Russia's annexation of Crimea and the sanctions passed by the United States against some of its citizens as a result have finally come to where you, a strictly music news fan, cannot avoid them any longer. The ownership of a Finnish venue by several prominent Russian businessmen have forced the issue of whether American performers will be able to appear there, legally.
The main concerns are with shows by Nine Inch Nails, Justin Timberlake, Aerosmith and Miley Cyrus are due to perform at Helsinki's Hartwell Arena during May and early June. The venue is owned by Gannady Timchenko, Boris Rotenburg and Arkady Rotenburg, all of whom had their American visas revoked and assets frozen as part of the United States' sanctions against Russia. LiveNation Finland, the promoter of said events, is in talks with legal authorities to figure out whether the shows can go forward.
"If it does, then we will need to come up with a different solution," said LiveNation Finland chief Nina Castren. "But I believe that the problem will be solved and the concerts will be held."
It would seem like a jerk move if the aforementioned performers weren't allowed to play at a Russian-owned venue in a perfectly democratic state, as there doesn't seem to be anything legally stopping American performers from playing at venues in Russia. Kenny G, Xzibit, Steve Vai, The Casualties and Thousand Foot Krutch are all confirmed for April shows in Russia. Not that sanctions would necessarily stop The Casualties from playing in a country. We're just saying.
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