“We have been asked to return,” he says, “but is it really worth the hassle?”Cokell tells me of a Sanctuary band who included a Japanese national, and how the complexity of getting him in with the rest ended in an impasse. Then there was the Yusuf Islam incident: the former Cat Stevens was bundled off a flight and deported. Even Blur and Kylie Minogue have had problems with the system.Why all the fuss over musicians? Tourists, after showing proof of their first night’s accommodation, can disappear into the ether. Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo says that their guitar-player had incurred a speeding ticket on a previous holiday in the US but it was not forwarded to him and left unpaid. One band-member was refused entry because of an offence committed as a teenager, when he drove a cart on to a golf course in the night. But this is largely due to top-grossing acts such as The Rolling Stones, and there are no new acts stepping into their shoes.Joe Cokell from Sanctuary Records tells me that taking artists to the US involves a lot of planning.

“You need three to four months ahead of promo time, and there is no leeway either; if a record starts to take off in the US, you can’t adjust plans and get straight out there. There appears to be an element of protectionism.”"Historical” problems too are looming larger than ever now the FBI has carte blanche to look into all files, even those deleted by British police forces. For the past four years, money generated from touring performances in the US has exceeded corresponding record sales there. For the organisers of small festivals in the USA, it is much too complicated and expensive, and the fees involved will probably exceed any appearance money It’s a particular problem for orchestras.

With so many players, many based outside London, the cost of visas and overnight stays in the capital to attend the US embassy is prohibitive. Many players are self-employed and play with more than one ensemble, which further complicates matters. For many community and educational groups the costis too high.The rules apply to all performances, paid or not, so any appearance in front of an audience will breach regulations and a performer may be heavily fined and banned from returning to the US. This is why annual industry events in the US such as South by Southwest have seen a marked drop in attendances from these shores.With less opportunity now for performers to travel to such a huge market, there has been a downturn in the money generated by the UK music business. Then there’s the $100 fee for each visa application.To get a date for the interview, you must call a premium line at the US embassy for $1.30 per minute, and calls are cut off after 15 minutes regardless of whether the applicant has obtained or supplied all the relevant information.