevieve had mortgages, lease and nursery payments to pay. In response to her determined appeals, Mr Kenny despatched her movies, filmed in his mum’s dwelling the place he was residing, claiming he was “actually simply ready” for cash to come back in.BBC Wales has found this cash Mr Kenny was promising was a £90,000 money advance, often called bill funding. But it surely was turned down as a result of it failed due diligence checks.This was as a result of an bill from prepare firm GWR, which Mr Kenny handed over as proof of incoming funds, was flagged as a possible forgery.GWR mentioned it was unable to match the bill to its information and “instantly reported” its suspicions to British Transport Police.It’s not the one alleged solid doc Mr Kenny seems to have relied upon.Mr Kenny beforehand tried and didn’t ship a city-wide cocktail competition and an identical sample of guarantees and alleged forgeries adopted in its wake.KateKate and James ran a bar in Chester however now stay in MoroccoIn 2021 he began working for Kate and James, a pair who ran a cocktail bar in Chester and did backstage catering for celebrity-packed occasions such because the Nationwide Tv Awards (NTAs).The couple, who now stay in Morocco, mentioned Mr Kenny “all the time appreciated shiny issues” and was excited once they invited him to work on the NTAs, though “the truth is, it is exhausting work and also you’re simply clearing up after well-known folks, slightly than extraordinary folks”.Kate mentioned Mr Kenny additionally advised them he had dated a well-known actress and TV presenter after assembly her at a lodge bar he ran in Liverpool, regardless of there being no suggestion he had.”We then discovered he had been telling folks he runs the NTA occasion,” mentioned Kate.”We felt sorry for him.”Kate mentioned Mr Kenny all the time knew the “proper title to drop” and persuaded the couple to take a position with him in a brand new Liverpool Cocktail Week.However his cash he promised wasn’t forthcoming and the occasion by no means occurred, leaving the couple £20,000 out of pocket.Competition “fantasist” James Kenny was confronted by a pair who say he left them £20,000 out of pocketIn an try to elucidate the delay in paying up, Mr Kenny introduced the couple with a £40,000 mortgage settlement from Metro Financial institution.A month later when that cash did not materialise, he shared a letter from the identical financial institution saying his account had been erroneously suspended for potential fraudulent exercise.The mortgage provide had inexplicably risen to £75,000 and it referenced one other £35,000 from an investor in Malta.The couple confronted Mr Kenny in a cellphone name, however mentioned he by no means paid them.It wasn’t the final time Mr Kenny claimed funds had been coming from somebody in Malta.When Mr Purslow requested for fee this 12 months, Mr Kenny despatched a screenshot, seen by the BBC, of a world cash switch for £200,000 from a financial institution in Malta, however the title was misspelled.Once we requested the financial institution concerning the doc, it mentioned it was “not reputable”.We additionally contacted the folks Mr Kenny mentioned he had been talking to about investing within the competition.Mr Vincent mentioned he had by no means met him whereas two of the unique Creamfields founders and present homeowners all mentioned they’d by no means heard of him.The Welsh authorities mentioned it had by no means completed an financial influence evaluation.The Killers and Def Leppard mentioned they’d by no means been requested to carry out. We’ve but to listen to again from The Libertines, Moist Leg and Pulp. Different bands mentioned they’d been requested, however deposits had been by no means paid.With six months to go till the competition, Monmouth Rising seemed to be sinking.Genevieve mentioned, with merchants asking for his or her a reimbursement, she felt “morally obliged” to problem Mr Kenny however he wouldn’t hear.Then, on 6 March, he posted an open letter on social media cancelling the competition as a result of, he mentioned, it was “not viable” however nonetheless hoped it might run in 2026.He mentioned all ticket holders and distributors would obtain refunds however BBC Wales has been advised solely 24 folks had purchased tickets and all had been refunded as a result of their funds had been held by the ticketing firm.Many merchants we spoke to mentioned they had been but to get their deposits again.Monmouth Rising would have value hundreds of thousands to drag off from a standing begin. The corporate due to offer the competition with hydrogen energy mentioned it entered right into a industrial provide settlement however no work had been completed. BBC Wales mentioned it had by no means been approached to broadcast from the competition.We’ve additionally discovered – removed from being software program used to plan the Paris Olympics – the positioning plan was drawn up utilizing a web-based app providing free trials.Suppliers and workers, together with Mr Whitehouse, Mr Purslow and Ms Barker mentioned they had been hundreds of kilos out of pocket and makes an attempt to begin authorized proceedings towards Mr Kenny stalled after he cancelled his cellphone quantity and moved addresses.The girl who had the 10-minute interview mentioned she was left penniless and unable to assert Common Credit score for months as a result of HMRC thought she had been paid.Adam PurslowAdam Purslow (left) and James Kenny met when James was residing in Chester and holidayed collectively in PortugalWe tracked down Mr Kenny on his new cellphone quantity with a view to put these allegations to him.He mentioned the line-up was actual and he spent a 12 months engaged on Monmouth Rising, including it was “the one factor I targeted on”.He indicated he did pay some workers and mentioned those that misplaced cash might contact him immediately, including he has “by no means hidden away from something”.He would not inform us the place he is now residing or reply our questions concerning the alleged forgeries, or the traders he claimed he had, and requested us to e mail him with our questions as a substitute.He did not reply to these questions intimately, however in a press release he mentioned his “sole motivation” was to create one thing significant and that it got here at private value to his well being and funds.He mentioned it fell aside when he realised he would not be capable of get permission for an occasion of that measurement at Monmouth Showground. Monmouthshire council advised us, within the 12 months he claimed he spent planning the competition, he solely had one assembly with them.He added that he was really repentant, promising on to these affected: “I’ll repay you.”Questions are actually being requested about how this was in a position to progress so far as it did.James Kenny is a named director of dozens of small firms beneath completely different variations of his title, leaving £27,000 in unpaid County Courtroom Judgements behind him.In 2008, he was convicted of two counts of fraud for forging his spouse’s signature to acquire a mortgage fee to clear £15,000 price of money owed.No-one can know what motivated Mr Kenny to construct a competition primarily based on lies, however only a few of these we now have spoken to imagine Monmouth Rising would ever have labored. Genevieve, who remains to be owed £5,000 and has solely simply bought one other job, mentioned she thinks Mr Kenny is “a fantasist and a narcissist”.”I imply, this was meant to be a multi-million pound occasion and he arrange his workplace at his mom’s kitchen desk,” she mentioned.”He fooled all of us.”Extra reporting by Charlie O’Keeffe