Metal Band “Sad, Angry, & Pissed” At Aussie Promoter Over Cancelled Tour

Swedish death metal icons Hypocrisy were set to touch down in Australia for a five-date national tour next week, but the quartet have cancelled their shows, blaming the tour promoter for their poor organisation in arranging flights or working visas for the band.

As The Music reports, the Hell All Over Tour was to kick off at Brisbane’s Hi-Fi on Wednesday 16 January, with dates in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Adelaide, but the band’s label Nuclear Blast have confirmed that the entire tour has been cancelled.

Hypocrisy frontman Peter Tägtgren took to Facebook saying he was “sad, angry and pissed” about the collapse of the Australian tour dates, blaming promoters Oceanic Sharks for the tour’s demise, blasting them for their inept disorganisation.

“Hey to all our Australian fans,” writes Tägtgren, “It’s with [a] sad, angry and pissed mind that I’m trying to find words to write this: Oceanic Sharks Booking Agency Sydney – Australia hasn’t yet provided us with flights or working visa for this tour and we’re forced to leave next Monday 14th Jan.”

Tägtgren notes they asked promoters “time after time after time” for a deadline for visas and flights, “but [they] have failed to do so for three months now. It’s so close that it’s all too late now. We can’t even get into the country even if we had flight tickets.”

Javier Martin of Oceanic Sharks told The Music that he was waiting for “the tickets online” so “fans get back their money,” but did not comment further on Hypocrisy’s allegations.

As FasterLouder points out, the booking agency’s Facebook page describes the business as having “a lot of experience in booking, international booking, stage management, tour management and promo.”

The current Oceanic Shark 2012 roster includes the likes of Sepultura, Caliban, Mnemic, and Warbringer, whom the Sydney agency promoted for their October 2012 tour before all dates were unceremoniously cancelled.

The announcement on Hypocrisy’s Facebook page by Tägtgren adds, “I can only hope you get your money back for the tickets you bought, and that a real booker from Australia will invite us soon so we can finally go to your country.”

Hypocrisy Australian Tour 2012 Cancelled Dates

Wednesday 16 January – The Hi-Fi, Brisbane
Thursday 17 January – Amplifier, Perth
Friday 18 January – The Manning Bar, Sydney
Saturday 19 January – The Hi-Fi, Melbourne
Sunday 20 January – Fowler’s Live, Adelaide