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A ban on foreign rock acts is putting a damper on the live music market in China. Ever since Wham! played in 1985, China's market for live music has been emerging for more foreign rock acts. But in March, Bjork played a set where she closed with a chant of "Tibet! Tibet!" onstage. This prompted authorities to not allow foreign rock acts to play until after the Beijing Olympics this summer. Tours by Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte have had their dates postponed and this year's Beijing Pop Festival is canceled. Bjork's performance convinced the government that rock stars can easily damage the country's image during the run-up to the Olympic games. This comes at a time when the country's appetite for Western pop culture is growing, Live Nation and AEG Live have set up offices there in the past few years, Ticketmaster acquired an entertainment company, and more rock acts are looking to tour China.
Putting on shows in China has always been a challenge. The months-long process begins with a promoter gathering information on an artist including song lyrics, biography, and probable set list. The information is sent to the Ministry of Culture, the agency that licenses events. The government wants to maintain control over the talent that is promoted in its country, but does not want to seem as prohibiting it. It is also expensive to set up shows, as stages typically need to be built, sound checks run for hours, and bands typically need to ship in their own equipment. Ticket prices also must remain low as citizens of China live on extremely low wages. Artists are told to not be political and not swear onstage.