I’ve been having some really interesting conversations with my friend Ed Peto lately, particularly about upcoming and established bands in China. In a recent blog entry, he warns about the hype machine that’s surrounding Beijing’s burgeoning music scene. While we share similar viewpoints on the longevity and actual creative ability of many of the local bands currently on the scene, I do disagree on the point that that the scene is “simply too fragile to deliver”, and I fully embrace (despite my bitching and moaning) all the foreign photographers and writers who visit for two weeks and then leave touting the city as the “next big scene”.
Though it is absolutely ridiculous at this point to compare Beijing to other cosmopolitan cities like London or Montreal or New York or Paris, China has been closed off from the world stage for so long that even the idea of getting a glimpse of musicians and artists from out of this (still perceived as) exotic country is new and exciting, and the constant flow of articles written on the arts and music scene from big name papers like The New York Times is testament to how interested the world really is. While some people will disagree, I strongly believe that all this media attention only forces bands to be better, to try harder, and encourages people to write songs and pick up instruments.
When producer and drummer Martin Atkins of Pigface and Ministry fame came to town last year (as quoted on his China Music Network Myspace page, he had “taken it upon himself to open up China’s musical boundaries”), his entire trip was denounced as an idiotic flop after just a few short days. Atkins, who’s primary goal for his trip was to sign a handful of local bands and to bring them to great international glory, didn’t seem to understand the local scene at all, nor did he seem to have any kind of sense when it came to dealing with and working with Chinese people in general. This kind of imperialism makes me crazy, and it’s a good example for why many people around these parts are so bemused and disgusted by international attention.
Beijing has a terrific music scene, for all it’s ups and downs and mediocrity and moments of genius. If you strip away all your previous conceptions of rock music as you’ve known it and take the bands at face value for all their eagerness and naivety and enthusiasm, it’s a bit easier to swallow and some of the best gigs I’ve seen in my life have been here in China. Let’s hope for everyone’s sake that the world doesn’t lose it’s interest in what’s happening here, and as Ed says, every movement needs someone who’s relentlessly optimistic, otherwise people would falter in their support.
If you’re interested in the local music scene, or want to check out some bands and don’t know where to start, here’s a quick resource list of some of the bands, venues and labels I like:
Bands:
Rebuilding the Rights of Statues
Subs
PK14
Snapline
Queen Sea Big Shark
Lonely China Day
FM3
Hang on the Box
Labels
Tag Team Records
Red T Music
Modern Sky
Maybe Mars
Venues
2 Kolegas
Mao Live
D22
Star Live
Yugong Yishan
sundaylovers. 