Las Vegas Weekly

July 6, 2009 · 8:35 AM

UFC pulls plug on Limp Bizkit concert

By Melissa Arseniuk

UFC officials have pulled the plug on Friday’s Limp Bizkit concert at Mandalay Bay.

The UFC 100 weekend kick-off concert would have been the band’s first show in the U.S. in over eight years.

The recently reunited group was set to headline the UFC-sanctioned event at Mandalay Bay, but apparently the deal fell through after executives at the band’s label, Interscope Records, and UFC officials could not agree on issues regarding DVD rights and venue.

While neither the UFC nor the band has issued an official release regarding the cancelation, statements were posted to the Limp Bizkit and UFC Web sites last weekend stating that Friday’s concert had been called off.

The band made it clear that it was not their decision to pull the plug on the show.

“Limp Bizkit did NOT, in any way, cancel the UFC100 concert in Las Vegas,” they said in a June 27 blog post on their Web site. “We are HUGE UFC fans and will always be.”

UFC president Dana White expressed his excitement last month when it was announced that Limp Bizkit had been chosen to headline the kick-off party for UFC’s centennial event.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Limp Bizkit, so we are excited to have the group perform at UFC 100 event weekend,” he said in the now month-old statement.

The band explained that it was issues involving DVD rights and the specific location of the concert that ultimately led to the cancelation.

“Truth is UFC and Interscope records could not come to an agreement on certain DVD rights,” they said in the collective blog post.

The rockers indicated more problems arose when they requested moving the live show inside the casino, from the Mandalay Bay pool area and into the House of Blues concert venue.

The band said the beachy outdoor venue had an “inappropriate layout for a heavy rock concert,” so they requested “a more standard concert venue also located at the Mandalay Bay, which was the House of Blues.”

While the House of Blues is located inside Mandalay Bay, is not owned by the casino.

Meanwhile, the UFC’s official statement, which was also made on June 27, offered no explanation: “UFC announced today that the Limp Bizkit concert event planned for Friday, July 10 at the Mandalay Bay Beach has been canceled. Tickets will be refunded at place of purchase.”

The mixed martial arts authority has not announced any plans regarding a replacement act.

Meantime, the band has criticized the UFC for using the promise of a Limp Bizkit concert to help attract people to the event, only to cancel the concert less than two weeks before it was set to take place.

They said it was “unfair” to fans.

Acknowledging that many music-lovers “have rearranged their lives and bought tickets to be in Vegas,” the band pledged last week to make good on their part of the ill-fated deal and perform in Las Vegas this weekend.

“We will still be performing on the same night out of respect for our fans,” the band stated on their blog, adding, “The details of when and where will follow shortly.”

Nine days later, however, no further details have been released.

Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst indicated yesterday that the show would be moved to the Pearl and take place a week after the originally-scheduled date.

“Concert moved to July 18 at the Pearl bro,” Durst posted on his Twitter page.

The Palms has not announced any concert featuring Limp Bizkit and the band is not listed on the Pearl’s Web-based calendar of events.

E-mails sent to Palms and Pearl public relations officials were not immediately returned late last night.

While Duran Duran is set to play the venue on Friday and the New Kids on the Block will take to the stage this coming Saturday, there is nothing currently scheduled for July 18 according to the Web site.

Meanwhile, Limp Bizkit also has yet to announce a replacement show on their Web site. In fact, the most recent tour date currently listed on the page is for last night’s show in Paris, France.

Through it all, however, the band appears to remain cordial toward the UFC. Despite the fallout, Durst and his bandmates are still vocal supporters of MMA and have said they will remain faithful UFC supporters.

“All respect to UFC for inviting us in the first place,” they said in their original June 27 posting. “We will continue to support the UFC because it is our favorite MMA event.”

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