After predicting the possible end of music festivals in Perth just a couple of weeks ago, festival promoter AJ Maddah has today confirmed that Big Day Out will not be returning to the West Australian capital after 2014.
When asked on twitter if the 2014 Soundwave Festival would be the final one for Perth, he responded that he was unsure at this stage but was definite that Big Day Out, which he has recently become a part owner of, would not be returning to the city.
@KayleeRace1 Not sure. Definitely the last BDO for Perth.
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) January 29, 2014
Readers of his twitter account would have seen Maddah's affection for Perth, but constant frustration at the lack of support given to punk rock shows that travel there. His Vans Warped Tour, which reappeared in 2013 after many years in the wilderness, skipped the city on its tour.
The West Australian is reporting that Maddah is unwilling to make other cities pay more to sustain the festival in a market that isn't supporting it sufficiently.
"People have lost faith in the event in recent years," he said. "We can't put the price up $10 per ticket in Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne so we can go to Perth and lose a pile of money."
A story published by WA Today Wednesday afternoon suggests that Big Day Out CEO Adam Zammit had denied the festival would be scrapping Perth in the future. Maddah says this simply did not happen.
@itsadam87 He didn't deny it. The writer is from an increasingly desperate stable of liars with zero credibility.
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) January 30, 2014
In response to comments that the 2014 Big Day Out would be the last in any city, Maddah brushed off any possibility of that being the case.
@gabbo32 why would it be the last year of BDO? I've just got started with it!
— AJ (@iamnotshouting) January 26, 2014
