British rockers THE Mystery Jets have been forced to cancel their U.S. concert debut, after encountering "immigration issues" on their way to a gig in New York.
The band was due to kick of the American leg of their current tour on Tuesday (14Sep10) with two shows at the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan, but promoters pulled the plug on the concerts after the bandmates were detained crossing the border from Canada, where they performed in Toronto on Monday (13Sep10).
The band's record bosses are refusing to explain the nature of the "immigration issues" but are hopeful the band will be granted entry to America in time to perform at the Mercury Lounge on Wednesday (15Sep10).
The Mystery Jets are due to make their Los Angeles debut on Friday (17Sep10) before jetting back to Europe for a string of gigs across the continent.
It's not the first time the band have been barred from the U.S. In 2007 they were forced to cancel a trip after officials denied them visas to travel. A band statement at the time said the Mystery Jets "haven't any criminal records nor have failed any government drug tests but have had the unfortunate reality of delays in paperwork and processing. It happens, and to the best of bands quite apparently."