Have You Heard: Havok, Chance The Rapper, Hair Nation, Shawn Mendes

Havok announced via a press release on its Facebook page today that it would not be supporting Megadeth on the road in North America.

The band was supposed to accompany Megadeth on a run of dates in Mexico in late August and early September, followed by a U.S. tour in September and October featuring Amon Amarth, Suicidal Tendencies, and Metal Church.

“We were really looking forward to these shows, but unfortunately, [Megadeth frontman Dave] Mustaine has chosen to remove us from the lineup,” the band wrote. “The reasons for our absence are directly related to a contract negotiation insisted upon by Mustaine Management – a negotiation that has gone awry.”

Mustaine has had a very busy day on Twitter, getting into a back and forth debate with a writer for MetalSucks.net and gradually sharing more details of a narrative in which he claims Havok was not paying its bills and behaving unprofessionally.

Tickets to the shows went on sale in July and some fans have already expressed disappointment that they will no longer be able to see the thrashers on tour. Fans in Mexico will be particularly disappointed, as Havok has canceled what would have been its first visit since 2013.

Both Havok and Megadeth are still scheduled to appear at Ozzfest at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, Calif., Sept. 24.

Despite not having a record label, Chance the Rapper has decided he wants to get his music on the radio and has started an online campaign to make it happen.

Chance announced a hashtag campaign and web initiative via Twitter yesterday to get his singles “No Problem” featuring 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne and “Summer Friends” featuring Jeremih, and Francis And The Lights on the airwaves.

The way he has it set up is supporters go to RapperRadio.com and enter the city they live in. Users are then provided a list of radio stations that might play the song, and each station can be selected to create a tweet requesting the song directed at the station.

The rapper has already posted multiple videos of people actually hearing the song on the radio as a result of the campaign. Chance has promised “something special” in the city with the most tweets.

Chance is putting on the Magnificent Coloring Day festival this year at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago Sept. 24, and he called on his hometown to make sure the event sells out. The lineup includes: Skrillex; John Legend; Alicia Keys; Tyler, the Creator, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert and more.

Tonight (Aug. 18) eight unsigned bands will rock out in front of a panel of metal veterans in Los Angeles at SiriusXM’s Hair Nation Festival Battle of the Bands to lock in a spot at the festival in September.

The show is at Whisky A Go-Go, with doors opening at 7 p.m. The bands performing are Doors, Electric Hounds, The Devil’s Only, Velicious, The Aviators, Vyper, The Hard Way, Salems Lott, and Wikkid Starr.

Judging the sets will be the festival’s host Eddie Trunk, Lita Ford, Tracii Guns, Brent Woods (guitarist for Sebastian Bach), and producer Jay Ruston.

The winner of the event will secure a slot on the main stage at the Hair Nation festival at Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, Calif., Sept. 17. Second-place at tonight’s competition will earn a set on the second stage at the festival, a celebration of glam metal’s heyday with Vince Neil, Bret Michaels, Yngwei Malmsteen and more.

General admission tickets to the event are going for $15 at HairNationFest.com.

Textbook rental company Chegg and tobacco prevention campaign truth are sending Shawn Mendes to a college or high school in the U.S. to perform, host a Q&A, and share his experience rising to prominence in the music industry.