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Singapore band Wormrot left stranded in US without instruments, personal items

Members of Singapore grindcore band Wormrot (from left) Mohammad Nurrasyid Juraimi, Vijesh Ashok Ghariwala and Mohammad Arif Suhaimi. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)
Members of Singapore grindcore band Wormrot (from left) Mohammad Nurrasyid Juraimi, Vijesh Ashok Ghariwala and Mohammad Arif Suhaimi. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

Local grindcore trio Wormrot’s much-anticipated US tour has hit a major snag after the band members’ instruments, merchandise and personal items were denied entry into the country.

While the band members – vocalist Arif, guitarist Rasyid and drummer Vijesh – cleared US immigration, they have now been left stranded “without guitar, clothes, toiletries, some merch and some drum equipments”, said a post on the band’s Facebook page on Wednesday (23 May) afternoon.

According to the post, written by the band’s manager Azean, the band flew to the US on UAE-based Etihad Airways with a friend, Amir, who was denied entry by US Customs for trying to “go into (the) US to make money or work for the band when he is on tourist visa”.

As the band’s luggage had been checked in under Amir’s name, it was also similarly denied entry into the US. Both Amir and the luggage are now awaiting the “next available flight back to Singapore”.

That is the biggest issue now as now the boys do not have anything with them,” said Azean in the post, adding that it was “so traumatising for Amir to be treated like a criminal at the airport”.

I cannot even imagine how the boys will manage without clothes, main equipment and lesser (merchandise) means lesser income to support them for the tour when their expenses are already exceeding their income,” the post said.

Formed in 2007, Wormrot have gone on to achieve international acclaim. The trio have been scheduled for a multi-stop US tour, which includes the Martyland Deathfest in Baltimore, Maryland, on 27 May. Last year, Wormrot became the first Singapore band to ever play the UK’s Glastonbury Music Festival.

Yahoo Lifestyle Singapore has reached out to the band for more information.

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