Papa Roach are pleading with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel to release vinyl records trapped due to Brexit.
As the band revealed on Twitter, copies of their new ‘Greatest Hits’ album have been trapped in UK customs for over a week, and risk not arriving with fans by its release date next week (March 19).
Tweeting at Johnson and Patel, the band wrote: “Our new #vinyl albums are stuck in UK customs for 10 days now. Fans have been waiting 4 months & we’ll miss the release date!”
.@BorisJohnson @pritipatel Our new #vinyl albums are stuck in UK customs for 10 days now. Fans have been waiting 4 months & we'll miss the release date! #WeNeedHelp #brexit #customs @BBCNewsbeat https://t.co/tuisdVnUGa pic.twitter.com/PjUsbB2xk2
— Papa Roach (@paparoach) March 12, 2021
Shipment of vinyl records has been an issue since the UK left the European Union and MPs voted in favour of Boris Johnson’s trade deal with the EU on December 30 last year.
Many vinyl pressing plants are situated in mainland Europe and, with added delays due to COVID-19 safety measures, significant delays are being experienced.
Last year, Banquet Records paused all orders to Europe due to the uncertainty over Brexit, saying in a tweet: “Thanks in advance for your patience while we work to find a solution to the difficult, avoidable position we’re in.”
Orders were then being accepted once again at the start of January, after the store confirmed they had received “clarity” over the situation.
As well as shipment of vinyl, the consequences of Brexit on touring musicians and their crew have compelled numerous industry figures to speak out recently on what needs to be done in order to prevent “catastrophic” damage to the sector.
“The key figures at the heart of this Government have spent half a decade talking up Brexit, extolling its virtues and hailing the benefits of leaving the EU in ‘making Britain global’,” David Martin, CEO of the Featured Artists Coalition, told NME.
“We’re not very global if our artists and musicians can’t tour easily across our closest and most culturally aligned, neighbouring countries. It is time for the architects of Brexit to put their money where their mouths are and prove that Brexit can be a success and not a catastrophe for our industry.”
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