Singer of punk band interrogated for six hours, deported from US for mocking Trump

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Peter and the Test Tube Babies conclude: «A US tour or festival will never ever happen again!»

August 2, 2017

Oi! You know, when we flick through the music news every day to select the most relevant or important news to report to you, it’s often a challenge. You need to decide which piece of news is higher priority and cannot be skipped. However, today there’s no dilemma. This piece of news we simply must share with you (and you must share it with your friends).

Peter Bywaters, the singer of the English oi/punk band Peter and the Test Tube Babies was enjoying yet another flight to the States to join his band mates for the show. The group was scheduled to perform at the Punk Invasion festival in California on Saturday, July 29. But as soon as his plane landed in San Francisco, he was escorted to a separate room by customs and border protection officers for a six-hour interrogation.

Before long, Bywaters was confronted with photos of him on stage in Germany, in which he was mockingly dressed as Trump:

[quote align=»center» color=»#COLOR_CODE»]»I had only been there 30 seconds when the customs and border control guard swung his screen round and said, ‘Is this you?'» Bywaters told Team Rock. «There in full view was a video from last year’s German tour with me dressed as Donald Trump, smoking a fake joint. From there, it all went down hill. Six hours later, I was forcibly escorted to my seat on the plane.»[/quote]

See the video footage of the band’s anti-Trump live performance in Germany below.

The singer was refused entry to the United States, according to TeamRock’s report. Bywaters was also «photographed, finger printed, swabbed for DNA, and made to sign a sworn statement» before he was allowed to board the plane back to England, writes AltPress. Moreover, the vocalist had his passport and phone confiscated until his landing back in London.

Bywaters says that Peter and the Test Tube Babies will never do a tour in the US again but promises to remain part of the band:

[quote align=»center» color=»#COLOR_CODE»]»Oh well. I expect to still be the singer of Peter and the Test Tube Babies by the end of the year. Will Trump still be president by the end of the summer? … A US tour or festival will never ever happen again!» comments Bywaters.[/quote]

However, The Test Tube Babies’ didn’t cancel their Punk Invasion set, despite Bywaters’ deportation. They invited fill-in vocalists to pull off the show. The punk group’s new album, That Shallot, is due out September 15.

What are your thoughts on Bywaters’ deportation for mocking Trump last year? Be the first to leave your comments and stay tuned with AlteRock Facebook and Twitter to never miss on the news about your favorite alternative music!

Watch: GREEN DAY have no mercy on Trump in ‘Troubled Times’ music video