An exceedingly rare double-sided handbill advertising an April 4, 2003 Rolling Stones concert at the Beijing Worker’s Arena in Beijing, China, as part of their LICKS World Tour.  This and a show scheduled in Shanghai were to be the Rolling Stones first-ever concerts in China, but were cancelled because of the SARS epidemic.

The back of the handbill is filled with information about these shows, noting the organizer (promoter) as the China National Culture & Art Co., Ltd, that there was to be a ‘Charity Banquet,’ contacts for the Press and Publicity Center and Cooperative Press, etc.  There is detailed information for tickets as well, including a ‘Floor VIP Package.’

We acquired this handbill from a former Beijing resident with connections in the music business, who saved it from the time of the concert.  An extensive internet search found this handbill reproduced only once, on a 2003 Japanese fan site, writing about ticket availability for the show.  Note: We have watermarked these scans, but the original handbill obviously comes without the Recordmecca marking.

8 1/4″ X 11 1/4″.  Mint condition.

From a New York Times 2006 article about the Stones finally making it to China:

SHANGHAI, April 8 – After nearly 30 years of trying, the world’s most famous rock band finally made it to the world’s largest country, as the Rolling Stones brought their show to a small stage in China’s biggest city.

The concert on Saturday, a late addition to the band’s Biggest Bang world tour, was the product of long negotiations and numerous compromises: from the venue, a diminutive 8,000-seat indoor arena, to the songs allowed by Chinese censors.

The five songs reported to have been banned were “Brown Sugar,” “Beast of Burden,” “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” “Honky Tonk Women” and “Rough Justice,” a song from the Stones’ new album. The first four were also left off the Chinese version of the band’s greatest hits album when it was released here in 2003.

The band had scheduled a show here and in Beijing to support that album in 2003, but that part of the tour was called off because of worry over the rapid spread of the SARS illness.