Noise Pollution: Your Very Merry Christmas Gig Round-Up

Ho ho ho, my fellow Beijingers! I must admit, this winter has felt particularly Christmasy – I mean, we’ve seen snow twice already – a Christmas miracle unto itself. Add the fact that every mall across the city is decked out in more decorations than Macy's this year, and you've got yourself a disjointed yet festive feeling in the air. What better way to celebrate the season than with a full stocking's worth of gigs to dig your greedy little hand into? So, throw on your ugliest sweater, hitch up your sleigh, and pour yourself a pint of eggnog before you brace the cold and jam out to jingle bells at this year's lot of Christmas shows.

Looking for something to eat on Christmas? Check all of this year's dining events, right here.

Christmas Eve: Tuesday, Dec 24

Punk Rock is Good for You at School/Yue Space 
2019 runaway promoters ZING know the true meaning of Christmas – throwing your body into a sea of hard-edged but tender-hearted punks. Better yet, they've put together two simultaneous gigs at Yue Space and School, depending on whether you like a little more space (the former) to skank or not (the latter). At School, there'll be a hefty dose of ska, reggae, and punk courtesy of Beijing faves Underdog, The Sailor’s Grape, and Daydream, plus visiting Hangzhou ska legends The Bricks, and (I shit you not) high school Irish trouble makers BDF2 Dubliners. Over at Yue, indulge in the punk stylings of veteran bands like Gum Bleed, Shave 'n' Shut, Larry’s Pizza, as well as 2019 trailblazers Wasted Laika, and a very special secret Santa band. 7pm. RMB 120/150 (or RMB 200 for a pass to both gigs)

Wang Shengnan at Mao Livehouse 
Beijing-based singer-songwriter Wang Shengnan, whose bubbly, tender, and jazz-flavored indie-pop have wooed audiences across China, heads to Mao before setting off around the country once again. The artist continued her streak this year with a collection of singles chock-full of her catchy melodies and warm lyrics – the perfect antidote to quell the Ebenezer Scrooge in all of us. If that doesn’t do the trick, then perhaps Mao's eggnog-filled afterparty will, featuring DJs, bands, and other Christmas shenanigans, including a snowball fight. RMB 120/150

Jaruco, Titan, Jiu Gui at DDC 
Christmas Eve over at DDC looks as merry as ever, a blend of naughty and nice that feels just oh-so-right. Leading the fun, and keeping an eye out for Santa’s reindeer are three-piece rockers Jaruco, known for their simple and upbeat songs about hutong cats and holidays gone wrong. They’ll join longstanding grunge purveyors Jiu Gui (formerly Drunkard) and Titan, a new indie rock band made up of members of The Glamour Manifesto and Xinjiang singer A Li Pu, who combine slick guitars with retro indie-pop elegance a la Tame Impala and The Cure. RMB 

Los Crasher, Dressed To Kill, Basement Queen at Temple 
Tight-jean-wearing and preeminent sleazy glam hard rockers Los Crasher – the embodiment of classic rock and a staple of the scene for years, don their Christmas hats to play the role of Father Christmas tonight at Temple alongside two other hard rock aficionados Dressed to Kill (fresh of their latest LP) and duo Basement Queen. FREE 

The Mantras at Modernista 
Get your Christmas Eve low-key and romantic with a succulent Christmas dinner, complete with homemade Foie Grass, Halibut with chorizo and romesco sauce, cured salmon and much more, followed by an equally luscious set from The Mantras, led by vocalist Kim and whose eclectic fusion of pop and jazz with have you waltzing away late into the starry night. FREE 

Christmas Day: Wednesday, Dec 25

Mr. Miss at Blue Note 
Over the years, the holiday season has proved fertile ground for jazz – as skilled musicians have breathed new life into songs and tunes we’ve heard so many times before. And what better location to pair the two together than the classy Blue Note, where one can sit with his beloved with a glass of mulled wine and soak in the Yuletide atmosphere. For the occasion, the venue has tapped the retrofitted adorably cute indie-pop duo whose old-school jazzy tunes which inherit the traditions of the Great American Songbook of the 1920s and 1930s have garnered them quite the fanbase, as well as a Golden Melody Award in Taiwan and a stint on this year’s The Big Band. RMB 300 (530 couple ticket) 

Lonely Leary, New Cake, Mimik Banka, Blue Guy at School
School Bar keeps things appropriately rowdy this year – which is par on the course for most young Christmas celebrators far away from home - and have they got a lineup to get toasty to including visiting Yunnan outfit The Blue Guy, whose dance-ready indie tunes has been igniting the south of China for some time. They join post-punk favorites Lonely Leary, who are about to head into the recording studio, as well as Mimik Banka, fresh off their lush new LP, and indie-pop regulars New Cake. RMB 80

Li Eryang, Luka, Wu Zhangfa at Jianghu Bar 
A murder’s row (or in Christmas terminology a full nativity scene) of world music musicians converge for perhaps the most traditional evening of music (though pretty certain Santa didn’t rock a didgeridoo) this Christmas day, as skilled guitar-smith Li ErYang joins multi-instrumentalist Luka and duo Wu Zhangfa, who utilize the guqin and other various other instruments to explore new transcending sounds – all in the cozy surroundings of Jianghu Bar. RMB 60/80

Tolaku (TW) at Mao Livehouse 
Longstanding Taiwanese rock and rollers Tolaku, have been a force of nature in the underground music scene for over two decades with music that reflects their name: a simple, direct, and powerful rallying call for youth. Eventually, their clout (and countless awards) was recognized here in China and they’re ready to wipe the floor clean tonight with a Christmas Day celebration in support of their new album – Did You Take Your Medicine Today? – the perfect stocking stuffer this holiday. Or the perfect way to sweat off those pounds that feast you had earlier created. RMB 120/150

Gentle Grape, Next Door Band, New School Punks, Sugar-Free Monster at Yue Space 
Local promoters Rock Brothers don’t want you to snooze this holiday season, as they wrangle up a perfect storm of indie-pop favorites – including Gentle Grape, Next Door Band, New School Punks, and Sugar-Free Monster – whose snazzy wrapping of pop-punk adolescence and swooning ballads may just be what you’ve been asking for all year long, regardless if you were naughty or nice. RMB 120/150 (200 for couples) 

A.D.S, Hawk Sally, Old Waste Park at Temple 
The hard rock Christmas celebration continues forth over at Temple as A.D.S bring some knee-slapping jolly times alongside pop-punks Old Waste Park and Hawk Sally, whose retro-filtered, '70s-gleamed, hard rock is also described as "cow punk" by the band themselves, which is a win for society in my book. FREE 

Old Tea, Shen Xiu, Pure at DDC 
DDC continues the festivities with a jolt of hard-hitting drums, crackling guitar riffs, and reverb-heavy turmoil as old faces and new gather to and promptly toss out the Xmas tree. Psychedelic soundscapers Old Tea, have been working overtime this year, and joining them will be fresh-faced shoegaze outfit Shen Xiu, and grunge ruffians Pure, always down to wreck the holidays. 

READ: Jingle All the Way to These Beijing Christmas Dining Events

Images: yfbspod.com, courtesy of the organizers