Soundwave (Australian music festival) explained
| Music Festival Name: | Soundwave |
| Location: | Australia
Perth (2004–2014)
Brisbane (2007–2015)
Sydney (2007–2015)
Melbourne (2008–2015)
Adelaide (2008–2015) |
| Years Active: | 2004–2015 |
| Producer: | Soundwave Touring |
| Founders: | AJ Maddah |
| Dates: | mid-February – early March; late January |
| Genre: | [1] |
Soundwave was an annual music festival held in major cities around Australia, run and promoted by Soundwave Touring. The festival originated in Perth, Western Australia, and began travelling to the other Australian capital cities in 2007. It featured a number of international and Australian music acts from various genres, including rock, metal and punk.[2] The festival has been headlined by Deftones, the Offspring, Incubus, Alice in Chains, Bloodhound Gang, Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More, Jimmy Eat World, Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, Iron Maiden, Queens of the Stone Age, the Smashing Pumpkins, System of a Down, Slipknot, Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Linkin Park, Blink-182 and Metallica.
Soundwave Festival occurred annually until 2015. A 2016 iteration of the festival was planned, but its cancellation was announced on 17 December 2015 by founder AJ Maddah due to poor ticket sales.[3]
History
The Soundwave festival originated in Perth,[4] as a smaller festival known as Gravity Soundwave within the Gravity Games.[5] The Gravity Games were held in South Perth along the Swan River, being based mainly on water-based and action sports. The event was sponsored by Vodafone in its first year, with the company reportedly committing one million dollars to the event. Gravity Soundwave provided the music side of the festival, which took place at McCallum Park alongside the Swan River.[6]
Gravity Soundwave was first introduced in the festival's first year, which was held on 14 and 15 October 2004. American pop punk band Good Charlotte effectively became the first headline act of Soundwave, when they performed in the festival's first night along with Gyroscope and One Dollar Short. The following night featured Unwritten Law, Regurgitator, MxPx, Lagwagon and Last Year's Hero.
The 2005 festival was again presented by Vodafone, being held on the night of 8 October. Gravity Soundwave was headlined by Grinspoon, with it also featuring American acts Unwritten Law, Reel Big Fish, and Goldfinger.
The third and final year of the Gravity Games festival in Perth was moved to December 2006, instead of October. Gravity Soundwave featured American act Aiden, local Australian bands Gyroscope, Kisschasy, Parkway Drive, The Getaway Plan and New Zealanders Goodnight Nurse.[7]
2007
In 2007 the festival expanded to include Sydney and Brisbane, and increased the number of bands performing. A number of the artists featured in the 2007 Festival had previously played at the Soundwave Festival in Perth, including Unwritten Law, MxPx and Parkway Drive.
Locations
Local acts
Brisbane
- Doctor Octopus
- The Disables
- Say Nothing
Sydney
Perth
Notes
- A Parkway Drive did not appear in Perth
2008
The 2008 Soundwave festival was headlined by The Offspring, along with Incubus and Killswitch Engage and was expanded to include dates in Melbourne and Adelaide, increasing the number of dates from three to five. The expanded Festival featured five stages compared to three the previous year.
Locations
- Riverstage and Parklands, Brisbane, 23 February 2008
- Sydney Park, Sydney, 24 February 2008
- Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, 29 February 2008
- Bonython Park, Adelaide, 1 March 2008
- Steel Blue Oval, Perth, 3 March 2008
Local acts
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
Notes
- B Thursday replaced Chiodos, who also withdrew from the lineup to support Linkin Park on their US tour[9]
2009
The lineup for the 2009 festival was announced on 24 September 2008, the headliners were Nine Inch Nails[11] and sub-headliners were Alice in Chains and Bloodhound Gang.
Presenters of British reality stunt TV show Dirty Sanchez and Finnish stuntmen The Dudesons were masters of ceremonies at Soundwave 2009.[12]
This festival featured 55 acts across six stages.
Locations
- RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane, 21 February 2009
- Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney, 22 February 2009
- Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, 27 February 2009
- Bonython Park, Adelaide, 28 February 2009
- Steel Blue Oval, Perth, 2 March 2009
Local acts
Brisbane
Sydney
- Mission in Motion
- Mary Jane Kelly
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
Notes
- B Less Than Jake did not appear in Brisbane due to flight delays.
- C Acts were made public in a third announcement and only appeared in Sydney.
