In the last couple of decades, the People’s Republic of China has made a big point of opening its borders and encouraging international trade. But Chinese authorities still aren’t likely to let your band play shows in their country if you’ve ever slapped a “Free Tibet” sticker on your Trapper Keeper.
Last year, Björk shouted out “Tibet!” while performing “Declare Independence” at a Shanghai show, and the Chinese government was heated. It’s tough to picture either of the Gallagher brothers taking similar stands, but the Chinese government is worried enough to have canceled Oasis’ April shows in Beijing and Shanghai, the BBC reports.
In 1997, Noel Gallagher played an acoustic set at the Tibetan Freedom Concert in New York. According to the BBC, someone at the Chinese culture ministry found out and called the concerts off. A scheduled Hong Kong show will go on as planned, as will the rest of the band’s Southeast Asia tour.
The band has issued a statement about the cancellation: “Oasis are extremely disappointed that they are now being prevented from their planned tour of mainland China and hope that the powers that be within China will reconsider their decision and allow the band to perform to their Chinese fans at some stage in the future.” (NME has the full statement.)
