Musician Elton John publicly dedicated his only concert in Beijing to Chinese artist and political critic Al Weiwei, just minutes into a two-hour performance.

It sent a murmur of shock through audience members accustomed to tight censorship of western pop shows.

Several audience members said the crowd rumbled in recognition of how Weiwei remains a touchy subject for the Chinese government.

The Chinese government further tightened already heavy scrutiny of live performances after singer Bjork shouted “Tibet, Tibet” at the close of a song titled “Declare Independence” at a Shanghai Performance in 2008.