Two female-fronted Oz rock groups, The Superjesus and Baby Animals, have been unceremoniously booted from next year’s A Day On The Green concert series, after originally announced dates were cancelled and replaced by new dates featuring ’80s rebel icon Billy Idol.
The Superjesus and Baby Animals were set to perform alongside Choirboys, The Angels and Cheap Trick for A Day On The Green in February next year.
A statement released yesterday from A Day On The Green promoters Roundhouse Entertainment claimed the previously announced February A Day On The Green shows would now no longer go ahead due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
Frontwoman for The Superjesus, Sarah McLeod, took to Facebook this morning to inform fans of the bad news. “Guys, I’m sorry to say this and we do not know why this has happened but The Superjesus and the Baby Animals have been booted off A Day On The Green in favour of adding Billy Idol,” she wrote.
“So it’s now Billy, Cheap Trick, The Angels and The Choirboys. They will refund your tickets if you are no longer interested in attending this sausage fest.”
The Angels yesterday posted to Facebook saying the February A Day On The Green shows had been “cancelled”, but that “a new tour with The Angels, Cheap Trick and Billy Idol is happening instead”.
Yesterday it was announced that Idol would be returning for his first Australian tour in over a decade, which includes performances for A Day On The Green and headline shows which also feature Cheap Trick.
The Roundhouse statement confirmed that another Day On The Green series would be held in March 2015, and also confirmed that tickets for the February concerts will be valid for the new March dates with Billy Idol.
The Superjesus has told Music Feeds that the band were “upset” after only being made aware of the situation yesterday, when the new concert series was publicly announced. “All we know is that they sent us a [press release] saying that we’re not on the bill anymore due to unforeseen circumstances,” said McLeod. “Bad form!” she added.
Despite the announced “unforeseen circumstances”, A Day On The Green promoter Michael Newton told the Herald Sun yesterday that the shows were in fact shifted to accommodate Idol’s tour to Australia. “When the Billy Idol tour came up, we thought it would be an amazing opportunity to include Cheap Trick, The Angels and the Choirboys all on the same bill. It just seemed to work together,” Newton said.
“The bands loved the idea, we all did, so it’s been great that we’ve been able to make it happen.” He did not mention whether or not The Superjesus and Baby Animals were deliberately removed from the lineup, whether they were asked to accommodate the date changes, or when those bands were informed of the cancellation of the February shows.
Today Newton added to theMusic.com.au that gender was not a factor in the decision. “The Angels and the Cheap Trick tour was about The Angels and Cheap Trick … they were the double-headlining artists. For them to go onto the Billy tour … that made sense.”
“From there, the Choirboys were also playing … so we just did it. I did not even think about it being a gender issue. It’s bullshit, to be honest,” he added. “We didn’t want it to turn out this way, but it has. Promotion is not an actual science where you know what is going to happen.”
“We thought this was the best result for everyone, rather than just cancelling the tour. This was the best result. I thought up until now we’d really done the right thing by everyone, given the circumstances.”
Full refunds for those unable or unwilling to attend the new dates can be obtained from the point of purchase. Ticket holders are advised to contact Ticketmaster before 5pm ADST Friday, 14 November 2014, so refunds can be organised.
Music Feeds has contacted representatives for the Baby Animals who said they will release a statement on the matter shortly. More on this as it develops.
