When it was announced earlier this week that Newsted – the titular heavy metal band of ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted – had been unceremoniously dropped from the bill of Megadeth’s headline Soundwave 2014 Sidewaves, fingers were pointed at the band’s outspoken frontman Dave Mustaine.
An official announcement from Soundwave Festival on Wednesday stated that US deathcore band Whitechapel would be replacing Newsted, who had been kicked “at the request of Megadeth” for their headline Sidewave shows in Sydney and Melbourne.
Shortly after however, Musatine refuted claims that a feud between him and Jason Newsted had erupted, telling fans in a Facebook post of his disappointment at the lineup change, writing: “I explained to Jason Newsted… We didn’t put him on the show and we didn’t kick him off the show. He understands, why don’t you?” Adding in a follow-up comment that there was no animosity with the band and “this is all a huge misunderstanding.”
Now a new statement from Megadeth’s tour management has further denied that Mustaine was the catalyst for dropping Newsted from the bill, insinuating instead that it was the Soundwave festival organisers that were at fault.
“Dave Mustaine is not responsible for booting Newsted off,” Megadeth tour manager Jim Carroccio tells ABC News Radio. “Dave did not put him on the bill and did not take him off the bill… [he] submitted a list of bands he was comfortable with and the promoter ignored the list. Dave and Jason are friends [and] this has blown up into something silly,” Carroccio adds. “Dave Mustaine submitted a list of bands he was comfortable with and the promoter ignored the list… this has blown up into something silly.”
Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah seemed just as surprised by the news of Newsted being booted from the Megadeth 2014 Sidwaves, seemingly unclear as to the reasoning behind the last-minute lineup change.
In a series of replies to fan enquiries on twitter, Maddah pointed out that the two metal bands had “been touring together for months,” saying “last I heard they were getting on great on tour,” and telling another fan that “something has certainly gone down although we have no details.”
The latest from the festival promoter suggested that “maybe there is a problem between managers or agents,” before giving this response earlier today to news of Dave Mustaine’s rebuttal.
.@DamoESP Excellent. Then we can just put him back on!
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) February 6, 2014
For his part, Jason Newsted has yet to comment on being booted from the Soundwave shows – either officially or through social media – but a post on the Newsted band’s Facebook and Twitter notes: “An official statement regarding NEWSTED performances will be made soon . Thanks J.”
It’s not the only Soundwave related lineup shuffle that’s occurred recently. Last week, the festival underwent a massive change when top-billed act Stone Temple Pilots announced they’d cancelled on their festival appearance (and sideshows) just four weeks out from the event’s kick off.
Citing commitments to recording their first album with Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington, the band have since admitted to not telling the whole truth about their Soundwave cancellation, revealing the “initial statement citing ‘recording delays’ wasn’t true” while cancelling further tour commitments in Hawaii, Indonesia, and the Middle East as Maddah defended their reason as “totally valid and understandable.”
Meanwhile, The Living End have been roped in to replace STP on the Soundwave 2014 lineup, joining a massive bill that features over 90 artists.
The Megadeth, Volbeat, and Newsted Whitechapel Sidwaves are part of a huge list of massive triple-billed Soundwave 2014 Sidewaves to enjoy, featuring Mastodon, Baroness, and Gojira, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Glassjaw, and Dir En Grey, plus Eagles Of Death Metal, Rocket From The Crypt, & Mutemath, Alice In Chains, Down, and Walking With Papers, Less Than Jake, Bowling For Soup, and Zebrahead, as well as Jimmy Eat World, Panic! At The Disco, with Alkaline Trio
Other sideshows include Soundwave 2014 headliners Avenged Sevenfold, AFI with ††† (Crosses), Rob Zombie & Korn, Alter Bridge & Living Colour, Finnish rockers HIM, Richie Sambora, Black Veil Brides, Biffy Clyro, Placebo, and Clutch.
In related news, Maddah is also looking to switch the closing Perth leg of Soundwave from the Claremont Showgrounds to Arena Joondalup, mirroring Big Day Out’s last-minute venue change following ongoing battles with Claremont Council.
“We’re trying to move (Soundwave in Perth). Not sure if we can,” Maddah tweeted recently. A venue change to Joondalup would also require a change of date, as Future’s underage Good Life 2014 festival already has Arena Joondalup booked for the same date as Soundwave’s Perth leg.
Megadeth Soundwave 2014 Sidewaves
with Volbeat and Whitechapel (replacing Newsted)
TICKETS ON SALE TUESDAY 28TH JANUARY @ 9am AEDT
TUESDAY 25 FEBRUARY – SYDNEY, UNSW ROUNDHOUSE – Licensed All Ages (www.ticketek.com.au)
THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY – MELBOURNE, THE FORUM– 18+ (www.ticketmaster.com.au)
Soundwave 2014 Lineup
Green Day
Avenged SevenfoldStone Temple Pilots (with Chester Bennington)The Living End
A Day To Remember
Alice In Chains
Rob Zombie
Megadeth
Mastodon
Placebo
HIM
AFI
KoRn
Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)
Filter
I Killed The Prom Queen
The Ghost Inside
Authority Zero
DARKC3LL
The Defiled
The Danger Kids
Alter Bridge
Trivium
Pennywise
Jimmy Eat World
Down
DevilDriver
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Glassjaw
Panic! At The Disco
Eagles Of Death Metal
Less Than Jake
Mayday Parade
Newsted
Biffy Clyro
Rocket From The Crypt
Asking Alexandria
Clutch
Alkaline Trio
Baroness
Five Finger Death Punch
August Burns Red
Testament
Living Color
Letlive
Motionless In White
Gwar
Crosses
Suicide Silence
The Porkers
Gojira
Black Veil Brides
Zebrahead
Satyricon
Dream On Dreamer
Mutemath
Desparecidos
Stiff Little Fingers
Thy Art Is Murder
Graveyard
Dir En Grey
Deez Nuts
In Hearts Wake
Breathe Carolina
Defiler
I Call Fives
Hacktivist
Devil You Know
Soil
The Boss Hoss
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
Nostalghia
Upon A Burning Body
Black Dahlia Murder
MushroomHead
Finch
Pulled Apart By Horses
Ill Nino
Nancy Vandal
Bowling For Soup
Trash Talk
Skindred
Volbeat
Amon Amarth
Terror
Whitechapel
TesseracT
The Story So Far
Hardcore Superstar
10 Years
Walking Papers
Our Last Night
Coliseum
Your Demise
Heaven’s Basement
Real Friends
Soundwave 2014 Dates, Tickets
Saturday 22nd February – Brisbane, RNA Showgrounds
Sunday 23rd February – Sydney, Olympic Park
Friday 28th February – Melbourne, Flemington Racecourse
Saturday 1st March – Adelaide, Bonython Park
Monday 3rd March – Perth, Claremont Showgrounds
Tickets on sale via: soundwavefestival.com, oztix.com.au & other outlets
