LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Did AEG sabotage Bon Jovi's tour of China last year due to soft ticket sales? According to allegations in a report by the Wall Street Journal, the answer is yes.
The story by the Journal reported that Bon Jovi stood to earn more than $4 million for the Chinese segment of their tour last year. However, the tour didn't take place and while AEG did not offer any explanation for the cancellations, it was widely reported at the time that the Chinese government pulled its permission for the tour after they became aware of a performance by the band a few years earlier in front of an image of the Dalai Lama.
Now, according to the WSJ, unnamed sources who have knowledge of the incident are alleging that individuals close to AEG Live helped to make sure that Chinese officials saw the videos with the intent of cutting potentially steep losses for the shows. The source told the Journal that AEG allegedly paid the band less than $1 million after invoking a “force majeur,” or act of God, clause, because Chinese officials had canceled the concerts.
Jay Marciano, chairman of AEG Live and chief operating officer of AEG, categorically rejected the account, telling the Journal. “It’s an absurd notion that AEG would ever involve a government agency in order to mitigate a show loss. Our relationships with talent are too important, especially with Bon Jovi,” and added that they had worked with the band for more than a decade.
A rep for Bon Jovi told the Journal that the band was only alerted to potential problems with the tour after the permits had been revoked and that they had no knowledge of who circulated the videos. Bon Jovi's most recent North American tour is being promoted by Live Nation.- Staff Writers
