Sir Paul McCartney is demanding Italian government officials and gig promoters "do the right thing" and reimburse ticketholders for his cancelled concerts.
Last month, the Beatles icon had to call off two shows in Naples and Lucca, originally scheduled for this week, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has left the live entertainment industry in limbo since March.
However, the rocker was dismayed to discover fans would not be receiving their money back, as lawmakers had introduced a decree allowing refunds in the form of coupons for future use in an effort to prop up the live sector and prevent a complete collapse.
McCartney has issued a strongly-worded statement on his official Facebook page in Italy, calling on authorities to reverse the policy.
"It is outrageous that those who have paid for their tickets are not getting their money back. Without the fans there would be no live entertainment," read the message, which was written in Italian.
"We strongly disagree with what the Italian government are doing. In every other country we were going to visit this summer the fans have all been offered full refunds. The organiser of our shows and the Italian law makers must do the right thing here. We are all extremely disappointed the shows could not take place and this is a real insult to the fans."
A representative for promoters at D'alessandro e Galli has since responded to the demand, claiming McCartney's team was "perfectly aware" of the method of reimbursement prior to cancelling the gigs, reports Variety.
Standing firm, the spokesperson continued, "We believe that the Government has identified in the voucher the tool that would guarantee the correct balance between the legitimate disappointment of the fan who will not be able to attend a given concert and the vital need to support the entire production chain.
"For our part, to minimize the inconvenience of the spectators, who we will never fail to respect, we have already committed ourselves by 2021 to recovering almost all the shows scheduled for 2020 and we are working to add others, to offer the wider choice for those who will have to spend the voucher following a canceled concert."
