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As happens with most gigs at Dos Kolegas, the crowd at this gig was oftentimes far more entertaining than the artists. The gig was intended to celebrate the birthday of the inimitable owner of Dos Kolegas, but the party was overblown with the addition of five other birthdays. With the crowd already in high spirits by the time ten o’clock rolled around, the gig started.
The gig opened with the newcomer punk band Summer Sunshine, who sounded as though they had just stepped out of the garage and onto the stage. Looking at their performance history, they’ve only been hitting venues for the last couple of months, and with only a couple of performances under their belts it’s no surprise that they still sound a little raw. However, their music showed considerable promise — a little Ashura-lite, with some faint metal sounds in the bass line — and they sound like the sort of band that could definitely grow to become something better. They were endearingly unfamiliar with the stage setup, playing with the sound equipment between almost every song. They had a short set — no more than four or five songs, I’d say — until a band who wasn’t on the lineup took the stage.
I’ve got no idea who the second band to play was, because they didn’t introduce themselves the entire time and the only thing I’ve got to work off of is that they played a punk rock version of a folk song from a place that sounded like “Qianhai”, but the lead singer mumbled and it was difficult to tell what he was saying. The lead singer/guitarist was quite talented, pulling off some stunning solos, and his voice sounded like unpracticed Mongolian throat singing — my larynx was hurting for him after the set. Otherwise, the music was quite good — if not what I usually listen to. The beats were heavy and the sound a bit more noisy than I usually like, but it made for a rich sound and some nice, long jams. It’s too bad I didn’t catch the name of the band, else I would have checked out their recorded stuff.
Next up were Nucleus (or Nuclear? I’m not sure, Douban has two translations), which was definitely a talented, mature band. The lead singer was charming and put up with the antics of the crowd, as well as the person’s birthday he was there to celebrate (the bar owner got up on stage more than once during the set and attacked him affectionately, groping and playing with his guitar), and the music was good. Again, a little heavier than I usually like, but they had a few lighter songs that I could get into — check out 方 on their douban. Their act was tight, and they invited a friend up on stage — whose name I didn’t catch, but he was a character. With a bright blue Russian ushanka and dark sunglasses, what I remember most about this guy is his guitar, which had a mirrored body. That, and later he gave me and my gig partner some birthday cake.
Third up was Steely Heart (钢铁之心), who I am almost convinced I have seen before without knowing it. Their tunes were too familiar, especially A Sexy Lie, but their stage presence too distinct for me to be mixing them up with anyone else. Before the strange sense of déjà-vu, though, I liked them the instant they started playing. They’re a five-piece band with a vocalist whose fashion sense harkens back to The Kinks but is probably more influenced by The Strokes — casual class with a touch of the dirty city. It’s no surprise that their music is a little punk, a little rock, and a lot of tunes that get you up and dancing. And despite the crowd getting even more rowdy by this point — one of the noisier patrons took over the microphone for a well-intentioned sing-along during one of the songs — they managed a great set.
Next up was Careless, and by this point it was nearly 1AM. Such is the problem of going to a Dos Kolegas gig for the headliner act, and while I usually wouldn’t blink at staying out so long, even the dance floor was dead by this point so I had to bail halfway through their set. What I did see of it, however, was more than enough to convince me to check them out again. Their sound reminded me of most of what’s going on around the Beijing indie music scene — an endearing mixture of rock and punk, which really appeals to me. They were incredibly catchy, and while my eyes were closing with exhaustion I could feel my toes tapping. Hopefully the next time they play (they’ve got three gigs in November, so it shouldn’t be hard), it won’t be so late.
And of course, I completely missed Candy Monster, if they ended up playing at 2AM or whenever they would have gotten on stage. I must admit it makes me feel like a bit of a grandma going home before the gig’s even over, but when the final act hasn’t even started at 1AM, I have to give up. They’re playing again this month, and are always around the place, so hopefully I’ll get to see them soon. For now I’ll just settle for listening to the tracks on their MySpace.
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