U.S. IMMIGRATION THREATENS TO DERAIL YET ANOTHER AWESOME METAL TOUR
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 11:00am by Axl Rosenberg
We’re very excited about Hypocrisy upcoming U.S. tour with Children of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho on guitar. In fact, in the next forty-eight hours, we’re planning to run an interview that our own Anso DF recently conducted with Hypocrisy main dude Peter Tägtgren.
So it’s heartbreaking to report that the tour might go down the shitter, as Hypocrisy are just the latest in a long line of bands to run into trouble with U.S. immigration. A statement from the band follows:
“Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are forced to stay home until U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services process and authorize our working visas. This is the first time the band has faced a situation like this and it’s extremely frustrating, as well as depressing, since the last thing we want to do is disappoint our loyal fans who have waited years to see us live in the US. We filed for our visas with plenty of time, but as some probably don’t know, the US government has changed its rules when it comes to visas issued to artists so it’s become tougher. Even if we have already toured the US numerous times.
As it stands now, we are on stand-by mode and waiting to receive the green light. We hope it’s just a few days before that happens, in the meantime we want to apologize to all the fans that planned on going to see us tear shit up live. We will do our best to re-join the tour as soon as possible!”
So, yeah, that blows. I have no idea what’s going on with U.S. immigration as of late – I don’t seem to recall bands having this hard a time getting into the country in the past, so maybe this is a post-9/11 thing… but, just, fuck, y’know? I really want this tour to happen.
Oh well. At least the band’s wicked new album, A Taste of Extremem Divinity, came out this week.
-AR
It’s certainly a post-911 phenomenon for U.S. immigration to give people a hard time when issuing temporary/travel visas. I have family over in Europe and it’s become very difficult for them to come visit, at this point they don’t even bother trying. I’m not sure if there are different rules for bands trying to tour.
Whatever, they’re not playing near Detroit anyway so it doesn’t make a difference to me if the tour happens or not because there’s no way I’ll get to see it
Back in 2007, I had tickets to see Rodrigo y Gabriela in Philadelphia on March 22nd, but couldn’t see them until April 19th or something like that because Rodrigo has the same last name as some other Mexican who is banned from the US (Rodrigo Sanchez). The guitar playing Rodrigo had already been to the US a number of times beforehand as well without this issue. What’s worse is some of their tour dates had to be CANCELED because of the holdup, at least my show was only postponed! I don’t see the logic in much of this…if someone has already been in the country without a problem on the same visa, what effects do new rules and legislations have that “void” their previous trip or tour?
Post 9-11? Are you telling me these guys haven’t toured the U.S. since 2002? Gimme a break. These are changes they do all the time to fuck with people and make it harder for outsiders to get in. Everything since 9-11 is “Post 9-11″, quit blaming EVERYTHING on 9-11. It’s like fucking El Nino 10 years ago.
I don’t know about since then, but I saw Hypocrisy when they were here in 2002 and they definitely tore shit up.
I know exactly how this happened. Whoever was in charge of getting the bands shit together for review by the Customs office didn’t look into any of the possible new guidelines that may have been set for travel into the U.S. (THEY ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING). They did a lazy ass job of finding out what they may need and then did a lazy ass job of getting it together. When the shit hit the fan, the dudes all said, “I didn’t know we needed (insert document here)! We didn’t need that last time!” So instead of taking the blame for FUCKING UP THEIR OWN SHIT(!), they just blamed it on that gigantic bureaucratic nightmare we call the Immigration/Customs Office that couldn’t give two fucks about whether or not they come into the country because they knew they would never respond to their accusation.
pretty much bang on
As a Canadian who travels to the US a few times a week for work, I can tell you, if you have your shit together and documents in order when you roll up to customs, it’s painlessly easy to enter and the staff at customs is downright friendly and welcoming. Morseso than before 911. They may have made it tougher to cross in terms of documentation, but I swear that everybody has taken a course in human relations. And this is coming from a sleaved up metalhead.
I think it’s a bit different for Europeans/Asians/South Americans than it is for Canadians; before the stricter rules, crossing the border to Canada didn’t even require a form of identification a lot of the time, and in cases where it did, all a U.S. citizen needed was any valid state license/ID. I assume for Canadians crossing into American, it was a matter of having a passport and that’s it. Now there’s additional paperwork, etc. I believe Europeans/people from other foreign countries have always had to get travel visas.
*into America* oops
sure for a day trip. As I mentioned, i cross for business. The laws are no different for Canadians now than the rest of the world. You cannot cross as an American into Canada or a Canadian into America without a valid passport.
That’s bullshit. I have yet to meet a SINGLE US customs official that didn’t treat me like I way already guilty of some heinous crime. They were friendlier to me coming back from Mexico after being on tour down there. But going in from Canada, not a chance. I’ve never even gotten a speeding ticket.
sucks for you. My experience is the exact opposite, and they are consistantly great to deal with. Canada, not so much.
I was planning to come over the US this summer and maybe buying some stuff there… y’know… with the favorable exchange… but this kind of news make me wonder about it…
Stay out of our country, motherfucker!
(By the way, Just kidding)
Crap, what? I have tickets to see them specifically! With Alexi Laiho! In Hollywood! I hope it works out and they’re able to get their visas in order, stat.
Post 9/11 shit?? Fuck that when has a metal band EVER committed an act comparable to terrorism?
Depending on your point of view, church burnings by black metal bands may be considered pretty damn close to acts of terrorism.
Victimless crime!
same with lyrical content.
St. Anger
Hypocrisy has toured the states a ton of times, including after 9/11, so what’s the big deal?!
Us Immigration, keeping the USA safe!
man this sux i was lookin forward to seein them too new album rips.
poor guy, don’t go shirtless if you’re fat…
I’m so fucking pissed off about this. I was planning to go to the show on November 7th and now this completely screwed over my plans.
I believe Ex Deo is having the same problems and is only going to make the last week of this tour.
Can we blame the stupid, fruitless “War on Terror” for nonsense like this too? This type of crap (bands and such from other countries not being allowed access to the US) seems to be happening quite a but lately…Governmental policies are now affecting which musical acts I can see…terrific. I blame George Bush (that has always worked in the past) :)
how is that hopenchange workin out for ya assholes? try and blame bush for this one ok
wtf does that have to do with anything? your as bad as the ignorant 15 yrs olds that yell fuck bush but dont know who the vice president is. hows that obama victory tasting in your mouth, motherfucker?
I’m hoping they can come by the SF date, since I won a ticket for it. Ex Deo’s already had to pull out too, fucking bummer.