Border Protection: Sxsw Appearance and Stage Name

border protection: On Thursday, musician Felix Walworth, who goes by the stage name Told Slant, announced he was cancelling his SXSW appearance after reading a clause in his contract which threatens to report any international acts playing unsanctioned gigs to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to The Waterloo Record. According to the excerpt in his tweet, Accepting and performing unofficial events may result in immediate deportation, revoked passport and denied entry by U.S. Customs Border Patrol sic at U.S. ports of entry. In order to maximize exposure and get the most bang for their travel buck, up-and-coming bands often play multiple showcases while at SXSW, both official and not. The contract also bars international bands in the country on nonwork visas from playing unofficial or public shows for the last six days of the festival. He explained that rising bands from other countries who play SXSW usually do so on nonwork visas, saving the artists time and money. In a statement to USA TODAY, SXSW's managing director Roland Swenson said that Walworth's withdrawal was the result of a misunderstanding of our policies regarding international artists. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.