The Rolling Stones have tried to bring their rock 'n' roll to the Chinese mainland for decades.

The band scheduled four shows in 2003 as part of their "40 Licks" tour, including two concerts in Hong Kong and one each in Beijing and Shanghai. But the SARS epidemic intervened.

While the shows in Hong Kong were rescheduled the band played for two nights in November 2003 as a part of Harborfest, an event organized by the Hong Kong government to revive the city's economy following the SARS scare the two mainland gigs were cancelled.

Three years later, the Stones will finally satisfy mainland fans. As part of their "A Bigger Bang" global tour which opened in Boston in August, the veteran group are set to make their mainland debut in Shanghai tomorrow. The Shanghai show will take place on a stage especially created for the Chinese performance, complete with state-of-the-art sound, video and lighting systems.

Although local media criticized the ticket prices, ranging from 300 (US$37.5) to 3,000 yuan (US$375), as too high, anticipation runs high, following a warm critical and box-office response to the Stones' North and South American performances.

(China Daily April 7, 2006)