18 LIFE CHINA DAILY THURSDAY APRIL 5, 2007 Underground rising

They may not sell out stadiums just yet but some believe a few bands in Beijing will be remembered decades from now. Ben Davey reports

Scoff guitarist Cong Pai serves up a fresh dish of punk rock at Beijing’s D-22. International eyes are now shifting East, thanks to a new breed of Chinese rock- ers. Photos by Andrew London

here was an empty beer on the dance fl oor were swaying, not Clash, The Stooges, Blondie and the Impact isn’t measured in dollars or their craft,’’ he said. keg on the stage. Nothing jumping pogo style. In the songs you New York Dolls were just a few of the and cents alone. Increased interna- “The only problem I see is if labels strange for a drab bar near could hear Sonic Youth, The Velvet groups to emerge from the two key tional press coverage is raising hopes sign bands to restrictive deals where a major university filled Underground and The Pixies; bor- scenes. Not all of these bands enjoyed that local bands may be able to fi nd they can no longer play whatever they with thirsty students, you’d rowed sounds spat out by kids hungry commercial success but nonetheless larger audiences than those who ro- want. But I think we’re far away from think.T Still, the keg was covered in for something new. created an enviable legacy. tate within the local club circuit. that, the attention may come but I slogan stickers and resting on its rim But it was the next act featuring Part of the reason Pettis believes And it seems that ears around the don’t think that will immediately was a pair of drumsticks. A tattooed, the ink-armed girl with her empty that Beijing may one day be listed globe are already beginning to prick bring money.” pigtailed young girl was fussing keg that did the damage. The guitar- beside these two scenes in terms of up. German avant garde luminary around with a range of instruments ist from Car Sick Cars was the other ground-breaking music is that some Blixa Bargeld has already worked ertainly, Modern Sky says that including a drum kit and an organ member of the two-piece, known as bands in China’s capital work together with White; meanwhile electronic its CDs aren’t exactly fl ying off but it was the keg that piqued my White, and they proceeded to make to avoid being pigeon-holed. pioneer Brian Eno played keyboards Cthe shelves. In order to support interest. the kind of gloomy experimental “Ultimately, the most interesting on the debut EP of local post-punk local artists from a variety of genres, It was the fi rst “rock” show I had racket that confuses as many as it music tends to be category busting. outfi t Retros, who are currently tour- the label has pursued alternative attended in Beijing and I was drawn captivates. Half of the already sparse You look at a band like the Car Sick ing the United States. The latter is be- avenues for revenue. by the name of one of the acts on the crowd evacuated the club. ing touted as having huge overseas “In 2003, we almost closed down bill. “You’ll like these guys,” a friend potential by their record company, but after that we learned how to sur- said. “They’re called Car Sick Cars, few days later I returned to the The scene here compared Modern Sky, vive in this market. Now we make they’re shoe-gazers.” venue, D-22, to talk with the with fi ve years ago “Retros are going to be the fi rst money from working with other To me, “shoe-gazers” translated former New Yorker and part- ones to break the international stage, brands such as iPod or Levis — that A is a lot different, you as earnest Chinese kids aping The owner Michael Pettis and English I have gotten a lot of great feedback kind of sponsorship,” Jin said. Smashing Pumpkins. I had igno- expat bar manager Charles Saliba. It can fi nd bands that from the international press and mu- Credibility, it seems, is currency rantly assumed that Beijing bands was only early but tracks by Interpol, sic lovers,” said Modern Sky’s label for Modern Sky and while domestic played the kind of music that the Soft Cell, Buddy Holly and Pavement are playing a lot more manager Jin Huimeng. radio stations might prefer safe pop West had moved on from. We walked were already booming from the different music and the Jin added that another group on Mod- to the Beijing underground, youth- Bian Yuan is in when Car Sick Cars had already speakers. I read somewhere that Pet- quality of the bands can ern Sky’s roster, Beijing rock stalwarts orientated marketers are looking to the front man started their set and to my relief tis had declared 2007 to be the year Joyside, are about to begin a European be associated with edgier brands that for Joyside. these weren’t whining grunge wan- Beijing “breaks”. stand on an international tour. Also, Wuhan punks, SMZB, are offer something different. The band is nabes with predictable hang-ups. The “This (year) will be big because a stage. also set to play dates across Germany, “That money that we get from those scheduled to three-piece were playing a cerebral lot of bands came into their own in Austria, Sweden and Norway. relationships can allow us to invest in tour Europe brand of punk that demands a closer 2006, and a few of them are starting JIN HUIMENG “The scene here compared with the artists but in the end we just break this year. listen — in the half-fi lled bar those to get international attention.” fi ve years ago is a lot different, you even,” Jin said. Pettis believes that China’s bands Modern Sky’s label manager can fi nd bands that are playing a lot Indeed, Pettis argues that while can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the more different music and the quality Beijing bands may not sell out stadi- world. And he is comparing what Cars and their leader is also part of of the bands can stand on an interna- ums in the foreseeable future, some is happening in Beijing to some of White. The other two members of Car tional stage.” of the music being created here now rock’n’roll’s most important periods. Sick Cars are in a band called Sna- With overseas interest comes may later be widely regarded as im- “Part of what’s happening in pline which is completely different.” big label interest and money. At portant work. So, even if half of the Beijing, and this is a little bit similar Pettis said that the Beijing acts the moment, the fledgling under- bar walks out of a performance it may to London in 1977, 1978 and New York he promotes are not positioning ground scene seems comprised of be a small sacrifi ce in the pursuit of around that time, is that the categories themselves to threaten the domestic young artists willing to collaborate originality. are falling apart because you’ve got commercial dominance of Mando- with each other rather than com- “When I was running a club in the guys that are not doing straight punk, pop. In fact, he says there is no point pete for the keys to major record early 80s in New York, the people we straight metal or straight this or that, comparing mainstream crooners to company coffers. were working with, people like Sonic but they’ve got various projects and what’s being played at his club. Still, Charles Saliba says that the lo- Youth and John Zorn and Elliot Sharpe they’re really messing it up.” “The most interesting stuff happen- cal scene is a long way off surrender- and Swans, I knew that 20 years from The late-1970s in London and ing in Beijing is in the same ballpark ing its artistic integrity to the demon then they were going to be legendary New York produced a bunch of acts as the most interesting stuff any- dollar. If anything, he says a drizzle of fi gures and the people we’re working that many current artists call major where and it has no more to do with cash could have a positive effect. with now in Beijing I am as certain infl uences. The Sex Pistols, Joy Divi- commercial music as Sonic Youth has “Financially there is nothing in it that what they are doing will be re- sion, Television, The Ramones, The to do with Britney Spears.” so these artists have to love their art membered in 20 years’ time.” Fully-sick axe man the one to watch

