Here Today... Gone To Hell!

http://www.creativeman.co.jp/2007/velvet/index.html
 VELVET REVOLVER UNABLE TO PERFORM FOUR SCHEDULED CONCERTS IN JAPAN AS IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS THERE HAVE DENIED THE BAND'S REQUEST FOR VISAS

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." VELVET REVOLVER will proceed with their Australian tour that begins on December 4 in Brisbane. Upon its return to the U.S., the band- lead vocalist SCOTT WEILAND, guitarist SLASH, bassist DUFF McKAGAN, drummer MATT SORUM and guitarist DAVE KUSHNER-will headline Wednesday, December 12 at the Gibson Amphitheatre. This show-with Alice In Chains-was originally set for Friday, October 26 at the outdoor Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA but was postponed due to the devastating Southern California wildfires. See dates below and check out www.velvetrevolver.com.

Damn that sucks or the Japanese peeps . VR do put on a pretty fucking good live show.

The end is near.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say the actual reason is more like "The shows were selling like shit, so let's save face and not even bother going over there to play."

This band is on borrowed time.

^ Totally agreed!?
And I'm really sorry for thinking that way, 'cause I love those guys (except for... aw you know!) and I've seen them live here in Lisbon... it was amazing!
But... I never wanted them in this project. :no:
I don't really think this will work out for much longer... ::)

Very interesting indeed.  I have never heard of anyone having Visa issues in Japan.  Hmmmmmm.

There not having any luck this time around. I do remember reading an article with Duff where he stated his passport had a red flag on it due to all of the shit back in the day, but all of these other bands that still tour Japan (GN'R, Def Leppard, Motley Crue) non of those guys were saints either. ???


I really dont know what to make of it, i am ready for another Loaded album either way.

I am calling bs as well and a convienent excuse.

When was the last time Motley went to japan?

Nikki got a arrested a few times there. I dont recall Duff or Slash ever being arrested in Japan.

November 2005




/jarmo

Well, don't even try and come with any proof this is real.  I am not buying it one bit.  Just end the damn tour and move on to next album.  I got to see them so I can be selfish.  Ha!

Sir , you have a point. besides those peeps in japan need to worry more about getting some games out for this Damn PS3 I have .

I HIGHLY doubt that there will be a "next album."

The label could put out a best of EP . so their could be.

mmhh, I smell bullshit. I think this is the beginning of the end.

I think RCA will release a crappy live album or something like that VERY soon and that will be it.

I'm optimistic anyway. Slash career could reborn without Weiland and the mediocre songs he writes.

I love the band but i do see the begining of the end. Although i am kinda pissed as i didnt get to see them on this tour, they came no place close to the Pittsburgh area minus Columbus on the Rock On The Range but i wasnt paying that money to see VR play 10 songs.

I really hope i am wrong but i expect to see album number three as a live cd with the live dvd we were suppossed to get at the end of the Contrabnd tour.

Duff has been writting stuff for a solo record or another Loaded record, and Slash has his Slash and Friends project he mentioned in the book. I see STP getting back together sooner than later. I dont see them doing another US leg. Like i said i hope i am wrong, but this fabrication about Japan just sounds like bullshit.

Hopefully Duff will take cue on what Izzy is doing with the I-Tunes stuff and follow suit if and when he releases another record.

Maybe one day the songs that Duff, Izzy, and Slash worked on before they got Scott will see the light of day. I would bet money those tracks are fucking killer.

I wonder how the shows were selling?

my guess would be "average at best"....
if they were killing it, it would be all over the news.

Well, the one thing I can verify is that as of this month, Japanese immigration laws have indeed been made more strict.  All foreigners entering the country are now required to be fingerprinted and photographed each and every time they enter Japan.

If this is true, this does not bode well for the future of concerts here.  As someone alluded to earlier, most musicians and performers are not saints.  Many of them have some sort of arrest on their records.

Not really sure about numbers. I know the numbers havent been as good as the last tour. I think RCA thought The Last Fight was gonna be a huge single, it wasnt and they are pulling the plug on the album and tour. Makes since. I will be surprised if a third single is sent out to radio. The record was doomed from the gate. Horrible choice for first single, and the leak was huge. I personally like Libertad better than Contraband but those who were after another in your face rock record downloaded it, didnt like it end of story unfortunately.

