Adam Devonshire: Celebs Rumors

IDLES, Rina Sawayama, Hot Chip and more have backed a campaign urging the UK government to act on US visa charges.Last month, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it was planning to raise touring visa fees for foreign acts by 260 per cent.Under the DHS proposal, applications for a P visa – which allows acts arriving in the States to perform temporarily – would increase from the current rate of $460 (£375.23) to $1,615 (£1,317).The longer-term O work visa would also jump from $460 (£375.23) to $1,655 (£1,349).In response, the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) boosted their #LetTheMusicMove campaign – originally created in June 2021 – to oppose the potential changes, emphasising that the move could result in “crippling costs for UK artists looking to tour North America”.Now, a number of touring artists have bolstered the campaign with their support.“After what we’ve been through with Brexit and the pandemic, the implications of these new visa proposals are incredibly worrying for all artists wanting to travel and perform in the US,” Sawayama said.“I travel with 15+ crew on a tight margin, and any increase in costs sadly gets passed onto concert goers through higher ticket prices, which is not fair. Live music should be democratic and accessible and this is just another blow to the arts sector and the experience of concert goers.”Adam Devonshire of IDLES added: “Britain is renowned for its hugely profitable musical exports, however with pointless and costly restrictions such as these, British artists will struggle to make a name for themselves in the US, which would be a huge shame.