A FORMER X Factor finalist has vowed never to perform at Canterbury's Gulbenkian Theatre again after launching his second album there on Saturday.

Ben Mills, who set up his own record label to release Freedom, the follow-up to his top three gold album Picture of You, said he experienced a catalogue of problems at the gig.

Staff refused to allow the singer's wife Melissa and his sister Gemma to have complimentary tickets, forcing them to pay for their seats, and tried to ban him filming the music video to his single Freedom at the gig.

Ushers also repeatedly tried to stop a fan who was filming songs at Ben's request, he says.

The singer, 30, who lives in Blean, said: "There were so many rules it was like they were running some sort of prison rather than a theatre.

"We had issues with almost everything we wanted to do and at one point I was going to pull the gig and it was only the fact that we had already advertised it that stopped me.

"But we as a band will not use it again."

Ben, who shot to fame when he finished third on the television talent show, behind Leona Lewis and runner up Ray Quinn, last performed at the University of Kent venue before Christmas but said there were problems then too.

He queried a £35 fee to tune a piano he never used and was not aware of, and the issue delayed payment to the band by two months.

He said: "Musically, Saturday's gig was the best I have ever done because it was the majority of my own songs, and it was very important to me.

"It's sad that it was spoilt by these sort of issues. The front of house staff were coming backstage to deal with petty complaints a few minutes before we went on stage which is not what I expect.

"After the gig, when I was trying to do my job and talk to the people who had paid to come out and hear us play, the manager was sitting there in front of me with a face like thunder and it did create a bad atmosphere.

"Dudley Ross, who organised the gig, did a very good job in sorting the issues out and smoothing it all over and most of the individual staff we met were lovely.

"But we won't be playing there again."

Dee Ashworth, the Gulbenkian's director, said Ben would be welcomed back at any time and put the problems down to poor communication.

He said: "There is a balance to be had between an artist wishing to create a promotional video and the venue wanting to provide the best possible live experience for the audience.

"We want to give the audience who have paid to see the show the best possible experience and that may not include having cameramen wandering around."

Mr Ashworth said filming or flash photography by members of the public was not allowed at the theatre.

He added: "Unless there is explicit permission from the artist we would not allow it.

"It may be that Ben asked someone to film the gig but that message was not passed on to us. We were in fact acting in his best interests and in the past we have had complaints from artists about filming or flash photography from the audience.

"As a venue, we like to work with local artists and we hope Ben's experience on Saturday will not put him off returning."