Hundreds of hip hop fans were left disappointed on Friday night when Bone Thugs N Harmony failed to show for a one-off New Zealand performance.

The American rap group were scheduled to play at Auckland's Studio, but at 8pm organisers posted on Facebook the sold out concert was cancelled because the band had missed their flight to New Zealand and had been "uncontactable since". 

The show was due to start at 9pm.

But many fans failed to receive the late warning; instead turning up to the K Rd venue where they were told the show was off because the group - featuring Krayzie Bone and Layzie Bone from the original line-up - was performing at the Java Soulnation Party in Indonesia instead.

Bone Thugs N Harmony, famous for mid-1990s hits like Tha Crossroads, also cancelled two shows in Australia and postponed a third last month, blaming missed flights. Just last night they failed to show up for a rescheduled performance in Townsville.

After the Auckland no-show, dozens of disgruntled ticketholders, some who had travelled from as far as Christchurch for the show, took to the venue and the band's Facebook pages to vent their frustration.

Kapil Mistry wrote: "I bought tickets. Showed up to studio in Auckland at 8pm. Found out at the door that they won't be performing. A lil bit annoyed." [Sic]

Joann Daniela said it was disappointing for all the Kiwi fans.

"Don't get me wrong, we still love your music, but that's jus strait effed up!!! Coz at the end of the day, it's your fans that have made yous, we may b a small country, but we have many fans hea." [Sic]

Channelle Williams thought the band should refund tickets themselves if they had chosen a better paying gig over the Auckland show.

"I've loved you guys for years but you really f****d up. If all these rumours bout you skipping NZ for Indonesia to get a bigger pay cheque is true then yous should be refunding us all out of your own damn pockets." [Sic]

This morning the local promoters Show Stopper described the situation as "a complete disappointment", saying they only found out the band were in Indonesia at 7pm. 

"We were all in the dark."

They said the band's Australian tour manager had "stuffed everything up".

They are hopeful of rescheduling the group's New Zealand visit.

In the meantime, ticketholders have been advised to contact the ticket sellers www.1-night.co.nz for refund information. 

- © Fairfax NZ News

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