The organizers of the Earthshaker Festival have issued the following statement regarding the cancellation of their Earthshaker Roadshock Tour, which came to a grinding halt following the May 4th show in Nürnberg, Germany. The tour featured FINNTROLL, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, AFTER FOREVER, TAROT, MACHINE MEN and ALL ENDS:

Translated by Carl Begai

"As of May 5th all remaining Roadshock Tour dates were officially cancelled.

Unfortunately, we have been given no other choice but to confirm that the Nürnberg show on May 4th was the last show of the Roadshock Tour, and because so many people were looking forward to the upcoming shows we feel it's only fair to explain why the decision was made to pull the plug. The list of factors leading to the decision is far too long to present here, so we have decided to list the "highlights":

The tour was "organized" by the Belgian company Metallysee. Unfortunately, we bought their sales pitch and provided them with our name and marketing tools. A total of 17 dates across Europe were confirmed and a schedule was outlined, but the closer the tour got and the more concrete our questions became regarding the details the less we heard from Metallysee. We found this rather strange and decided to send along a reliable and experienced Earthshaker representative who would keep an eye on things.

We soon discovered that Metallysee had promised far more than they were prepared to give. Their tour parameters featured massive miscalculations that included, in many cases messed up deals or even unsigend contracts with local promoters, the communication between Metallysee and the promoters and the bands was likewise sporadic. There had clearly been almost no preparation for the tour. Meanwhile, several local promoters contacted us to complain about missing posters and the lack of communication on Metallysee's end in general since no one there could provide them with answers. On top of all this, the person at Metallysee responsible for overseeing the tour quit only a few days before the very first show day, leaving only the other clueless people from the company in the picture. The only person able to communicate with second or third parties, and providing said parties with rather unsatisfying answers, was Metallysee's tour manager.

The drama that would unfold began with the tour start in Antwerpen. Only some of the required and expected gear showed up, the wrong tour busses had been ordered (resulting in daily attempts to fix the problem), a trailer used to transport equipment was defective thus making it impossible to transport gear from A to B, and Metallysee was either too incompetent or totally disinterested in finding a solution to these problems. The Adelsheim show had to be cancelled as a result of Metallysee's inability to address a situation that, with a little effort, could have been solved to allow the show to go ahead as planned.

Then there were rumours that the tour would be cancelled. The buses hadn't been paid for, the bands hadn't been paid or had to wait for their money, etc.

All of this resulted in the entire Earthshaker team trying to sift through the dirt and put things back in order. Following countless discussions with the bands, their respective management, local promoters, and finally Metallysee - who were, as stated, only reachable once in a while - we considered taking over the tour ourselves and, in cooperation with the bands, see it through to the end on a professional level. Sadly, Metallysee's so-called "planning" for the tour - in particular their amateur handling of the contractual proceedings with the local promoters - made this impossible.

Metallysee, however, reassured everyone that things would be sorted out and the tour would go ahead as planned. After the show in Frankfurt the next night, however, Metallysee's tour manager quit and went home. At this point it was obvious that Metallysee had disappeared from the face of the earth as far as the Roadshock Tour was concerned.

To leave 47 people stranded after days of uncertainty while exhibiting an obvious disinterest in solving the problems plaguing the tour is not only highly unprofessional but completely immoral. On Friday morning we received a phone call from one of the owners of Metallysee saying everything would be under control shortly; bands and the busses would be getting paid, a new tour manager would arrive in a few days, until then the drum-tech could take care of all the details...

Unbelievable...

Because we, the Earthshaker team, were the local promoters for Nürnberg we did our best to sort out the immediate issues for the bands when they arrived. Fortunately, our representative Richard had been able to keep things together up to that point. Richard, thank you for your help. Of course, in Nürnberg we found out that Metallysee was due to pay the money that was owed to keep things running that day...which is probably why the tour manager left th enight before. Thanks for that.

At that point, however, we - the Earthshaker team, bands and respective management - had no other choice than to decide to end the tour in Nürnberg.

The bottom line was that it didn't make any sense to continue the tour without a definite gameplan and a tour company (Metallysee) that refused to take any responsibility. The unpaid busses also made continuing the tour impossible. Up to this point we have no idea what kind of arrangements or agreements Metallysee had made for the 47 band and crew members with regards to getting them home, and suddenly there was no one at Metallysee who could provide the information. We had no choice but to take matters into our own hands, and with the help of the bands, management and agents, get everyone home as quickly as possible.

In spite of the great performances by each of bands and the energetic reception of the audiences they played to, the uncertainty bred by Metallysee's psycho terror had taken it's toll on everyone involved, effectively crushing the desire to continue.

We feel particularly sorry for the bands and the fans that had been looking forward to the remaining shows. You all deserved so much better than this. In the end, we cannot only point the finger of blame at others, but also to ourselves for having chosen to work with Metallysee. We've certainly come to know much more professional companies in our years on the scene.

In closing we'd like to thank the fans for your support and your energy. A big thank you to Richard, the light at the end of a very dark tunnel! We'd especially like to thank the bands - FINNTROLL, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, AFTER FOREVER, TAROT, MACHINE MEN and ALL ENDS - who were more than cooperative, made the best out of a horrible situation, and gave their best to the fans each night in spite of everything. Watch their official websites for more details on what happened."

Fans should be aware that this year's Earthshaker Festival, set to take place in Kreuth, Germany from July 19th - 21st, is completely unaffected by the Roadshock experience and WILL go ahead as planned.

Bands on the Earthshaker Festival bill include (in no particular order) MOTÖRHEAD (headliner), TESTAMENT, CRADLE OF FILTH, GRAVEWORM, GOD DETHRONED, WITHIN TEMPTATION, KREATOR, GAMMA RAY, U.D.O., FREEDOM CALL, LEGION OF THE DAMNED, KORPIKLAANI, SEPULTURA, MELECHESH, KEEP OF KALESSIN, J.B.O., BEATALLICA, NORTHER, THRESHOLD, FEAR MY THOUGHTS, HATESPHERE, DEW-SCENTED, MYSTIC PROPHECY and ELUVEITIE.

Tickets can be purchased at the festival's Online Shop. For complete festival information go to this location.