Rock Begins at 40: Hard Rock's Big Anniversary Blowout

Hard Rock Cafe celebrates 40 years of hard rocking, hard drinking and tender, juicy burgers this Tuesday (June 14), with "Founders' Day" parties kicking off in Hard Rock venues all over the world, from here in Beijing all the way to the original location in London's Old Park Lane.

Since we're looking all the way back to 1971, the party on Tuesday will have a '70s theme - dress up in the clothing of the era and you'll get two free Tiger draft beers. All through the evening, they're running a bargain RMB 40 beer and burger deal featuring Hard Rock's trademark cheeseburger. Meanwhile, house band Hurricane will be on hand all evening to keep things rocking with tunes from down the years.

The party gets going at 6pm, so get your '70s clobber on and take advantage of those two Tigers before getting a burger inside you. If you're stuck on what to wear, take a look at this site. In the meantime, we spoke to Hard Rock Cafe Beijing's General Manager, Jimmy Hoon, about growing up in Singapore, his top places to drink in Beijing, and the role he believes Hard Rock Beijing can play in contributing to the local scene. Here are Jimmy's choice quotes:

On background
“When I was a child, if somebody had told me that my future would be in China, my dad would have stopped me from going – he went from Fuzhou to Singapore to seek a better living. But then, during the 1970s, few people foresaw the way China was going to develop.”

On drinks
“My favorite drinks are mojitos, Moscow mules, and any kind of bourbon with Coke.”
“If I’m hanging out with friends, I’ll go to Ichikura, the Japanese bar. A real hidden gem. They serve good cocktails, and it’s a good place to drink and chat. Another bar on my list is Centro [which has just closed for
renovations, with reopening scheduled for late summer/early fall –Ed.].”
“What drink sums up Hard Rock? Beer! The authentic ‘American’ choice, which is what Hard Rock is about – authentic experiences that rock!”

On Hard Rock Beijing
“If Hard Rock Beijing was a band from rock history, it’d be Bon Jovi. Most of our customers love it when Bon Jovi songs are played. But the house band’s best songs are when they play Queen and Pink Floyd.”
“I think it will take a while before we can see memorabilia from Chinese artists on our Beijing location’s walls. To be honest, we started collecting Chinese memorabilia two years ago. When the right time comes, you’ll see it hanging on our walls.”
“We’re working on featuring local rock bands, providing them with space to jam, and on hosting Battle of the Bands competitions for local bands. I think this will happen soon. From time to time I visit the local rock bars to check out the scene.”

Play air guitar with Jimmy at Hard Rock Café’s Founder’s Day party on Tuesday, Jun 14. Free. 6pm. Hard Rock Cafe (6590 0500)