2010
The first lineup announcement for the 2010 festival was made on 13 August 2009, the headliners were Faith No More, Jane's Addiction and Placebo, the lineup also featured Paramore, AFI, Jimmy Eat World (who replaced My Chemical Romance) and HIM.
This festival featured 46 acts across six stages.
Locations
- RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane, 20 February 2010
- Eastern Creek Raceway, Sydney, 21 February 2010
- Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, 26 February 2010
- Bonython Park, Adelaide, 27 February 2010
- Steel Blue Oval, Perth, 1 March 2010
Local acts
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
Notes
- D Closure in Moscow were removed from the line up with no explanation or replacement act.
2011
The first lineup announcement for the 2011 festival was made on 5 August 2010, the headliners were Iron Maiden and Queens of the Stone Age. The lineup also included The Starting Line, who reunited for the festival.[16]
This festival featured 71 acts across eight stages.
Locations
- RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane, 26 February 2011
- Olympic Park, Sydney, 27 February 2011
- Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, 4 March 2011
- Bonython Park, Adelaide, 5 March 2011
- Claremont Showground, Perth, 7 March 2011
Lineup
Lineup
Local acts
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
- Sensory Amusia
- Lacrymae
- Chainsaw Hookers
Notes
- A Slayer pulled out of the Sydney show at the last minute due to Tom Araya being admitted to hospital[17]
- D Saxon withdrew due to album commitments and family illness[20]
2012
The lineup for the 2012 festival was first announced on 7 October 2011. The 2012 Soundwave lineup featured System of a Down, Slipknot, Limp Bizkit and Marilyn Manson.
This was the first time Limp Bizkit had toured Australia in eleven years. Their previous tour was the 2001 Big Day Out festival, which was marred by the death of 16-year-old Jessica Michalik during their performance at the Sydney show. Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst paid tribute to Michalik at each Soundwave date and openly criticised Big Day Out organisers.[21]
The festival also featured a reunited Coal Chamber, who played their first shows since 2003,[22] and also marked the final shows of emo group Thursday.[23]
This festival featured 95 acts across eleven stages.
Locations
- RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane, 25 February 2012,
- Olympic Park, Sydney, 26 February 2012
- Melbourne Showgrounds, Melbourne, 2 March 2012,
- Bonython Park, Adelaide, 3 March 2012,
- Claremont Showground, Perth, 5 March 2012,
Local acts
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Adelaide
Perth
Notes
- A Bush replaced Hole, who withdrew from the lineup due to a dispute with Soundwave promoters[24]
- D Mission in Motion did not appear in Melbourne
- F Switchfoot withdrew from the Adelaide and Perth shows due to a family emergency[28]
2013
The lineup for the 2013 Soundwave Festival was first announced on 8 August 2012, featuring headliners Metallica, Linkin Park and Blink-182, along with sub headliners A Perfect Circle, The Offspring, Garbage, Paramore, Tomahawk, Cypress Hill and Killswitch Engage
This edition of Soundwave was noted for its "drummers' curse",[29] where several bands lost members in the week leading up to the festival:
- Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker was to attempt the long-haul flight and participate in Blink-182's first Australian tour since 2004, saying "[I'm] getting knocked out and getting on a plane to Australia".[30] Barker survived a plane crash in 2008 and suffers from aerophobia. However, after months of counselling and medication, Barker could not overcome his fear of flying and was replaced on the tour by Brooks Wackerman from Bad Religion.[31]
- Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante was replaced by Jon Dette from Animetal USA due to personal issues[32]
- Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo announced on Facebook that he was fired due to a dispute over money,[33] he was also replaced by Jon Dette, who was already filling in for Anthrax and has previously played in Slayer
- The Vandals drummer Josh Freese (formerly of A Perfect Circle and Paramore, both were also on the lineup) was replaced by Alkaline Trio drummer Derek Grant[34] due to other commitments.
- Six Feet Under withdrew from the lineup due to drummer Kevin Talley being injured in a dirtbike accident
- In addition, Shai Hulud vocalist Justin Kraus was hospitalised with chest pain immediately after playing a show in Trenton, New Jersey,[35] he was replaced by Mike Moynihan, who was previously their vocalist between 2009 and 2011
- Gallows guitarist Stephen Carter left the band in the days leading up to the festival, the band continued as a four-piece.[36]
There was also controversy regarding bands such as Pierce the Veil and The Amity Affliction having their sets cut short in Perth due to complaints from local residents – after this Maddah doubted the festival's future in Western Australia.
This festival featured 72 acts across nine stages (eight stages in Perth).
