The Department of Homeland Security, which now contains the Immigration and Naturalization Service, has denied a visa to poet/humorist Les Barker for his November tour on the grounds of being "not sufficiently culturally unique".  Many of the performers we see from outside the U.S must go through difficult and timely procedures to be able to perform here.

The INS could take over 7 months to process applications. This was a problem when you can't apply more than 6 months before the first gig, this was an obvious problem. Therefore one could pay an extra 1000 dollars and be moved to the front of the queue. Some policy.
Les knows that it is not particularly about him, but performers in general and said:
"If you want to use me as a focus, that's fine; if you want to use me as a focus for the other, much more serious things the US government is
doing to the world, that's even better. But remember the big picture isn't about me. It's about what happens to everybody as a matter of
course."  Les

Hilary Spencer of Quicksilve and Artison said: " I see you have picked up and run with the idea that Les is being bounced
because of his political views but I have to say that tis is a much bigger and wider problem which is catching  performers who do not have a
political agenda. The approach by the INS appears to be one of "they shall not pass" and I wonder whether performers from other countries are having the same problem as those from the UK. The criterion for a US performer being granted a visa to work in the UK is to prove that they  are a bona fide performer with work lined up. That's top and bottom of it. Why can't it be  reciprocated by the US?   - Hilary Spencer

1. Les Barker - Stealth Comma 308
The War on Terrier - Mrs. Ackroyd Records

2 Les Barker - Amnesia 434
The War on Terrier - Mrs. Ackroyd Records

3 Quicksilver (Hillary Spencer & Grant Baynham  )- Middleton Hiring Fair 343
Plenty - strawberry music

4 Artisan - I'll Sail no More 316
Breathing Space - Festival records

5 David Francey - Highway 95 331
Waking Hour - Red House
A "P-2" form kept David Francey from showing up for out 9th Spring Folk Benefit. Graciously Christine Lavin filled in for the Border Bound Francy.http://www.wjffradio.org/FolkPlus/setlists/010331.html

6 Jez Lowe - Idle Time 400
Parish Notices: Art Edition -

7 Matapat - Reel de la Peche au capelan/Reel St-Sauveur 34-
Petit Fou- Borealis

8 Mary Black - (Thom Moore) Still Believing 318
Babes in the Wood -

9 Night Sun - Summer Songs 505
One Moment of Grace - Borealis

10 Garnet Rogers - All That Is 345
Sparrow's Wing - Snow Goose

11 Kasey Chambers - Cry Like a Baby 358
The Captain -Asylum. Warner Bros

12 Walin' Jennys - Some Good Thing 318
Firecracker - Red Hosue

13 Lynn Miles - I Can't Tell You Why 357
Chalk This One Up to the Moon -

14 Les Barker - Sex is Better than Poetry 547
War On Terrier -

15 Nancy White - And I Copied iT 258
Stickers on Fruit - Borealis

16 Kate Rusby - Game of All Fours 340
Girl Who Couldnt Fly - Compass

17. Tamarack - Leaving Invararden 329
Leaving Inverarden - Folk Era

18 James Gordon - Weapons of Mass Instruction 340
Endomusia - Borealis

19. Eileen McGann -  No Country's law 312
Beyond the Storm - Dragonwing   eileenmcgann.net

20 Rise - Wild Mountain 403
Unceratain Wonders - risebandco.uk Sheheshe Records

21 Karan Casey - Lady Mary Anne 315
Chasing the Sun - Shanachie   http://www.karancasey.com/
She must have her visas in order, as shes playing Prarie Home Companion in december

22. Douglie Maclean - Green Grow the Ruashes 433
Live - http://www.dougiemaclean.com/
Scotish guitarist and fiddle player, from Butterstone near Dunkeld in the beautiful Tay Valley in Perthshire Scotland

23. The Bills - Old Blue Bridge 334
Let Em Run - Red House

24. The Cheiftans - Changing Your Demeanour 316
Long Black Veil - BMG music
In 1989, The Chieftans were appointed official musical ambassadors for Ireland by the Irish Republic.  They must have their touring visa ducks ina line because January 2006 mark 32 years of touring in North America. The 2006 tour began on January 17 in Shreveport, LA and ran through to March 18 in Newark, NJ. - http://www.thechieftains.com/

25 James Keelaghan - Ring 343
Road - Hightone

26 Tanglefoot - Feu Follet 302Tangletootmusic.com

27 Les Barker - The Civilised World 325
The War on Terrier

28  Iona -
Deep Roots New Growth - ionamusic.com

Folk Plus is hosted and planned by Angela Page and airs Saturdays from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on WJFF,
at 90.5 fm in Jeffersonville, N.Y. and 94.5 in Monticello N.Y. We are Hydro-Powered Public Radio
and stream online at WWW.WJFFRADIO.ORG     Welcome new web listeners
 

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