Girlschool cancel US and German dates

More tight visa rulings: this time, it's Girlschool who have had to pull their US dates due to visas not coming through:

"We are absolutely devastated that we had to cancel these shows due to the incompetence of the powers that be. The people that we had trusted to do their jobs and the bureaucracy of the American embassy really sucks.

"We have spent four days at the embassy this week where we were told that our visas had all been approved and that they would try and hurry them up so we would get our passports returned to us before we were due to leave for Germany on the night of August 30th. We then spent two days on the phone begging for our passports to be returned to us but were told that it takes three-five working days.

"Well, as you can imagine, we couldn't believe it after we had been told that they would courier them back to us [as soon as possible]. We have had to cancel all the shows and are extremely disappointed that we have let our fans down.

"To any bands that are applying for a U.S. visa, make sure that you apply at least six months before you go; that way you can be sure of getting your passports back in time.

"Once again we would like to apologize to the German and American fans — and the concert promoters. Hopefully we will see them soon if we ever get our passports back."

Well done, America: now managing to make bands cancel European dates as well as ones in the US.

Remembering Kelly

Rock N Roll Kabarte are to hold a tribute to Girlschool guitarist Kelly Johnson, who died last month. The event will take place on August 20th at the Soho Revue Bar; more details will appear on the official MySpace tribute page.

Rockobit: Kelly Johnson

Kelly Johnson, guitarist with rock legends Girlschool, has died at the age of 49.

Enfield-born Johnson joined the band as they morphed from Painted Lady into Girlschool, turning what had been a bit of fun into a serious proposition. Taken under the wing of Motorhead following the release of 1979 debut single Take It All Way. The patronage of Lemmy and the boys saw them develop a formidable live reputation, and, in the split 1980 EP The St Valentine's Day Masacre, a significant, if specialist, market for their records.

Johnson quit in 1983, as the band embarked on something of a lean period, becoming one of those acts seemingly on permanent tour, trading more off past glories than current inspiration, and even trying out new names and some stunt casting (She Devils, with Toyah on lead vocals and Strange Girls). But it was Johnson's return in 1993 that gave the band a new life. While never recapturing quiet the peak of their early 80s heyday, they moved beyond filling a role as their own tribute band.

Kelly had spent the time between her stints in Girlschool living in LA - she spent a couple of years in a band with former Go-Go Kathy Valentine. Her taste wasn't restricted to heavy rock - she cited Elastica as a favourite band, for example - but it's the genre she'll always be associated most strongly with.

Johnson's time with Girlschool came to an end in 2000 when she quit the music industry altogether; shortly afterwards, she was diagnosed with cancer of the spine. The last six years, she had fought the disease; sadly, she lost her battle sometime yesterday.