China blocks Bob Dylan gigs

[spanone]

Aged 68 and almost half a century past the zenith of his angry, protest-song youth, Bob Dylan must almost have forgotten what it was like to be deemed a threat to society. But it seems at least one place still sees him as a dangerous radical.

Dylan's planned tour of east Asia later this month has been called off after Chinese officials refused permission for him to play in Beijing and Shanghai, his local promoters said. China's ministry of culture, which vets planned concerts by overseas artists, appeared wary of Dylan's past as an icon of the counterculture movement, said Jeffrey Wu, of the Taiwan-based promoters Brokers Brothers Herald.

Dylan fans denied the chance to see their hero might also blame Björk, who caused consternation among Chinese officials two years ago by shouting pro-Tibet slogans at a concert in Shanghai, Wu told Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.

The verdict scuppers Dylan's plans to play his first dates in mainland China. The singer, who plays around 100 concerts a year on his Never Ending Tour, had hoped to extend a multi-city Japanese leg with concerts in Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong. All these would now be called off, Wu told the newspaper.

"With Beijing and China ruled out, it was not possible for him just to play concerts in Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan," he said. "The chance to play in China was the main attraction for him. When that fell through everything else was called off."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/apr/04/china-blocks-bob-dylan-gigs

[bobburgster]

1. Give me a break!

Banning Dylan, they really are getting paranoid in China.

[Zynx]

8. That's because their grip is not as strong as we are led to believe.

China is much more fragile than many suppose.

[bobburgster]

14. I have to agree with you.....

good point.

[proteus_lives]

19. +1

Some people saying we're entering the Chinese century. Maybe we will, if the country can keep itself from imploding. Big if.

[randr]

2. Bob is the greatest weapon against totalitarian rule.

[Ian David]

3. They have a musician that can perform Dylan songs for 1/10th the price. n/t

[saltpoint]

13. LOL

[glinda]

17. ... by lip-sinking...

[HughMoran]

4. As stated in another thread, China is the representation of a Republican country

[bridgit]

5. They might still be pissed about his x-mas album, though I do feel sorry for anyone...

Especially DUers that think China is some neo model of a free thinking nation

[bobburgster]

16. Who feels China is a free thinking nation?

[bridgit]

18. You'd be surprised, suffice to say one such has since been TS'd in recent memory

[bobburgster]

20. Wow, guess so....

thought you were maybe just being funny. How sad.

[Stevenmarc]

6. .

[pinboy3niner]

7. Ha! Chinese youth will now be more interested in Dylan . . .

and they'll find their way to his music.

[rug]

9. Someday Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp35RZ1JvGE

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. China officials: "It's not so much the 'radical' thing. He's just creeping us out."

:D

[saltpoint]

11. Bob, you're good. This means that your legacy can in part be measured by how

much a pack of authoritarian pricks like the government of China oppose your playing in their country.

[Heidi]

12. A biggo 5' 7½"-tall, 68-year-old threat to the government.

Find another way to reach 'em, Mr. Dylan.

Recommended.

[MinneapolisMatt]

15. LMAO

Björk and Dylan are soooooo scary. *snickering*