Strike Anywhere

All in a day's work

'"What happened in Japan is better left a blameless situation," began Strike Anywhere vocalist, Thomas Barnett. "We were informed that we didn't have the proper visas and were under house arrest for 48 hours. We couldn't talk to anyone we knew."

This was an eye-opening experience for the members of Strike Anywhere. They were stuck in a foreign country in which most of them hadn't been before. They could barely communicate with the people that held the keys to their freedom.

To top it all off, they were completely powerless to do anything about the situation.

"As an aside, when you're under house arrest in a foreign country and they take your passports and plane tickets, you're really under a lot of stress," said Barnett. "Being in this limbo where you're a persona non grata is chilling. You don't realize how much it can put you through. It gives you a realistic sense of empathy for the economic imbalances that occur with immigration into the States."

It's a feeling to which few people can personally relate. In addition to being put through the mental anguish of it all, the band's tour dates were cancelled and they could neither promote their upcoming CD, "Exit English," nor could they make the money to feed themselves, since they were already living hand-to-mouth on tour.

"When you come to a foreign country with anything that has the word 'tour' on it, they expect you to have some money," he said. "That's the punk-rock phenomenon, we were all broke. Even a credit card would've helped the situation."

Is the band sorry for the troubles they were put through? Wasn't it ever so frustrating to be stripped of your liberties over a small misunderstanding? Not at all. The members of Strike Anywhere are more than pleased with the story they have to tell and the people they met. Also, they're glad that they could have a taste of injustice with which they can empathize.

"We got a taste of what we put the rest of the world through when foreigners try to come to America," he continued. "As a result, we have a lot of love for what little we know of Japan. They really did a lot to help us when they didn't have to. It's a big bureaucracy and the guards have no reason to care. They could have just kept doing the job they were taught to do."

The "nice immigration officers" ended up helping the band get out of Japan. Once the officers figured out where the band needed to go, they found them tickets to Brisbane, Australia. The band had to pay for the tickets. It landed them in the country eight days before their next show. It was a penniless but eventful vacation.

"I have relatives in Sydney," said Barnett. "So, we got to stay with my uncle who was arranging a nationwide teachers' strike. That was cool to see. He introduced us to Cindy, who was the Aboriginal Welcomer for all officials. It's a formal ceremony that happens on all events, like the Olympics. She welcomes the non-aboriginal Australians who have been there for over 200 years. It's spectacular and shows some sort of cultural understanding between the two peoples there. It was a great experience that helped balance out what happened in Japan."

The tour continued, and now the band is back in the States for a tour that won't require visas or the threat of deportation. The album comes out this week, and things are continuing to look up for the band. They've certainly learned from the experiences they've garnered on the road.

"During a previous tour, we were held up at gunpoint," said Barnett. "So, we've definitely dealt with some drama on the road."