The Godfathers drop, reschedule dates on first U.S. tour in 20 years over visa problems

The first U.S. tour in 20 years by The Godfathers apparently has been curtailed by visa problems, as the reunited U.K. band today announced an abbreviated schedule that drops three of the first four scheduled shows and moves a Chicago date to the end of the trek.

The band, which canceled all but one of the dates on its last attempt to tour the U.S. in 2009, was supposed to have opened a 10-date tour tonight in St. Louis, Mo. But the Riverfront Times reports that the St. Louis concert has been postponed due to “visa issues,” and quotes the venue’s owner saying, “It will be rescheduled ASAP.”

But that may not be the case: Without explanation, the band today posted a new U.S. tour itinerary on its Facebook page that drops planned shows in St. Louis, Milwaukee and Bowling Green, Ohio, and moves Thursday’s concert in Chicago — the site of the band’s lone concert on the scuttled 2009 U.S. tour — to Feb. 20.

The trek now begins Sunday in Cleveland. Also left in place is the Godfathers’ traditional St. Valentine’s Day Massacre concert, scheduled this year for Feb. 14 at Santos Party House in New York City and presented by Slicing Up Eyeballs.

UPDATE 2/10/11: Concerts in Milwaukee and St. Louis have now been rescheduled; see new dates below. According to the Godfathers’ publicist, the band was initially denied entry into the country after the U.S. Embassy mistakenly classified the group as an athletic team. The band’s members are trying to rectify the situation.

See the Godfathers’ revised tour dates after the jump…

The Godfathers’ U.S. tour dates:

Feb. 9: Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO
Feb. 10: Double Door, Chicago, IL
Feb. 11: Club Garibaldi, Milwaukee, WI
Feb. 12: Howard’s Club H, Bowling Green, OH
Feb. 13: Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
Feb. 14: Santo’s Party House, New York, NY (St. Valentine’s Day Massacre)
Feb. 15: Maxwell’s, Hoboken, NJ
Feb. 16: Johnny D’s, Somerville, MA
Feb. 18: Black Cat, Washington, D.C.
Feb. 19: Frankie’s Inner City, Toledo, OH
Feb. 20: Double Door, Chicago, IL *
Feb. 21: Club Garibaldi, Milwaukee, WI *
Feb. 22: Off Broadway, St. Louis, MO *

* Rescheduled

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

• The Godfathers release new single ‘Back Into the Future,’ reissuing 2 albums
• Contest: Win tickets to The Godfathers’ St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in NYC
• The Godfathers set first U.S. tour in 20 years, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre in NYC
• Video: Godfathers’ ‘Birth, School, Work, Death’ from ‘Shot Live at the 100 Club’
• The Godfathers to release ‘Shot Live at the 100 Club’ concert CD/DVD set