British rock group The Rolling Stones had to cut five songs from their playlist for their Shanghai concert, to conform to the demands of Chinese authorities. For the first time in the band's long history, the Stones performed in China this weekend. In a press conference on Friday, the group's singer, Mick Jagger, confirmed that some songs were not going to be performed at the show. "It's not really an issue," Jagger told a news conference, "but I'M pleased that the Ministry of Culture is protecting the morals of the expat bankers and their girlfriends." "When we first applied to come here, the Ministry of Culture... asked us politely if we would consider not playing certain songs from the 'Forty Licks' album at the show," Jagger said. The Stones were set to perform in China in 2003, but cancelled the show due to the SARS epidemic. At that time, they were asked not to play Honky Tonk Woman, Brown Sugar, Beast of Burden and Let's Spend the Night Together. On Saturday, legendary rockers played to 8 500 fans on Shanghai's Grand Stage. |