SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The ballad of the Randy Bachman concert that never was is not over yet, with four would-be concertgoers planning on takin' care of business in territorial civil court next week.

Steve Lacey, pictured here, and three other Yellowknife residents have filed a small claims action against Garth Mackie, the organizer of the cancelled July 2009 Randy Bachman concert, seeking money for 10 tickets and the cost of the claim. - Guy Quenneville/NNSL photo

On May 31 at 1:30 p.m., four Yellowknifers - Steve Lacey, Pam Naylor, Catherine Pellerin and Sue Glowach - will appear in court to make their case against Hay River resident Garth Mackie.

Last year, Mackie sold close to 400 tickets to a July 10 Randy Bachman concert but pulled the plug on the show at the 11th hour, citing insufficient ticket sales.

On April 6, Mackie was served with a small claims action by the group, whose members purchased 10 tickets totalling $600. They are asking for an additional $80 - the cost of filing the claim.

Mackie previously told Yellowknifer he did not respond to the claim within the prescribed 25 days because he did not want to appear combative.

A default judgment on the case was expected earlier this month but ultimately never came, said Lacey.

He said a court clerk phoned him and told him a hearing would be held instead, allowing Lacey and the others to make their case in front of a judge.

Lacey said he doesn't expect Mackie will show up.

"Basically, it will be a one-sided lawsuit unless, by some surprise, the defendant decides to show up and make his case," said Lacey. "But I doubt very much whether that will happen."

Mackie could not be reached for comment Monday, but in a previous interview said, "I intend to pay everybody who bought a ticket."

"We have had contact from two or three other people who said, 'Hey, we'd like to get in on this action.' But of course, it's too late now," said Lacey.

"We are going to tell the judge, 'We purchased these tickets. We expected to get a show. The show didn't happen. The promoter promised us a refund. We never got a refund. And now can we please get a judgment ordering him to give us our money back.'"