Mick Hartley

An irrestistible opening line:

It is the news Iranian Chris de Burgh fans have been waiting for.

Yes, the great singer, famous for “Lady in Red”, and, um, many others, is set to be the first Western musician to appear in Iran since the 1979 revolution.

De Burgh expressed his desire to play Iran, where he holds a degree of popularity, as far back as 2002.

“Iran is definitely one of those countries I would love to visit. Not only for historical reasons but also for the fact that I believe that music is an international language and deserves to be heard all over the world,” de Burgh replied to one Iranian in a message posted on his website.

The plan is to hold the concert at a 12,000-seat stadium complex in Tehran, although the organisers face a tortuous process to obtain clearance.

Lyrics are studied by Iranian authorities to ensure they do not contradict Islamic values and even the music style, such as the use of guitar feedback, prompt disapproval for having too much Western influence.

If any Western musician can meet Iranian requirements, it’ll be Chris.

Update: the Daily Mash has more:

The narrow, dusty road from Tehran to the Turkish border is normally quiet at this time of year.

But since last Friday’s announcement that Chris De Burgh would perform in Iran, this dry, barren landscape has been filled with desperate souls fleeing for their lives.

Most travel on foot, carrying just a few belongings. A handful of lucky ones ride atop a makeshift cart, pulled along by a tired and hungry goat.

Disani, a 30 year-old mother of two from the market town of Tabriz, weeps and pulls her children close. “The first I knew was from the newspaper reports,” she says.

“I thought nothing of it until a neighbour played me a few seconds of Don’t Pay the Ferryman. They had to stop me from battering myself to death with a pot.” […]

France has already offered safe haven for 10,000 while other signatories to the 1989 Anti Chris De Burgh Treaty have pledged to do what they can.

Margaret van Klimm, of the UN High Commission for Refugees, said: “We have dealt with mass migrations caused by floods, conflict and crop failure. But everyone always forgets about the constant threat of Chris De Burgh.”