Promoter Andrew McManus has asked for forgiveness from the public and his peers
after escaping a prison sentence for attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mr McManus, the once high-flying tour promoter of Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith,
Andrea Bocelli, Lenny Kravitz and Luciano Pavarotti, told the
Herald Sun:

“I can use the word unlucky, but I brought everything upon myself.
I’m not going to sit here and seek sympathy because I don’t deserve sympathy.

“All I ask for is a second chance to do what I love doing in the music business,
and other aspects of life. I’m now focused on earning back the trust of people
who are important to me.”

A Life Turned Upside Down

Mr McManus’ life in hell began when, in September 2015, he was dramatically
arrested and charged with offences indirectly linking him to an alleged
international drug-trafficking and money-laundering operation.

The arrest related to a NSW Police investigation into $702,200 in cash found
in a briefcase when officers stopped a US businessman at a Sydney hotel
in August 2011.

In April 2012, Mr McManus told investigators the cash came from him and was
used to repay the businessman, who had loaned him a huge deposit to bring
Texas rock veterans ZZ Top to Australia.

Mr McManus later admitted that his statement to police was false, but said it
happened during a binge involving alcohol and prescription drugs after his wife,
Jacqueline, left him with her son from a previous relationship, along with a
string of bad business deals.

“I regret what I said,” Mr McManus told the Herald Sun in July 2014.
“I was not a lucid man.”

“I was preyed on when most vulnerable by a group who knew I needed funding
for the next project quite urgently.”

He was charged with perverting the course of justice, two counts of intending
to defraud by making a false or misleading statement, and knowingly participating
in a criminal group.

Police later dropped the fraud and criminal-participation charges against
Mr McManus. Last September, he pleaded guilty to attempting to pervert the
course of justice.

Avoiding Prison

However, at a sentencing hearing in the Sydney District Court two weeks ago,
Mr McManus avoided jail time after Judge Mark Williams said the promoter had
strong prospects of rehabilitation.

Mr McManus was formally sentenced to 20 months in jail, but under an intensive
corrections order, he will serve that sentence in the community.

In his first interview since walking free, Mr McManus reflected on everything
he had lost during the legal saga.

What He Lost

• His fiancée and long-term relationships.
• Friendships with rock superstars.
• Important business relationships.
• His standing within parts of the music industry.

He also said he would work hard to redeem himself after feeling “disowned”
by the music industry.

Preparing for Prison

Mr McManus had prepared himself for the “terrifying inevitability” of being
sent to prison.

“I was ready as much as you could be,” Mr McManus said.
“I’d prepared myself, and my lawyers had prepared me, hence.

“On the business side, I sorted out things with my accountant …
all the bills, all the things you can’t manage while being incarcerated.

“From a mental point of view, I thought of it like this:
‘My life would be taken out of my hands for ‘x’ amount of months.’
As much as it was a terrifying thought, I’d prepared myself the best I could.”

He said the impact of avoiding prison did not sink in until he returned to his
sprawling Mornington Peninsula property, with its paddocks, dam, agistment horses
and pet peacock named Phantom, two days after the hearing.

“When I walked back in the house, it hit home that I was free,” he said.

“I cooked a steak on the barbecue, fed Phantom, rang mum, then sat alone
and watched TV. I appreciated all the things we take for granted.
That was my celebration.”

‘Soul Destroying’

Mr McManus said the ordeal had been “soul destroying”, but he was determined
to start a “new chapter.”

“Hopefully, my peers will cease to disown me after it’s been proven and
stated quite clearly, I’ve never had anything to do with money laundering,
and never had anything to do with drug importation,” he said.

“I’ve been tarnished with claims of being involved with illicit drugs and
the illegalities of money laundering. I was never charged with that,
it was never a part of the case.

“Yet some media circles have defined me in a way that I’m some sort of
Pablo Escobar. It’s been very damaging and hurtful. I really don’t know
how to right that wrong.

“I’m very sorrowful for being involved in the instance I stand charged with.
I’m remorseful.”

The End of His Relationship

But that regret came too late for some.

His fiancée, Kayla Evison, walked out last March as Mr McManus was preparing
a plea deal.

“I was reading transcripts, listening to phone taps, even though I wasn’t
involved in 90 per cent of them,” Mr McManus said.

“There was 6000 hours of phone taps. I challenge anyone to go through that
and not go into your shell.

“It brought my relationship with Kayla to an end. One night she said:
‘You’ve changed. You’re not the happy-go-lucky guy that I knew.’

“Whether it was a direct consequence of what I was going through, or we
outgrew each other, I don’t know. She’s moved on, and I’ve had to accept
that, and take stock.”

Friends Who Walked Away

Mr McManus also watched superstar acts, including Fleetwood Mac, Chris Isaak
and Lenny Kravitz — artists he had regularly promoted and with whom he had
built strong relationships — tour with other promoters.

“I had close friends who came to my wedding, and were party to the main table,
who just shut the door because they couldn’t be associated with me because
it could hurt their career,” Mr McManus said.

“That’s just something I’ve had to accept as part of the punishment
of being an idiot.”

But some remained loyal, including Culture Club, Def Leppard and Kiss.

“They saw through what was written, and they know me better than to believe
an alignment with laundering and drugs. They’ve been a brick wall of solidarity.”

A New Beginning

As part of his new beginning, Mr McManus has sold his 3.2-hectare,
five-bedroom property at Balnarring and plans to move back to town.

He has quit drinking and prescription drugs and maintains a healthy food,
exercise and meditation regime after suffering a heart seizure last year.

“I used to be scared of the day and frightened of the future. You find
crutches and you end up on the bad side of health, and the bad side of
everyone, not in control of your faculties and being a d—head,” Mr McManus said.

“I’ve outgrown that person. But having to own up and take responsibility
for the position I put myself in, it’s been a very rough ride.”

Looking Toward the Future

Mr McManus is planning Kiss dates through Australia and Asia in the foreseeable
future, is in talks with Def Leppard for 2018, and will reboot his reggae festival
Raggamuffin with a new direction later this year.

Asked if any promoters had welcomed him back to the fold, Mr McManus said:

“Some have made contact and are, thankfully, supportive.

“Of course, there will be others who will keep that door shut for as long
as they can. It’s a competitive game.

“But I can’t dictate how they react to me, other than do the best I can.
Hopefully, in time, wounds are healed and new opportunities arise.”

A Second Chance

For Andrew McManus, the road back will not be easy. He knows he has lost
relationships, friendships and professional opportunities, and accepts
responsibility for the decisions that led him to court.

But after preparing himself for prison and confronting the consequences
of his actions, he is determined to rebuild his life and career.

His message is simple: he wants the opportunity to earn back trust,
make amends and return to the music business he loves.