Bands can now play Liechtenstein Visa Free!

[skidder652003]

Almost Funny if it wasn't tragic

 Minister of Culture, Arts and Flags you rock!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-57387840

 

[ambient]

I saw that. I was going to enquire about a gig there, though I’m guessing there’s going to be a massive stampede of UK artists wanting to play, so I’ll wait a while.

[Beedster]

[ambient]

Lichtenstein is landlocked and doesn’t have an airport, so getting there may pose a problem. I believe - could be wrong - that there’s only only one music venue there. 

[Daz39]

It’s not even half the size of Rutland, and has a population of 39,000. I’m sure the Dept of Trade worked through a lunchtime to seal that deal…

[Downunderwonder]

Seems like they are working through the EU country by country doing the deals individually that EU HQ wouldn't do pre Brexit. You need a few more countries to fall into cooperating and the rest will feel like they are losing out on Coldplay and Elton soon enough.

[Doctor J]

Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein? Maybe they got the idea from the UK's points tally at the Eurovision?

 

 

 

Too soon? 😉

[Dom in Dorset]

You can impress the crowd in Lichtenstein by playing their national anthem....you already know the tune.

 

[Cat Burrito]

Just to buck the trend, I have at least played Norway a few times. We had a touring deal there at the start of lockdown which we lost. Whilst I don't particularly see Lichtenstein as a new horizon of opportunity, Norway was very good to us. I'd rather during the exit negotiations Britain had taken the offer to have the whole of Europe available to touring bands but at least Norway is a start. As long as it isn't the end too.

[Supernaut]

Brexit going well then! 😂

[Hellzero]

There's a little glitch in this proud announcement : none of these countries is a member of the EEC...

Nice try !

[Downunderwonder]

  On 09/06/2021 at 07:20, Dom in Dorset said:

You can impress the crowd in Lichtenstein by playing their national anthem....you already know the tune.

 

Expand  

Believe it or not I am pretty sure the last time I sang that ditty I was doing it every week at primary school assembly.

[Doctor J]

There is a glaring national omission in Devin Townsend's tour schedule next year., even though the gap after the first date is there for a reason. I'm guessing there are still some logistical hurdles to be overcome before he can announce any UK dates?
 

[skidder652003]

  On 08/06/2021 at 23:56, Downunderwonder said:

Seems like they are working through the EU country by country doing the deals individually that EU HQ wouldn't do pre Brexit. You need a few more countries to fall into cooperating and the rest will feel like they are losing out on Coldplay and Elton soon enough.

Expand  

They can F*&k^%g have 'em!!!

[borntohang]

  On 08/06/2021 at 23:56, Downunderwonder said:

Seems like they are working through the EU country by country doing the deals individually that EU HQ wouldn't do pre Brexit. You need a few more countries to fall into cooperating and the rest will feel like they are losing out on Coldplay and Elton soon enough.

Expand  

You can't do deals with individual EU countries - that's why it's a trade bloc. Norway, Iceland, and Lichtenstein are all signatories to the EEA but not EU members. We won't have any deals with any EU countries until all 27 members can agree on terms. 

Also I've played gigs bigger than Liechtenstein. Norway was nice though and Iceland means at least Airwaves might be doable. 

[bode]

I know a guy who owns a record label, he says this whole visas for musicians saga is massively overblown. He can't understand why the radio keeps making it a news feature..for political gain obviously. American musicians never played in Europe due to them not being in the EU. 🙄

Anyway, he knows a girl who issues them, it takes the click of a button to sort it out. A nice earner for her though!

[Leonard Smalls]

  On 12/06/2021 at 11:27, bode said:

I know a guy who owns a record label, he says this whole visas for musicians saga is massively overblown.

Expand  

The situation is different in each EU country, some require permits,some sort of do. But either way there's a whole level of unnecessary complexity:

https://abo.org.uk/assets/files/Advice-and-Fact-sheets/Touring/FTA-briefing-24-Feb-21.pdf

And for furriners coming to Britain,firstly you have to prove you're a "professional" musician - i.e. one who earns the majority of their income playing music. Kind of puts paid to little bands coming over and playing little gigs at grassroots venues!

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/450237/Entering_the_UK_Arts_Ents_leaflet_August_2015.pdf

[Hellzero]

Funny to moan now when you knew that Brexit meant being a foreigner (alien, if you prefer) everywhere with all the paper(work) hassle it implies... It's not political, it's a simple fact.

