Rumor or reality? Cancellation rumor
 

Are some China shows cancelled ?

http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/201...ijing-shanghai

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/shangh.../#.Ve59wnTenqA

http://www.smartshanghai.com/wire/ni...efore-the-show

http://www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijin.../#.Ve6ASnTenqA


It's difficult to be sure the source is reliable

If you add up what these articles are saying two of them references something that happened "when they played in Tawain" and they're not scheduled to play in Tawain until the 28th so that part can't be true. Also one article says the shows are sold out so that could be why tickets aren't available.

So at this point, I would say it's just a rumor and not worry about it too much.

PS: For the hell of it, I tried to find tickets through BonJovi.com and there were still a handful of of good seats available--two in the VIP section a few in the yellow section, so they're still selling them.

I agree that those articles are not really reliable but still other online newspapers are talking about it like Financial times and now wall street journal China
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2...ugh-the-heart/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-34184537

It is on BBC.co.uk now so maybe it is true

In online discussions, some Chinese music-industry watchers speculated that the latest cancellation was linked to unspecified recent comments by Mr. Bon Jovi on the spiritual leader. Others pointed to a 2010 Bon Jovi concert in Washington, D.C., which included a video of figures including...the Dalai Lama.

Washington Post, March 31 2010:

Jon Bon Jovi, who turned 48 this month, brought the act that for about three decades has borne his name and relied on his charms to a packed Verizon Center on Monday.

Nearly 20,000 folks stood and roared as the New Jersey hair-band overlords took the stage to...a tune from their latest album, "The Circle." Big screens in the arena flashed positivity buzzwords ("OPTIMISM," "LOVE," "HOPE," etc.) alongside images of positivity people (Oprah, the Dalai Lama, et al).

...The Democratically connected bandleader pledged not to get politically preachy and said he'd come to Washington this time just so he could hear "a nonpartisan scream..."

Well, that's that, I guess -- especially since it's too early in the day to get riled up over a crap five-year-old concert review. If the Dalai Lama reference hadn't been needed, I never would have gone past the opening sentence.

THAT is the reason? Really?


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Ridiculous reason... Is it 2015, or 1945?

Not sure why they are citing a specific concert when surely it was just the big screen backdrop to WWBTF across the whole tour?

Absolute nonsense either way, a real pity for the Chinese fans, but you just need to look at the related stories of other artists being banned like Maroon 5, Linkin Park, Bob Dylan, the list goes on. Crazy and backwards.

For the Chinese government, that's MORE than enough reason -- I think they're in the Guinness Book Of Records for paying the most cancellation fees!

The use of that image was a while ago. Couldn't they just have denied the booking of the shows instead of cancelling them less than a week before??

And if the Chinese powers that be had watched these official videos with forbidden images they'd never allowed any BJ concert to be organized in the first place!

The 1989 Tian'anmen square protest "tank man", a worldwide symbol for civil disobedience:
https://youtu.be/qF3D2oiy6YA

Tibetan monks:
https://youtu.be/UCUzwEst3pE

More of the same with the best pics so far:
http://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/201...ijing-shanghai

Don't try to put some logic into the situation. We can call it what we want, but it's a non-democratic regime and this is the stuff non-democratic regimes do.

Feel sorry for the fans on China.

I'm guessing that they just found out about it. They certainly wouldn't have approved of Jon's Valentine's Day song if the shows weren't set to happen.

Same mentality: A five-year-old just got rejected from a "Christian academy" when it was learned that his father, who now runs a beverage business, ran a pornographic business and sold it nearly TEN years ago! Aside from it not being very Christian of them, the kid hadn't even been BORN!!!

P.S. There have been rumors about Slash and Axl putting GNR back together -- no Chinese gigs for them!

So the Chinese government isn't going to let them play because of the opening of the Circle tour? Seriously?????

Associated Press
Sept. 8, 2015 | 2:36 p.m. EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Promoters of Bon Jovi's upcoming shows in Asia said they are being canceled for "unforeseen reasons."

AEG Live Asia said in a statement Tuesday that refunds will be offered for shows scheduled Sept. 14 in Shanghai and Sept. 17 in Beijing.

