** L A U R E N T G A R N I E R ** 6.5.03

[pleazure]

Thursday June 5

Atlanta, GA

Pleazure and the Crescent Room present

***L A U R E N T G A R N I E R*** (F Communications / France)

It just doesn't get any bigger or better than this! You must believe me when I say this is a once in a lifetime experience. LAURENT GARNIER at most only confirms 3 USA dates per year and Pleazure has been working on this date for over SIX years. I can almost guarantee that you will NEVER get this opportunity again!!

VOTED BEST INTERNATIONAL DJ by the music press, this is a DJ performs eclectic sets that must be EXPERIENCED!! Laurent is considered the FIRST ambassador of House and Techno abroad and also the FIRST French DJ invited within the framework of the prestigious Radio One. His monumental productions expand over a decade including works on F Communications.

He is more technically sound than Jeff Mills or Richie Hawtin,

he is more elusive than Danny Tenaglia...

he will leave you spellbound and breathless...

He is LAURENT GARNIER !!!

Check out more music, bio and videos (and bask in his hotness) on:

http://www.laurentgarnier.com/

more info at www.pleazure.net

$15 presale @ Satellite Records

or arrive early at the door for $20

$3 brew all night long!

The Crescent Room can be found 1136 Crescent Avenue in Midtown Atlanta

for more info please call 404-875-5252

visit us at www.crescentroom.com or www.pleazure.net

CHECK OUT the interior renovations, new soundsystem and DJ booth location, LOW drink prices ( $2 PBR draft and $3 Guinness draft all the time!) POOL TABLE in the back room

[rcrespo]

will definitely try to make it up .. roadtrip anyone?

[pleazure]

Since we know this is a weeknight and there is so much support from out of state, we thought we would give you an extra incentive to travel to check out this show.

Show your out of state ID and take $5 off the door charge.

Please arrive early to ensure entry.

Or if you are coming for the weekend, stay until Saturday night for an intimate night with DEEP DISH and DEAN COLEMAN also @ The Crescent Room

[pleazure]

only 1 week to go!

please make sure if you are driving in from out of state that you get there early to ensure entry. This is hands down the most anticipated event of the year

[pleazure]

not sure if anyone is planning on driving this far but...

the crescent room new website is:

http://www.thecrescentroom.com/

take $5 off the door charge with an out of state ID

2 more days and counting...

[mrjoebudious]

I so wish I could make it to this one. I have to work Wednesday and we have our party on Friday that I need to promote for.

Joe Budious

If you can go and you don't, you suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dkb377]

i'll b there, anyone else?

[digital7]

Originally posted by dkb377

i'll b there, anyone else?

I wish

[pleazure]

I literally feel sick to my stomach.

I just received a call from France, in broken English, about problems with the American Embassy. Details are very sketchy and I am awaiting word from the American agent and an official press release but the date has again been canceled.

All I know is that the American Embassy is making it incredibly difficult to acquire a French US Work Visa by doing FBI background checks, asking about training/education about biological/nuclear/terrorist activities and asking for additional paperwork generally reserved for people from places such as Iraq, Iran, and Afganistan. Political? I don't know. Pissed? Hell yes I am.

Why are we just finding out about this? I don't know. I do have first hand knowledge about foreign US Work Visas as I was behind numerous LTJ Bukem tours in the states and know personally that most visas aren't approved until the last minute, however there are some major miscommunications here as the promoter shouldn't be told the day of the show AGAIN that the date is falling through.

I know that a lot of people are pissed, rightly so, you have been cheated twice, but imagine how we feel. We have wasted time, energy and a shit load of money on promotion and advertising not ONCE but TWICE. We can't recoup that time or money, it is GONE with nothing to show for it.

I have been throwing parties for 7 years now and after close to 100 shows I have only had one other artist cancel last minute (Darren Emerson) and the makeup event was scheduled for 3 weeks later. The Crescent Room mgmt (who also ran 1150 until Dec) has only had 1 other show cancel in their tenure (Jeno from pneumonia). I am saying this because unfortunately, even though this visa shit has nothing to do with us, it is our reputation on the line (AGAIN) for promoting this show.

