Black eyed peas heading for China

BEIJING, July 5 -- U.S. hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas will begin their first China tour in two weeks.

The hip-hop quartet will hit Hong Kong on July 16, Beijing on July 18, and Shanghai on July 20 as part of their Monkey Business tour. 　　

Most of the tickets for the Grammy-award-winning group's Shanghai concert have already been sold, organizers said.

“Half of the ticket buyers are Chinese and half are foreigners,” said Wang Weiyi from the promotion department of China Record Shanghai Corp.

“Especially those Chinese who live or work in expat circles and also those who like to hang out in bars, because many bars play Black Eyed Peas CDs,” Wang said.

Black Eyed Peas apparently attract much more of a mix of expats and Chinese than the Rolling Stones.

Foreigners were 90 percent of the audience for the Rolling Stones' Shanghai concert in April, according to Chinese media reports.

Explaining the Black Eyed Peas appeal, “I used to like to dance to their hip-hop music in bars,” said a fan nicknamed Cui Cui Hong Hong at www.piao.com.cn, a ticket booking* Web site and forum. “But, pitifully, I have never heard them live* in concert. This should be the first time for Chinese to enjoy their live music. I expect a lot.”

Tickets cost between 280 yuan (US$35) and 880 yuan in both Beijing and Shanghai.

Wang said that all the premium 880-yuan tickets sold out in two weeks.