John Sankey, best known as the drummer for Devolved and Devil You Know, has revealed new details about the planned but ultimately canceled Legion festival, which was intended to fill the gap left by the defunct Soundwave festival in Australia.
Initially, the festival’s crowdfunding campaign was strategically designed to attract private funding by showcasing market demand for a new heavy music event. According to Sankey, this strategy was successful in securing the necessary private investments.
While the festival’s lineup had not been publicly announced before its cancellation, Sankey has now disclosed that acts such as Korn, Prophets of Rage, and Megadeth were booked to play at the event. However, the arrival of the Download festival to Australia prompted Sankey and his team to reassess their plans. Facing the prospect of stiff competition, they decided to cancel Legion during the final stages of preparation, before contracts were finalized and artist payments were made.
At the time of Legion’s cancellation, the global impact of COVID-19 on the music industry was unforeseeable. In retrospect, Sankey acknowledges that the pandemic would have posed significant challenges to the festival’s success.
It’s important to note that no fans were charged for their pledges to the crowdfunding campaign, ensuring that no financial loss was incurred by supporters in the wake of the cancellation. Despite the disappointment surrounding Legion’s cancellation, Sankey has expressed satisfaction that the Australian heavy music community was eventually able to welcome the Download festival.
His primary goal was to guarantee that fans had a major event to rally around after Soundwave’s end, demonstrating his dedication to supporting the Australian music scene.
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