Posts Tagged ‘ 愚公移山 ’
Tonight’s Papier Tigre show will be a solo headliner! Re-TROS’ Korean tour has been bumped up so they will not be at Yugong Yishan tonight as scheduled. Don’t worry, the Modern Sky starlets will be back soon. Check out the French post-rock trio on their own tonight for their third time in Beijing.
Thanks to thebeijinger.com for the heads up on this on Weibo.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Rustic is one hell of a show. It almost doesn’t matter if you like their music, because they’re just that much fun to watch. They’re true entertainers, in a city of bands that are more likely to sing at the floor than at the audience. And this show, the finale of a nationwide tour, a triumphant return to the city after having been shut out the first time around, was no different. In fact, it was even more packed with jumping around, crowd surfing, hilarious English introductions, and everything else that comes with a rockin’ night out to see Rustic.
First up, though, was Birdstriking. I definitely came away with a better impression of them than the other week at D-22, but that could have been because I only saw half of their set, and for the last song they invited on stage the experimental violinist Yan Yulong. I have been itching to see Yan for a while now, and while this obviously didn’t display his strengths (he was more drowned out than a useful addition to the music), it did remind me to keep an eye on what he’s doing.
But really, when you’re at a Rustic show, all you want to see is the main act.
I was upstairs when the music started, and I’m happy to inform everyone that they’ve added a speaker in the lounge area so that there is no mistaking when a band goes on stage. No more missed first songs, that’s for sure! So I got downstairs for Rustic’s first song, and the energy didn’t stop. They’re known for the way they jump around on stage, of course, and their constant interaction, but particular highlights are: lead singer Lucifer crowd surfing on a fairly thin crowd — I think the same group of twenty people managed to carry him to the back of the mosh — and jumping down into the pit during Wild Women to grab the closest woman and sing right next to her.
And of course, the outfits. They took a break halfway through their set, and Lucifer came back in a black and white spotted shirt that was thankfully long enough to hide anything indecent. But then, Ricky was wearing pants that seemed to be only pretending to be held together by a piece of string. And though you couldn’t see it until the bow at the end of the show, the drummer was wearing a pair of tight, leopard-print short shorts.
Rustic really are the full package. Be sure to get out and see them the next time they’re playing, or pick up their album in all good indie music stores.
As soon as I saw the lineup for this gig, I was set on going. The two main acts for the night have been much talked about over the last year or so, and I had yet to actually get around to seeing them. Rustic was last year’s Global Battle of the Bands world title winner, and last year The Amazing Insurance Salesmen fought their way to the top of Beijing and then China to go compete — this coming weekend — in Kuala Lumpur for the same title. Somehow, I never managed to see either band before they got around to kicking everyone’s asses, but now that I have seen them, I have to say that I am truly sorry I didn’t do so beforehand.
But first of all, let me mention the opening act, Nucleus. I saw them first about a year and a half ago, at Dos Kolegas, at a very rowdy show because it was Doufu’s birthday. Amongst a couple of other garage punk rock groups, I remember thinking they were much more mature than the others, but it was difficult to work out how good they were when people were jumping on stage and feeding each other cake throughout the set. However, seeing them on stage tonight it was obvious that they’ve been hard at work ever since. Even though they were performing to a small crowd that barely filled the space in front of the stage, they rocked out hard and were on form. They’re still not my favorite group ever, with a heavier sound than I usually like, but they have a few tracks that will go well in my playlists.
When I first read about this gig, all I knew was that the lineup was Carsick Cars and Mr. Graceless, which excited me enough to decide to commit to going to it more than a month before it happened. Then PK14 was added to the lineup and it resolved my decision. It was an expensive gig, I’ll give you that, and honestly I’m not sure it would have been worth the full 100RMB, but the pre-sale price was just right. And of course, as with almost any review of gigs at Yugong Yishan, there were ridiculous and annoying sound issues throughout the show, but I’m not sure that’s ever going to change. People will always show up for a gig at Yugong Yishan, because their lineups are always fantastic.
Venue rants aside, I really enjoyed the show. Mr Graceless seemed a little more nervous than I’d ever seen them before, but they still played a solid set. They reminded me a lot of Nirvana, until they opened their mouths at which point they sounded a little like Supergrass. Basically, they sounded like an unpolished campus rock group who have gotten really far, which is exactly what they are. They’re going places, that’s for sure, but they’ve got a lot of time before they are anywhere near the caliber of the other two bands that took the stage that night.
