The only thing that can match the excitement of an oncoming Soundwave event is the knowledge that Sidewave announcements are sure to accompany the main event soon enough. However, according to a new spate of tweets from festival promoter AJ Maddah, 2015 is going to work a lot differently than previous years.

At the centre of the changes is Melbourne, usually a town that splits the lion’s share of Sidewaves with Sydney, but with the closure of the city’s beloved Palace Theatre, Maddah says there’s a lack of appropriate venues in which to host Sidewaves. As a result, “Melbourne will have fuck all Sidewaves this year,” he says.

“Fuck you greedy developer cunts and corrupt City Of Melbourne Council scumbags,” said the outspoken touring mogul on Twitter. “A few years ago we had The Palace at St Kilda, The Metro, and QBH in the city. Now there are no 2,000 cap rooms in Melbourne,” he added, echoing the sentiments of many in the city’s live music scene.

Maddah had previously suggested that the closure of The Palace and its controversial sale to property developer Jinshan Investments would take a significant toll on the future of Sidewaves in the city, as well as tours. “[Sidewaves will be affected] big time. It affects tours as well,” he tweeted in March last year.

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However, Marilyn Manson fans can rest easy as Maddah has assured them the shock rocker will proceed with a sideshow at the Forum Theatre. He also conceded that while Melbourne Council are “scumbags”, they don’t compare to Perth, a city where Soundwave and other festivals have experienced numerous troubles with local council.

As for booking a loaded bill of acts for a Sidewave, Maddah claimed that to do so would be counterintuitive, telling one fan, “I already booked a massive bill. It is called [Soundwave 2015]. The whole point of sideshows is to provide a different experience.” He said an outdoors show is also out of the question.

Maddah closed by expressing concern for the future of live music in what is largely viewed as one of the primary cultural hubs of Australia, agreeing with one fan who claimed Melbourne is being overrun by property development. “More apartment = more rate payers = more money for corrupt council,” wrote Maddah.

As Tone Deaf previously reported, while the the Palace is still occupying its spot on Melbourne’s Bourke St, it remains in a mouldering state. Last month, an independent heritage consultant found that recent internal damage wrought on the iconic venue is so bad that the building is no longer worth saving.

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