No ATP Oz until 2011

From Fasterlouder.com this morning:
In devastating news, it has been revealed that All Tomorrow’s Parties will not be returning to Australia in 2010. The Age reported this morning that ATP will skip next year, with plans to make it back in 2011.

Despite the overwhelmingly positive response to this January’s inaugural edition, “logistical issues” are behind the decision to have a year off. The difficulties stem from hosting the festivals at Mt Buller in Victoria and Sydney’s Cockatoo Island.

The event promoters told The Age: “The ski season has cut into our preparation time, so it seems to make more sense to give ourselves some breathing space and aim for the next event in 2011 rather than next summer,” Pittman says. “We have every intention of being back in 2011 but without our issues/logistics being addressed, it could be tough.

“We’re disappointed of course – the event was magical and the response overwhelming – but we don’t want to rush to meet a deadline and end up delivering a half-baked event,” the statement concluded.

I guess that's fair enough but disappointing as hell nonetheless. I missed last year's inaugural fest for the legitimate but ridiculous reason of having to pick fruit in Swan Hill (visa commitments, bleugh!) so was really looking forward to this year. Unbelievably, I never made it to any ATP in the UK, Primavera providing my indie-fest sustenance each year and now it looks like I'll have to hold off on popping my ATP cherry for another 18 months.

Oh well, at least we have Animal Collective confirmed for Meredeth...