Ageing rock band Bon Jovi has had the plug pulled on its first concerts in China after officials learnt that a picture of the Dalai Lama had featured in a video backdrop in a concert five years ago.
The abrupt cancellation of two concerts next week in Shanghai and Beijing — with tickets ranging from Rmb480 to Rmb3,880 ($75 to $600) — makes the American rockers the latest musicians to fall foul of Chinese sensitivities.
The list includes Icelandic singer Bj?rk and Maroon 5, which had its Shanghai concert cancelled earlier this year. That followed a band member’s tweet about meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader. Twitter is banned in China.