SHANGHAI, China (AP) – Eric Clapton will perform in Shanghai later this month, the latest rock legend to take the stage in China’s business and entertainment hub.

Clapton, 61, will appear Jan. 20 at the Shanghai Grand Stage, the same venue where the Rolling Stones made their Chinese debut last April.

Ticket prices range from $230 for stage-side seats to $38 for the upper balcony, Emma Entertainment, one of the concert organizers, said in a statement Friday.

Western stars such as Elton John and the Black Eyed Peas have performed in Shanghai in recent months. The Stones’ concert was considered the most lavish and high-profile rock show ever staged in the communist state.

Yet while such appearances point to Shanghai’s increasingly affluent and cosmopolitan profile, they also underscore some enduring limitations.

Most of the audience members at the concerts have been expatriates because many Chinese remain unfamiliar with such stars or are unwilling to pay high ticket prices.

Meanwhile, China’s conservative culture czars still call the shots. They ordered the Stones to strike three songs from their set list due to sexual content and canceled permission for an October concert by Jay-Z, citing a need to protect local hip-hop fans from nasty lyrics.



On the Net:

Eric Clapton:

http://www.ericclapton.com/


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