British reggae star Finley Quaye – remember him? – was bizarrely thrown off stage during the middle of one of his live sets… by the promoter of his own gig.

The 41 year old Edinburgh born singer, responsible for a string of well-received singles at the end of the Britpop era in the ‘90s, was interrupted half an hour into his set at the Convent Club in Woodchester, Gloucestershire by Matt Roberts, the show’s promoter.

“I am so sorry guys, I have worked in the industry 28 years, I have a reputation,” Roberts told the crowd as he halted the set. He then told Quaye’s backing band “you guys, go home,” before addressing the crowd saying “we will refund the tickets, and I can only say that I am so sorry because the music industry and live music is beautiful.”

Wow. Just how bad does a performance have to be to deserve that?

Finley QuayeFinley Quaye performing in 2014

“I am sorry, I will not sit here and pollute my venue with bull****,” Roberts continued, “and I can only apologise for you who were getting some of it because there is some magic there. All I can say is this is my house and I have acted how I feel is appropriate.”

Roberts revealed soon afterwards that Quaye and his band hadn’t bothered to do a soundcheck earlier in the day before taking to the stage, offering some explanation as to why it might have been called off.

According to witnesses, Quaye also arrived on stage more than an hour late, and reportedly performed with his back to the audience, occasionally stumbling and with a baseball cap pulled most of the way down, obscuring his face. One said to the Daily Mail: “It was like being at a rehearsal where the band really didn't care whether anyone liked it or not.”

Having paid £20 each to attend, people in the audience quickly began murmuring their displeasure, and when Roberts offered them a full refund and drinks at the bar, they applauded.

Finley Quaye won a Brit Award for Best Male Solo Artist in 1998, following the success of his debut album Maverick A Strike the previous year, which included a clutch of UK Top 20 hits like ‘Sunday Shining’ and ‘Even After All’. However, its follow-ups didn’t perform anywhere near as well, and since then Quaye has become embroiled in various problems. In 2003 he admitted possession of cannabis and domestic violence, and in 2012 he was found guilty of aggravated assault.

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Watch the shambolic end to Finley Quaye's live performance below.