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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Is it seen badly for foreign bands to come to China?
Beijing and Shanghai aren't that bad in terms of destinations, how come there aren't more bands comin here. Would love to see me some Radiohead in China.
Or is the Chinese government super careful about who they let in?
11 years 34 weeks ago in Arts & Entertainment - China
I think it's a bit of both.
Firstly, most modern bands (not all I admit) are 'free thinkers', 'liberals', 'pro-human rights' type people and so are often against coming to China as they feel just by their presence they are backing a regime who they view as having a 'questionable' human rights record.
Secondly many still view China as Communist and this puts some off.
Then you have the public perception in the west of the Tibet 'affair'.
Finally, of the bands who would still want to come, some may be deemed 'unsuitable' perhaps because of sustained drugs use or other reasons.
I personally think it's down to a couple of other factors.
Firstly, many bands take tours to different countries in order to support and promote a new album release. Album sales are EXTREMELY important for many bands, especially in less popular genres such as Metal. But since when do people in China actually pay for music? In my time in China I haven't known any person who has purchased a CD or paid for MP3 downloads. It's all free online via Baidu or whatever. Foreign bands (their managers more like) see this and don't see any future financial gain for making the journey out here. Touring a foreign country isn't cheap and ticket sales don't cover it alone. Promoters from many of the shows I have attended give piles of tickets away to their friends and whoever else basically wants one.
Another reason is probably due to the fact that in China, pop music rules the airwaves. It's safe, nicely regulated and helps young people stay on a nice conformist path. We can't have people singing about the ills of war, saluting Satan or protesting against everything now, can we? It's "wo ai ni" or nothing.
\m/
Ask the Iceland Swan Lady about it. Or gun's and roses...hehehe.