Velvet Revolver Shot On Sight

[Mulboyne]

This link was provided by a commenter on Debito's site:

Velvet Revolver were looking forward to their upcoming tour of Japan: a series of four concerts–to promote their current album Libertad ― between November 26 and November 30, encompassing the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Yokohama. For the band, the upcoming trek was the opportunity to reconnect with their fans in Japan, where the band tour has toured before ― without incident ― back in 2005. But now it’s a different story as Velvet Revolver’s request for visas has just been denied. The increasingly tough Japanese immigration officials are taking exception with the backgrounds of various band members, which have included arrests. The band is appealing the decision of the officials ― which is ironic given that Libertad is Spanish for “liberty” and “freedom” ― but this process will unfortunately take months to sort out. “We want to apologize to our fans in Japan that we won’t be able to perform our scheduled concerts,” Velvet Revolver said in a group statement. “We don’t understand why the authorities won’t give us visas when they granted them for us in 2005 for what was a successful tour and a great experience. We love Japan and look forward to our return there.”

The band consists of some former members of Guns N' Roses (including Slash) and Scott Weiland of The Stone Temple Pilots.

[Charles]

I hear music:

[amdg]

Immigration: “Come on, come in”,"American Man"

VR: "Do It for the Kids":nice:,"Mary Mary","Just Sixteen","Loving the Alien":luv3:,"Pills, Demons & Etc."

Immigration: "Get Out the Door" "American Man":eek2:

VR: "Illegal I Song"?:confused: “I am just a stranger, Might lead to just a little danger”

Immigration: "Dirty Little Thing","You Got No Right"

VR : "Set Me Free"

[Taro Toporific]

Japan cracks down on foreign musicians
Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:44pm EDT
TOKYO (Billboard) -Japanese concert promoters say the country's immigration authorities are taking a tougher stance on international touring acts.
Japan remains a key touring market -- such acts as the Police, Kanye West and Rihanna have already played here this year. But the government last November refused to issue visas to Velvet Revolver, even though the rock band had toured in 2005 without incident. The rejection was something of a watershed moment for the industry.
Insiders said there have been many similar -- if lower-profile incidents -- although, due to their confidential nature, they declined to name specific examples.
With this in mind, Billboard presents four things every touring artist and manager should know about playing Japan.
1. APPLY WELL IN ADVANCE...blah, blah, more blah...

[Greji]

Japan cracks down on foreign musicians
Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:44pm EDT
TOKYO (Billboard) - ...blah, blah, more blah...[/URL]

It sounds like that EMI nerd is working for the fuzz. They get popped on a tourist visa doing a live house and he gets a kick back from the local PS. At any rate, now that he has put it out internationally, everyone in the Justice Ministry will have a shot at them.

[Captain Japan]

For niche bands, the "live-house" route is a good option that cuts out much of the red tape. If bands aren't paid upfront, they can enter Japan on tourist visas, rent one of thousands of small (50-500 capacity) "live-house" venues, do promotion and sell tickets.

That sounds like entertaining to me. Why wouldn't this activity require a visa?

[Charles]

That sounds like entertaining to me. Why wouldn't this activity require a visa?

Exactly. I vaguely recall reading that "Home Despot" got deported for precisely this reason.

[jdm-justin]

That sounds like entertaining to me. Why wouldn't this activity require a visa?

It's a definite gray area, but my guess is that since the entertainer is not coming to Japan to perform works for a guaranteed sum of money, technically no work visa is necessary. The small time musician still comes to Japan on a tourist visa and on his/her own dime - it's just that the "leisure activity" the musician chooses to engage in while on vacation happens to be playing music.

From what I hear, it's also possible to get around the visa requirement by declaring the tour as a not-for-pay promotional effort - kind of like a business trip. The act technically only gets money from its home country - it's just spending a brief amount of time in Japan to perform a business-related task on behalf of its company in its home country.

My sleep-deprived brain can't explain things clearly, but I of course know that once money changes hands, things change dramatically and it's best to get a visa.

[Charles]

It's a definite gray area...

And when you get caught, the excuse "Billboard Magazine said it was OK" is not going to work.

[jdm-justin]

But Billboard is the bible of the industry - AND they posted that info to the internet - so it must be true!

[Greji]

It's a definite gray area, but my guess is that since the entertainer is not coming to Japan to perform works for a guaranteed sum of money, technically no work visa is necessary. The small time musician still comes to Japan on a tourist visa and on his/her own dime - it's just that the "leisure activity" the musician chooses to engage in while on vacation happens to be playing music.

Right and Noriko gives free blow jobs. How many of the Ar'tists have you actually heard of that played for nuttin? I'm not talking about sitting in, but actually be an act, or the act on the card.

It's just a scam to get around the visa and probably usually works, but if you get popped once for a violation you ain't coming back for a minimum of five years and a whole bunch of paperwork for applications for waivers...

