Hong Kong
CNN
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Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin sent a message to the tens of thousands of fans who gathered to see the band perform in Thailand last Saturday night.
He really, really wants to play in China.
“I promise you I’ll play in China one day,” Martin said to the screaming crowd as he invited two lucky fans onto the stage. He spotted their banner in the crowd and chose the duo from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
“All I can say is I promise to play in China someday,” Martin said before launching into the band’s 2015 hit “Up and Up.”
“Rise, rise, never give up. China loves Coldplay,” he sang.
The crowd went wild.
The moment, captured on camera and confirmed by a CNN staffer in the stands at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium on February 3, was a big talking point for the British band and their fans as they wrap up their Asian tour. .
Martin delivered the same message to a Tokyo crowd in November, but went further by implying that the band did not have permission from mainland Chinese authorities to perform in Tokyo.
“As you know, we cannot get permission[to perform in China],” he told concertgoers.
“Coldplay loves China… Universe, please!” Let’s play in China! ”
CNN has reached out to Coldplay, its representatives, and China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism for comment.
Paul Kane/Getty Images
Side controversies surrounding concerts have become a hot topic for fans.
China’s live music industry has risen rapidly over the past decade to become one of the world’s largest industries, and making a mark in China remains a career goal for some foreign musicians. I am.
Chris Martin and Coldplay aren’t the only band hoping to serenade audiences in mainland China. Others, like Jon Bon Jovi, have made their interest in touring this country fairly well known in the past.
In 2015, the Bon Jovi frontman took Mandarin singing lessons to cover a famous Chinese love song on Valentine’s Day, and this clever PR move earned him praise and new Chinese fans. .
But the American rock star was devastated when organizers announced the cancellation of the band’s shows scheduled for that year in Beijing and Shanghai.
Bon Jovi’s management did not respond to media inquiries at the time, but social media users said the decision stemmed from the band’s 2009 video for “We Weren’t Born to Follow.” The video used footage from the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement. Others pointed out that a Bon Jovi concert in Tokyo in 2010 featured footage of the Dalai Lama (Beijing’s best noir) in the background of the stage.
However, Macau, a Chinese territory ruled under a different system from the mainland, hosted two Bon Jovi concerts in 2015.
American pop-rock band Maroon 5 was also forced to cancel performances in Beijing and Shanghai in 2015. No official reason has been given, but many speculate that the permit was revoked because the band members celebrated the Dalai Lama’s birthday on social media.
Similarly, Oasis promoters canceled performances in mainland China in 2009 after authorities reportedly discovered that members of the British rock band had appeared at a Tibetan Freedom gig two years earlier. He said he was forced to do so. The remainder of the band’s Asian tour, including a concert in Hong Kong, proceeded as scheduled.
But it wasn’t always like that. In the past, especially before and after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which introduced the Chinese capital to the world as a coveted stage venue and demonstrated China’s prominence as a political, economic, and cultural superpower. Before and after, it was particularly well-established on the international touring circuit.
Much has changed since then, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping ushering in what many analysts argue is a more authoritarian and internationally isolated era.
Meanwhile, the novel coronavirus infection (Covid-19) has also left its mark.
China has kept its borders closed for most of the pandemic, and although they have since reopened, it has not been easy to enter the country, let alone hold concerts.
Logistical challenges such as securing visas, obtaining permits and formal approvals play an important role in the decision-making process for bands and their management.
As a result, Chinese fans often have to travel abroad to catch the world’s biggest stars, such as the duo Coldplay invited on stage, and concerts in places like Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are often attended by many. of Chinese people often participate.
The opacity and unpredictability of Chinese authorities poses a risk to international conduct, with many of them conspicuously omitting Hong Kong and mainland China on their recent trips to Asia.
Organizers say canceling a concert is the worst-case scenario for any band, as it creates an expensive logistical nightmare. Tickets will have to be refunded to manage fan disappointment, a risk event organizers don’t want to take.
China’s notorious censorship laws could also be a major hindrance to Western action. The ruling Communist Party has maintained a strict censorship system for years, targeting everything from women’s cleavage to criticism of the political system and even jokes. But the level of scrutiny has increased under Xi’s leadership.
Chinese authorities are also known to scrutinize program content, including setlists and lyrics. Those deemed to have crossed political red lines, especially Chinese performers, face harsh consequences.
Musicians may also have political or ethical concerns about free speech and human rights issues in China, so the decision whether to perform is often a personal and complex one for each musician. Thing. For example, while LGBTQ rights are often embraced by many Western laws, they remain a politically sensitive issue for the Chinese Communist Party.
It’s hard to know if any of Coldplay’s back catalog or statements have alarmed Chinese authorities, but the band has dipped its toe into geopolitics in the past.
In October 2022, during a show in Buenos Aires, the band invited exiled Iranian actor Golshifteh Farahani on stage to sing a song that became an anthem for the anti-government protests that were spreading across Iran at the time.
“Young women and young people are fighting for freedom, for the right to be themselves. As a band, we believe that everyone should be able to be themselves as long as it doesn’t hurt others,” Martin said. He spoke to the audience at the venue. time.
Such rhetoric during a concert in China would not sit well with authorities in a country where protests are quickly extinguished.
In 2008, Icelandic singer Björk was banned from China after declaring her support for Tibet during a performance of her song “Declaration of Independence” at a concert in Shanghai.
Star’s actions outside China may also pose hurdles. Justin Bieber was banned from entering the country in 2017 for “poor behavior,” according to the Beijing Municipal Culture Bureau.
“His series of misconduct while living overseas and performing in China have caused public outrage,” the station said in a statement. “We believe it is inappropriate to invite performers with bad behavior in order to regulate the domestic entertainment market and cleanse its environment.”
Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images
Katy Perry’s concert in Taipei in 2015 sparked outrage from fans in mainland China.
Taiwan is also a contentious issue that could involve musicians. Even though they have never ruled Taiwan, China’s communist rulers consider it part of their territory and consider the use of the Taiwanese flag an act of defiance.
Singer Katy Perry found out about this in 2017. Photos of her from a concert in Taiwan in 2015 have resurfaced, showing her wearing a sunflower dress, a symbol of Taiwan’s pro-democracy student movement, and carrying a Taiwanese flag draped over her shoulders on stage. she reminded Chinese authorities. . She was then denied a Chinese visa to appear in a fashion show.
Pop diva Madonna, who doesn’t shy away from controversy, also performed a similar stunt at her first Taiwan concert in 2016, draping herself in the Taiwanese flag, angering and alienating her mainland Chinese fans.
In December, it was revealed that the Taiwanese band Mayday, one of the most prominent rock groups in the Chinese-speaking world, was under investigation in China for allegedly lip-syncing during a recent mainland tour. Taiwan’s intelligence agency claimed the investigation was politically motivated to coincide with Taiwan’s presidential election.
Some performers have found ways to work within the constraints. When heavy metal legends Metallica held a series of concerts in China in 2017, Chinese censorship did not deter them. Their setlist was reportedly submitted to China’s Ministry of Culture for approval, resulting in one of their biggest hits, “Master of Puppets,” being removed from the show. Ta.
“When you’re there as a guest and invited to perform, why shouldn’t you respect their culture? ) It’s not something that should be forced,” frontman James Hetfield said in an interview with Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post at the time.
“But hopefully, if we keep coming back, they (Chinese authorities) will realize that we are not a threat politically and that we have no purpose other than to cross borders with our music and have people enjoy our songs.” They’ll understand that there isn’t.”