AEG also apologized "for the inconvenience and disappointment that this will cause."

A representative for Jon Bon Jovi didn't immediately reply to an email seeking comment.


http://www.usnews.com/news/entertain...reseen-reasons

Here's hoping Old Joysey didn't accidentally give them additional ammunition, LOL!
Now that someone dared to post it on BonJovi.com (the dates have been removed from the Tour section) and the Huffington Post has picked up the story, I guess it's officially official (danger -- lame cliches ahead):

I'm home now, so I've been able to look up some of the articles.

This goes back to what I've been saying for years--Jon needs to keep his politics off the stage. For years, he was good about doing that and I respected him for it.

For a while, he was just shooting himself in the foot, such as recently when he was pissing off people by giving money to Clinton and by letting Christie use his songs. He association with either of them did nothing to hurt their image, but did tarnish his image with people on both counts. He was pissing off Democrats and Republicans.

But now if these articles are to be believed politics are hurting his fans because all these people who planned to go to the Chinese shows have no shows to go to. Sure, the opening to The Circle tour seemed harmless enough, but you know there that many (if not half) the audience in the USA was put off by seeing Obama's face in those images. Jon didn't have to say a word, he was still making a political statement. People go to Bon Jovi shows to be entertained, not to be told how to think. Which country will take issue with his political views and say, "Don't come here," next?

Note to Jon: stick to apolitical philanthropy and keep the political words and images to yourself. You possibly cost yourself the Chinese shows you always dreamed of and you cost the Chinese fans the shows they've been dreaming of. Was it worth it?


I guess the only consolation is that, apparently, the Chinese people are used this happening. :(

Macau is not China ? Is it really legally independent ?

Jon should be able to show and talk about whatever he wants from his stage. If he wants to put the President"s face on the screens during every song, it's his prerogative.

If anyone is offended by the images, it's really the individual's problem. The songs are universal enough to be taken however you choose.

This is just the kind of stuff communist governments do. Jon should in no way, change how he goes about doing what he does because of this.

:p NOT GUILTY!
FYI, when I posted, the only article I had read was the BBC one (and I trust the BBC for not BS-ting so I considered it to be official at that very moment), then I had a look at some other press articles and blogs posted hours before my message and guess what? Great minds blahblahblah... I'm not the only one who thought about the WWBTF video but I was the only one (so far) who mentioned the TD one.
I can imagine the Chinese culture committee (or whatever it's called) spending the days watching YT videos and examining tweets and FB posts, a real dream job -not for them though!


Billboard used the same photo as the infamous Vancouver promoter -hmmm...
http://www.billboard.com/articles/bu...eled-no-reason
A possible explanation for "unforeseen reasons" in the comment section ;)
:rofl:

Jon said a long time ago that he wouldn't make political statements from the stage and I took him at his word.

Would you feel the same way if he had pictures of George W. Bush behind him? Or do you just feel like he should be able to have the President's face because you agree with his viewpoint?

If your goal is to "appeal to the masses" which has ALWAYS been his goal, you stay politically neutral while you're on stage. And your audience is going to be 50/50 in the USA because we're that divided.

PS: I pretty much despise them all equally, so it's not about being Democrat or Republican, it's about respecting me enough to NOT tell me how to think politically. I'm not paying you $300 to tell me how to vote.

****ing communist countries.

Macau belonged to Portugal up until 1999. It's not really independent , although it is autonomous to a certain degree.

I hope nothing worse happens than someone over there getting fired, because the Chinese aren't fond of any form of public humiliation. This isn't like with Maroon 5 -- they were instantly smitten for saying something the Chinese government didn't like. This is a case of the Ministry of Culture not "screening" Bon Jovi thoroughly: they never should have qualified for the gig in the first place. If you think they're overreacting now, imagine what would have happened if the videos had come to light AFTER the concerts -- or even worse, DURING!


What's Chinese for "Hands up who DIDN'T see that joke coming"?

The saddest part is, Dave T. MIGHT be right! If it took the Chinese government this long to find out that they never should have considered Bon Jovi, why SHOULD we be certain that they weren't expecting Richie? :lol:

If they think that Richie's still in the band, no wonder BJ are personae non gratae in China, he clearly showed his support towards Tibet at the beginning of the year ;)

http://www.drycounty.com/jovitalk/bo.../page1317.html

:lol:

Dates already deleted on Bon Jovi's website.

