Soundwave 2016 Officially Cancelled

UPDATE 18/12/15: A stack of Soundwave 2016 acts, including Disturbed, Bring Me The Horizon, NOFX and Bullet For My Valentine, have cancelled their trips to Australia because of the festival’s cancellation, and have offered glimpses into their future Aussie tours.

UPDATE 17/12/15 6.50 PM: Soundwave’s ticket agent says the festival is responsible for your refunds.

The fate of Soundwave 2016 has been decided, with the festival now officially cancelled and “definitely” not returning in 2017. Sadly, Soundwave 2015 is likely to have been the festival’s very last run.

Posting to Twitter, Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah has confirmed the festival’s cancellation, saying, “I am devastated to have to announce the cancellation of Soundwave 16 due to poor ticket sales. I am very sorry. I tried my best.

“Thank you to all the fans, bands and people who supported the event for the last 12 years,” he added. “I wish we could have ended it on a better note.”

I am devastated to have to announce the cancellation of Soundwave 16 due to poor ticket sales. I am very sorry. I tried my best. #SW16

— AJ (@iamnotshouting) December 17, 2015

Thank you to all the fans, bands and people who supported the event for the last 12 years. i wish we could have ended it on a better note.

— AJ (@iamnotshouting) December 17, 2015

Maddah also noted that refunds will be available “from point of purchase”, and urged ticket-holders to “be patient an wait [for] contact from Eventopia”.

.@millymolly11 Refunds from point of purchase. It may take a little time be patient an wait fro contact from Eventopia.

— AJ (@iamnotshouting) December 17, 2015

Doubts surrounding the future of Soundwave 2016 escalated recently, with festival drawcards Bring Me The Horizon surprising Australian fans by saying they weren’t completely locked in for the tour, despite being announced on the Soundwave lineup. Fellow SW16 acts NOFX and Frenzal Rhomb also cast doubt on the festival’s fate.

Since then, international act L7 pulled the plug on their Soundwave appearance, while it has been revealed that at least two of the the festival’s advertised venues have not yet confirmed any bookings for the 2016 event, a mere 37 days out from its supposed kickoff.

Maddah has also said the festival won’t run in 2017. “It’s a lot of hard work, stress & risk in return for which we get hate & stupidity #OverIt,” Maddah said, before also confirming the Soundwave Touring company will soon cease to exist.

Replying to a punter today about whether the touring company will survive in some form, Maddah said he “can’t see it” happening, adding that he’s “flat broke and physically and spiritually crushed. Hopefully others will pick it up & run with it.”

Yesterday Maddah implied that the fate of the festival’s 2016 dates were in the hands of “some scumbags at Eventopia/Tickete[k]”.

Eventopia has denied that they had a say in the survival of Soundwave 2016, and released a statement, directing all concerns to Maddah. In response, the promoter accused the ticketing company of failing “to give SW a scheduled advance to pay deposits to NOFX and [Bring Me The Horizon].”

Soundwave 2016 was scheduled to take place in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in January, featuring acts like Disturbed, Bring Me The Horizon, The Prodigy, Deftones, Killswitch Engage, NOFX and Bullet For My Valentine.

Soundwave 2016 ticket-holders are entitled to refunds, and Maddah has said all The Soundwave Society (TSS) members will also be offered their money back.

Soundwave spread to Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide after originally beginning as Gravity Soundwave in Perth back in 2004. Today, unfortunately, the event appears to have reached its end.

Thanks for the memories, Soundwave.

UPDATE: Here’s How Much Money Soundwave 2015 Acts Are Owed

Gallery: 11 Unforgettable Soundwave Festival Moments

@RatedRKO91 of course!

