Bjork
called out "Tibet, Tibet" at the end of a performance of "Declare Independence" during a concert in Shanghai earlier this year, and now every other artist performing in China will have to suffer the consequences: The Chinese Ministry of Culture will now be tightening approvals, and screening all setlists (including encores) in advance in order to prevent performances that "threaten national unity," incite "ethnic hatred," and violate "religious policy or cultural norms." [
Reuters]
Last night at the premiere of the Bjork Wanderlust video in queens, I was standing in line for drinks when the first showing let out. A brunette woman in her late 30s, shuffled to the door while telling her date she’d “had just about enough of all these hipster wannabes.”
What the hell is a hipster wannabe?
Also, doesn’t being at a Bjork-attended music video premiere with free booze kind of signal a hipster black-hole with an immeasurable gravitational pull over those who star fuck and chase open bars?
As the woman was leaving, some sort of nexus of doubt and self-loathing briefly overcame me.
Then it was my turn to get red wine and it passed.
Bjork's
"free Tibet" hubbub at a recent Chinese concert not only pissed off government officials—who'd prefer not to, you know, make such a big deal out of the whole "dictatorial relationship with Tibet" thing—but now also Chinese promoters, who are kvetching that Bjork drawing more needless attention to human rights violations and whatnot might put a crimp in their bottom line. Can't everyone just be as nice and apolitical as those capitalism-friendly Disney girls? [
Reuters]
Last week during a concert in Shanghai, Bjork ended her performance of "Declare Independence" with a call of "Tibet, Tibet"; the Chinese ministry of culture was not pleased with Bjork's outburst, saying that the song was "unapproved" and putting a statement on its Web site that says "Any attempt to separate Tibet from China will definitely be opposed by the Chinese people and all righteous men across the world." The government has said that it will now look closer at artists who are planning on playing China so as to "prevent similar cases from happening in the future." [
Variety / Photo: AP]
Bjork canceled her performance at the Big Day Out Festival in Sydney today due to "swelling vocal chords." Of course, in Icelandic the phrase "swelling vocal chords" is actually a well-known euphemism for
beating the tar out of a photographer. We all know what you're
really up to, Bjork. [
NME]
The Last Word: Did Björk Mar "Volta"?
Every week, we round up the all-important, all-summarizing last sentences of the biggest new-music reviews. Today's entry is Björk's just-released
Volta, and as you can expect, these excerpts are wordier than usual.
bjork
The Sugarcubes—the off-kilter Icelandic band that launched the career of actress/singer/professional quirk Bjork—are having
a one-off reunion show in Reykjavik to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first English-language single, the bubbly Bjork-growl showcase
"Birthday." We bet she can still hit all those notes.
More »
Idolator
Bjork's claims that dropping out of the headlining spot at this weekend's Wild In The Country festival was based on general concern for all the artists' rather than demands on her part were backed up by Battles and Soulwax leaving the lineup soon after. With ticket sales dropping in response and a "key investor" pulling out, the entire festival, planned for Saturday, has been canceled. The organizers claim to be offering refunds to ticket buyers, as they did following Bjork's cancellation late Friday, but have yet to provide information as to how fans can receive them. NME]
