Soundwave Festival Pty Ltd enters administration

Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah is sending the festival’s former operating company into voluntary administration, the second time he’s done so in seven years.

World Stages Pty Ltd filed an application on August 28 to cease Soundwave Pty Ltd's operations following an unpaid debt. Before that, Butlers Events & Staging Pty Ltd applied for a wind up order of World Stages in Decemberland on July 16, the company went into liquidation.

Administrators Neil Robert Cussen and David Ian Mansfield were appointed to Soundwave’s former operator on September 24 and this morning a hearing was held at the NSW Supreme Court.

It does seem like Maddah tried to cover his tracks however. According to documents filed with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), last week he changed the operating company name to Penny Denny Pty Ltd before again changing it toACN 127 870 866 PtyLtd. Before that, he established both The Hounds of Hell Pty Ltd and HOH Holdings Pty Ltd on August 24; he is the sole shareholder of the two companies. Maddah has also saidSoundwave Festival Pty Ltdceased to be the operating company of Soundwavein April.

This isn’t the first time Maddah has watched his company enter administration. His KMW Productions Pty Ltd is listed as “under external administration and/or controller appointed” by ASIC. Maddah was the Managing Director of KMW, Soundwave’s Chris O’Brien was the General Manager and under its banner the pair put on Soundwave Festival 2009. However, in January 2009 KMW Productions went into liquidation (ASIC) and that same year Soundwave began operating under Soundwave Pty Ltd.

Interestingly, in 2012 AJ Maddah placed in The Music’s AMID Power 50, with his titled listed asKMW ProductionsManaging Director.

According to Music Feeds, Soundwave’s operator owes$2.5 million to the Australian Taxation Office. Music Feeds has also said Maddah assured it Soundwave 2016 will go ahead, but it remains to be seen whether his relationships with suppliers, agents, managers and artists are stable enough to continue to do business with him.

Soundwave Pty Ltd'screditors are due to meet on October 7.