For Foo Fighters‘ first concert in Jakarta, Indonesia since 1996, the band’s tour rider includes permission to swear, smoke, and drink.
“They’ve asked for the freedom to curse on stage, as well as permission to smoke and drink during the show,” said Ravel Junardy, the promoter of the show and the CEO of [checks notes] Ravel Entertainment. “As long as it doesn’t touch on sensitive topics like race, religion, or Indonesian cultural values, we’ll allow it.”
It’s not that Junardy is against Ravel-rabble-rousers, it’s more of a proactive move to defend all parties from Indonesia’s decency laws. Punishments for breaking these broadly-defined laws seem to range from fines to years in prison. Ravel Entertainment has been put in the position of a quasi-regulatory body, assuming some liability for hosting Western rock stars. By publicly announcing where Dave Grohl and co. intend to draw the line, Junardy invites regulators to bring up issues ahead of time while protecting himself if the Foos go too far.
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American artists have been drawing record crowds in large international markets, including epic concerts by Lady Gaga and System of a Down in Brazil. If this keeps up, Ravel Entertainment could be the [sigh] biggest name in Indonesian promotion. (That joke was so bad it could’ve used a rim shot — if the Foos had a drummer.) Foo Fighters’ gig in Jakarta goes down on October 2nd at Carnaval Ancol.
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