These are still unusual times in the world for the higher echelon DJs. Many are making up for lost time during the pandemic and have gone into utter overdrive – and many are finding that the world’s bureaucracies haven’t quite caught up with the pace now being expected of them.
Hence why it’s not especially unusual to see DJs having to cancel gig appearances right now – and all because the paperwork isn’t quite in order. Why are we mentioning all this? Because it’s what led to DJ Harvey posting this on his socials yesterday…
The man himself will not be appearing at Pikes Ibiza this year owing to the apparent fact that “bureaucracy has intervened”. But what exactly is this red tape that DJ Harvey – real name Harvey Bassett – refers to?
Well, Ears To The House can reveal that contrary to initial internet speculation, Bassett has not fallen victim to Brexit related bureaucracy. Since the UK left the EU, British citizens who want to travel into the bloc – with the exception of Ireland – can do so for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa.
However, Bassett might also be a dual national. In addition to being a British citizen, due to having been born in Cambridge, he confirmed in a 2010 interview with Juno Records that he has a green card in the USA. It’s unclear whether Bassett has citizenship in the country – although a green card, allowing permanent residency in the USA, is traditionally considered part of the route to becoming an American citizen.
If Bassett has since become a US citizen, being a dual national can make entering the EU from Stateside rather more difficult. If he hasn’t become a US citizen, it becomes even harder again – and even if all those hurdles can be overcome, Bassett would need a minimum of three months left on his passport.
Oh, and did we mention that passport application processing times are at record highs in several parts of the world? Currently, renewing a passport in the USA comes with an average waiting time of ten weeks – with British passport holders forced to wait similar amounts of time for theirs.
It’s no wonder many people are now experiencing, as Bassett puts it, bureaucratic interventions…
