NewsMay 23, 2018 11:15 AM ET6,411 views

Wormrot arrives in U.S. for tour, sans gear and luggage

Singapore grindcore outfit Wormrot continues to have a difficult time when it comes to touring in North America. Last year, the band canceled their U.S. tour after deeming U.S. customs paperwork to be prohibitively expensive. In early 2018, the group decided to venture back to North America for a brief trek which is scheduled to commence tomorrow (May 24) in Brooklyn, NY. Unfortunately, while Wormrot has safely arrived in the United States, a significant portion of their gear and personal items are stranded in the United Arab Emirates after an unfortunate series of events. Wormrot manager Azean has been keeping fans informed via Facebook:
ANNOUNCEMENT (3pm): The boys are already on the way to US but without guitar, clothes, toiletries, some merch and some drum equipments. A friend of ours, Amir, who is travelling with them had been denied entry all because the luggages were checked in under his name by Etihad counter in Singapore and he was deemed suspicious by the US custom in trying to go into US to make money or work for the band when he is on tourist visa. I have settled the issues and Amir will be on the next available flight back to Singapore with no cost incurred but the luggages and equipments will be traveling back to Singapore with him. That is the biggest issue now as now the boys do not have anything with them and there's no way Etihad can send the luggages to US. I am so utterly disappointed with Etihad right now. It is so traumatising for Amir to be treated like a criminal at the airport and it was so troublesome for me to spend hours communicating back and forth with Etihad, Amir, the travel agency as well as updating the tour manager on top of handling my little toddler who requires a lot of attention from me. I cannot even imagine how the boys will manage without clothes, main equipments and lesser merch means lesser income to support them for the tour UPDATE (4pm): Etihad just contacted me to inform that they are trying their best to arrange for the boys' luggages to reach NY by 25 May. Hoping for the best. UPDATE (7pm): No news with regards to the arrangements of the luggages able to be sent to New York. Good news is, 5th luggage was identified as guitar which was under Rasyid's name so guitar went through with Rasyid. However, guitar pedals, drum pedals, drumsticks, CDs, patches and clothes/toiletries were in the rest of the luggages still stuck in Abu Dhabi. UPDATE (8pm): Tried to call the Etihad duty manager in Singapore airport office but didn't answer. Amir is still stuck in Abu Dhabi with no updates of his flight details from Abu Dhabi office. Still no news of the baggages. Managed to get him....And now, the airline said that Amir had to buy his return air ticket back to SG and the baggages are still stuck at Abu Dhabi which they have to file for report upon arrival at JFK airport. I'm lost for words.
UPDATE: Wormrot now says their gear is finally on its way, though they will play the gigs regardless. Here's the latest:
Updates: our dear friend Amir just got home in Singapore so he is safe. Our baggage will be on their way to us in a few hours hopefully. Mad props to those who settled our stuff and of course our dear Azean for hauling ass resolving this matter back home in Singapore. Not to mentioned the amazing support you guys were proposing to us due to the massive hiccups. The tour will go on with or without our shits. We have already made u guys waited for 7 years. See you folks soon. Saint vitus tonight. Come hang.

27 comments

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dog_boner 5/23/2018 10:33:36 AM

Boys will be boys

anonymous 5/23/2018 11:48:33 AM

should've thought a little longer before he went and was named Amir.

anonymous 5/23/2018 12:08:12 PM

Why is councilman Brannon not looking into this?

anonymous 5/23/2018 12:40:20 PM

should've just stuck to transporting the nails hammers and sheetrock for the real work

anonymous 5/23/2018 12:57:26 PM

1) Massively cost prohibitive to fly someone from Singapore or the Middle East (in case I misunderstood) when the dates are in the USA. 2) Correct, this person - whatever his role is - would be "working" which is not allowed on a tourist visa - nor is playing shows if the band is being paid in any way, shape or form. 3) Why the hell would you choose a Middle Eastern guy and have him fly with everyone's baggage? Of course it's a giant red flag.

anonymous 5/23/2018 4:47:48 PM

Indeed, why is Abu Dabhi and some guy named Amir involved with an Asian band? Everyone was right to flag this one.