Will we schedule another makeup? I am not sure. I mean it is my understanding that Laurent is just as stressed as us as his reputation in the US in on the line and it's not like he just isn't showing up, but on the other hand... 2 cancellations in a row, if we rebooked the show, would anyone get hyped again and even talk about coming out?

I spoke briefly with Byron this morning, the night will go on like last month, free entry all night and free beer for the earlier part of the night. Hopefully most local folk will find out about this in advance to avoid inconvenience, however for those who have traveled great distance for this show and are already in Atlanta, please find either myself (Jennifer) or Byron @ the show so we can work something out for you. We will be giving away some FREE passes for Deep Dish for the Saturday show all night and Greg Adamson will still be performing in his usual kick ass style.

I will post more on this later, just wanted to get the word out as soon as possible. Questions or concerns, please email me at pleazure@pleazure.net

[pleazure]

LAURENT GARNIER DATE DATE IN ATLANTA CANCELED

(From Laurent)

I’m again not coming for my gig in Atlanta this weekend. Really believe me I’ve tried everything, but here is what we have to deal with now with the US embassy in Paris.

After obtaining a new passport 2 weeks ago, it was sent directly to the US Embassy.

Since the Iraq conflict, it is totally forbidden to access the premises. You can only send documents by special courier like “Chronopost†(our equivalent to Fedex or DHL)

There is no way you can speak to anybody on the phone, free of charge, unless a matter of life or death!!!!, otherwise you have to pay via credit card 15 Euros (= 15 dollars) for a “recorded†conversation to be able to ask a question !!!!! (believe me we tried it and we got nobody on the phone).

So far it is simple !!! ……. But that is nothing.

It says on the Embassy’s web site that a visa takes 5 days to get done ……(this was true in the past as I already applied for about 8 visas for the past 10 years, without any trouble)

After waiting for 8 days with no reply whatsoever ……(remember it’s impossible to get in touch with them) we then decided to send a fax to ask about my visa, the following day somebody got back on the phone to my agent literally insulting her, asking her who the hell did she think she was to ask things like that !!!!!……..

We finally got back my passport this afternoon ….and guess what !!!! it says that my request was incomplete ????

01) My pictures were not conform to the new demand of the US Embassy …they were of course regular passport pictures (sounds pretty obvious doesn’t it) but these don’t work anymore for a US visa in France. They actually now request a very precise size, back drop colour, and format for the pictures, (they now give you a couple of addresses where to go and get those pictures done)………….I got my little ruler out, checked the size, everything is conform regarding size and colour, but they still refused it …..I don’t know but maybe they don’t accept people wearing tee shirts anymore on the photos !!!!! This had never been specified before to me.

02) They now asked me to fill a new form that is compulsory for people living in Iraq, Iran, Libya, Ireland, Syria, North Korea, Sudan, Cuba!!!!!!!

Yes you are not dreaming ………. It looks like France is now either considered as a terrorist ,a communist or a threatening country !!!!!

Here are just a few questions from this form:

-Give all the names of every single country you have visited in the last 10 years, also give the years of each visit (I have roughly thought a minute about this one, each time I’ve been abroad in the past 10 years I would have to put around 900 dates and countries)

-Have you ever been involved in an armed conflict…?

(that’s a good one, euhhh not really other than what the television shows me every day….)

-Have you got special experience with explosives, nuclear, chemical, biological weapons?

(heuuu sorry I’m French, we make very good Camembert, does that count??)

This form has never EVER been required before ………

So here are the facts: I have paid 3400 Dollars !!! (yes you’ve heard right 3400 Dollars) to the US embassy in December 2002 for a visa that they still won’t give me yet.

They did not refuse it, it is more unclear than that, they are just making it impossible for me to receive it. …….

They were fully aware of my dates of departure ,they only waited until this morning to tell me that they needed new things that they never requested before !!!!!!

Quite frankly I’m getting very sick and pissed off with the situation, and to see that we cannot access the Embassy and have tried to move mountains I’ll never get my visa before next week ……..and even that is not sure.

This is what we have to go through now – is that the price that French artists have to pay because of our government’s position?

Well all I can say is that I hope that one day artists will be free again to travel to the States, but until that date it doesn’t look like I am going to be able to come over and play records for you.

