Speaking exclusively to Fairfax Media, West said that he is staying on at Big Day Out, but has brought in Soundwave promoter AJ Maddah as a partner alongside his American partner C3 Presents.
He explained that the 2014 headliners of Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire and Blur was a “bucket list” lineup for him and now it’s “about time I let a new generation help continue the BDO evolution. I feel AJ is a kindred spirit. Crazy in a good way.”
In the same article, Maddah also hosed down fears that Big Day Out would cut down on Australian acts if he took over, in line with his policy of booking most international acts for his own Soundwave festival. He will get involved in booking BDO acts.
As to his contribution to future BDOs: “Maybe [I bring] a bit of energy and vitality…part of the problem at the Big Day Out was they had gone so far away from where the event started…you could stay it had been a bit bloated and bureaucratic.”
