HAPPY MONDAYS cancel shows due to VISA issues, but IN THE CITY OF NY lives on

Yvette Livesey & Tony Wilson‘s In the City Festival runs from June 13-14, 2007 (this week) right here in NYC. The festival is basically two days of music industry panels followed by two nights of UK music that was to include two shows by The Happy Mondays at Nokia Theatre, BUT as many know by now – possibly because they had tickets, or possibly because they were keeping up with the comments from yesterday, The Happy Mondays have cancelled both shows.

The Rakes & Pigeon Detectives has been moved to Knitting Factory. Tickets are on sale. Press release below…

In The City of New York announce Festival Changes
The Happy Mondays cancel due to temporary visa issues
The show will go on!

Now as we know, one can always expect that along with the name Tony Wilson comes a little extra added drama.
If he didn’t let a thing such as cancer stand in the way of ITC of NY happening, he certainly isn’t going to let another curve ball stop the show! Now combine the names Tony Wilson and The Happy Mondays and your chances of a ‘little extra drama’, becomes slightly higher.

With a new album “Unkle Dysfunktional” completed and tucked under their arms, the Happy Mondays were all set to come to the states to play their first NYC show in more than 10 years. The lads from Manchester planned to headline the In The City of NY festival for Tony Wilson, who they owe all of their original success in the late 80’s/ early 90’s. The shows would be a taster for fans of their new material, following hard on the heel’s of their recent sold-out tour in the UK.

The US government has something else in mind.

Due to the unforeseen circumstance of that troubled word we are growing too familiar with, ‘VISA’, The Happy Mondays will not be coming to NYC as originally planned. Therefore they will not be performing at the Nokia as part of ITC of NY on the 13th in addition to their Nokia show on the 14th.

As we all know, The show must go on.

ITC of NY will announce updates shortly on venue changes for June 13th. The Rakes, who are about to unleash one of the most powerful albums of the year take the stage as headlining act, and kicking off the ITC music conference evening festivities are recent #3 UK album chart toppers, The Pigeon Detectives.

All Nokia Ticket holders will get full refunds at tickemaster or point of purchase. The new venue will guarantee admission for all delegate badge holders. Stay tuned for more information on venue changes!

On June 14th the UK’s current favorite band Biffy Clyro will headline the Highline Ballroom, along with the most sought after and much talked about Enter Shikari, and Blood Red Shoes round the night out with their new found fame.

It’s 2007 and time for spring cleaning, out with the old difficult dinosaurs – who are neither happy nor here at the beginning of the week, and on with 5 of the hottest new bands out of the United kingdom – rare is it for New Yorkers to see the evolution of UK bands as it happens, Biffy Clyro debuts at #2 in the UK this week and ITC had already snagged them to play for us…

the exact opposite of extinction, more like an evolution!

Further information regarding The Happy Mondays visa issue:
It seems that post-9/11 visa application restrictions for a band with the Happy Mondays history- know as much for their legendary lifestyle as their unique collision of rave beats, indie rock and street poetry has proven difficult this time.

Essentially the US Embassy in the UK has halted the process of Bez’s visa application until the outcome of pending court proceedings. Unfortunately Bez was unable to come and shake his maracas at the bands first US performance in more than a decade at Coachella this spring. These proceedings should have concluded weeks ago but due to rescheduling, it made it impossible for a US visa to be issued in time for this weeks planned appearance.

Although the rest of the band were able to enter the country and perform at Coachella, it transpired that other band members – including Shaun Ryder – had been issued with single entry only visas, due to their prosecution histories. Although the duration of the term of their visas would have allowed another visit to the US, the single entry status meant that the whole visa application process had to be restarted upon their return from LA, placing their plans to appear in NYC in jeopardy. The Happy Mondays are absolutely “gutted” at not being able to support Tony Wilson this week. However, they are sorting their visas issues once and for all—so the whole band— can return to the states sometime soon.