Machine Head have announced they will not be performing at the Sonisphere festival at Knebworth on August 2nd due to an arguement with the event’s organisers over their billing.

A message from the California-based metal outfit reads as follows:

“It is with the utmost disappointment that we must announce that Machine Head will not be playing the Sonisphere date at Knebworth in the UK on August 2nd.

“In a turn of events that has left us absolutely baffled, the promoter of the UK Sonisphere festival recently placed, unbeknownst to us, Limp Bizkit in our 3rd slot on the festival. Seeing as the running order was a significant part of the negotiation and agreement between us and the promoter, and the fact that we had been advertised in that slot since the festival’s announcement, you can imagine our surprise when we were ‘told’ that we would now be playing in the 4th slot, under Limp Bizkit, and bizarrely, it was actually expected that we would quietly move down the bill without issue. We will not.

“Machine Head turned down the UK’s Download Festival, a festival we are very fond of – which incidentally, had us above Limp Bizkit – to commit to the Knebworth festival, as we felt a closer kinship to the bands performing this year. In an effort to make this situation in Knebworth work, we have spent more than a week striving to resolve this issue in a proper manner. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

“So we have regrettably been left with no choice but to cancel our appearance rather than stand for the disrespect and indignity offered by a promoter who won’t honour our agreement. While we know that our fans will be furious about this situation – as are we, beyond words – we trust that you will all understand our position, and we encourage you to voice your opinion about it as loud and clear as possible.

“The rest of our festival dates across Europe, including the other Sonisphere dates, as well as our headline of the Wacken festival remain unchanged.”

The Sonisphere organisers have responded to Machine Head’s comments with the following statement:

“We regretfully confirm that Machine Head have made the decision to pull out of Sonisphere Festival Knebworth. We have spent close to two weeks talking to Machine Head to try and keep them on the festival including offering them higher billing on the Saturn Stage, so that they would be performing immediately after Limp Bizkit and before NIN. They would also get a longer time slot and were offered an increase in fee. Unfortunately the band did not find this agreeable.

“We have strived to make Sonisphere a great festival in our debut year with one of the strongest line-ups out there. Our main priority is to give the fans a great weekend full of awesome bands and it was only recently that Limp Bizkit became available. In the process Machine Head have been upset, and despite our best efforts, they have made the decision to cancel their appearance. We are obviously very disappointed that they will no longer be a part of the stellar line up at Knebworth on August 1st and 2nd and what promises to be an incredible weekend. Machine Head will still be appearing at Sonisphere Festivals in Spain (where they have now been moved to a main stage slot), Finland and Sweden.”

Sad news indeed. So here for good measure are Classic Rock’s Top 15 biscuit songs (or bands, or band members…):

1. I Think I’m Going Garibaldi – Rusk

2. Custard Cream Crackers (featuring Ginger Nuts on drums)

3. The Rich Tea Kids

4. The Nice (geddit?!)

5. Bourbon To Be Wild – Steppenwolf

6. Cookie Monster Magnet

7. Slade (featuring Hob Nobby Holder)

8. Enuff Z’Nuff (featuring Chocolate Chip Z’Nuff)

9. Fleetwood McVitie’s (featuring Christine McVitie’s)

10. Dunking Diamond

11. Heaven And Hell (featuring Ronnie James ‘Shortcake’ Dio)

12. New York Dolls (featuring Sami Jaffa Cake) (Is a Jaffa Cake a biscuit? – Biscuit Ed.)

13. Twisted Sister (featuring Eddie ‘Cadbury’s Fingers’ Ojeda)

14. Lincoln Park

15. The Great Kit Kat

Can you think of any better biscuit songs (or bands, or band members…)? Post your comments!