Oasis has cancelled an upcoming Chinese performance after being banned from the country.
The band has been banned from performing in China because of their links to the Free Tibet campaign.It was revealed earlier today that concert promoters had stopped selling tickets for two of the band's gigs there this April, but no reason was given.
But this evening, a statement issued on behalf of the band said Chinese government officials had revoked their performance license because of their links to the Free Tibet campaign.
It said that the Chinese government had discovered that guitarist Noel Gallagher had played a Free Tibet Benefit Concert in 1997 and so was deemed "unsuitable" to perform in the Chinese Republic.
The statement said: "Oasis were informed Saturday (February 28) by their Chinese promoters, (Emma Entertainment/Ticketmaster China) that representatives from the Chinese government have revoked the performance licenses already issued for the band and ordered their shows in both Beijing and Shanghai to be immediately cancelled.
"The government have instructed the ticket agencies to stop selling tickets and to reimburse the thousands of fans who have already purchased tickets for these inaugural Oasis shows in the People's Republic of China.
"The licensing and immigration process for the two shows had been fully and successfully complied with well before the shows went on sale. The Chinese authorities action in cancelling these shows marks a reversal of their decision regarding the band, which has left both Oasis and the promoters bewildered.
"According to the show's promoters, officials within the Chinese Ministry of Culture only recently discovered that Noel Gallagher appeared at a Free Tibet Benefit Concert on Randall's Island in New York in 1997, and have now deemed that the band are consequently unsuitable to perform to their fans in the Chinese Republic on 3rd and 5th of April, during its 60th anniversary year.
"Oasis are extremely disappointed that they are now being prevented from undertaking 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.
"The rest of the South East Asian leg of the band's tour, including the Hong Kong show, will go ahead as planned."
Music-News.com