— AJ (@iamnotshouting) December 16, 2015

https://twitter.com/eventopia/status/676994610904854528

~~Soundwave Festival 2016~~ — CANCELLED

~~Saturday, 23rd January 2016~~

Brisbane

~~Sunday, 24th January 2016~~

Sydney

~~Tuesday, 26th January 2016~~

Melbourne

Soundwave Festival’s Cancelled 2016 Lineup

Disturbed

Bring Me The Horizon

The Prodigy

Deftones

Killswitch Engage

NOFX

Bullet For My Valentine

Public Enemy

Refused

Ill Niño

Metal Allegiance

Hatebreed

Soulfly

Terror Universal

Northlane

Dead Letter Circus

L7

frnkiero andthe cellabration

Nothing But Thieves

Frenzal Rhomb

Failure

Lordi

Devil You Know

Moose Blood

Relient K

Walls Of Jericho

Darkc3ll

11 Unforgettable Soundwave Festival Moments

Gwar - Soundwave 2014

Interstellar gods of metal GWAR well and truly made their mark on Australian audiences at Soundwave 2014 when front-thing Oderus Urungus used his mighty sword to decapitate an effigy of our widely-loathed PM Tony Abbott and soak the cheering crowd in his blood. Not even Napisan Plus could remove those pink stains which, for many, would soon become a sweaty memento from one of the last performances Urungus would ever give. His human alter ego, Dave Brockie, died tragically just weeks later from a heroin overdose.
Mike Patton - Soundwave 2010

Nothing like a bit of mid-set nudity to make Faith No More’s headlining slot at Brisbane Soundwave in 2010 even more, uh, Epic. Frontman Mike Patton proved he was Just A Man by unleashing Mike Jr. from his trousered hideaway and literally rocking out with his cock out.
Bloodhound - Soundwave 2009

An honourable mention must go to the Bloodhound Gang, who took the stage in 2009 to effectively reduce the throng of adult metalheads into sexually frustrated 13-year-olds. They did it like they did on the Discovery Channel, with healthy dose of Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo. Nostalgia was everywhere. As were bewbs.
Alexisonfire - Soundwave 2010

As anyone who was on the scene for Sydney Soundwave 2010 can attest, that was the hottest fucking day in the history of the earth. The festival, then-held out near Eastern Creek Raceway, was one giant dustbowl, and those who withstood the 40+ temperatures were coughing up dirt for the next three days. Alexisonfire must have pre-empted this outcome and decided: fuck it. Frontman George Pettit jumped into the crowd mid-set and gave himself a dirt-bath in the middle of the pit. Who needs sunblock when you’re covered in a 2-inch thick layer of dust anyway? Epic.
All Time Low - Soundwave 2015

When the sky opened up and unleashed a rainstorm of hell upon Sydney Soundwave earlier this year, right in the middle of All Time Low’s set, the Baltimore pop punk’s gear got wrecked, and the band were unable to play on. However, instead of letting the storm beat them, frontman Alex Gaskarth ploughed onward, leading fans in an a cappella singalong of his band’s track Weightlessas well as some of Queen’s We Will Rock You. Many people became All Time Low fans that day.
Dallas Green – Soundwave 2008

Dallas Green performed a musical screaming eagle in ’08 when he appeared as the frontman of both Alexisonfire and City + Colour. Crushing skulls and melting hearts. All in a day’s work.
Fucked Up - Soundwave 2011

The spirit of punk was alive and well at SW11 when Fucked Up gave an expectedly insane performance, complete with hair-ripping, sweaty hugging, and beast frontman Damien force-feeding the mic to members of the crowd. This set will probably go down in Aussie festival history.
Killer Be Killed – Soundwave 2015

After a hurricane of hype leading up to their global live debut at Soundwave 2015, metal supergroup Killer Be Killed – featuring Max Cavalera, Greg Puciato, Troy Sanders and Ben Koller – did not disappoint, delivering an absolutely pulverising set.
Blink-182 – Soundwave 2013

A Travis Barker-less Blink-182 shot their love all over the crowd during their headlining set at Soundwave 2013. With Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman filling in on the skins, the pop punk trio capped off their first show in Australia since 2004 by wheeling out a massive confetti canon and opening fire on a sweat-drenched mosh pit, absolutely smothering fans in the coloured stuff. Many shower drains got clogged, that fateful night.
Slash – Soundwave 2012

Alter Bridge pulled a rabbit out of their hat during their Sydney set in 2012, and by hat we mean top hat and by rabbit we mean guitar legend Slash, who was wearing the hat. The ex-Guns N’ Roses icon wasn’t even known to be in the country at the time, but he majestically appeared to claim an unused Marshall stack and Gibson Les Paul and join his singer Myles Kennedy for a few choice AB jams. You really never can tell just when #wunterslaush is going to turn up somewhere.
Jane’s Addiction – Soundwave 2010

Soundwave 2010 was bittersweet for Jane’s Addiction fans, marking the band’s last ever tour. As ladies danced onstage and punters tried to mask their lonely tears, Eric Avery’s words rang home: “That’s it. With equal parts regret and relief, the Jane’s Addiction experiment is at an end.”