Soundwave may be gone, but there’s still plenty of activity buzzing about in the hive that is the Australian heavy music scene. Earlier this month we even learnt there’s a good chance we’re getting a Soundwave replacement next year.
Meanwhile, the more boutique UNIFY Gathering festival (think Soundwave meets Meredith) has proven heavy music festivals still have a strong, hungry market in Australia and every week sees the announcement of another big-time heavy act set to tour Down Under.
Most recently, international touring giant Live Nation announced that their Australasian offshoot would be partnering with UNIFIED, the folks behind UNIFY Gathering and bands like Northlane, The Amity Affliction, and In Hearts Wake.
Live Nation & UNIFY Present aren’t wasting any time in taking over Australia’s heavy music scene, either. They’ve already announced their first official tour under the partnership – the recently announced arena tour from Bring Me The Horizon.
“Seeing a gap in the rock market and holding many key relationships around the world, UNIFIED’s decision to enter the touring space is an important move for the Australian market,” a press release announcing the partnership reads.
Apparently, the two industry players have seen another gap in the Australian festival market, because the press release also makes a point of mentioning that “Live Nation is also the producer of the UK’s famous DOWNLOAD Festival.”
[include_post id=”471550″]
As some readers will recall, it was Download Festival which first gave Aussie fans hope of a potential Soundwave replacement making its way Down Under soon, after the mammoth event’s booker told Aussie Twitter followers to “watch this space”.
After an eager tweeter suggested that single tweet just gave Australian metal fans reason to “hold on to the last shimmer of hope”, booker Andy Copping sent the rumour mill into overdrive by writing back, “…and so they should.”
Former Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah later tweeted that Australia could have “three new rock festivals next year“, mentioning Download, the crowdfunded Legion Music Festival, and a potential expansion from European rock event Sonisphere.
