Disappointment, frustration, anger. Those are three words that can be used to describe the way I, and probably many other fans, feel upon hearing the news that Hypocrisy has “been forced to cancel” their North American tour. Anger is the best descriptor of my emotions following the news. It was disappointment the first time I held tickets to a cancelled Hypocrisy show, but now it’s just anger. I have possessed tickets to three different Hypocrisy shows, with the expectation each time of finally getting to see them live. I also now have in my possession ticket stubs to three different cancelled Hypocrisy shows.
The first was several years ago, when they were slated to play alongside Ensiferum. That tour where Alexi Laiho was supposed to fill in on guitar. Which would have been verging on fantastic for someone who is an admittedly huge Children of Bodom fan. Shortly before that tour was slated to begin, it was announced that Hypocrisy had to cancel due to visa issues.
The second time happened to be the Barge to Hell cruise. After numerous other cancellations and rumors of certain bands being on board that turned out to false, Hypocrisy was one of the few bands left that I hadn’t seen live previously that I was excited to see. Literally a couple of days before metal heads were set to board the ship, they announced a cancellation again. If personal issues were truly to blame, it’s an understandable reason. Although incredibly disappointing nonetheless.
Now they’ve pulled out of this tour. I guess I shouldn’t have been so quick to say “I hope they don’t cancel again” when I first bought my tickets. Again, this is due to visa issues. While everything I have read has said that the visa process was going as expected until the other day, I’m still in slight disbelief. (This is especially true after holding tickets to Arkona’s recently cancelled tour and hearing about the cancellation of Cradle of Filth’s tour due to visa issues). Considering passports can be expedited for an extra fee, I would have assumed it would be the same for visas. Especially once the process has already been under way. Then again, I don’t know how the American system works, as I’m led to believe that this an issue in the States, due to the problems being credited to Homeland Security. Anyone that has had to deal with security in the States knows it’s not exactly easy. Which would make you think that these things would be arranged and confirmed months in advance to avoid issues like this. Whomever handles the paperwork for Hypocrisy should have realized this. Especially considering they’ve had problems with visas for North American tours before. This is even more of a blow to Canadian fans, as the issue seems to be with Homeland Security in the States, and nothing has been mentioned about denial of entry into Canada. Perhaps tours shouldn’t even be announced until visas are in place. That would avoid the anger and frustration that fans inevitably feel with these last minute cancellations.
While this particular tour is still apparently going on, minus Hypocrisy and Aborted, I’m no longer anticipating this show. I have the ticket, it’s a pain to get a refund, the other bands that are left are decent, and therefore I’ll still go. But thanks to strike number three, I can no longer believe Peter TÃĪgtgren when he states “We will be back, I can promise that!” That will be something I will only believe when I finally see it for myself, if I can even be persuaded to buy a ticket to a Hypocrisy show again.
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