This can’t be good.
Limp Bizkit’s first U.S. concert with original guitarist Wes Borland in eight years, scheduled to take place on July 10 in Las Vegas as part of the Ultimate Fighting Championship 100 weekend, has been canceled after organizers got in a wrangle with the band’s label over DVD rights.
The members of Limp Bizkit, particularly longtime UFC fan Fred Durst, were hoping the one-off show outside the Mandalay Bay casino would build the comeback buzz for the band. It appears the location of the show also hit a sour note with the band.
In a statement released to the press, the group’s camp said, “With all respect to Mandalay Bay, the UFC were also unhappy with Limp Bizkit’s decision of wanting to switch the performance from the Beach at Mandalay Bay with its inappropriate layout for a heavy rock concert with Limp Bizkit, basically a stage in front of a pool, to a more standard concert venue also located at the Mandalay Bay, which was the House Of Blues. The UFC expressed they wanted a ‘party vibe’ for this event and would not settle for any venue besides the Beach for this and other reasons.”
Now the group is hoping to reschedule its first show at a different Las Vegas venue, which has yet to be determined. The statement added, “We are proud to announce that we will still be performing on the same night out of respect for our fans. The details of when and where will follow shortly after this post."
Limp Bizkit has spent the last month playing Europe on its “Unicorns N’ Rainbows” reunion tour, where every night Durst has fortuitously been dressing up like Michael Jackson.
“On this tour I have been paying tribute to [Michael Jackson] by wearing his ‘Beat It’ jacket and rhinestone glove. The irony and timing is shocking. I am very sad. He was truly brilliant and the reason why I love to dance.”
Meanwhie, Durst called into Danny Bonaduce’s radio show on Philadelphia's WYSP on Wednesday from a stop in Budapest to discuss the group’s comeback, saying they would most likely launch a full U.S. tour in the fall. He also said the band has been working on new material, describing it, "extremely heavy and bruising ... a little bit more power to the riffs.”