More than six months after METALLICA's concert in Croatia was cancelled due to "insurmountable technical difficulties," the group's fans who purchased tickets to the show have yet to receive refunds from the concert organizers, according to the Croatian newspaper Vjesnik.hr.

METALLICA devotees paid as much as 330 kuna (approx. $57) for an opportunity to see the group perform live — a substantial amount in a country where the average monthly income is said to be less than $700.

The organizers of the ill-fated concert had previously promised the ticket-holders that they would receive a refund by the end of 2004. However, in a brand-new statement posted on their web site, Impresario.hr, the concert promoters, Tvrtka Impresario, attribute the continued delay to the fact that their international partner is refusing to cover any of the costs incurred in organizing the event. The dispute has since been transferred to an international court of law, where, the organizers hope, the matter will be brought to a successful conclusion during the coming months.

As a token of their appreciation for the fans' patience in obtaining refunds, Tvrtka Impresario has promised to return to all ticket-holders an amount equal to the cost of the original ticket (330 kuna, approx. $57), plus an additional one-time interest payment of 20 kuna (approx. $3.50).