China: Singer detained for dropping pants while performing at rock festival

Beijing [China]: Beijing authorities have detained a singer for pulling down his pants while performing at a rock festival in northern China, CNN reported.

The local culture bureau of Shijiazhuang City in a statement said the singer, identified by the surname Ding, was detained by police for “damaging social morality.” Meanwhile, a show organizer was fined USD 28,000 and suspended from hosting concerts, it added. Videos on Chinese social media show the frontman of the band Violent Champagne dropping his shorts during a gig at the Rock Home Town festival in the city on Saturday.

“Drop the briefs!” audience members can be heard chanting in the videos. But the footage shows the singer keeping his underwear on.

According to CNN, music lovers in China have welcomed the recent return of live performances after years of pandemic lockdowns. But as the events in Shijiazhuang have shown, authorities keep a close watch and react to anything perceived to cross unacceptable political or moral lines.

Shijiazhuang, the capital of the Hebei province surrounding Beijing, has been known for its indie music scene, something city officials have been keen to capitalize on.

The city earlier this month announced that it would host the Rock Home Town festival until October to help attract tourists and boost consumption amid China’s sluggish post-COVID economic recovery.

But many commentators online questioned how dedicated officials really were to the ethos of rocking out in the wake of the singer’s detention.

A comment on China’s Weibo following the singer’s detention, said: Shijiazhuang wants to be the City of Rock, but do you have that gene?”

“Before you start to rock, you are rolled away,” another quipped.

The Shijiazhuang culture bureau said Violent Champagne was not part of the festival’s official lineup, according to a report in the state-run Jimu News.

The bureau in a statement on Monday, said it would “strengthen supervision of performances” at the event.

“We hope that performers and staff will consciously abide by laws and regulations, strengthen morality, and provide healthy and positive entertainment for audiences,” it said, as per CNN.