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LM.C Cancels A-Kon Appearance over Swine Flu Concerns

posted on by Egan Loo
Band's label cites World Health Organization alert, despite WHO's later assurances

The LM.C visual-kei rock duo has announced on Thursday that it has to cancel its performance at the A-Kon convention in Texas on May 29. The group said that its Pony Canyon label had prohibited all its employees and artists from travelling overseas this month due to concerns over the swine flu. The World Health Organization (WHO) had raised its pandemic alert on the influenza A(H1N1) virus from phase 4 to 5 on Wednesday. WHO defines phase 5 as the "human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region."

However, the A-Kon organizers notes that WHO has since posted a new Friday bulletin that emphasizes that it "is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the influenza A(H1N1) virus." WHO added that "limiting travel and imposing travel restrictions would have very little effect on stopping the virus from spreading."

Pony Canyon and LM.C expressed their apologies for the cancellation and added that they plan to return to the United States "once the ban has been lifted and the situation improved." Another group, Camino, is still scheduled to perform at A-Kon. LM.C contributed two opening theme songs for the Katekyo Hitman Reborn! television anime series and two ending theme songs for the Red Garden television anime series. The duo had previously performed at Anime Expo 2008's Battle of the Bands.

Source: JaME U.S.A. via Tokyograph


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