U.S. Visa Issues Halt Eddy Grant American Tour

Reggae legend EDDY GRANT has pulled a string of dates in America - after visas for members of his band were repeatedly delayed.

The Electric Avenue singer has gone on tour for the first time in 20 years - but the U.S. leg has had to be cancelled over paperwork problems.

Musicians in Grant's backing band were unable to obtain the correct visas in time for the jaunt next month (Oct08), so the shows have been scrapped.

But Grant promises fans the gigs will be rescheduled for some time next year (09).
He tells WENN, "The band are waiting for their visas. It has just taken longer than everybody imagined. They are all sitting in Johannesburg (South Africa) waiting for the visas. We are hoping they will turn up next week or so.

"We kept putting the shows back and postponing and postponing and in the end it didn't make sense. So we have cancelled the shows and will put them back in for next year.”

And Grant also tells of his delight at being back on the road - because the internet has led music fans to clamour for the thrill of live gigs.

He adds: "It's fantastic. When I was in the studio I wanted to make records that would outlast me and would be around in 50 years. Then the world turned and people weren't prepared to pay for music any more. I predicted many years ago that that's the situation we would wind up in. It's like Green Shield Stamps.

"But some people were too busy talking about producing music. The ordinary man, he decided he wanted to hear some guitar in his head, and have some fire in his belly, and to laugh and have a good time. The collective value of being a performer came to the fore. It's what people want."


The Reggae News Agency

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