I do not take a montage of photos of world leaders and significant people (i.e. Princess Diana, Mother Theresa) actively trying to make a positive change in the world as telling me how to vote or think. Obama was included as he had come off of an major election victory where "change" and "we can do better" were the keys words used. Thousands had traveled to Washington to witness the inaugural and millions more watched on TV. As with any new administration, hope was in the air.

BTW...when John went out his last election cycle to Get Out the Vote events (even if they were a part of Democratic candidate speeches), he knew that some people were coming to see him rather than the candidate and he was very clear that his message was for people to vote for whomever they believed in, just vote.

That's it. THAT'S IT!!!
I couldn't figure out where this was coming from. It didn't come from Jon, it came from RICHIE! THEY GOT JON CONFUSED WITH RICHIE!!!!

Wo-oh-oh! Keep calm and blahblahblah! :lol:
Haven't you seen my smileys? And look closer to the other page:
1) Ori tweeted the photos on her pages, not Richie
2) Richie didn't make any "comments ... on the spiritual leader", he just posed for a photo taken by his GF.
I very much doubt that "Chinese music-industry watchers" and the Communist party's Culture Ministry bother to check an ex-band member's GF social media outlets.

Are you 100% sure? It could be a tweet on the band twitter page, maybe to wish happy birthday to the Dalai Lama like the Maroon 5 guy did. Or... they got Jon confused with the Maroon 5 guy! :o

Well, surely it IS their job to check on Bon Jovi's official web site where they would have found the lyrics and videos -- unlike an ex-band member's GF social media, they aren't buried somewhere. And if they'd done that much, as I said, Bon Jovi never would have gotten the gig.

Richie was in the band when the videos were done. And it doesn't matter who posted the photos -- it matters that they show him in Tibet with his palms together and looking happy. For the Chinese government, that MORE than qualifies as "tweeting about their spiritual leader!"

What a day -- it starts with this terrible news. But at least I won't be lying awake tonight wondering why Jon was accused of making statements in social media in support of Tibet!
:sleeping:

So basically the tour hasn't even started and we already have two cancelled shows and one replaced member. Nice.

It's not about me personally. Jon has Obama and other democratic leaders there because that's the viewpoint he agrees with.

He's also not telling anyone HOW to vote. There's a difference between having the President behind him for two seconds on a screen and taking the stage and actually telling the crowd to vote Democrat.

If Jon was a Republican and had Bush behind him on a screen for two seconds, I certainly wouldn't see it as him telling me how to vote.

nothing surprising! Check Linkin Park show in China 2015 on youtube, there is no words "f***", the band censored all their lyrics for this show and dropped some regular songs.

Who is the replaced member?

Bobby - who is not really a member anyway (replaced for good or not I don't know) by Matt O'Ree (guitarist who has his own band too like Bobby does- both New Jersey local bands)

WHAT? Bobby is out and there isn't a celebration topic??? Pffffff.......

Methinks you're making a lot of fuss about nothing. :lol:

I don't think so. Their job is to clear the bands that are scheduled to play China, not ex-band members and their entourage.

I said it first! :p In the post that you quoted.
http://www.drycounty.com/jovitalk/bo...238/page2.html

The problem comes from a video:
Jon is the leader of the pack, he's responsible for the videos and stage appearance, not Richie or Tico or Hugh.

I don't think so, they're not retards and your explanation is far-fetched. If they saw Ori's pic (and I'm sure they didn't) they realized Richie was not in Tibet and when you're Catholic you put your palms together to pray as well, it's not a Buddhism-only gesture. The tea package was more controversial but Richie's not holding it and, I'll repeat, Richie didn't post it on his own FB page.


Speculations, not accusations. Comments, not statements. The Dalai Lama, not Tibet.
Don't you ever read the articles you quote?!

Agreed


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The BBC article and a couple more also read:

This declaration might have been what made the government suspicious about the band and what triggered a thorough examination of their videos.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/...0R90U520150909


PS: or they listened to Burning Bridges (the song)! :lol: