New Jersey rockers Bon Jovi had its upcoming tour dates in China canceled, reported the Washington Post. While a statement regarding the cancellation does not specify the reasons, it's speculated that the band's support for the Dali Lama may be to blame.
The rock band was scheduled to perform for the first time ever in the country, and frontman Jon Bon Jovi even recorded a version of the classic Chinese song "The Moon Represents My Heart" to celebrate the occasion, which was posted to the band's Twitter page last month. But concert promoter AEG Live Asia released a statement apologizing to fans for the sudden cancellation.
"We regretfully announce that the Bon Jovi 2015 Shanghai concert on Sept. 14 and Beijing concert on Sept. 17 have been cancelled due to unforeseen reasons," read AEG Live Asia's statement, according to Billboard. "We would like to apologize for the inconvenience and disappointment that this will cause."
The announcement comes less than one week before the scheduled performances, reported the Guardian. Ticket prices for the concerts ranged from $75-$609 (480 to 3,880 yuan).
While the reason remains unclear, it's speculated that the 2009 video for "We Weren't Born To Follow," featuring imagery from the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square, may have sparked problems with China's Ministry of Culture, a source in the Chinese music industry told the Washington Post.
Bon Jovi isn't the first American act to run into problems with the Chinese Ministry of Culture. Maroon 5, Linkin Park, Bob Dylan and Taylor Swift have all experienced difficulty with performing and selling merchandise in the country.