With regret,

Laurent Garnier

[mrjoebudious]

Screw the Visa. You are a tourist, visiting the united states. Send your records air freight before you leave where they will be waiting for you. Don't tell them what you do. You are on vacation. Have the money wired to your account.

I wasn't able to get away for this one. Bummer Pleasurz. I can only imagine how dissapointed you must be.

jb

[stryke303]

Hey Jen,

Really sorry to hear about this. Before anyone starts bad mouthing Laurent or Pleazure, let it be said that I have nothing but the highest praise and regard for both parties. Neither Laurent or Jeniffer are trying to screw anyone over.

Jen,

I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. This will all turn out to be somethign good in the end.

with faith,

Greg

[pleazure]

hey greg,

thanks as always for your kind words of support.

and mrjoe,

unforunately once you have applied for a visa it is noted in computers, therefore when your passport is scanned it is redflagged. If a visa had not been applied for, your idea would have probably worked.

of course the downfall is, if you get busted then you are banned from entering the US from anywhere from 6-10 years so you have to ask yourself, is the risk really worth it? I doubt I would do it, you gotta always think long term.

[roxysandiego]

Originally posted by pleazure

hey greg,

thanks as always for your kind words of support.

and mrjoe,

unforunately once you have applied for a visa it is noted in computers, therefore when your passport is scanned it is redflagged. If a visa had not been applied for, your idea would have probably worked.

of course the downfall is, if you get busted then you are banned from entering the US from anywhere from 6-10 years so you have to ask yourself, is the risk really worth it? I doubt I would do it, you gotta always think long term.

Sorry to hear this. Keep the good work girl.

[pleazure]

this is what I was emailed this morning:

Dear Jennifer

Many thanks for your very nice mail .

I am so upset about what happenend ,i never fail to come to a show (appart from getting my passeport stolen & burned),this is the 1st time i've ever experienced in 15 years such an unproffesional and really stupid behaviour .Even going to play in Russia ,croatia (during the war) ,China or Vietnam was much easy.

I could have come without a visa but this is where it gets tricky as the US embassy in Paris knew very well the date of my departure ,my bloody name is in bright red at the US immigration customs.

I really don't want to get caught to be banned for the next 10 years in the States,i will not give them the pleasure of that .

Since the beguining of the Irak problems ,you cannot immagine how many travellers got sent home to France from the US customs,they have been very heavy on us at the moment.

Believe me i was really looking foward to come to Atlanta as i never ever been to the place ,my friend DJ Bone from Detroit told me last week that it is a great party town ,and i was super excited about the gig .Frankly it was the highlight of my 3 days tour. I love doing new places.

You have to really make people understand that i really am not the kind of DJ that cancel shows or never turns up to gigs ,please make them understand how sorry i am.

I have paid a fortune for a visa that they still won't give me yet ,but you can be sure of one thing ,we are going to do that date.

I have spoken to Steve yesterday ,now we are going to try to extend the dates on the validation dates of the visa (we don't have the bloody thing but the validation dates are allready running),to make it re-start as late as we can .Then i am going to get the fucking stamp on my passeport ,we're then going to book the dates holding my visa in my hands ,and we will do that gig ........i am very, Very, VERY DETERMINED to do that gig .

Again i am so sorry for the people over there ,i know exactely that it is looking really bad on both of us ,and that's one thing i cannot accept.

Tell the crowd that i am more than sorry about this ridiculous situation ,please tell them not to be pissed with me,and to trust me on that :THE SHOW WILL HAPPEN

Again many thanks for the support

With greatest respect

Laurent Garnier

[Guest saleen351]

Hmmmm, with space and nerve and maze booking euro trash every week, there is never a visa issue, but with dis guy it happend twice....

:laugh:

something is not kosher here....

[rcrespo]

when was the last time they booked a french dj?

It's dj's from france that are getting hassled it seems.

Truly sad cause there is some sick music coming out of france at the moment.

Agoria anyone?

Garnier has a new EP out soon under his Alaska guise.

[Guest saleen351]

far as i'm concerned, france and french people can all go fuck them selves...

eight of our boys died this week alone....