Pop superstar Lady Gaga would rather cancel dates in her world tour than make changes to appease censors and religious groups, the US singer’s manager said Thursday as controversy dogs her in Asia.
Troy Carter said that in any case, nothing would appease the religious hardliners who have denounced Lady Gaga in South Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines since her tour kicked off in Asia.
“We’ll skip them,” Carter told a music conference in Singapore, insisting that Lady Gaga would not tone down any upcoming concerts. “We play the show as it is. It’s a very specific show, it’s a very specific audience.”
Conservative Christians in South Korea and the Philippines, and militant Islamic groups in Indonesia, have accused the provocative US singer of espousing blasphemy and devil-worship. Indonesian police are refusing to issue a permit for her June 3 show in Jakarta after threats of violence from the militant groups, but the promoters say they are still lobbying to stage the event.
Carter said the fervid opposition was more a rejection of everything that the “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” singer represents than anything to do with her wardrobe or on-stage behaviour.
“I don’t think this has anything to do with Gaga as much as it has to do with — you know, it’s just a big cultural and generational gap that is happening over there,” the manager said.
“You are dealing with a few different things, you are dealing with politics… you are dealing with religion. It’s a little bit more complicated than her changing her outfits.”
This week in Manila, Philippine censors were on hand to ensure Lady Gaga’s act did not breach permit terms banning nudity, blasphemy and lewd conduct. She is next due to perform in Bangkok on Friday, before three gigs in Singapore.
After that is supposed to come the June 3 concert in Jakarta. On Twitter this week, Lady Gaga said she would perform solo if necessary, rather than bow to demands from Indonesian censors or the threats of violence.
Lady Gaga is expected to do 110 shows this year following the huge success of her album “Born This Way”, which has sold nearly six million copies worldwide since it was released in May 2011.
The star, named one of the 100 most influential fashion icons by the US magazine Time, has wowed fans with outfits ranging from a dress made of raw meat to a frock fashioned out of plastic bubbles.
Her manager said it was important that the 26-year-old singer retain the support of millions of devoted fans who are likely to sustain her career over the long term, rather than pander to her critics.
“So it’s very important that she maintains her loyalty and integrity with this audience and hopefully they will follow her,” Carter said.
