Bon Jovi must have a bad name in China because the group’s first ever tour stops there have both been cancelled abruptly.
Jon Bon Jovi and the rest of the group were supposed to perform in Shanghai on Sept. 14 and in Beijing on Sept. 17. AEG Live Asia said the shows were cancelled due to “unforeseen reasons,” but declined to explain what those were, notes The Associated Press.
A source for the Financial Times said that Chinese authorities saw that the band once showed support for the Dalai Lama during a 2010 show in Taiwan. Since the Chinese government has exiled the Tibetan spiritual leader, they have been increasingly strict on bands that support him. Even Maroon 5 had a Shanghai show cancelled because a member of the group once met the Dalai Lama.
Bon Jovi was very excited about performing for their Chinese fans for the first time, even posting a video of the frontman singing a popular Chinese love song last month.
Since they will not be able to perform in China, Bon Jovi added another show in Taipei, Taiwan, notes The AFP. They were already set to perform on Sept. 28. These are the first shows for the group in Taiwan in two decades.
image courtesy of INFphoto.com