If that is the case, yeah your right Japan is gonna be hard pressed for rock acts to tour there.  Just depends on how strict these new immigration laws are. If it is for something as minor as a DUI arrest, there gonna be hard pressed to have any shows there period.

What a stupid thing to say. Yes, it may be convenient, but who would fabricate a story like this, thus insulting an entire nation - one which is a very lucrative market and has a "thing" about honour- just to get out of some gigs? If they wanted to save face, they could have used some excuse about illness, schedule clashes, recording contracts or something of that ilk.

Another good point.  I guess we will see . Japan is a huge market, i mean Izzy released all of his stuff there and Duff released the Loaded disk there and it did moderately well there, not to mention the tours Izzy and Duff did. I guess we will have to see if they end up actually touring there and working this immigration stuff out. Who knows. If there is another US leg it will be interesting to see what kind of venues they play. I would be damn cool with the smaller theater settings, makes for a much better show.

I don't know how Japan works, but it should be a matter of public record. I doubt the band or their management would attempt a deception of the magnitude that some are implying. It would surely fail.

Wonder which band members and arrests they're talking about.

The only band member that comes to mind is the guy with the megaphone.



/jarmo

C'mon, this is the weirdest excuse.....Even Jarmo was not denied a visa to go to Japan..... :confused:

But I didn't release Libertad.....  :-X

 ;)


/jarmo

 :rofl: That's what I said to him yesterday, if they let Jarmo in, hell they should let anyone! ?

I was reading an article before about the fingerprinting and all but why not just try to postpone the shows a few months while they get it sorted out if that is really the reason why they cannot play? ?Japan is a huge market for touring and acts that don't really do well here in the states generally can fare better over there-so I can't really see writing off the country just like that unless there are other reasons.

Maybe they just remembered what a douchbag Matt is and were like fuck that shit.

Sounds like the same thing they do when you enter the USA.



/jarmo

I totally agree.  Plus they still have Australian dates on for about the same time.  So everyone stop jumping to conclusions about "the beginning of the end."



I would think his record would raise a red flag.  Or maybe they just read some of the stories in Slash's book. :hihi:

^^^  This is the most intelligent post I've read under this topic.  Why must everything always be turned into a "conspiracy to hide poor album sales or poor ticket sales"? 


 
^^^  Another good point. 

But he was there in the band in 2005 and nothing seems to have changed. Maybe Slash due to his well-documented relapses (alongside his newly released book)?

Seems like they've known of this new law for quite some time?




/jarmo

That was quite stupid you know... japanese fans have the exact same right as the american ones to watch the gigs of their favourite band. It?s quite sad that they won?t be seeing them. As for me, can?t wait till they come to Lisbon so I can see them for the first time.

And maybe you should do a little more practice at your reading comprehension...Or you could have just read the whole damn topic thru first and seen my first post.

I am a huge VR homer, everyone here knows that.  but lets not lie to ourselves anymore.  Slash is promoting himself right now.  The album, which I love has tanked.  And now its "Japan's" fault they can't play there.. hmmm.  Something sounds fishy.

I love the wild speculation in this thread!

 ::)

 :rofl: :rofl: oh shit


one of the few times I agree with you (well i'm not a vr homer).   Slash is promoting his book and thats probably doing way better for him than Libertad.   

Jim Bob, I shouldn't have used the word "homer", I should just say fan.  If I were a Homer, I would not question the damn letter about Japan.   : ok:

I didn't realize that it was announced that long ago, but there has been talk about it during the past few months.? However, most of that seems to have focused on the fingerprinting aspect, and not on stricter guidelines for entry.? I have no idea whether the band management applies for the visas at the Japenese Embassy in the U.S., or if Creativeman the promoter takes care of that over here in Japan, but it's quite possible that they were unaware of the new guidelines or not sure how strictly they'd be enforced.? Certainly there are many examples of exceptions made for performers and other famous people.

As for this being a BS excuse, I definitely don't by that because, as was mentioned before, this stuff would be on record with the Immigration Bureau.? It'd be pretty easy to prove that it's BS.