I’m sure everyone had seen the posters for Long Shen Dao’s “Tai Chi Reggae” show at Yugong Yishan around the city; they’re on practically every available surface along Guloudong Street, and they’re eye catching. Mostly because you see the words “Tai Chi Reggae” in big letters and wonder — what the hell is tai chi reggae? Well, Tai Chi Reggae is the English title of Long Shen Dao’s debut self-released album, for which this gig was the launch. And they rang in the new year wonderfully.
To start out the gig, there was a short Tai Chi performance, which was spectacular. It wasn’t the sort of tai chi you see done in the park by old men, this was energetic and much more like the other fighting styles of martial arts. It was only a few minutes long, but it opened the show perfectly.
Then, lead singer and guitarist, the be-dredded Guo Jian came on stage and started the show with a kick. I have to say that I absolutely love Long Shen Dao’s style of reggae. They definitely have a solid basis of classic reggae, but the way they mix in traditional instruments — their speciality being the guzheng — and some definite rock sounds is absolutely my cup of tea. Their first album is an excellent reflection of what they are about, and I highly recommend you get yourself a copy. It was 50RMB at the gig; you should be able to pick up a copy at C Rock on Guloudong Street. It’s pretty incredible that, for as long as the band has been around and as celebrated as they are for being one of the nation’s best reggae bands, they have only just released their debut album. Still, at least they’re doing it under their own steam. Good luck to them!
The only thing about this gig I can — and should — complain about is the horrific sound problems Yugong Yishan had. For the first four songs, the sound continually fizzed and popped uncomfortably, making it hard to listen to. Then, finally, when the lead vocals were all but cut for who knows what reason, the sound engineer at the board announced a ten minute break while they worked out what was going on. It was appreciated, sure, but it felt like too little too late. Especially when, from my spot just behind the sound board, I could see four people standing there doing absolutely nothing about the crappy sound to start with. They didn’t even seem interested that it was happening. It reminded me of the time Andrew Bird’s entire setup cut out, forcing him to restart a song he had been building the backing for; seems that Yugong Yishan hasn’t quite fixed all their sound issues, even with their newest sound system.
Still, the gig was great. The music was relaxing at the same time as being worthy of the name “rock”, and the whole event was laid back and enjoyable. Check out Long Shen Dao as soon as you can; you won’t regret it.
Before going into this gig, I was not entirely aware of the legacy that CIR has been in the scene over the years. I knew that they were formed in 1994, and are credited as being one of the first punk bands to emerge in China, let alone Beijing. But taking a listen to the songs on their Douban these days, you could be easily fooled into thinking that they were something else entirely. While their earlier stuff (which you can find at Google Music if you’re in China) is definitely on the poppier side of punk, what they’re putting out these days is a more mellow pop style that would fit in with artists like Coldplay. They haven’t actually put anything out since 2007, though, and while the style change isn’t massive, it’s certainly noticeable if you listen to the albums in succession.
This show, however, seemed more like a retrospective. They certainly have enough material to put on a show for a few hours, and they managed to do so quite easily. I turned up quite late, having been detained at a dinner, but they were still going strong. They were at the low-energy point in the evening, playing quite a few slow tunes in a row, but soon they picked up. It definitely seemed like a celebration of sorts (fifteen years, perhaps?), because they invited lots of friends on stage. There were covers (notably, John Mayer’s “Bigger Than My Body”, which was wonderfully different from the original), karaoke-style singing to some of their classic songs, and a brief moment of rapping by their friends. I truly wish I had been there from the beginning, because I feel like I missed the premise of the show. The crowd was appreciative, however, and up the back where I was standing there were people dancing and clapping and singing along to the more upbeat songs; I can only imagine what was going on in the pit.
On the whole, I really enjoyed the show, and it definitely helped boost my enjoyment of their recorded music, as often happens with me. I have a feeling I’ll enjoy their earlier releases far better, because their newer sound is just a touch too featureless that I have trouble connecting with it. Still, I suggest giving their whole catalog a listen to because they have some gems of songs in there; my favorite at the moment is 所有你想要的 (All That You Want). Check them out on Douban or Google Music!
As I mentioned in last week’s Gig of the Week post, I was a little apprehensive about seeing Gar this week. The show was billed as part of the band’s revamp, having lost a bass player and gained a new sound for themselves; considering that their last new song on Douban was, in my own words, “a ten-minute long bass-heavy noisy ramble”. I still think that way about that particular song, but thankfully, none of my fears were realized at the show at Yugong Yishan. The newest thing about them seems to be the poster design, and that was hardly offensive (actually, it was pretty cool; I have yet to stick the free one up on my wall, but that’s only because there’s no space since my Modern Sky Festival one went up).
