Bob Dylan has cancelled his upcoming eastern Asian tour after China refused to allow him in to perform. And while it seems the 68-year-old never stops causing trouble, oddly, you can blame this one on Björk.
As it turns out, China isn't too huge on musicians coming in who might have any slightly radical tendencies, a decision they came to after Björk started chanting "Tibet!" at a concert in Shanghai two years ago. After that incident, the country tightened its reins; Oasis were denied entry into China in 2009 due to Noel Gallagher appearing at a Tibetan freedom concert 12 years earlier.
So, given Dylan's history - ancient history, at this point - of songs that are anti-war and explicitly political, Chinese officials have said he can't play in Beijing and Shanghai, CBC reports, so Dylan has been forced to pull the plug on the tour, which was going to hit South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Dylan has never played mainland China before and was apparently excited about playing the country.
But even if his days of writing political anthems are history, lest we forget this is the same guy who was recently picked up for wandering around Long Branch, NJ, in the rain for "suspicious behaviour." Yes, maybe Dylan's trouble-making days have just begun.
As it turns out, China isn't too huge on musicians coming in who might have any slightly radical tendencies, a decision they came to after Björk started chanting "Tibet!" at a concert in Shanghai two years ago. After that incident, the country tightened its reins; Oasis were denied entry into China in 2009 due to Noel Gallagher appearing at a Tibetan freedom concert 12 years earlier.
So, given Dylan's history - ancient history, at this point - of songs that are anti-war and explicitly political, Chinese officials have said he can't play in Beijing and Shanghai, CBC reports, so Dylan has been forced to pull the plug on the tour, which was going to hit South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Dylan has never played mainland China before and was apparently excited about playing the country.
But even if his days of writing political anthems are history, lest we forget this is the same guy who was recently picked up for wandering around Long Branch, NJ, in the rain for "suspicious behaviour." Yes, maybe Dylan's trouble-making days have just begun.