Sound CheckThe Used cancels Canadian tour dates after border ban
Taking to their website, Utah band The Used have announced the cancellation of all of their upcoming Canadian tour stops with sources citing lead singer Bert McCracken's criminal record as the obstacle preventing the band's entry to Canada.
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"We regret to inform that due to border and immigration issues, that all of our Canada shows will be canceled," the band wrote. "We our very sorry, but its completely out of our control. Once we are allowed back into Canada we will make up the canceled shows. We appreciate all of your love and support! Love, The Used."
Speaking with Rolling Stone during their stint on the 2012 Vans Warped Tour, McCracken revealed the severity of the ban and its confusing nature, saying, "They won't let me in. They said not for ten years. It's weird, they're like, 'You need to rehabilitate these crimes before you come back to Canada.' I'm like, 'What does that mean?'"
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According to the 30-year-old, the "crimes" he's committed are long since past and have been blown out of proportion. "When I say criminal record, I'm talking teensy, eensy misdemeanours they still have on my record from, like, 2001 and 2003 — trespassing," the frontman said.
Entering the Great White North has been a problem for The Used in the past and even though the band members "are fans of Canada," entering the country has proved difficult numerous times over.
"It's nice once we get up there, but trying to get in is a nightmare every time," McCracken said. "We've been denied many times," bass player Jeph Howard added. "Half of our crew couldn't get in either."
To remedy the situation, the band has come up with what Rolling Stone deems a "creative solution" where they perform along the border and offer free entry to Canadians.
"We're gonna do border tours," Howard told the music magazine. "Detroit, Buffalo, Fargo, Seattle, Billings, Montana ...," McCracken said. Adding, "Or, we can do the F--k Canada tour and play the borders, and all the Canadians get in for free with their passports."
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The Used is comprised of McCracken, Howard, guitar player Quinn Allman and drummer Dan Whitesides. They are best known for tracks like "The Bird And The Worm," "Pretty Handsome Awkward," and "Empty With You."
March 2012 saw the release of the band's fifth album titled "Vulnerable," which features the newest single, "Put Me Out."
"All our videos are pretty serious up to this point, so we thought we'd do something that's kind of silly and fun," McCracken told Rolling Stone of the upcoming music video for "Put Me Out."
Explaining the premise of the new clip, the frontman said, "The whole concept of the video is this kid is in a cigarette costume, and he's being treated like sh-t everywhere he goes […] Then he sees a flier for the Used concert, comes to the Used show, moshes around, crowd surfs, I bring him up onstage, put a guitar on him and he starts rocking out with the Used."
Listen to "Put Me Out" featured below.
