On their way to the Vienna airport for the Stop Spot Festival in Linz scheduled this weekend, the Kenyan members of Extra Golden (Opiyo Bilongo, Onyango Wuod Omari, and Onyango Jagwasi) were detained by Parisian police for, according to their publicist, "not carrying enough money."
Despite having the proper visas and documentation, officials apparently didn't believe these three members were actually invited to play the festival. They were subsequently interrogated for "several hours." It took involvement with the Austrian and French embassies before the Stop Spot promoters were able to finally get the band back on a plane to Vienna.
I wonder if the white guys in Extra Golden (Alex and Ian) had any trouble arriving.
Anyway, despite this, the Stop Spot Festival will still take place this weekend and features an array of exciting artists, including Daniel Higgs, Peeesseye, Zu (they rule), and many others. Do check out Extra Golden's latest release for Thrill Jockey, Hera Ma Nono, and be sure to carry enough money on your next plane trip.
