Mary Katherine wrote:
"Another question arises when a band changes members between tours. Since we represent the Battlefield Band, you can imagine how often we've encountered that issue; I don't think the Battlefield Band has ever done two consecutive U.S. tours with the same personnel."

Hello Mary Katherine, say hello to all at Folklore from Ali. I know you have a point to make, but between 1984 and 1997, we had only one lineup change in Battlefield Band, and did about 35 US tours during that period!! (grin)

On a more general note, let me say that although I had a ball on every one of those 35 tours, nothing will get me to tour the USA again (or even go on holidays there) until the political and religious fundamentalists currently in the ascendancy crawl back into their holes.

I'm really sad to hear that so many people are having so much hassle getting visas. I don't think it's really a conspiracy; it's just that the current US climate allows individual bigoted bureaucrats to get away with stuff like this. Get yourselves a new government, get your boys out of Afghanistan and Iraq, let's all calm down and maybe we can all enjoy each others' cultures again. In the meanwhile, the US cultural scene will be the poorer, as more and more European artists decide not to tour in the US.

Bye all

Alistair Russell