Locations
- RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane, 23 February 2013
- Olympic Park, Sydney, 24 February 2013,
- Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, 1 March 2013,
- Bonython Park, Adelaide, 2 March 2013,
- Claremont Showground, Perth, 4 March 2013,
Local acts
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Adelaide
Notes
- C Mindless Self Indulgence did not perform in Melbourne due to logistical issues[40]
- F Dr. Acula broke up in October 2012 and were subsequently removed from the lineup[42]
- H Puscifer only played in Sydney and Adelaide, they were originally listed as "Special Guests".[45]
- I Malakyte only played in Brisbane, they were originally listed as "Special Guests"[46]
2014
The lineup for the 2014 festival was first announced on 23 August 2013. The lineup containing 94 bands, featured Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Korn and Alice in Chains[49]
The Perth festival was relocated from Claremont Showground to Arena Joondalup, 25 km north of Perth, two weeks before the beginning of the festival due to Soundwave's ongoing conflict with the Claremont Council.[50] Following a similar situation at the Perth leg of Big Day Out in January of that year, which was also relocated from Claremont Showground to Arena Joondalup, AJ Maddah confirmed that 2014 would be the last Soundwave held in Perth,[51] where the festival originated.
Locations
- RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane, 22 February 2014,
- Olympic Park, Sydney, 23 February 2014,
- Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, 28 February 2014,
- Bonython Park, Adelaide, 1 March 2014,
- Arena Joondalup, Perth, 3 March 2014
Local acts
Notes
- B Megadeth withdrew from the lineup due to unspecified reasons[53]
- C Newsted withdrew from the lineup due to unspecified reasons.[54]
- D Filter replaced Sevendust, who withdrew from the lineup due to a financial dispute with Soundwave promoters.[55]
- G Volbeat withdrew from the Adelaide and Perth shows due to a family emergency.[58]
- H Whitechapel withdrew from the lineup due to the death of an immediate family member.[59]
- I Hardcore Superstar withdrew from the lineup due to a scheduling dispute with Soundwave promoters.
2015
On 28 June 2014, Soundwave announced that it will become a two-day festival,[60] held over two consecutive weekends, with half the bands announced playing day one and the other half playing day two, criss-crossing between Adelaide and Melbourne, then Sydney and Brisbane. AJ Maddah stated on Twitter "Putting the line-up across [two] days enables us to minimise clashes; give bands longer sets, better staging, production [and] infrastructure. I am also hoping that this will give fans better value for money and a less stressful day." AJ Maddah later confirmed that 2015 was the last Soundwave for Adelaide in the foreseeable future as it made a $300,000 loss in 2014, but with the $1,400,000 loss in 2015 due to lackluster ticket sales being too large to subsidise out of the other cities.[61]
Locations
Day One Lineup
Day Two Lineup
Local acts
Brisbane
Sydney
Melbourne
Adelaide
Notes
- C Evergreen Terrace withdrew from the lineup due to drummer Brad Moxey suffering serious injuries in an accident.[64]
2016 (cancelled)
On 20 March 2015, AJ Maddah stated that Soundwave 2016 would return to the one-day format and would be held in January instead of the usual late February/early March dates. He also later stated that the 2016 lineup would be announced via "drip-feeding" and would also be smaller in order to achieve longer set times for bands.
Bullet for My Valentine was announced as the first act of Soundwave 2016 via the band's social media accounts and the official Soundwave website on 14 August 2015, and over the next four months, Disturbed was announced as the headliner and 24 other bands were added for a total of 26 bands.
Locations
Lineup
Notes
- A L7 withdrew from the lineup due to unspecified reasons.[65]
Cancellation
On 15 December 2015, Maddah tweeted that 2016 would be the final ever Soundwave, stating it was due to "stress and haters", and two days later he tweeted that the festival had been officially cancelled.[66]
Various problems contributed to its cancellation, including:
- Poor ticket sales (Maddah once stated that 2016 would "sell out instantly", but around 20,000 tickets in total had been sold at the time of its cancellation)[67]
- L7 withdrawing from the lineup for unspecified reasons
- Bring Me the Horizon claiming that they weren't officially locked in for the festival despite being announced months beforehand
- The festival's venues reportedly not being booked
- Reports surfacing that Maddah owes over $11 million to all the bands who played the 2015 festival
Compilation albums
Official compilation CDs featuring artists who performed at the festival were released through Shock Records.