And for those concerned, jarmo was here in July before this law went into effect.? He'd be screwed now.? ;D

Velvet Revolver have been forced to pull the plug on their upcoming Japanese tour after the Japanese government refused to issue them visas. (There are some drug convictions in the band's past). The band's promoter in the region, Creativeman Productions, issued the following statement: 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."

Velvet Revolver will proceed with their Australian tour that begins on December 4 in Brisbane. Upon its return to the U.S., the band will headline Wednesday, December 12 at the Gibson Amphitheatre. This show with Alice In Chains was originally set for Friday, October 26 at the outdoor Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA but was postponed due to the devastating Southern California wildfires. See dates below and check out www.velvetrevolver.com.

Dec. 04 - Brisbane, Australia - Convention Centre
Dec. 05 - Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
Dec. 06 - Sydney, Australia - Enmore Theatre
Dec. 08 - Melbourne, Australia - Festival Hall
Dec. 12 - Los Angeles, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre

Source:http://www.antimusic.com/news/07/nov/19Velvet_Revolver_Not_Welcome_in_Japan.shtml (http://www.antimusic.com/news/07/nov/19Velvet_Revolver_Not_Welcome_in_Japan.shtml)

Same here i dont know if i would say "Homer" though ;)? I like Libertad aswell, i knew it would not do aswell as Contraband but man i didnt think it would totally bomb like it has unfortunately.

I just read this today on STP's myspace it could be total bullshit but some fan commented that Scott phoned into a local Oklahoma radio station and said that it is very possible that STP may tour this summer. I find that very hard to believe and was very hesitant on even posting it but after all of this lately it just makes you kinda wonder. So who really knows what the hell is going on behind the scenes.  :no:

I did notice though that on there page VR has a poll on the next single between , Get Out The Door, She Mine and Let it Roll. And oddly enough She Mine is winning. I like all three songs but i cant see any of the three doing well as singles. I guess out of the three i would say Get Out the door for single material although She Mine is my favorite out of the lot.

Velvet Revolver cancel Japan tour

US rock band Velvet Revolver have cancelled their tour of Japan after being denied visas by the authorities.

Japanese immigration officials refused the visas due to some of the band members' previous run-ins with the law.

"We don't understand why the authorities won't give us visas when they granted them for us in 2005," the band said on their website.

Velvet Revolver had been due to perform in Tokyo and three other Japanese cities from 26-30 November.

The band, which features former members of Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots said they were appealing the decision.

Drug conviction

"We want to apologise to our fans in Japan that we won't be able to perform our scheduled concerts," they said.

"The increasingly tough Japanese immigration officials are taking exception with the backgrounds of various band members, which have included arrests."

The immigration department at the justice ministry could not comment on the case, but under Japanese law anyone with a drug conviction can be refused entry.

Lead singer Scott Weiland has been arrested several times on drug-related charges, the last time in 2003.

However the band last toured Japan without incident in 2005.

Velvet Revolver will continue to start their Australian tour as scheduled on 4 December.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7103159.stm

This is ludicrous ... not in the least because they were given Visa's in 2005 and the other guys in the band have all been arrested for drug shit plenty of times in the past!

Stupid.  All those VR fans in Japan are gonna be SO upset.  It's a massive shame.

Maybe this is why? ;D


November 20, 2007

SLASH, WEILAND TALK VELVET REVOLVER JAPANESE VISA PROBLEMS

VELVET REVOLVER were looking forward to their upcoming four-date tour of Japan, which was scheduled to begin on November 26th. However, as reported yesterday, the tour was called off late last week when the band's request for visas was denied.

So why were they denied? Singer SCOTT WEILAND said that his band toured Japan in 2005 without incident, so he doesn't know why this time would be any different. He added, "Maybe they just don't like what they've been reading about us on the Internet or something." Japanese immigration officials are apparently taking exception with the unsavory backgrounds of several band members, which include some prior arrests. The band is appealing the visa decision.

Source: ABC Radio Networks

So its not "just" Scott's arrests in 2003....

Who else got arrested lately?




Kinda ironic once again that the band who said they were the last real dangerous rock band is denied entry to Japan because of their arrests....