anonymous 5/23/2018 5:20:13 PM

Couple of real geniuses in here. Did it occur to you that flying Singapore to the east coast of the USA is a quicker trip flying west via UAE rather than east? Probably not, back to imperial measurements and thinking the only Georgia is a southern state. Hick flip.

anonymous 5/23/2018 8:26:19 PM

Working on a tourist visa then blaming others when things go wrong. Typical millennials.

anonymous 5/23/2018 8:29:30 PM

And did this bitch say she's bringing her toddler on tour with a grindcore band? You can take the Asians out of Asia...

Chi_Stake 5/23/2018 9:11:34 PM

Saw them in Philly because their van got towed. I bet the PPA did this shit too.

anonymous 5/23/2018 11:25:25 PM

"3) Why the hell would you choose a Middle Eastern guy and have him fly with everyone's baggage? Of course it's a giant red flag." Singapore is infested with muslim wannabes Muhammad ?? flip

anonymous 5/24/2018 2:58:00 AM

Only fcking racist white pigs roam this site

anonymous 5/24/2018 3:02:25 AM

You guys all got dropped on your heads as a baby and the band and the their friend are Malay Asians ya dumbfcks.

anonymous 5/24/2018 5:07:43 AM

Lol that guy ain't middle eastern you racist scumbags. He's a malay singaporean but I guess you Americans think you know everything cause Americans ¯\_(?)_/¯

anonymous 5/24/2018 5:51:52 AM

Everyone chip in for the boys, almost humanitarian here, they are between 2T and 3T but ANYTHING appreciated!!!

anonymous 5/24/2018 7:35:14 AM

I'll donate a few loads later tonight in your honor.

anonymous 5/24/2018 7:36:53 AM

Just donated a deuce

anonymous 5/24/2018 8:58:42 AM

The dude named Amir is actually in the band you fcking idiot. And the lady bringing the baby is Amir's wife and the bands manager. Y'all are some ignorant fcks who don't know shit about this band.

anonymous 5/24/2018 9:43:11 AM

^makes no sense at all. then why is the wife back in the states with the boys while Amir is back home? She should go back too. First who brings toddlers with them on a metal tour, obviously they are wealthy and looking to buy some gucci and chanel shit but still, very weird, something strange about this tour

anonymous 5/24/2018 9:43:53 AM

The dude named Amir is actually in the band you fcking idiot. And the lady bringing the baby is Amir's wife and the bands manager.< Not Amir. It's Arif, the band's vox and the band's manager is his wife. So many racist commenting but bet you pigs don't know Asia is not all about yellow small eye herd conveniently known as chinese to most of you in that god forsaken c*ntry.

anonymous 5/24/2018 9:50:06 AM

the wife who is also the band's manager is back in singapore. she didn't follow them. you guys should get tight on your shit news. bunch of mofos gobshite you are.

anonymous 5/24/2018 9:54:32 AM

still not making sense because if arif is in Singapore then why did the guys bring toddlers to America alone so who's wife is here then??

anonymous 5/24/2018 9:55:42 AM

So Amir booked the band and is Arifs wife then did she also mess up the visas???

anonymous 5/24/2018 5:56:30 PM

anonymous14 hours ago Only fcking racist white pigs roam this site awww this little fgts upset

anonymous 5/24/2018 6:26:23 PM

The main problem seems to be with the manager/agent. These touring issues show a complete lack of professionalism and understanding of international touring. It's the reason to hire professionals, not DIY relatives.

anonymous 5/24/2018 6:50:31 PM

wormrot shred. US visa policies have long been unfriendly to performers, professional highbrow to DIY grindcore. https://www.nytimes.com/20 12/04/11/arts/us-visa-rule s-frustrate-foreign-perfor mers.html wish i'd got tickets to this before it sold out, game 5 warriors/rockets will have to do.

anonymous 5/24/2018 10:35:59 PM

The supportive commenters are obviously just the dudes shitty tourmanager/wife/kid factory/terror plotter


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