[4000]

  On 09/06/2021 at 07:31, Cat Burrito said:

Just to buck the trend, I have at least played Norway a few times. We had a touring deal there at the start of lockdown which we lost. Whilst I don't particularly see Lichtenstein as a new horizon of opportunity, Norway was very good to us. I'd rather during the exit negotiations Britain had taken the offer to have the whole of Europe available to touring bands but at least Norway is a start. As long as it isn't the end too.

Expand  

I’d love to play Norway, and Iceland too. Never been to Norway, sadly, but Iceland is awesome. 
 

 

[ambient]

  On 12/06/2021 at 11:27, bode said:

I know a guy who owns a record label, he says this whole visas for musicians saga is massively overblown. He can't understand why the radio keeps making it a news feature..for political gain obviously. American musicians never played in Europe due to them not being in the EU. 🙄

Anyway, he knows a girl who issues them, it takes the click of a button to sort it out. A nice earner for her though!

Expand  

There’s a lot of ignorance about working in the creative industry following Brexit. It’s not a simple matter.

American musicians did indeed perform in Europe, but only those at a high level with financial backing. It costs money, a visa is required for each country. Most people working in the creative industry are self employed, and follow a DIY style of working. I’ve performed in Europe and worked as an academic in Sweden. The budget for the kind of things I do - and most others too - isn’t sufficient. It’s not just visas - as you’d discover if you did a bit of research. There’s VAT payable upfront at each border on merchandise for instance. You claim back what you don’t sell, that takes months to come through.

It’s not just musicians and artists either. There’s actors, technicians - lighting, sound engineers etc. People who work in film and TV production are also affected. Many were employed as freelancers, you can't now just be employed by a French or German company, they need to have offered it to an EU resident first.

[bode]

  On 12/06/2021 at 12:08, Hellzero said:

Funny to moan now when you knew that Brexit meant being a foreigner (alien, if you prefer) everywhere with all the paper(work) hassle it implies... It's not political, it's a simple fact.

Expand  

It's a trade off. Belfast has dozens of 'professional' Romanian street musicians who abused entry requirements, claiming benefits on both side of the border. How can any country know what your intentions are when you arrive?

The reason it's so difficult for you all is because the EU market is a protection racket, they don't want foreigners earning money in their closed market.

Edited June 12, 2021 by bode

[Dad3353]

  On 12/06/2021 at 13:19, bode said:

...The reason it's so difficult for you all is because the EU market is a protection racket, they don't want foreigners earning money in their closed market.

Expand  

The reason it's so difficult is because the UK side didn't want to allow reciprocal arrangements. 

[ambient]

  On 12/06/2021 at 11:27, bode said:

I know a guy who owns a record label, he says this whole visas for musicians saga is massively overblown. He can't understand why the radio keeps making it a news feature..for political gain obviously. American musicians never played in Europe due to them not being in the EU. 🙄

Anyway, he knows a girl who issues them, it takes the click of a button to sort it out. A nice earner for her though!

Expand  

A good friend of mine plays for the CBSO. They used to tour regularly across Europe. The excess cost now will be prohibitive, imagine how much it’ll cost to arrange visas/work permits for an eighth piece orchestra plus their entourage? You might dismiss it because they’re an orchestra, but it was work for both the musicians and the people they travel with.

Further to my earlier post. A friend of mine is a DJ. He was saying last week about the fantastic times he spent working in clubs in the Spanish and Greek islands when he was younger. He wouldn’t be allowed to do it now.

The ticket touts that drive holiday makers mad handing out flyers and trying to get them to visit timeshare apartments, tended to be British having working holidays. They won’t be allowed to work abroad. I’m going off topic I know, but I get annoyed with people making flippant remarks about the loss of FoM.

[Leonard Smalls]

  On 12/06/2021 at 13:19, bode said:

EU market is a protection racket, they don't want foreigners earning money in their closed market.

Expand  

You haven't read the gov.uk link I posted above about foreign entertainers working in the UK.

If you did you'd see that:

a) the UK market is a protection racket, they don't want foreigners earning money in their closed market

b) the UK has spectacularly removed its own nose with a rusted and blunt scythe in order to spite its own union jack-bedecked face, only to whinge that said flag was made in Poland...

[bode]

  On 12/06/2021 at 13:43, Dad3353 said:

The reason it's so difficult is because the UK side didn't want to allow reciprocal arrangements. 

Expand  

Yes because we don't need a quarter of a million Romanian street musicians. See my earlier point. The country agreed and a Brexit debate is super boring.