Live Venues getting slim.

It's also much more difficult for touring artists to get visas now, than it used to be. The amount made available is very limited.

Spiritualized, I've just got a note that Auktyon had their visa request denied! They've been touring US almost every year and had Medecki, Martin and Wood joined their performances. There was several venue events scheduled accross few US large cities New York, Chicago, Philadelphia.

Before this happened, I only thought that it's just a gossip about artists facing difficulties getting a visa.
Why the performing artists visas are being limited? Is our government now controlling illegal immigration of artists not returning back? If that's true I feel terrible especially knowing the fact that I'm paying taxes for these dumb immigration reforms.

Check this out...

http://www.auktyon.com/

After 9/11/01, the whole VISA review process was overhauled. This included a reduction in the number of VISAs made available each year for touring artists. The qualification process is also more difficult.

Strange, It's been slight problem after attacks, but year later there was plenty of great seasons for foreign performing artists. Surely can't count on fingers how many I've listened live between 9/11/2001 and now. All of these years followed UK bands King Crimson, UK(Allan Holdsworth, Edie Jobson), Peter Hammill(Van Der Graaf Generator); musicians and bands from Northern Europe, India, Middle East, Latin America. I was averaging to 4...5 venue visits per year...
2011 is the WORST where I only went once to listen to performance of Nadja Palermo-Sonenberg(prima violin) Four Seasons by Astor Piazzolla(a unique tango interpretation of Vivaldi's Four Seasons).

Right now even domestic/Canadian non-hip-hop artists are spending more time touring Europe.