Another major act has pulled out of the Soundwave 2014 lineup with just under two weeks until the annual hard and heavy music festival’s kickoff in Brisbane.
Megadeth, one of metal’s Big Four, have today announced that they have cancelled their appearance for Soundwave 2014, following just days after a public dispute over metal band Newsted being kicked from their accompanying Soundwave 2014 Sidewave shows.
Megadeth announced that they would no longer be making the trip Down Under for the festival in a post on the band’s Facebook page, from frontman Dave Mustaine, that reads, “Due to circumstances beyond its control, unfortunately Megadeth has to cancel their Australian dates.”
“Megadeth’s decision is unrelated to the fact that Jason Newsted is performing at Soundwave. Jason and I spoke recently and continue to be friends,” concludes Mustaine’s statement.
Last week, Newsted – the titular heavy rock band of ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted – were unceremoniously dropped as support from Megadeth’s headline Sidewave dates in Melbourne and Sydney, with an official statement from Soundwave organisers stating the drop was “at the request of Megadeth.”
Shortly after, Musatine refuted claims that a feud between him and Newsted had been the catalyst for the lineup shuffle, telling fans in a Facebook post “We didn’t put him on the show and we didn’t kick him off the show,” adding in a follow-up comment that there was no animosity with the band and “this is all a huge misunderstanding.”
That view was backed up by Megadeth tour manager, Jim Carroccio who explained, “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.
An official statement of Megadeth’s removal from the bill has yet to be announced, but Soundwave boss AJ Maddah has already addressed the cancellation in a series of tweets.
I don’t like being asked to lie. Nor do I like being extorted. But at the same time I don’t want to lose an act off the festival. #dilemma
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) February 9, 2014
Sometimes you have to take one on the chin for the fans and for the sake of preserving the show…
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) February 9, 2014
In response to a fan asking about “what Dave [Mustaine]’s problem” was regarding the cancellation, Maddah replied, “Not sure. We have done everything they have asked except lie to the fans.”
Just ahead of the Mustaine statement, Maddah pointed out he was dealing with a Soundwave artist who was “making ridiculous demands ‘or I’ll cancel‘.” Then clarified that the decision was handed down direct from the Megadeth frontman and not his management. “He fired his manager and agent last month. The artist is now in control!” Maddah says, expressing in another tweet: “his has beein[sic] the weirdest experience I have ever had. And I have had some weird ones.”
According to Maddah, there will be no replacement for Megadeth “at this short notice,” instead providing longer sets for other bands on the Soundwave 2014 lineup to fill the gap.
UPDATE: Following further tweets from Maddah, Dave Mustaine has issued a follow-up statement on the Megadeth Facebook page that reads:
All I asked for was an apology for blaming me for something I didn’t do. I am still willing to play, but the promoter would rather not apologize and prefers to say I asked him to lie, which I didn’t. Am I the only one that sees how easy it is to fix this? The AJ Maddah that I know is a wise and caring man, and I don’t know what has happened to my old friend. My bags are packed Aussie fans.
Megadeth’s cancellation on the Soundwave 2014 lineup is the third major act to pull out of the festival ahead of its launch next month.
The first was American metal band Sevendust, who pulled the plug on their appearance in early January, a move that Soundwave boss AJ Maddah labelled “pissweak” before a very public dispute erupted between the festival promoter and associates and family members of the American heavy metal band.
The Soundwave 2014 lineup then underwent a massive lineup 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.
Megadeth Soundwave 2014 Sidewaves
with Volbeat and Whitechapel (replacing Newsted)
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 Sevenfold
A Day To Remember
Alice In Chains
Rob ZombieMegadeth
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