[jdm-justin]

Right and Noriko gives free blow jobs. How many of the Ar'tists have you actually heard of that played for nuttin? I'm not talking about sitting in, but actually be an act, or the act on the card.

It's just a scam to get around the visa and probably usually works, but if you get popped once for a violation you ain't coming back for a minimum of five years and a whole bunch of paperwork for applications for waivers...

Who is this Noriko and how can I get in touch with her?

(Had a couple of Red Bulls and am able to think/write a tad more clearly...)

Again - I'm not claiming to be a legal expert, nor am I encouraging people to come in and play without a visa. I'm just saying that I do personally know of many musicians who have gone to Japan on a tourist visa as an act on the card (sometimes with a full-blown promotion campaign) to tour and/or find a deal in Japan. Everyone has either landed a legit Japanese record/distribution deal (some of them major) or went back to their home country with a few good stories and the desire to play Japan again. (The idea being that a few money-losing tours in a major market would pay dividends later on in their careers.)

The questionable visa workaround I was referring to earlier (promoted by more than a few perhaps unscrupulous labels and/or managers) is that the live work is for promotion only and no pay - theoretically negating the need for a proper work visa. Now the <i>actual</i> legality of the situation is a whole 'nother story and I must again stress that I am not claiming that it's okay for artists to come in and play concerts without the proper paperwork.

But Japan is the second-largest music market in the world, and for some foreign artists, easier to break into than their own home markets. Some artists do feel that it is worth taking the risk and playing the shows w/o the proper paperwork. Of course, if a band is as big as VR was, sneaking in under the radar is pretty much impossible.

This brings up a good question that someone here may be able to answer (and keep the discussion/info going): when foreign stars come to Japan to do promotion for a movie or something (such as appearing in press junkets/TV shows/etc), do they need to apply for a work/entertainment visa beforehand as well?

[Captain Japan]

But Japan is the second-largest music market in the world, and for some foreign artists, easier to break into than their own home markets. Some artists do feel that it is worth taking the risk and playing the shows w/o the proper paperwork. Of course, if a band is as big as VR was, sneaking in under the radar is pretty much impossible.

The number of things that are technically illegal yet very easy to get away with is probably quite high. The point is that the Billboard article is saying that this is a legit way to play shows in Japan when it probably is not.

[jdm-justin]

Got it -

I made my first post after reading things on a few hours' sleep over the past few days... I get what you all are getting at now. (Though I did want to throw my .02 in so I can maybe get to a full beer bottle under my name...)

[Mulboyne]

The number of things that are technically illegal yet very easy to get away with is probably quite high. The point is that the Billboard article is saying that this is a legit way to play shows in Japan when it probably is not.

Yes, that's the point. When Lightning Bolt were held at Narita, immigration didn't care about the niceties of how and where they were being paid; they refused them entry because their name was on a bill and they hadn't applied for entertainer visas. Sure, people will keep coming over without the right paperwork but if you schedule anything before you arrive and it is advertised on the net then immigration has much better eyes and ears than before.

[Greji]

Who is this Noriko and how can I get in touch with her?

If you're a brother, forget about it for the time being. However, AO is going to work on rectifying that qualification when he gets back this summer...

[jdm-justin]

[quote="Mulboyne"]Yes, that's the point. When Lightning Bolt were held at Narita, immigration didn't care about the niceties of how and where they were being paid]

Link goes to the wrong page - but I now do remember the Lightning Bolt situation...

This brings up another question - and perhaps a whole new topic - but does anyone know why performing w/o an entertainer's visa (for no pay) different than coming to temporarily work in Japan for a business trip?

I'm not trying to debate anyone - just really curious as I travel to Japan several times a year for business. Does anyone know why doing one form of business on the behalf of a foreign employer is different from another? And while I've never gotten in trouble for telling J immigration I am there for work, I just want to know that I can continue to do so w/o fear of getting pulled aside and interrogated.

Perhaps the answers here can be useful for anyone looking to come to Japan to tour/work/etc while on a tourist visa - and keep 'em out of trouble.

[jdm-justin]

If you're a brother, forget about it for the time being. However, AO is going to work on rectifying that qualification when he gets back this summer...

Nah - I'm as white as it gets (raised in Utah and everything!)... But I should probably hold off on getting that contact info as it could piss off the wife and everything...

[Greji]

Perhaps the answers here can be useful for anyone looking to come to Japan to tour/work/etc while on a tourist visa - and keep 'em out of trouble.

Assumedly, unless you have a world wide name recognition situation, you are in a part of the industry that competes with Japanese labor and any country eyeballs that part of the visa/employment process.

I suppose not all groups, but damn near every group I have seen in Japan on the live house circuit, have been working for cash in some way or another. The JNs in the business love it because they can get some relatively good musicians cheap, who can't argue/negotiate because they don't have a visa and also in turn, the group can be easily fired for the same reasons.

[Mulboyne]

Link goes to the wrong page

Thanks, just changed it.