- Soundwave 2008 (2008)
- Soundwave 2009 (2009)
- Soundwave 2010 (2010)
- Soundwave 2011 (2011)
- Soundwave 2012 (2012)
- Soundwave 2013 (2013)
- Soundwave 2014 (2014)
- Soundwave 2015 (2015)
See also
- List of historic rock festivals
Notes and References
- http://musicfeeds.com.au/gig/soundwave-2015-sydney-a-punk-perspective Soundwave 2015, Sydney: A Punk Perspective
- News: Soundwave Festival brings wave of black . . 18 February 2010.
- Web site: Vincent. Peter. 2015-12-17. Soundwave music festival cancelled. 2020-10-21. The Sydney Morning Herald. en.
- News: Soundwave nails in 2009 dates. News.com.au. Ian . Rakowski . 24 September 2008.
- Web site: For fans of action sports and extreme fun. GravityGames H2O. 15 September 2005 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060820010658/http://gravitygamesh2o.com/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&aid=100 . 20 August 2006.
- Web site: H2O – Good Charlotte Announced for Second Soundwave Concert. Versus . https://web.archive.org/web/20090307203313/http://www.versus.com/article/view/317?tf=gg_articleView.tpl . 7 March 2009.
- Web site: Gravity 'G Fest' Concerts are Set to Soar in December!. GravityGames H2O. https://web.archive.org/web/20070830012155/http://gravitygamesh2o.com/default.aspx?s=gravity%27gfest%27concerts . 30 August 2007.
- Web site: Chiodos cancel Soundwave appearance for US tour. Faster Louder. 12 December 2007.
- Web site: Thursday Join Soundwave. Bombshellzine . https://web.archive.org/web/20110719005342/http://www.bombshellzine.com/newspage/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2803 . 19 July 2011.
- Web site: It Begins!. Bombshellzine . https://web.archive.org/web/20110719005412/http://www.bombshellzine.com/newspage/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2962 . 19 July 2011.
- News: Soundwave nails in 2009 dates. News.com.au. 2009-02-14 . Ian . Rakowski . 24 September 2008.
- Web site: Soundwave Third Announcement. Kill Your Stereo. 30 January 2009.
- Web site: The Devil Wears Prada pull out of Soundwave. https://web.archive.org/web/20160625172412/http://fasterlouder.junkee.com/the-devil-wears-prada-pull-out-of-soundwave/807078. dead. 25 June 2016. 16 November 2009. junkee.com. 21 March 2018.
- Web site: Maximum The Hormone pull out of Soundwave. https://web.archive.org/web/20160625170907/http://fasterlouder.junkee.com/maximum-the-hormone-pull-out-of-soundwave/806870. dead. 25 June 2016. 9 November 2009. junkee.com. 21 March 2018.
- Web site: My Chemical Romance Cancel Australian Tour, Jimmy Eat World Step Up – Music Feeds. 5 February 2010. musicfeeds.com.au. 21 March 2018.
- Web site: Exclusive: The Starting Line to reunite for Australia's Soundwave Festival . Heisel, Scott . Alternative Press . 4 August 2010.
- Web site: Tom Araya's health condition updated . Kill Your Stereo . 1 March 2011.
- Web site: Mann . Tom . International band dropped from Soundwave . Faster Louder . 16 December 2010.
- Soundwave Festival. 3 March 2011 at 20:01. Facebook.
- @iamnotshouting. 3:43 AM – 16 Feb 11. Twitter.
- News: McCabe . Kathy . Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst attacks Big Day Out organisers at Soundwave Festival . News.com.au . 29 February 2012.
- Web site: Coal Chamber Announces Plans to Reform for Australian Soundwave Shows . Coal Chamber (official website) . 26 September 2011.
- News: Thursday to quit after Soundwave shows . Triple J . 23 November 2011.
- Web site: Soundwave 2012 Line-up: Hole Pulls Out? – Music Feeds. 17 October 2011. musicfeeds.com.au. 21 March 2018.
- Web site: Dragonforce Pull Out of Soundwave. beat.com.au. 21 March 2018.
- Web site: Darke . Brayden . Soundwave 2012 – These Kids Wear Crowns Off Brisbane Line-up . Music Feeds . 30 January 2012.
- Soundwave Festival. 24 February 2012 at 00:35. Facebook.
- @iamnotshouting. 12:59 AM – 2 Mar 12. Twitter.
- News: Mann . Tom . Soundwave drummer 'curse' claims another victim . Faster Louder . 19 February 2013.
- News: Blink 182: Have Travis, will travel. Triple J. 3 August 2012.
