Bernard Sumner’s Bad Lieutenant cancels debut U.S. concerts over immigration issues

Visa problems have scuttled the debut American concerts by New Order spinoff Bad Lieutenant — including two dates opening for the Pixies in New York and Chicago — the band announced today, just the latest bureaucratic setback for U.K. acts attempting to tour the United States.

The Bernard Sumner-led act posted on its website today that it was canceling its four U.S. concerts this month — two each in New York and Chicago — “with frustration and regret” because “the more stringent immigration laws and changing visa parameters resulted in an inability to process the necessary paperwork.”

Sumner, in a statement on Bad Lieutenant’s site, said:

“We were all so very excited about coming to the States to play our new music for our American fans, and are extremely disappointed that on this occasion, we won’t have the opportunity to do so.  We plan to reschedule the Chicago and New York shows along with some additional U.S. dates in spring 2010.  Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused you.”

The band — Sumner, late-era New Order guitarist Phil Cunningham and singer-guitarist Jake Evans, plus New Order drummer Stephen Morris and bassist Tom Chapman — previously had announced plans to mount a full U.S. tour next spring in support of its debut album, Never Cry Another Tear.

The Bad Lieutenant cancellations come after The Damned was forced to abort its October U.S. tour because its members couldn’t obtain visas in time. And last week, Echo & The Bunnymen canceled its U.S. tour this month over IRS regulations that would have made the concerts too costly for the band.

See canceled Bad Lieutenant tour dates after the jump…

Bad Lieutenant canceled tour dates:

Nov. 18: Park West, Chicago, IL
Nov. 19: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL (opening for Pixies)
Nov. 21: Webster Hall, New York, NY
Nov. 23: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY (opening for Pixies)

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS:

• Video: Bad Lieutenant plays New Order’s ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’ in Paris
• Bad Lieutenant, No Age among U.S. openers for Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour
• New releases: Echo & The Bunnymen, Bad Lieutenant CDs
• Bernard Sumner’s Bad Lieutenant playing Chicago, New York; full U.S. tour in 2010
• Bernard Sumner’s Bad Lieutenant to open for the Pixies
• Video: New Order spinoff Bad Lieutenant’s debut single ‘Sink or Swim’
• Quick Spins: Big Audio Dynamite, Bad Lieutenant, The Cult, Sonic Youth
• New Order spinoff Bad Lieutenant posts debut single ‘Sink or Swim’ on MySpace
• New Order’s botched CD reissues finally to be re-reissued by Rhino Records
• New Order spinoff Bad Lieutenant announces ‘Never Cry Another Tear’
• New Order members recruit Blur’s Alex James for Bad Lieutenant project