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US fears stamp on emerging rock bands
March 07, 2005
BRITISH rock bands are being prevented from gaining a foothold in America because of the security measures brought in after the September 11 attacks, the music industry claims.
Bands had to cancel performances in the world’s biggest music market after US immigration authorities refused to grant them a temporary visa.
Even when accepted, the cost of an express work visa for live performances can be up to £800 for each individual, pricing many young bands out of a trip.
British artists are then denied royalty payments because the US industry flouts international copyright regulations for the public performance of records. Buoyed by the success of Franz Ferdinand, who sold 500,000 albums in the US, the Government is awarding £28,000 in travel grants for British bands to perform at a leading music industry convention in Texas this month.
But the 91 British bands setting out to impress at the South By South West Music and Media Conference, including Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Embrace, Kasabian and Goldie Lookin’ Chain, must not only impress music fans. They must also first pass tough visa interviews.
Last year the US authorities took offence at the Scottish band Dogs Die In Hot Cars, a discovery of V2, the record label owned by Sir Richard Branson. Despite having had several British Top 40 singles, they were refused visas and missed a performance in front of US industry executives at the event in Austin, Texas. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) even issued a last-minute plea on their behalf, but to no avail.
The DCMS has held discussions with the US Embassy and the Department of Homeland Security, to request a speedy and positive response to visa requests this month from British bands. A DCMS spokesman said: “As a result of our intervention the US Embassy held a seminar for the music industry explaining the visa process. We hope to find ways to address the problem.”
Alison Wenham, chief executive of the Association of Independent Music, which represents Britain’s smaller record companies, said: “We understand the heightened concerns about terrorism, but the DCMS has assured the Americans that they face no threat from British musicians.
“The visa application system for UK musicians is far more stringent, costly and time- consuming than the equivalent process for their American counterparts wishing to enter the UK. We hope this is not a deliberate attempt by the American music industry to dampen the chances of overseas music breaking into their market. It has the same effect as protectionism.”
Sophie Agapios, a singer-songwriter with Squeaky Records, the independent label based in Hertfordshire, said: “It is almost impossible to get a US touring visa. You have to substantiate that your act is already a massive seller like Coldplay to prove that you are not just three friends working on some groove in a garage. Unfortunately, most acts start out of a garage and want to generate interest by touring in the US.”
Classical orchestras, with a membership even more numerous than the average rock band entourage, find the $1,000-a- person (£520) cost of a queue-jumping express visa harder to bear.
The visa difficulties have arisen just as American fans are warming once again to British music. In 2002, British artists hit a record low. But Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand have created a fresh buzz about the British music scene with Keane and Joss Stone also breaking into the Billboard charts.
Meanwhile, British songwriters are losing millions of pounds in royalties because the US is in dispute with the European Commission over copyright payments. America will not pay European composers for music played in bars, clubs and restaurants and on the radio despite World Trade Organisation obligations.
The US Embassy said that bands first needed a sponsor to file a petition vouching for their bona fides to the Department of Homeland Security. The $1,000 15-day express processing fees are paid to the American anti-terrorism department and any delay was likely to originate from that end. A US Embassy spokesman said: “We are aware that entertainers require visas for time-specific visits and we are doing everything we can to process those applications speedily.”
http://www.timesonli...1514566,00.html
March 07, 2005
BRITISH rock bands are being prevented from gaining a foothold in America because of the security measures brought in after the September 11 attacks, the music industry claims.
Bands had to cancel performances in the world’s biggest music market after US immigration authorities refused to grant them a temporary visa.
Even when accepted, the cost of an express work visa for live performances can be up to £800 for each individual, pricing many young bands out of a trip.
British artists are then denied royalty payments because the US industry flouts international copyright regulations for the public performance of records. Buoyed by the success of Franz Ferdinand, who sold 500,000 albums in the US, the Government is awarding £28,000 in travel grants for British bands to perform at a leading music industry convention in Texas this month.
But the 91 British bands setting out to impress at the South By South West Music and Media Conference, including Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Embrace, Kasabian and Goldie Lookin’ Chain, must not only impress music fans. They must also first pass tough visa interviews.
Last year the US authorities took offence at the Scottish band Dogs Die In Hot Cars, a discovery of V2, the record label owned by Sir Richard Branson. Despite having had several British Top 40 singles, they were refused visas and missed a performance in front of US industry executives at the event in Austin, Texas. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) even issued a last-minute plea on their behalf, but to no avail.
The DCMS has held discussions with the US Embassy and the Department of Homeland Security, to request a speedy and positive response to visa requests this month from British bands. A DCMS spokesman said: “As a result of our intervention the US Embassy held a seminar for the music industry explaining the visa process. We hope to find ways to address the problem.”
Alison Wenham, chief executive of the Association of Independent Music, which represents Britain’s smaller record companies, said: “We understand the heightened concerns about terrorism, but the DCMS has assured the Americans that they face no threat from British musicians.
“The visa application system for UK musicians is far more stringent, costly and time- consuming than the equivalent process for their American counterparts wishing to enter the UK. We hope this is not a deliberate attempt by the American music industry to dampen the chances of overseas music breaking into their market. It has the same effect as protectionism.”
Sophie Agapios, a singer-songwriter with Squeaky Records, the independent label based in Hertfordshire, said: “It is almost impossible to get a US touring visa. You have to substantiate that your act is already a massive seller like Coldplay to prove that you are not just three friends working on some groove in a garage. Unfortunately, most acts start out of a garage and want to generate interest by touring in the US.”
Classical orchestras, with a membership even more numerous than the average rock band entourage, find the $1,000-a- person (£520) cost of a queue-jumping express visa harder to bear.
The visa difficulties have arisen just as American fans are warming once again to British music. In 2002, British artists hit a record low. But Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand have created a fresh buzz about the British music scene with Keane and Joss Stone also breaking into the Billboard charts.
Meanwhile, British songwriters are losing millions of pounds in royalties because the US is in dispute with the European Commission over copyright payments. America will not pay European composers for music played in bars, clubs and restaurants and on the radio despite World Trade Organisation obligations.
The US Embassy said that bands first needed a sponsor to file a petition vouching for their bona fides to the Department of Homeland Security. The $1,000 15-day express processing fees are paid to the American anti-terrorism department and any delay was likely to originate from that end. A US Embassy spokesman said: “We are aware that entertainers require visas for time-specific visits and we are doing everything we can to process those applications speedily.”
http://www.timesonli...1514566,00.html
Havign suffered the slings and arrows myself (a mis-filled-in holiday visa form almost resulted in a cavity search last Feburary), I can but say that US Immigration are %$#&ing Beaureaucratic MORONS!
I was tempted to make a joke about how this is secretly a plan to continue the population of the world with shitty American bands, but
a.) I'm too steamed now.
b.) We're just as bad for it.
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