American metal band Sevendust have hit back at Soundwave’s AJ Maddah following the outspoken festival promoter slamming the band as “pissweak” and labelling them “terrorists” after the five-piece announced they’d be pulling out of the festival late last week.

Ahead of the third Soundwave 2014 lineup announcement dropping (“next week” according to a tweet from Maddah), last Friday, Sevendust announced that “due to issues out of our control, we regrettably must pull out of Soundwave 2014. Apologies to our Australian fans, we hope to see you soon.”

Shortly after, Maddah indicated that the band’s demand for “more money” was behind their withdrawal while pointing out it was the “3rd time they have cancelled Aus tour” in a series of tweets slamming the five-piece.

“Honestly, I can’t be bothered to work with them again. As they say, you don’t negotiate w terrorists,” concluded Maddah.

Writing on his own Facebook account, Sevendust guitarist John Connolly wrote a lengthy follow-up post in response to Maddah’s criticisms while explaining that the dispute over money was to help aid the band’s costs in travelling Down Under, as Music Feeds points out.

“Now that AJ has had his time to talk,” begins the guitarist’s statement; “We asked for help with the travel costs and explained that we were in a really tight spot and might have to cancel if we couldn’t figure it out. AJ responded, with : “No more money….you’re cancelled”. I have the actual email in front of me…”

Connolly explains that it was Maddah’s reply that forced their hand and their decision to pull out of the Soundwave 2014 lineup, adding they had a plans for a replacement Australian tour.

“The ironic part is we actually did have a backup plan to come over anyways – but in this case he never even let us offer up a possible alternative solution… which we had and still do…”, writes the Sevendust member.

“I’m deeply sorry to all of our fans. This was really not our call,” adds Connolly. “Continue the bashing if it makes you feel better, AJ included, but just know that no-one feels worse about the situation than the members of Sevendust and it’s families.”

Speaking of families, Maddah also engaged in a nasty war of words with Ashley Witherspoon – the wife of Sevendust frontman Lajon Witherspoon – on twitter over the band’s cancellation; the spouse defending her husband’s cancellation and the festival promoter taking them to task for bailing on contractual issues and “holding a gun” the event’s proverbial head.

“So the band hides behind the singer’s wife! That’s priceless!” wrote Maddah. To which Witherspooon responded, “they aren’t hiding!”

Joining a conversation over a cancelled Australian headline tour from Sevendust from “15 years ago”, Witherspoon writes “Really? stop this bashing and let’s be professional please!”

To which Maddah quickly shot back: “That’s awesome. So the band hides behind the singer’s wife! That’s priceless!” Writing in additional posts: “Good on ya. Confirming a show, contracting and then holding gun to promoter’s head is super pro… Specially when it’s the 3rd time on the same trick.”

No doubt still sore from sorting out the fall-out from Blur’s high-profile Big Day Out cancellation, Maddah also points toward non-refundable costs owing to Sevendust’s cancellation, including “$4,000 to apply for visas,” booked flights, plus posters and promotional material.

Adding: “Nothing is getting blown up. I have no animosity toward the band. They’re just disorganized & do not keep their word… They have now done this to me 3 times at considerable cost and as such I choose not to work w them again,” says Maddah.

“All I have ever done is support the band in this territory, promote them & look after them,” concludes Maddah. “For the record I love the band too. I wouldn’t have kept taking them back otherwise… Just so you know, 15 years ago when they didn’t show I had to sell my car to cover the losses.”
Hopefully Sevendust’s withdrawal from Soundwave 2014 is an isolated incident; last year’s edition of the festival was characterised by a trend of musicians and bands pulling out of the event at the 11th hour.

The long list included Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker succumbing to his flying phobia, Anthrax losing not one, but two members ahead of their arrival, and the cancellation of ‘disco punk’ duo Blood On The Dancefloor, a result that promoter AJ Maddah was “super pleased” about while slamming the band’s fanbase.

As for this year’s edition, a third Soundwave 2014 lineup is still expected to land before the event’s kick-off next month, as Maddah tweeted.

Originally expected to land sometime “before Christmas”, the additions are set to include a third festival headliner, the award-winning thrash group King Parrot (all but confirmed in September) and self-described “Psychedelic Reggae Ska Doom Metal Punk Rock From Hell,” The Bennies, as well as polarising metal outfit Falling In Reverse… as long as their frontman can get his visa sorted in time.

Soundwave 2014 Lineup

A Day To Remember
Mastodon
HIM
Pennywise
Glassjaw
Panic! At The Disco
Eagles Of Death Metal
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Less Than Jake
Mayday Parade
Sevendust
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

Joining the already announced lineup of:

Green Day
Avenged Sevenfold
Stone Temple Pilots (with Chester Bennington)
Megadeth
Alice In Chains
Rob Zombie
Megadeth
Placebo
AFI
KoRn
Alterbridge
Trivium
Down
DevilDriver
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
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
+ more to be announced.

Soundwave 2014 Dates & Tickets

Tickets on sale Thrusday 9th September at 9am
via: soundwavefestival.com, oztix.com.au & other outlets

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

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