Now or ... Well, Never: Bon Jovi Cancelled for Beijing, Shanghai
We guess the folks who decide who can and cannot play in Beijing didn't care for Jon Bon Jovi's recent rendition of "The Moon Represents My Heart." Bon Jovi and his renowned New Jersey group join the long list of artists who have been cancelled in Beijing, with their upcoming shows in Beijing and Shanghai called off.
Bon Jovi was set to play Beijing's MasterCard Center on September 17, after a stop in Shanghai, but Damai tickets stopped selling sometime during the weekend. It doesn't appear that Jon Bon or any of his bandmates are injured or sick, as tickets are still available for the group's appearance at the Singapore Formula One race on September 20, or two gigs in Macau on September 25-26. Seems somebody spent a bit too much time with the saffron robe crowd.
The band has not made any official comment via its website, but promoter AEG Live Asia said the shows were not going ahead for "unforeseen" reasons.
We thought this one would happen after Linkin Park managed to perform not one, not two, but multiple shows in China in July. But Maroon 5 cancelled, Robbie Williams cancelled, Mika did that weird double concert in May, Boris was cancelled, and 33 Metal was shut down. Looks like Muse is still going on September 19, and the Split Works guys just tweeted again that Mobb Deep is playing on September 12.
The shows would have been Bon Jovi's first in China. The cancellation shows that fame and record sales are no guarantee of performance, with Bon Jovi having sold about 130 million records worldwide. China's next major live music test comes in November, when Taylor Swift rolls into Shanghai for three nights on her, um, 1989 World Tour. Let's see how that goes. It also certainly calls into question the likelihood of a Beijing appearance by Iron Maiden, who announced they will play their first China shows ever in April 2016, but did not specify exact cities or dates.
You know, back in the day, when you went out on a Friday or Saturday night to see Cui Jian, or Dou Wei, or Tang Dynasty at some venue like a science museum or the Sunflower Club, half the fun and 90 percent of the expectation was that before or during the show, the cops would show up, pull the plug, and kick everyone out. You were down RMB 30 and suddenly had to decide what else you were going to do. But that was almost 20 years ago. Now the names are bigger, the tickets 10 to 100 times more expensive, but there's still no guarantee you're going to hear any music.
Just bear in mind that when you buy a ticket for a Beijing show, you should prepare yourself for disappointment. We'll say it again: "All Beijing shows pre-cancelled or your money back."
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Email: stevenschwankert@thebeijinger.com
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