Machine Head has recently decided to cancel their tour with Children of Bodom, Epica and Battlecross. The excuse given is that Machine Head needs time to put the finishing touches on an upcoming album. The band explains that post phoning the tour is the best decision in order to properly finish the album.
The question then becomes whether this is truly a good decision. I doubt the people who had already purchased tickets for any of the various tour dates agree. I doubt fans of the other bands on the bill are impressed. I doubt Machine Head fans are overly impressed. I’d rather wait a little longer for an album release in exchange for seeing a band live. Alexi Laiho, Children of Bodom frontman, is clearly not satisfied with the decision. He states that the band will now use the time to work on their next album. Children of Bodom certainly didn’t feel the need to cancel a tour to do so.
While I wasn’t planning on catching this show, I can empathize with anyone who was. Being a long-time Children of Bodom fan, I was slightly disappointed when the tour was announced in the first place as I am not a fan of the venue in my city, nor am I a Machine Head fan. I couldn’t justify the ticket price considering these factors. That being said, the fact that Machine Head couldn’t present a more compelling excuse for canceling an entire tour, screwing fans out of seeing the other bands on the bill, is somewhat pathetic. One has to wonder if the true reason is different, such as poor ticket sales in some markets or egos getting in the way. Either way, it’s the fans who lose in this situation.
