After a 10 year run the organizers behind the Wasted Festivals are putting their creation to bed. Promoters Jen and Darren "Daz" Russell-Smith recently posted a letter on their website explaining the decision:

Well folks, after much discussion, we have come to the monumentous decision to make 2006 the final year of festivals. We have both enjoyed the last ten years immensely even though there have been problems at times, but we now feel that it has reached its end and that it is time to end it while it is still on top and can go out with the bang it deserves. Neither of us would want it to fizzle out pathetically and be a shadow of its former self!

Darren intends to take a well deserved sabatical, Sharky, Leaky and a lot of other members of the team need a rest (Leaky had hair ten years ago when we met him) and I am off to persue herbal medicine and other stuff.

So with all this in mind, we intend to make Blackpool the best yet and we are totally fired up to bring you a great festival. The signs are already positive that it will be a great festival and of course there is Amsterdam in May to get the party started. Darren still plans to fit Australia in which has been an ambition of his for years and there will be the farewell party at The Carleton in Morecambe in October

We'd like to thank everyone who has come to our festivals over the last ten years - Bath 95, London Forum 96 and 97 Holidays in the Sun, Autumn Gatherings, Holidays in the Smokes, Wasteds home and abroad and the one dayers in Nottingham 98, Viva la Punk in New York, Wasted@Xmas etc, some of you have become great friends and we've met the most amazing people along the way.

As stated above the final festivals will include the annual UK show, an event in Amsterdam and a trip to Australia (the details of which are still being confirmed) with a farewell show at the end of the year.