Leader of Car Sick Cars and one because the same girl who had ing to his head. York. Impressive stuff, but while in half of White, Jeff Zhang, is an just made a glorious hullabaloo “My fi rst rock & roll show was the Big Apple, something strange anti-rock star. In other words, don’t was now revealing her plans to Joyside, one of Beijing’ best punk struck the Beijing lad about Ameri- think Mick Jagger. On stage, his study English Literature, but also bands and then I started a band in can musicians. Namely, they owned unassuming but charismatic man- because I can count on one hand my school,” he said. their own equipment. ner is the antithesis of cocksure the times that a musician has “I think after I graduate I’ll “All the bands had their own peacock-strutting front men. I’m apologized to me. probably work and make money amplifi ers but not in China, rock pretty sure he doesn’t own a pirate Meeting Jeff the second time outside of music life. Actually my music is still not that fashionable shirt. around, he was still softly drummer, she’s working right now, enough here so we don’t have Heralded as a key fi gure in the spoken and sincere. Refresh- working and then playing as well. enough money to buy them and emerging Beijing underground ingly, this was not the picture of I think that’s what every Chinese we don’t have cars to carry them scene, some have compared Jeff’s a brash rock’n’roll hedonist and musician should do.” in.” guitar playing to Thurston Moore his lack of ego seemed at odds Adopting an unconventional So the mansion and the Mer- from Sonic Youth. When I fi rst with the 21-year-old’s recent approach to guitar, Jeff switches cedes may have to wait, but it’s not met him, he stood shyly at the musical achievements. between different tunings and as if these local artists are holding side of the stage with his fresh- Both White and Car Sick Cars usually plays open-e (translation: their breath. For the moment, be- faced bandmate from White, Shen have been recording their fi rst al- he doesn’t press down on the ing part of a scene that is striving Jing (former drummer of all-girl bums, with the former’s debut be- bottom string). His willingness to create something new from trio Hang on the Box). It was far ing produced by Krautrock king to experiment has catapulted him decades of broad Western infl uence Car Sick Cars leader Jeff Zhang is an infl uential player in rock circles. too loud to interview them then Blixa Bargeld, he of Einstürzende into opportunities that many axe- may be payment enough. but they happily gave me their Neubauten and Nick Cave and the strummers would give their tight This almost romantic notion of and art scene, just like society But surely even the most humble numbers. Bad Seeds fame. Also, Car Sick black jeans for. playing for art’s sake is not lost on and the economy are changing so performer has a musical ambition “I’m going to study in England Cars are on the bill for the Sonar Opportunities like receiving Zhang. much. The Internet has opened to share with us? so it might be a bit hard to call me, festival in Barcelona but Zhang, an invitation from experimental “Everything here is new in up a whole new world to a young “I hope we can open for Sonic sorry,” Shen said. an engineering student, gave no composer Glenn Branca to play China, so this is an exciting time generation which is infl uencing Youth.” I was taken aback, not only indication that any of this is go- in a 100-guitar orchestra in New to be here, when the music scene youth culture.” I guess he’s only human after all.