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The trendsetting South by Southwest music festival is all about the next big thing, but the heated politics of the moment is stealing the show.

Tensions over immigration have put a heavy air over the typically breezy weeklong bash that begins Monday. This year's festival includes headliners The Avett Brothers, Weezer and the Wu-Tang Clang dropping into Austin, Texas.

It's more than just promises of bands using the festival as a stage for politically-charged performances in the wake of President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration. South by Southwest itself has come under fire itself for warning international artists that bad behaviour could result in the festival making a call to U.S. immigration agents.

Festival organizers now say they'll remove the clause from future contracts.

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