There’s been a flurry of activity surrounding some of the major players in the Australian music festival scene in the last 48 hours.

In a whirlwind turn of events, Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah has officially bought into the Big Day Out, installed as a co-promoter alongside the iconic one-day event’s founder Ken West as he passes the torch on the festival’s future.

Surprise news that swiftly followed on from Maddah’s own Harvest festival being cancelled ahead of what was to be its third annual edition, the boutique music festival’s lineup now being broken down into a series of headline tours, while some of the Harvest 2013 lineup is absorbed into the Big Day Out and Soundwave.

But amongst the furore, there’s another festival attributed to AJ Maddah that has been pushed slightly to the background amongst all the moving and shaking: the Australian return of the Vans Warped Tour after more than a decade’s absence Down Under; set to kick-off in Brisbane this November with The Offspring as headliners along with a bill that features Simple Plan, Parkway Drive, and more.

Given the ailing ticket sales – especially in Brisbane – that eventually led to Harvest’s demise, fans have been understandably concerned about the future of the Australian Warped Tour, but amongst the discussion over Harvest and Big Day Out on Monday, Maddah told one fan on twitter that all was looking “awesome” for the Australian Warped Tour.

The Brisbane demand is in stark contrast to the stiffing sales of Harvest, which had moved just 18% of its 17,500 tickets when Maddah first rang the alarm bells over the boutique festival’s likely cancellation last week. The Melbourne leg – which has yet to determine its venue – is also selling strongly, with Maddah confirming that it’s been so popular that it has “outsold its capacity,” leading to negotiations for a new location.

The Melbourne Warped was originally scheduled to take place at Birrarung Marr; “We were going to do it at Birrang Mahr [sic] or whatever that silly piece of land is where they hold Moonbah,” wrote Maddah to a fan inquiry.

Ticket sales have been less impressive for the closing Warped date at the Adelaide Showgrounds with Maddah describing sales as “disappointing” noting, “I think we have sold half of what Coffs Harbour has sold,” as FasterLouder points out.

Hopefully those numbers will pick up as the second Vans Warped Tour 2013 lineup announcement, which was originally set to arrive in “mid-September”, is still on the way – no doubt delayed while Maddah was sorting out the final will and testament of Harvest 2013 and its lineup.

The promoter has previously said to “expect another 4 or 5 internationals as well as a load of locals” to join Aussie bands Parkway Drive and Tonight Alive for the second Warped lineup announce, and in fact the festival put out an open call for recommendations for Aussie bands for each of Warped’s six dates this December.

One act that could be on the second Warped Tour 2013 lineup announcement could be polarising punk outfit Falling In Reverse, who could be announced for the Warped bill (or possibly the Soundwave 2014 lineup) “when visas are 100% approved,” tweeted Maddah.

While the promoter previously said there won’t be any Warped Tour sideshows, he’s since turned back on that decision. Simple Plan and Parkway Drive won’t be doing sideshows, while The Offspring will play a headline date in Perth, the city that was snubbed by a visit from Warped after Maddah took issue with the Western Australian Government‘s attitudes to festivals and live music in general. It’s also “quite possible” Man Overboard and We Came As Romans could play the WA capital.

Vans Warped Tour 2013 Dates

Friday 29th November Brisbane RNA Showgrounds

Saturday 30th November Coffs Harbour Showground

Sunday 1st December Barangaroo, Sydney

Friday 6th December Exhibition Park, Canberra

Saturday 7th December VENUE TBA, Melbourne

Sunday 8th December Adelaide Showgrounds, Adelaide

Tickets and info head to http://vanswarpedtouraustralia.com/

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine