Soundwave 2015 / Photo: Brett Schewitz

Soundwave Promoter AJ Maddah Won’t Guarantee Festival Is Going Ahead In 2016

UPDATE 17/12/15 5.50pm: Soundwave 2016 has been officially cancelled.

Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah has refused to give a formal guarantee that Soundwave will definitely go ahead in 2016, after he said earlier today that the festival “definitely” won’t be returning in 2017.

Since the announcement that Soundwave won’t take place in 2017, a Twitter user, speaking for many others, has asked Maddah, “With no SW17 now can you at least guarantee SW16 won’t be canceled?,” to which Maddah has replied, “I’m doing my darnest [sic] to make sure shows go ahead. Once I know position, will let everyone know.”

Maddah has also said the Soundwave Touring company is set to shut up shop. “I’m done,” he told one punter. “Let some new people go for it.”

When asked if it would be possible to bring Breakdown Of Sanity to Soundwave 2016, Maddah said, “It’s not going to happen for SW16 and there are no further SWs after the next one,” seemingly confirming next year is planned to be the final Soundwave.

In reply to a punter who asked desperately if Soundwave would ever return, Maddah said, “I’m done after SW16.” As for what he might do after Soundwave, Maddah has said, “Not sure tbh. Hopefully a 9 to 5 gig where I can switch off after. It’s been 20 yrs of stress and 110 hour work weeks.”

Confession vocalist Michael Crafter has also posted to Twitter saying, “It’s sad that first the bdo, now sw are now gone.. Glad i got play the bdo, soundwave and aus warped tour,” to which Maddah has said, “Hey! We’re not totally gone yet. There is 1 more to go.”

Yesterday, Soundwave 2016 drawcards Bring Me The Horizon surprised Aussie fans by saying they aren’t completely locked in for the festival, despite being announced on its lineup. Maddah has said he’s been working with the band over their “concerns/requests”.

Soundwave 2016 is currently set to take place in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne in January. Let’s hope it does actually go ahead and gets the (potential) send-off it so deserves, with Bring Me The Horizon in tow.

Catch Maddah’s latest string of tweets below, and get all the latest over at the Soundwave 2016 Feed.

UPDATE 16/12/15: The fate of Soundwave 2016 is said to be decided later today, according to promoter AJ Maddah. SW16 bands NOFX and Frenzal Rhomb have also cast further doubts on whether the festival will go ahead.

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