UPDATE: October 30th - Slipknot will be playing Knotfest on the same days Download Festival is expected to take place in Australia, sorry gang!!! Details here
UPDATE: Metallica's Worldwired Tour has been postponed due to James Hetfield's addiction relapsing. Given the circumstances, this could be more legit than first anticipated! More details here
NOTE: THIS IS PURE SPECULATION, I REPEAT, THIS IS PURE SPECULATION
"What? How? Why?" I know you're probably thinking that right now but hear me out with this. As we already know, Slipknot will be touring Australia, in a support slot alongside Metallica next month. They'll be playing huge stadium shows, something the band hasn't done down under yet, so it makes sense to jump on what we're dubbing the Sliptallica Tour so they can do some huge shows like that and to reach a larger audience of potential fans (not that they need it).
But, could they also be coming back to EXCLUSIVELY headline Download Festival Australia 2020? And could that be what is causing the delay of the lineup dropping??
Here's my theory:
Last year, Download Festival's lineup dropped in September which gave fans 6 months to prepare, buy tickets and get hyped up over the new, large scale metal festival in Australia. The year before that it arrived in November for the first and only outing in Melbourne. This year, crickets! Nothing. Nada. Zip... So far!
From what I do know, Download is coming back to Australia next year (so yes you can stop asking), but it is unknown when any information will be released about it. I don't know if it's going to be in Melbourne and Sydney again either. All I know is that it is coming.
But, my speculation is that they are holding off revealing anything until the SlipTallica Tour comes to an end OR is halfway through because Slipknot may (again MAY) be headlining the event this year to make up for the short set they're going to be doing on the Metallica Tour (I'm guessing that support set length will be about an hour or so, don't quote me). It makes sense because a band of Slipknot's talent should be doing at least a 2hr + gig, especially with new material under their belt from their exceptional new album We Are Not Your Kind (our review here), and the hold up could be they want fans through the doors for this Metallica tour before announcing they'll be back for the festival.
Once again, pure speculation
Now, I move onto the new evidence I've found which kinda sets this up. Knotfest will be making its debut in Japan on March 20 & 21, 2020 and guess who is headlining both the roadshow and the festival? Good old Knot! Japan is essentially a neighbour to Australia and most (not all) tours that head there, eventually make their way to or from Australia.
It makes perfect sense to hold off announcing a festival lineup, if other bands have obligations or tour commitments elsewhere first. We've seen this in the past with festivals announcing they have a SECRET HEADLINER only for it to turn out to a band who recently toured a few months/weeks prior so it doesn't feel like an oversaturation of the market. Some might argue that it's too soon for the band to come back, but seeing how they dominated their AM Ring Festival performance earlier this year, they're worthy to show Australian fans they can headline a festival, yet again, following their last appearance in 2015 at Soundwave Festival when the event was held over two days.
The only other options are ____ and ________ (I'll reveal those bands in my upcoming rolling coverage with predictions and rule outs etc), but both of those bands haven't been in Australia for a while so they'd either be suited for a headline tour over a festival appearance. But, once again more on that soon.
I could be completely off the mark with this one but I wanted to take the info that we have and put it all out there for everyone to gauge and share their thoughts. Agree or disagree? Let me know.
Either way, I'm down for both SlipTallica AND Download Festival, regardless if they're involved in both or just the one.
Browny @brownypaul
Metallica – WorldWired Australian Tour - POSTPONED!!!
with Slipknot
October 17 – Perth AUS – Optus Stadium
October 20 – Adelaide AUS – Adelaide Oval
October 22 – Melbourne AUS – Marvel Stadium – SOLD OUT
October 24 – Melbourne AUS – Marvel Stadium – NEW SHOW
October 26 – Sydney AUS – ANZ Stadium
October 29 – Brisbane AUS – QSAC
October 31 – Auckland NZ – Mt. Smart Stadium
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1y4HWI5cdY&w=853&h=480]
