Maddah Disses Aussie Authorities

Outspoken Australian promoter AJ Maddah of the Big Day Out and Soundwave festivals warned that curfews and noise regulations would cause major festivals to bypass West Australia.

Maddah tweeted in response to a Megadeth fan asking why the band was not playing a sideshow in Perth like in other cities during the Soundwave run:

“Sadly may have to get used to coming over as I reckon there will be zero festivals going to WA in 2015.”

Two weeks out of the Feb. 2 West Australia show, Big Day Out was moved from Claremont Showgrounds to Arena Joondalup, 25 kilometers from the city center. Maddah wants to pull Soundwave out of the venue as well but admits, “We’re trying to move. Not sure if we can.”

He claimed problems at Claremont were “all about pushing events out of Showgrounds so it can be flogged off to their developer mates for apartments & townhouses.”

Claremont Mayor Jock Barker said that Big Day Out’s decision to move from the Showground was due to lower ticket sales and that local council had no involvement in that decision.