Anyway, first to the stage was Mr. Graceless — another one of those band names I’d always heard but never seen live. They’re pretty average-looking guys when you look at them — though I’ll admit, their grandpa cardigans were not something I’m going to forget in a hurry — and their music is about the same. It wasn’t boring, but it wasn’t anything to write home about: Britrock, with a few moments of enjoyable instrumentalism. I liked them well enough; they sounded like a quieter, Chinese version of Blur, and if I could download the three songs on their Douban they would probably go nicely into a playlist.
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The general atmosphere at this gig was one of great excitement, and I can’t say that it’s unexpected. Not only were the bands at this gig huge, and all in one place at the same time, but for both local and foreign fans alike, the fact that they’re heading over to South by Southwest (SXSW), America’s largest indie music festival, is nothing short of impressive. Maybe Mars has sent contingents over to America previously, but there’s just something about SXSW that’s exciting, and a showcase like this seeing off the bands reflected that completely.
I arrived very much on time, to a largely Chinese crowd, and was very pleased to find a free CD in my hand on the way through the door. A compilation CD highlighting the bands playing at the gig, as well as “bonus” tracks from three of Maybe Mars’ other acts, it was titled The China Invasion Tour 2010, what they’re dubbing the trip to the United States, and it’s a perfect companion to the show. If you didn’t make it, though, check out the downloads section at Maybe Mars for some samples. I have to say that I have often been disappointed with the lack of energy in recorded songs here in Beijing, but having seen these acts live it imbues the recordings with an energy that makes me love them rather than just like them.
Having been going to largely Chinese gigs in Beijing for the last almost-year, this gig was a bit of a shock to the system from before we even set foot in the venue. I went with a group of about ten friends (all foreigners), and as we were crossing the road on our way over from dinner, we ran into a lone American on his cell phone looking a little lost. When he saw the group of us, his face cleared and he said “oh, don’t worry about it, I’m in the right place.” And so began a night that was a complete contrast to last week’s gig at Jiangjinjiu: instead of being the only white faces in the room, I was suddenly part of a majority of caucasians. It doesn’t happen that often at a gig in Beijing, and it was a bit jolting.
Racial majority aside, however, this gig was destined to be amazing from the get-go. Yugong Yishan was the perfect venue — a mix of hipster class and rock and roll edge — befitting of a man who turns a classical violin into an instrument of rock. The opening act was Hang Gai, a Mongolian throat singing folk outfit that performs regularly around Beijing. They didn’t disappoint, in their own right, but it was an interesting choice for an opener. There are plenty of indie pop groups around Beijing who would have set a more fitting mood than Mongolian throat singing, but I’m sure there was more at work in the choice than musical compatibility. Anyhow, I spent most of the pre-show upstairs waiting for the main act than down in the pit.
From the very beginning, the stage was set for this to be an awesome gig, and I was not disappointed. Entitled Bái (both meaning “white” and a play on “bye” as this was billed as their last concert of 2009), the gig started out with a white sheet covering the stage. The first three songs — the songs off their recently-released EP《潮汐》(“Tide”) — were played entirely from behind a white sheet, with two lights making lead singer Guo Shuo (郭硕) look like two people. Even from behind a sheet, they gave a great performance, but the moment the three songs were over, the show was kicked up a notch.
The sheet dropped and they busted out with a high-energy performance of their infectious 世界 (“World”, off their album “TV Monkey”) wearing white masks which they promptly threw into the audience once the song finished. This got the crowd ready to go, and they played a string of high-energy songs until bringing down the mood a little, playing older songs they said they hadn’t played in ages. The mellow tunes continued for a while until Guo Shuo and bassist Du Wei (杜玮) filed off stage, leaving drummer De Heng (德恒) to back up guitarist Lang Lei (郎磊) in an acoustic solo song.
Then, it was time for the special guests. There were meant to be three, and there was no explanation as to why Yann (孔阳, of The Life Journey/旅行团) wasn’t there as billed, but the crowd seemed happy with Peng Lei (彭磊, of New Pants/新裤子) and Peng Tan (彭坦). In fact, if the Douban forums are anything to go by, there were some hardcore Peng Tan fangirls at the gig who went pretty much only for his appearance. Which, well, I can’t blame them — I’ve done it before — but it felt a little bit strange to have throngs of screaming girls filling the room getting excited only once the heartthrob took the stage. In any case, the guest appearances were great. Peng Lei played a very simple ditty that even my rudimentary Chinese skills could follow (New Pants’ “I Love You/我爱你”), and Peng Tan played one of his own songs (which I didn’t recognize, sadly). Then Guo Shuo returned to the stage and the three of them played a song called 未来 (The Future), which was apparently a song that they used to sing together often back when they first met.