Talking Pints: Vics and George's Anniversaries, Pool Parties, Le Castlevania and Sealing
Just before the world ends (if you're not reading this on Thursday afternoon, or in Beijing, this is kind of a "you had to be there" moment), a quick roundup of what's going down this weekend.
Vics is celebrating its 11th anniversary on Saturday night with a massive party. Expect huge displays of public drunkenness, with free drinks until midnight for everyone, and special prizes to be won. Entry is RMB 50, but we'll have a competition to win invitation tickets tomorrow, so look out for those. We've also been asking around the office, collecting some our colleagues' memories - or what passes for memories - of vintage Vics nights. We'll share those with you tomorrow if they turn out to be any good.
At the other end of the anniversary scale, George's celebrates its first year in business on Saturday. Free drinks and snacks before midnight.
At 16 years old, Metro on Gongti Xilu is even older than Vics. They've just opened a new bar on their second floor, called Sealing. Greenpeace activists, you have nothing to worry about here. They've got around 100 cocktails on the drinks list and say they've also got a few decent single malts. Nice roof terrace too, from the photo they sent me, though looking out of my office window just now, I can hardly imagine ever sitting outside drinking again.
I heard yesterday of a new spot called Burgers and Beer in Shunyi. I haven't worked out where exactly this place is - help me out if you know - but supposedly they have a decent variety of burgers. Let you know when I've got more on this.
As you may have learned from our music editor, Papier Tigre are playing Yuguong Yishan on Thursday night. Papier Tigre, and only Papier Tigre will be playing - Re-TROS were once listed on the bill. They will not be playing, contrary to what you may have read in our 7 Days in Beijing newsletter. Free entry.
If you're going out Friday, you could do worse than head to Siif for Response - dance all night to DJs including Vomestic Dirgin, Tigerninestein, Niki and Vincent Suede, who's being billed confidently to become "Beijing's most famous DJ in two years." Good luck to him. That starts at 9pm, and entry is free. There's an Afrosoul Caribbean party at HLG. Expect dancehall, soca, calypso, reggae and more. RMB 30, 10pm start. Then there's Eddie’s Weekend with Eddie Lv and Zhi Qi at Mo Lounge. As ever it’s free to get in. Bargain, for seeing two of Beijing's best DJs. And speaking of top DJs, Wordy rocks Punk with the latest Hot Pot – that’s RMB 50 to get in after 11pm, free before that. Down at Xiu, expect a real rum bunch as Havana Night kicks off with cocktails, cigars and live Cuban music.
Saturday afternoon, head up to the Shangri-La hotel near Xizhimen for a "Bikini Brunch" - or a BBQ pool party, as it might traditionally be called. Lay down RMB 300 and you get four hours (Noon-4pm) of eating BBQ, drinking wine, beer and more, and poolside fun. You can also take a dip in the jacuzzi or sweat it out in the sauna. Sounds good. If you don't want to go that far, there's a pool party every Saturday this summer at the Kunlun Hotel. Or, if you want to sweat it in a totally different way on Saturday, get over to the Canadian International School, where the sixth annual Canada Day Chilli Pepper Eating Contest, sponsored by the Beijinger, will be getting underway at 3pm. The winners stand to take away anything from an RMB 150 voucher for Casa Latina to an RMB 2,000 voucher for Ganges - not bad going for stuffing chillis in your mouth. To sign up, email events@thebeijinger.com. Door tickets cost RMB 160.
On Saturday night, Le Castlevania turns Beijing electro. Note that the venue has been changed to Punk (not Tango as originally listed). Tickets are RMB 50 on the door. There's a follow-up afternoon session at Migas on Sunday kicking off around 4pm (free entry).
Right, enough. Into the bunker to sit this storm out.