- News: Travis Barker Pulls Out of Blink-182 Tour. Triple M. 17 February 2013.
- News: Hohnen . Mike . Slayer To Share Drummer With Anthrax at Soundwave. Music Feeds. 21 February 2013.
- Dave Lombardo. 20 February at 22:30. Facebook.
- News: Mann . Tom . Soundwave band cancels tour after 'dirtbike mishap' . Faster Louder . 19 February 2013.
- Shai Hulud. "Timeline Photos". Facebook. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- Gallows. 20 February at 06:00. Facebook.
- News: Floods, destructive winds hit northern NSW. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 February 2013.
- News: Hohnen . Mike . Garbage Cancel Soundwave Sydney Performance. Music Feeds. 24 February 2013.
- @iamnotshouting. 4:46 AM – 22 Feb 13. Twitter.
- News: Mann . Tom. Airline 'fuck up' causes band to cancel Soundwave set in Melbourne. Faster Louder. 1 March 2013.
- News: AJ Maddah 'Super Pleased' As Soundwave Band Pulls Out Of Lineup. Tone Dead. 5 February 2013.
- News: Hohnen . Mike . Dr. Acula Officially Off Soundwave 2013 Lineup. Music Feeds. 13 November 2012.
- News: Hohnen . Mike . Mark Tremonti And Living With Lions Added To Soundwave 2013 Lineup . Music Feeds . 30 October 2012.
- Web site: Levin . Darren . Creed guitarist on Soundwave one day; off the next . Faster Louder . 1 November 2012.
- News: Puscifer Announced on Soundwave Festival in Sydney and Adelaide. Soundwave Touring. 21 February 2013.
- Malakyte. 22 February at 06:45. Facebook.
- News: Zanotti . Marc . Perth's Claremont Council Vote To Take Legal Action Against Soundwave . Music Feeds . 16 May 2012.
- News: Hohnen . Mike . Unearthed Winners Added To (And Booted From) Soundwave . Music Feeds . 21 February 2013.
- Web site: Welcome to Soundwave 2014. www.facebook.com. 21 March 2018.
- News: Soundwave 2014 Makes Last Minute Venue Change. Tone Deaf. 12 February 2014.
- News: AJ Maddah "devastated" there won't be a Perth Soundwave in 2015. fasterlouder.com.au. 28 February 2014.
- News: STONE TEMPLE PILOTS REGRETFULLY CANCEL ALL UPCOMING SHOWS – THE LIVING END STEP IN. Soundewave Festival. 29 January 2014.
- News: Megadeth Pull Out of Soundwave, Cancel Australian Tour. musicfeeds.com.au. 10 February 2014.
- News: Two More Bands Pull Out of Soundwave. musicfeeds.com.au. 19 February 2014.
- News: Sevendust Cancel Soundwave 2014 Appearance. musicfeeds.com.au. 10 January 2014.
- News: Desaparecidos "Postpone Australian Trip", Cancel Soundwave 2014. Music Feeds. 17 February 2014.
- News: iamnotshouting. Twitter. 18 February 2014.
- News: Soundwave Updates Adelaide Timetable As Volbeat Withdraw. Music Feeds. 2 March 2014.
- News: WHITECHAPEL UNFORTUNATELY WITHDRAW FROM SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL DUE TO DEATH OF AN IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBER. Soundwave Festival. 17 February 2014.
- News: Soundwave 2015 Will Be A Two-Day Festival. Music Feeds. 28 June 2014.
- http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/42038/Exclusive-AJ-Maddah-on-how-Adelaide-nearly-wiped-out-Soundwave Exclusive: AJ Maddah on how Adelaide nearly "wiped out" Soundwave
- News: Rival Sons Cancel Soundwave Festival Tour. musicfeeds.com.au. 12 February 2015.
- News: iamnotshouting. Twitter. 20 February 2015.
- News: Evergreen Terrace Cancels Soundwave 2015 Tour. musicfeeds.com.au. 11 February 2015.
- News: An international act just officially pulled out of Soundwave 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20151220082258/http://fasterlouder.junkee.com/an-international-act-just-officially-pulled-out-of-soundwave-2016/853942. dead. 20 December 2015. FasterLouder. 17 December 2015.
- name=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-15/soundwave-boss-pulls-2017-festival-due-to-stress-and-haters/7031510
- Web site: Here's How Many Soundwave 2016 Tickets Were Sold Before Its Cancellation. 22 December 2015.
