AJ Maddah briefs confused Big Day Out ticketholders

AJ Maddah has pushed back at Blur after the band announced they had pulled out of next year’s Big Day Out.

The Soundwave/Warped Tour/Harvest promoter, who was brought in to jointly run Big Day Out just over a month ago, tweeted to his followers last night to answer the plethora of questions that came flooding in.

“Am trying to find out myself,” he tweeted to one follower. “Far as I know BDO gave into every demand within the possibility of curfews & public safety.”

Maddah also said he’s “not sure why they would blame festival when all everyone here has done is kiss their ass..”

Maddah tweeted the festival has done their best to keep the band happy and only said “no” to them once: “when they asked to swap positions with AF (Arcade Fire).”

The Brit-pop luminaries revealed the news on Facebook yesterday afternoon.

“Devastated to report that Blur won’t be performing at BDO in 2014. It’s a shock that it has come to this.

“Only 8 weeks to go, the band feels that with the constantly shifting goalposts and challenging conditions of the organisers, they can’t let it drag on any longer and want to make this announcement, to be clear to Blur fans that they won’t be there. We’ve done our very best to work with the organisers and considered every option to make it happen, but they’ve let us down and let everyone else down too.”

Maddah and Big Day Out CEO Adam Zammit have said they have a list of targets and while they will be announcing a replacement shortly, those unsatisfied with the choice will be refunded immediately.

Campbell Smith, Big Day Out’s Auckland organiser has also been kept out of the loop. Last night he tweeted: “The Blur announcement a total surprise to me. I had no idea. As soon as I find out what happened and what will happen, I will advise.”

Blur’s tour with Big day Out would have been the band’s first Australian shows in 17 years.