Avril Lavigne to Perform in Beijing on Oct 6

It seems that Avril Lavigne is going to be the first major international music act to perform in Beijing after the Olympics. CRI reports that the Canadian singer has added six China dates on to the tail end of her The Best Damn Tour 2008. Although there is still no confirmation of the dates on her official website, Emma/Ticketmaster have already posted information about the Oct 4 Shanghai show on their website. Tickets to the Shanghai gig will go on sale tomorrow. Lavigne will perform in Beijing on Oct 6, though we're still not sure at which venue. Her other China dates include Macau on Sep 26, Shenzhen on Sep 28, Chengdu on Sep 30 and in addition to the Shanghai show, an interesting stop over in Lijiang on October 2.

It appears Lavigne, or at least her manager, is making a concerted effort to raise her appeal in China, she performed in Shanghai last August and also released a Chinese version of her song Girlfriend.

The show marks the first concert from a major overseas pop act in Beijing since James Blunt performed at Star Live back in April this year. Since then, things have been pretty grim on the international acts coming to Beijing front, with the biggest news being the postponement/cancellation of various shows including two of Beijing's largest outdoor music festivals; the Midi Festival and the Beijing Pop Festival. A recent Rolling Stone article offers some insights into what's going on, but not only does it ignore the Harry Connick Jr., Incubus and James Blunt shows that took place in March and April this year, but it also fails to mention the special role the Olympics has played in putting a dampner on the live music scene.

Links and Sources
Avril Lavigne Official Site
Emma/Ticketmaster: Shanghai Concert Details
CRI: Avril Returns with Her Greatest Hits
Rolling Stone: Rock Tours Target China, Face Government Interference
Shanghaiist: Avril Lavigne - One night only in Shanghai!