I guess they really are dangerous and unpredictable after all. At least for Japan!  :hihi:




/jarmo

lol how come you?re happy about it? I mean... think about the fans man... I went through the same situation (cancelled gig) some months ago and sure it wasn?t that funny by then...

I'm not happy, just laughing at my own jokes.  ;)


Sucks for the Japanese VR fans.

It just makes no sense since they object to some members' previous arrests.

What arrests?  ???


Your show wasn't a money maker so they canceled it. Officially because they had to be in USA promoting the album (which ironically enough didn't sell anyway)... Sucks for the Portuguese VR fans.




/jarmo

Are you that sure about it? I mean... that?s very pragmatic and you seem so sure of yourself stating it. From informations I got by then, the gig was selling a lot of tickets and out of nothing people that went to by it couldn?t cos they weren?t selling anymore. I?m pretty sure (and we?ll see it when they come here by early next year) that if it wasn?t going to sell out it was pretty near to (it is a small venue anyway). How can you call it a money maker tour? They were releasing an album and were going to Europe to promote it. How weird is it?

Well it was on the Slash fan site.

I guess Linda wouldn't just make that up:



I believe the band is paid a sum for the gig, it doesn't matter if it sells out or not. Obviously the promoter wants it to sell as many tickets as possible.

Anyway, seems like VR figured the money they were paid for those shows weren't enough since it also costs to get to the shows.



/jarmo

Well yeah... she wouldn?t lie for sure. I?m not going to pretend I?m a bit disappointed but that?s how the industry works anyway... Still, I?ll keep on waiting for them to come here. It just ain?t fair that you?ve seen them 5 times and I haven?t not even once! lol  :D

From 411mania.com


Like A Velvet Revolver Could Get Through Airport Security

Velvet Revolver was forced to cancel their brief tour of Japan this week because the country refused to grant visas to the bandmembers. Their rap sheet was cited as the reason. Apparently, the band's December shows in Australia are still good to go, seeing as how Australia doesn't care what the hell you do.

Hey, let's delve into Velvet Revolver's criminal past:

Scott Weiland (vocals): sentenced to one year probation in 1995 for buying crack cocaine, several parole violations followed, busted in 1998 for buying heroin and sentenced to jail time, which he served, arrested by Las Vegas police in 2001 and charged with battering his wife, for which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and a fine.

Slash (guitar): two high-profile overdoses, but no known police record

Dave Kushner (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), Matt Sorum (drums): got nothing on them

So I guess Japanese fans can thank Scott Weiland and his love of drugs and spousal abuse for them not getting to see Velvet Revolver before Christmas.

Speaking of Scott Weiland, he recently announced that he'd signed a publishing deal to write an autobiography. Weiland admitted that it seems like an overwhelming task. Well, I'm thinking if he remembers anything, it would be a miracle.

July 9th, 2004

Nearly eight months after his arrest for driving under the influence of drugs, Scott Weiland was sentenced Thursday in a Los Angeles court to three years' probation, during which he'll be treated for his drug problem.

Weiland had pleaded no contest to the misdemeanor charge earlier this week, which stemmed from his arrest on his 36th birthday, October 27th. The Velvet Revolver singer's BMW struck a parked van, and as part of his sentencing, he was ordered to pay restitution to the owner of the parked vehicle, in addition to a $390 fine.

---

August 18th, 2003

Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland dodged a bullet on Thursday when a judge sentenced him to three years probation for his May drug arrest.

Weiland appeared in a Pasadena, California, courtroom on two felony possession charges and was sentenced to probation, which includes court-monitored individual and group counseling sessions, mandatory Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and random drug testing, according to a spokesperson for the Pasadena District Attorney's office.

The singer must also continue to attend a drug-rehabilitation program as a condition of his sentence. If he completes all the terms of his probation within the first year, the case could be dismissed. He faced up to a year in jail if convicted on the charges.

Weiland, 35, was arrested in Burbank, California, on May 18 on felony counts of possession of heroin and cocaine after police stopped his car for a routine traffic violation.





/jarmo

I wonder how many non-celebs, on probation, after two arrest, don't go to jail in Ca. when involved in a auto crash under the influence.

agree... What Paris got was over the top.