The ludicrous reason Led Zeppelin were denied entry to Singapore
The rock world had erupted and solidified like an angry volcano during the 1950s and ’60s. It had welcomed a brand new ream of artists who all seemed intent on making rebellion the forefront of their message.
Many bands had come and gone, and the new decade of the 1970s seemed to offer up yet more young pretenders on the horizon, seemingly intent on corrupting the youth and spreading their message worldwide. In 1972, Led Zeppelin were at the peak of their powers.
With three self-titled albums behind them and immense critical and commercial acclaim, it seemed as though nothing could stop their ascent. Within weeks of its release, Led Zeppelin IV had claimed the number one spot on the UK charts, and ‘Stairway to Heaven’ was ubiquitous, spilling out of radios everywhere in its jangly, epic glory.
The world, as they say, was Led Zeppelin’s oyster. Every major venue was theirs to command, and they assumed every city would welcome them with open arms. However, one nation wasn’t so eager to embrace them: newly independent Singapore.
The story goes that Led Zeppelin was scheduled to perform at an outdoor venue in Singapore on February 14th, 1972. After arriving in their private jet, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones made their way from the landing strip to customs, where they expected to be given the full VIP treatment. They didn’t get far. On stepping foot off the plane, border control stopped them in their path, denying the band entry to Singapore.
As Stephen Davis wrote in Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga: “Not only were Led Zeppelin not allowed into the country, they were even refused permission to get off their plane and had to fly back to London”.
So why were the airport officials so opposed to Led Zeppelin setting foot on Singaporean soil? Was it their reputation for chaos and debauchery or Jimmy Page’s fascination with satanic worship and the occult? No, it was something far less dramatic than that. Led Zeppelin was denied entry to Singapore on account of their long-flowing locks.
It’s important to remember that Singapore was keen to avoid getting caught up in the countercultural anti-authoritarianism sweeping across the world at that time. The world had seemingly changed and a refusal to conform seemed to be the norm. Rock music was at the forefront of this movement. It rejected the commonly held principles that most major countries had to rely upon to rule. It was, in many ways, a danger.
In an effort to ward off a cultural revolution, Singapore launched a campaign against what it deemed to be Western “drug culture”. This involved nullifying the aesthetics of the hippie age, the most central of which was (you guessed it) long hair. This symbol of alternative living was taken as a threat to social order by the Singaporean government, which frequently turned away visitors with hair below their shoulders. If the disgruntled visitors were really keen to gain entry, they were asked to shave themselves a neat crop. Many of them did, and some returned home.
It might seem strange to get upset about, but one of Singapore’s main goals post-independence was to shape a new generation of young people who held the interests of their country above all else. Patriotism, conformity, and education were all important tools to ensure maximum economic productivity and to solidify Singapore as a leading post-colonial power.
Led Zeppelin stood in opposition to all three of these things and was deemed undesirable as a result. But it wasn’t just Led Zeppelin who were turned away. Cliff Richard was also denied entry in 1972 for having collar-length curls. Singapore has calmed down a bit since the 1970s. However, it wasn’t until 2013 that Robert Plant, complete with a god-like mane, performed his first show on Singaporean soil.
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