There’s already been controversies, much speculation, and even a few leaks, but by this time tomorrow, the official Soundwave 2014 lineup will be upon us, with an expected 63 bands to appear on the bill.
Now the organisers of the annual hard and heavy festival have tweeted that “the boss has spoken,” referring to promoter AJ Maddah, who has locked in the Soundwave 2014 Lineup announcement – to the minute – at Friday at 1.16pm.
But it appears that a couple of acts on the bill didn’t quite the get the memo in time.
With less than 24 hours left until the official reveal, UK hardcore outfit Your Demise have let slip of their part on the Soundwave 2014 lineup, taking to their Facebook page to tell fans to look forward to a “final visit” this coming Friday, which happily lines up with the Soundwave 2014 announcement.
The “final visit” refers to the fact that on 15th April earlier this year, Your Demise released a YouTube video with a “special announcement” for their fans that the band were to break up. The decision was described as a mutual agreement between the five-piece, who venture they would “come to an end in March 2014, following a series of farewell performances.”
That farewell now includes Australia, as Your Demise arrive for Soundwave 2014 next February off the back of their latest album, The Golden Age, released last year and which now turns out to be the band’s swansong record.
Meanwhile, Finch have put themselves up as likely contenders for tomorrow’s Soundwave 2014 lineup announcement after posting “Well hello Oz! What’s up?” on their own Facebook page. Not much to go off, but then the post-hardcore group commented: “we heard our winter is your summer… That sounds wonderful… Its kinda cold in Temecula in February,” which is of course the month that Soundwave regularly occupies.
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Assuming the two bands have leaked their involvement in the Soundwave 2014 lineup, they now join the already confirmed bands so far – including ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted’s new titular group, Newsted, and self-described “Psychedelic Reggae Ska Doom Metal Punk Rock From Hell” outfit The Bennies, who will be added to the Melbourne leg of the Soundwave 2014 lineup.
As previously reported, it looks like Newcastle ska band The Porkers will be part of the Soundwave 2014 lineup after all, making amends with AJ Maddah after he dumped a “seminal Aus ska band” from the bill due to their management playing “hardball” in negotiations.
The long-running ska group’s ringleader, Pete Porker – who the Soundwave honcho described as a “dear friend” – says that reached out to Maddah following the incident and that relations are now “all good.”
“I have personally spoken to AJ and things have been patched up and we are looking forward to being part of the Soundwave announcement,” says Porker, who is technically reforming The Porkers for their Soundwave 2014 lineup commitments.
Other likely confirmations for the Soundwave 2014 lineup are Swedish glam metal outfit Crashdiet, Danish act Volbeat, American heavy metal outfit Godsmack, and roughly 60 more bands with plenty of speculation throwing up rumoured bands such as Nine Inch Nails – as potential headliners – Iron Maiden, Slash, Alter Bridge, Deftones, Alice In Chains, Green Day, Kylesa, Papa Roach, and Skunk Anansie.
Soundwave 2014 will also introduce a new Japanese metal stage and the promise that the “metal stages will be back with a vengeance!” Tickets are likely “$160 + GST + BF. So around $180 to $185 I reckon,” according to Maddah, and will go on sale the following week.
The final lineup will contain around 63 bands, but Maddah has conceded that it’s going to be difficult to top the 10th anniversary lineup of Soundwave 2013, which brought huge attendance numbers from its 70+ strong bill featuring Metallica, Blink 182, Garbage, Linkin Park, The Offspring, Slayer, Anthrax, and many more.
Soundwave 2014 Dates
venues TBA
Saturday 22nd February – Brisbane
Sunday 23rd February – Sydney
Friday 28th February – Melbourne
Saturday 1st March – Adelaide
Monday 3rd March – Perth