Organisers of the Dorset-based music festival End Of The Road have denied any involvement with the always fun Church Of Scientology in response to allegations to that effect.
The rumours originate with a message posted on the forum at eFestivals.co.uk by a member of that site's staff, who writes that s/he received an anonymous letter, complete with "prints and photocopies of stuff", linking End Of The Road to the CoS. Specific claims include that financial losses incurred by the festival during its early years were covered by individuals affiliated to the church, and that the festival always includes a secret roster of Scientologist performers on its bill, who are either announced at the very last minute, or not at all.
Responding to all this, a statement from End Of The Road HQ acknowledges that two of its board directors are Scientologists, which is presumably how these rumours began, but adds: "End Of The Road has no connection with the Church Of Scientology, financial or otherwise. None. In any case, philosophical inclinations are personal and have nothing to do with a music festival. Anyone who has been to an End Of The Road Festival will already know that".
It continues: "For the record, EOTR did make big losses in the first two years. They were all financed by the owners and those friends who could be persuaded to lend us money. The festival is now in good financial shape, the loans are repaid and the profit made in 2011 is being invested in a new festival. The anonymous correspondent ought to get out more".
If getting out more doesn't sound like fun, you might want to instead spend a rather strange and spooky half hour sifting through the Scientology message thread on the eFestivals message board from start to finish. Those doing so can anticipate wild speculation, the compulsory jokes about Tom Cruise, and anxiety over subliminal transmitter antennae which, apparently, can be "disguised to look like something as ordinary as rotary washing lines".
Amongst a further host of alien overlords, this year's End Of The Road line-up so far includes the musically tip-top likes of First Aid Kit, Beach House, Mountain Man, Grizzly Bear, Robyn Hitchcock and The Strange Boys. I can't imagine a less suspicious bunch.
