Gigspanner have endeavoured to not be involved directly in the controversy. They did not state the article was highly misleading, Raynor Winn's "Legal Team" did.
I strongly support Gigspanner Big Band and would encourage everyone to go see them.
As to the Observer story, they're a responsible, trustworthy newspaper that I've ready for many years and I'm certain that that story would not have been publised without being strongly tested by their lawyers. Only time will tell if Ray and Moth Winn are, in reality, Sally & Tim Walker.
The Observer has a long illustrious history, but very new and very unproven owners. Whoever they're owned by though, they'd have been mad to publish that story without a lot of evidence. It reads well, and I'd be amazed if the substantive part of that piece doesn't come to be accepted. I'd also be amazed if they're sued (unless they've been careless and there's a small part of the whole which is demonstrably wrong).
The initial Gigspanner pieces were, I think, badly worded as it wasn't immediately obvious whether it was them or the Winn's who were disputing the findings. I think they corrected the pieces to make this clearer.
My understanding is they are turning these gigs into generic Gigspanner Big Band shows promoting their new album?