Cui Jian, the godfather of Chinese rock music, will perform at
the Beijing Workers' Indoor Arena on January 5. But weak ticket
sales so far might result in a disappointing return to the place
where he once blasted open the gates.
Veteran Chinese rock musician Cui Jian
promotes his January 5 Beijing concert on Tuesday, December 25,
2007.
In 1986, Cui Jian debuted at the Workers' Indoor Arena with a
trailblazing rock show, creating an alternative genre for Chinese
music fans.
His comeback two decades later has so far sold only about 5,000
tickets, half of the total seats, the Beijing Evening News
reported.
On Tuesday, the 46-year-old rocker met with the media in Beijing
to discuss next weekend's show for the first time. He said he felt
pressure to satisfy both old and young fans, and if there were
fewer people than he expected at the show, he would be "very
disappointed."
Fans at the concert can expect to see Cui Jian lead his band in
a set chronicling his legendary career, but the singer didn't like
calling the show nostalgic. "It's out of my way to get nostalgic,"
he said, adding that sometimes old stuff can still hold up
today.
The concert was announced on short notice, a fact to which its
organizer ascribed the unsatisfactory ticket sales. Promotion for a
show usually requires one to two months; Cui Jian's allowed for
only 20 days.
Tickets, capped at 800 yuan (US$108.8), are being sold for less
than other shows held recently at the Indoor Arena. Tickets to
Taiwan rock singer Shin's show on December 24, for example, sold
for as much as 1,180 yuan.
The organizer is now hoping to see a surge in purchases over the
last a few days.
Cui Jian, who is now rarely seen in solo settings, never veers
far from the rock stage. He still headlines rock concerts
periodically, including this year's Beijing Pop Festival.
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(CRI December 27, 2007)
