Stones Finally Roll Into China - But Fail to Start a Cultural Revolution

More than 40 years into their careers and after several failed attempts, the Rolling Stones finally made their debut on the Chinese mainland last night.

The gig was billed as an attempt by the 'world's biggest rock band' to win new followers in the planet's most populous nation, but if Mick Jagger came as a rock missionary he ended up preaching to the converted.

High ticket prices and a shallow rock culture meant that only 8,000 fans - most of them Western expatriates - were able to enjoy the spectacle of the pension-aged band losing their stage virginity in China.

They played a set that has become famous across the world during their Bigger Bang tour. The major difference was the interference of the Chinese censors, who insisted on the omission of four songs - 'Honky Tonk Woman', 'Brown Sugar', 'Beast of Burden' and 'Let's Spend the Night Together' - which are deemed overly sexually explicit.

The gig has been a long time coming and the fact that it is now possible reflects how the cultural and economic gap has closed between China and the West. When the band started in 1962, millions of Chinese were dying in the famines that followed the Great Leap Forward. In the decade that followed the only pop icon allowed to be worshipped was Mao Zedong. Even at the end of the Cultural Revolution, several attempts to arrange a Chinese concert were thwarted by financial concerns, political worries and, most recently, the outbreak of Sars.

The concert was an attempt at a business breakthrough. The Stones - like Manchester United, Tesco and a host of other international brands - are trying to grab a share of the world's fastest-growing major economy. But, despite a huge marketing campaign, tickets only sold out two days ago. Part of the reason was the price, which ranged from £30 to £300, far beyond the means of the bulk of the population in China.

'This will help them make a market for themselves in China,' said Jonathan Krane of Emma Entertainment. 'They are looking forward to coming back.'

But the promotional benefits are likely to be modest at best because everything from Hollywood blockbusters to Harry Potter books is pirated on a huge scale. Analysts estimate that 90 per cent of the CDs and DVDs sold in China are fakes.

Chinese music critics said that the band was unlikely to raise its profile by playing to an audience largely of wealthy foreigners. 'This is just comfort music for expats. There is no chance that this Shanghai concert can promote the sales of their music in China,' said Wang Xiaofeng, China's best-known music critic. 'Many people know the Rolling Stones, but few really like them because their R&B style is considered unfashionable.'