China, my China

Back in the 1980s, some western items such as jeans and music became super-cool in the Soviet Union and elsewhere in the Eastern bloc. And this adoration has persisted - when Depeche Mode announces their tour dates, they spend a lot of time behind the former Iron Curtain. During May 2009, Depeche Mode are scheduled to play in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania. In June they will visit Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

Oasis wants to conquer another Communist stronghold, according to MSNBC:

British rock band Oasis will play their first China concerts in Beijing and Shanghai in early April, the musicians announced on their Web site.

The shows will take place April 3 at Beijing’s Capital Arena and April 5 at the Shanghai Grand Stage as part of a world tour promoting their latest release, “Dig Out Your Soul.”

The band will also play a previously announced show in Hong Kong on April 7....

Oasis are one of a growing number of Western musical acts traveling to China, following the Rolling Stones and Elton John. Growing exposure to foreign tastes has created fans among middle class Chinese, although audiences at such concerts tend to be drawn heavily from China’s large expatriate population.

However, if Jim Morrison is truly alive in Africa, he shouldn't plan to stage a performance in China any time soon:

Bands are forced to submit set lists beforehand, and the Rolling Stones were asked not to play several songs with suggestive lyrics during their 2006 China debut, including “Brown Sugar,” “Honky Tonk Woman,” “Beast of Burden” and “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”

The Rolling Stones were willing to defy Ed Sullivan, but not willing to defy the Chinese government.