NASHVILLE |DATE: APRIL 7, 2008
FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON-MAGNUSON/TODD BRODGINSKI
MEGADETH READY TO LAUNCH ‘GIGANTOUR 2008’
APRIL 12 IN DENVER;
IN FLAMES, CHILDREN OF BODOM, JOB FOR A COWBOY AND HIGH ON FIRE ON TAP FOR METAL SHREDFEST
The third installment of GIGANTOUR–the acclaimed traveling heavy music festival launched in 20 by MEGADETH frontman DAVE MUSTAINE–will kick off April 12 in Denver, CO with headliner MEGADETH, Scandinavian death metal band IN FLAMES, Finland’s CHILDREN OF BODOM, Arizona’s modern extreme JOB FOR A COWBOY and Oakland, CA heavy power trio HIGH ON FIRE all confirmed. The 29-date trek will criss-cross North America before wrapping May 22 in Phoenix, AZ.
As GIGANTOUR 2008–with bands handpicked by MUSTAINE based on their ability to shred guitars and incite fans–draws closer, the groups are getting set to deliver some of their highest-profile U.S. shows to date. IN FLAMES bassist PETER IWERS says, “This is totally ‘the spirit of rock and roll’ and to be invited to be a part of this tour by no other than Dave Mustaine is quite an honor.” CHILDREN OF BODOM’s bassist HENKKA SEPPALA agrees: “We have all grown up with Megadeth, so it’s an honor to be on the same bill. We will definitely do our thing each and every night and enjoy the tour.” And JOB FOR A COWBOY’s guitarist RAVI BHADIRAJU says they’re excited to be on what Revolver magazine called “the mother of all shred-fests”: “Gigantour offers bands to the public that share a common hunger—musicianship. All of the bands that have previously been a part of, and that are on the 2008 Gigantour, are all bands that strive to create good music, which is why metal fans are going to come out. Honestly, if you like metal’s finest, Gigantour 2008 is THE concert to see.”
GIGANTOUR was launched in 2005 by MUSTAINE, who personally picks the bands for the tour, with a focus on musicianship, particularly guitar playing. “I put together a festival that consisted of positive bands that play heavy music in a high energy environment,” he said at the time. GIGANTOUR 2005 included Megadeth, Dream Theatre, Fear Factory, Dillinger Escape Plan, Nevermore and Anthrax, with second stage acts Life of Agony, Symphony X, Dry Kill Logic and Bobaflex, and was documented in the 2006 release of double CD and DVD sets from Image Entertainment. GIGANTOUR continued in 2006 with MEGADETH, Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy, Overkill, Into Eternity, Sanctity and The SmashUp. The 2006 tour was captured in the GIGANTOUR 2 CD and DVD (out April 22, 2008) and features over an hour of blistering performances by MEGADETH–who have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide in a career spanning 25 years–along with Lamb of God, Opeth, Arch Enemy, Overkill, The Smashup and Into Eternity. In 2007, MUSTAINE took MEGADETH and GIGANTOUR to Australia with Static X, DevilDriver, Lacuna Coil and Bring Me The Horizon.
For this year’s festival, MEGADETH (singer/guitarist MUSTAINE, bassist JAMES LoMENZO, drummer SHAWN DROVER and new guitarist CHRIS BRODERICK), JOB FOR A COWBOY and EVILE did a week’s worth of dates in the U.K. to get warmed up for the North American shows.
In a live review of their 2/24/08 show in London, Kerrang! said, “…Mustaine is a star. His appeal lies in the fact that he boast the capacity to surprise, even to excite. Whereas metal bands normally run on reserves of power and precision, perhaps showmanship, Megadeth’s engine is fuelled by electricity.”
GIGANTOUR – Megadeth, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job For a Cowboy, High on Fire
| Sat | 12-Apr | Denver, CO | The Fillmore | ||
| Sun | 13-Apr | Albuquerque, NM | Journal Pavilion | ||
| Tue | 15-Apr | Dallas, TX | Nokia Theatre | ||
| Wed | 16-Apr | Corpus Christi, TX | Concrete Street Pavilion | ||
| Thu | 17-Apr | Houston, TX | Verizon Wireless Theatre | ||
| Sat | 19-Apr | Louisville, KY | Louisville Gardens | ||
| Sun | 20-Apr | Atlanta, GA | Masquerade Music Park | ||
| Tue | 22-Apr | New York, NY | Hammerstein Ballroom | ||
| Thu | 24-Apr | Worcester, MA | Palladium | ||
| Sat | 26-Apr | Baltimore, MD | Merriweather Post Pavilion | ||
| Mon | 28-Apr | Quebec City, QC | Pavilion De La Jeunesse | ||
| Tue | 29-Apr | Montreal, QC | Bell Centre | ||
| Wed | 30-Apr | Toronto, ON | Arrow Hall | ||
| Thu | 1-May | London, ON | John Labatt Centre | ||
| Sat | 3-May | Detroit, MI | DTE Music Center | ||
| Sun | 4-May | Cleveland, OH | Time Warner Cable Amphitheater | ||
| Tue | 6-May | Chicago, IL | Aragon | ||
| Wed | 7-May | Milwaukee, WI | Eagles Ballroom | ||
| Fri | 9-May | Minneapolis, MN | Myth | ||
| Sat | 10-May | Winnipeg, MB | Convention Center | ||
| Sun | 11-May | Saskatoon, SK | Prairieland Exhibition Hall | ||
| Mon | 12-May | Edmonton, AB | Shaw Conference Center | ||
| Wed | 14-May | Calgary, AB | The Corral | ||
| Fri | 16-May | Vancouver, BC | Pacific Coliseum | ||
| Sat | 17-May | Salem, OR | Salem Armory | ||
| Mon | 19-May | San Jose, CA | Event Center @ San Jose State | ||
| Tue | 20-May | San Diego, CA | Cox Arena | ||
| Wed | 21-May | Los Angeles, CA | Long Beach Arena | ||
| Thu | 22-May | Phoenix, AZ | Mesa Amphitheatre |
MSO Press Contacts:
(818) 380-0400
Todd Brodginski ext. 239, toddb@msopr.com
Kristine Ashton-Magnuson ext. 233, kashton@msopr.com
Bari Lieberman (tour press) ext. 222, blieberman@msopr.com
www.gigantour.com
www.megadeth.com
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MEGADETH READY TO LAUNCH ‘GIGANTOUR 2008’ APRIL 12 IN DENVER; IN FLAMES, CHILDREN OF BODOM, JOB FOR A COWBOY AND HIGH ON FIRE ON TAP FOR METAL SHREDFEST
