
SXSW threatens international artists with deportation over unofficial shows - 6stringmerc
http://www.avclub.com/article/sxsw-threatens-international-artists-deportation-p-251394
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TillE
This language obviously wasn't run by a lawyer or anything. "Revoked passport"
is really not a thing that the US is capable of doing to citizens of other
countries. They also get the name of CBP wrong.

What a weirdly sloppy and threatening contract.

~~~
6stringmerc
From what I understand via second hand comments (some from the AV Club itself)
it may be standard Guest Worker Visa type boilerplate. At least at the core.
Now, whether SXSW turned up the volume to make a point / wipe-their-hands-
clean is probably a bit more for conjecture.

A good number of bands drop in to Dallas if they're playing SXSW, but I don't
know if that option or this new highlighted tone might have any affect.

Honestly unless a band is really being courted / funded by somebody with deep
pockets, I don't know how the band would show up to Austin / the US just for
one show. I mean, for most international bands, I'd hope for their sake
they're already here on Guest Worker Visas for their music act. I do know Pogo
from Australia learned the hard way via the IRS...

But, I don't say this lightly, there's probably a good number of bands being
flown in by corporate interests just for SXSW bragging rights so maybe this
actually has teeth. I mean, it's not an "indie darling" anymore. It's the kind
of place where they have acts playing on a stage that is an oversized Doritos
vending machine[1], and caught so much flack for it they finally dialed some
things down. Like using Homeless people as WiFi spots[2].

[1]
[http://www.brooklynvegan.com/files/img/music2/doritosjacked....](http://www.brooklynvegan.com/files/img/music2/doritosjacked.jpg)

[2] [http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-
way/2012/03/13/148506762/...](http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-
way/2012/03/13/148506762/turning-homeless-men-into-wifi-hotspots-at-sxsw-
ignites-debate)

