French Duo PNL Cancels Coachella Show Due to Immigration Issues

French Duo PNL Cancels Coachella Show Due to Immigration Issues

French rap duo PNL, which consists of brothers Tarik and Nabil Andrieu (aka Ademo and N.O.S.), had to cancel their Coachella performance due to “immigration issues,” according to a representative.

PNL’s representative told Pitchfork that the two brothers had attempted to secure a visa to perform at Coachella for a long time. “After months of applying, the immigration office still has not granted one of the brothers, Tarik, a visa so they had to cancel [Sunday]’s performance at the festival,” they said. The duo also announced their cancellation in French via their Facebook page. They’re still hoping they might secure a visa in time for Coachella’s second weekend on April 23, but they’re running out of time.

This isn’t the first time an international band has had to cancel a festival show because of visa problems, and it won’t be the last. A month ago, SXSW was marred in scandal for both their language regarding deportation and their shady advice regarding the Visa Waiver program—which resulted in multiple international musicians forced to cancel their performances. Since then, SXSW has apologized for its performance contract language and mishandling of the situation: “In this political climate, especially as it relates to immigration, we recognize the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.”

Now, with PNL’s cancellation, it seems Coachella may be facing a similar problem. We’ll keep an eye on the situation, and see if any other bands are unable to make it into the U.S. for the festival.

 
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