Curtain falls on expat performers

• Source: Global Times
• [08:13 August 10 2010]
• Comments

By Craig Curtis

Foreigners with an urge to get up on stage and perform for crowds at local bars and clubs may want to think twice about their 15 minutes of fame, following a recent crackdown on city expatriates caught in the act at a bar on Dagu Road.

According to the American owner of the Jing'an district dive bar, who asked to remain anonymous, the expat comedians had been invited to put on an improvised show for patrons weeks ago, but were removed by authorities before they could deliver the final punch line.

The performers were told that if they were caught under the spotlight again they would face a fine and deportation.

One of the performers, playing a keyboard at the time of the raid, was told by the officials, whom the bar owner said were from the Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce, that performing artists require a work visa from the entertainment venue that employs them - documents that the group were without.

According to city law, however, foreigners, who have a valid work, student or resident visa, are allowed to put on a show at such places so long as they do not earn a wage in exchange.

"But paid performers must work through a booking agent, and can only work at one venue that must provide their visa," a man surnamed Chen, from the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Bureau, told the Global Times Monday.

He added that artists should only be paid from one employer, the place where they perform, meaning that expat artists who earn money by performing on the side while holding down a full-time job are in effect breaking the law. The restrictions do not apply to Chinese performers.

The bar owner said that the group was performing without pay, but that no one was given a chance to explain anything to the officials after they were interrupted.

The incident calls into question the legal ramifications imposed on expats who, in extreme cases, could potentially be deported simply for taking part in open mic night sessions, which are staple attractions at bars around the city.

Based on the series of events that took place during the comedy routine - when the performers were unable to notify authorities that they were performing on the house - the reality of the situation is concerning, according to night spots that cater to live shows.

According to Durn, a manager at Yuyintang, a popular venue for live shows, which was suddenly temporarily shut down by authorities ahead of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, the rules regarding performances are difficult to follow in practice, and can be enforced at anytime without warning.

"We're supposed to apply for our artists through an agent and we need to clear our performances with officials before the actual show, which can take a couple of weeks," the man, who preferred only to give his first name, told the Global Times Monday. "It's hard to work within these laws every time."

According to a manager from JZ Club, who preferred to remain anonymous, another bar that offers live music in the city, most expat musicians pursue their art illegally, without the right documentation.

"The truth of the matter is that it's too hard to comply with the law because it makes things too difficult, so a majority of the musicians that play around the city do it on the sly," he told the Global Times Monday.

The government departments that oversee the issues involved, including the Shanghai Administration of Industry and Commerce, Shanghai Municipal Administration of Cultural, Radio, Film and TV, and the Entry-Exit Administration, declined to comment Monday to the Global Times.