SE Asian tour a mission impossible for terror-wary Limp Bizkit
SE Asian tour a mission impossible for terror-wary Limp Bizkit
American rock group Limp Bizkit has canceled appearances in four Southeast Asian countries due to security fears after a warning from the U.S. State Department, promoters said on Thursday.
The band was supposed to perform in Singapore on Wednesday night followed by dates in the Indonesian resort of Bali, Thailand's capital Bangkok and Manila in the Philippines. It simply did not turn up in Singapore.
Best known in Asia for their rendition of the Mission Impossible II movie theme tune -- a popular mobile phone ringtone -- Limp Bizkit is fronted by singer Fred Durst and mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and hip-hop beats.
Michael Hosking, managing director of concert promoter Midas Promotions in Singapore, confirmed that the group had canceled its Southeast Asian appearances on short notice after a security warning from the U.S. State Department.
"They made a decision on Tuesday morning for the show in Singapore," he told AFP by telephone from Thailand.
He said that as far as he knew, five dates in South Korea and Japan starting on Dec. 11 were still on.
Hosking told Singapore's Today newspaper that the band was apparently worried about terrorist threats in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines following the bomb blasts in Turkey last month.
The band failed to turn up Monday in Singapore, regarded as one of the most tightly protected countries in Asia, and Hosking later received an e-mail saying the band would not be performing, the report said.
The newspaper said the band sent a statement to its Southeast Asian promoters expressing their "deepest apologies to fans" with a "promise to return once security for their fans can be assured".
The newspaper said Singapore ticket sales were poor but that the promoters were expecting brisk sales on the concert date itself had the band turned up. The shows for Bali and Bangkok were reportedly sold out.
Limp Bizkit was supposed to play in Bali on Friday, Bangkok on Sunday and Manila on Tuesday.
The Singapore Tourism Board, which touts regular performances by international musical acts as one of the city-state's attractions, said the cancellation of the Singapore leg was "unfortunate".
"But Singapore continues to be a highly attractive destination for international events and shows. We have excellent infrastructure, modern technology and facilities, as well as efficient logistic support that event organizers can leverage on," a spokesman said. -- AFP