Turns out Stone Temple Pilots have been fibbing.
Last week, the band pulled out of the Soundwave 2014 lineup and accompanying headline sideshows just four weeks out from the festival’s kick off.
The band originally cited commitments to recording their first album with new vocalist, Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington as being the cause for their cancellation, but a new statement from Stone Temple Pilots now reveals that “wasn’t true,” as Blabbermouth reports.
Last week’s original statement noted that “sadly the availability of the recording studio, engineers and the producer or lack thereof dictates that the band have had to cancel their upcoming engagements.”
A new statement however, appearing on the band’s Facebook page from band members Bennington, Eric Kretz, Robert and Dean DeLeo, reveals that the “initial statement citing ‘recording delays’ wasn’t true – the conflict wasn’t related to recording new STP material.”
Instead, the band reveal that it was instead “an unforeseen scheduling conflict” that is instead the actual reason for the pulling the plug on their forthcoming Soundwave visit, adding that dates in “the Middle East and Hawaii have had to be cancelled” as well – including March commitments in Honolulu and a pre-Soundwave appearance in Indonesia.
“We are deeply disappointed to not be able to perform these shows, and look forward to making them up in the future,” write the band, though don’t actually clarify what the “unforeseen scheduling conflict” is.
Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah has already added his five cents to the matter, though didn’t shed any new light, he said he’d been in contact with Stone Temple Pilots.
Unlike his approach to Sevendust (labelling the band “pissweak” after they pulled out of Soundwave last month), Maddah has instead tweeted that Stone Temple Pilots’ reasons for cancelling on the festival are “totally valid and understandable,” in response to a fan inquiry.
@ryanlg95 @BLABBERMOUTHNET I just heard from band. Reason is totally valid and understandable. Completely out of their control.
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) February 3, 2014
The Soundwave 2014 festival slot and headline Sidewave shows were to be the Stone Temple Pilots Australian debut with Chester Bennington, who replaced former vocalist Scott Weiland after he was “terminated” by his bandmates in a very public spat in early 2013.
The outspoken frontman has obviously been none too happy about being chucked from the band he helped form, suing his former STP bandmates to the tune of $5 million, but as he told Billboard in August, he’s got no beef with Bennington himself – with Noisecreep pointing out that the issue had even reached Weiland’s own solo shows, apologising to fans over the emotional fight between the two parties.
The Bennington-fronted Stone Temple Pilots have already produced last October’s High Rise EP, and lead single ‘Out Of Time’, but the singer’s commitments to Linkin Park have meant that juggling logistics to record a full-length album has been tricky. …the “initial statement citing ‘recording delays’ wasn’t true – the conflict wasn’t related to recording new STP material.”
The Living End have already been rallied to replace Stone Temple Pilots on the Soundwave lineup, the Melbourne rock trio being the latest to join the massive Soundwave 2014 lineup, following a third lineup announcement bringing the likes of Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, Filter, and I Killed The Prom Queen to the ranks of over 90 bands playing the hard and heavy festival.
The news also follows a long list of Sidwaves announcements. The latest being headlines shows from Richie Sambora, Soundwave 2014 headliners Avenged Sevenfold, and Black Veil Brides.
In Soundwave tradition there’s also a ream of massive triple-bill shows to enjoy, featuring Mastodon, Baroness, and Gojira, Rob Zombie & Korn, and Alter Bridge & Living Colour, Megadeth, Volbeat, and Newsted, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Glassjaw, and Dir En Grey, and Eagles Of Death Metal, Rocket From The Crypt, & Mutemath.
Then there’s Alice In Chains, Down, and Walking With Papers, Less Than Jake, Bowling For Soup, and Zebrahead, and Jimmy Eat World, Panic! At The Disco, with Alkaline Trio, plus Sidewaves AFI with ††† (Crosses), 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.
Claremont Councils’ anti-festival attitudes could even force festivals out of Perth entirely, as the outspoken promoter worried recently, saying “I reckon there will be zero festivals going to WA in 2015″ if the endless disputes couldn’t be resolved.
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.
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
