Musical Multitaskers: Venue Gurus

Musical Multitaskers is an ongoing series about Beijing’s nimblest songsmiths and their most eclectic side projects.

Owning a livehouse and auditioning at one may seem like two very different things. The former is all about selling tickets, selling drinks, and being part of the industry, while the latter is all about creativity, integrity, and bucking against the system... right?

Wrong. Forget what you thought you knew about venue owners because two of Beijing’s biggest gig locales are run by two of the city’s foremost rock stars. Below Ou Yang (co-owner of Yugong Yishan, and bassist for early '90s alt rockers Chao Zai and Mian Kong) and The Temple Bar co-owner Gao Xu (former guitarist for nu metal pioneers Yaksa, and current axeman for reggae troupe Long Shen Dao) describe the overlaps between booking a musician and playing as one.

What was it like to approach bar and venue owners when you were just starting as musicians?
Gao Xu: It was very hard to make music in Beijing then. There were not so many venues, and the chances to perform were very few. So we waited a long time for our chance.

When you finally did get gigs, what did you learn about venue owners right away?
Ou Yang: As a musician, the equipment and the attitude of the staff working at the bar are key to the show’s success. So I quickly learned to value both.

In what ways were bar staff key to the show's success?
Gao Xu: A bar becomes poor when the owners do not really understand live music. The biggest problem was often the staff member assigned to tune the instruments. There was practically no place for people to get professional training for tuning rock instruments in China. So most of the tuners did not really understand how to do it.

So those problems compelled you to open your own venues? What did you want to do differently?
Ou Yang: I think any musician would be happy to operate a venue, because then you have the chance to control the quality of the performances, provide a good environment for musicians, and also introduce more music forms to Beijing.
Gao Xu: I have performed in some poor sounding venues before, so I know how important it is to provide the best possible sound. I always remind myself of this when operating my own bar. So we hired our own professional tuner, and update the equipment constantly, so our sound gets better and better.

So after all that, what similarities have you found between playing for a crowd and hosting one?
Ou Yang: I’ve learned they’re the same thing. Whether it’s owning a bar or being in a band, the critical thing is that you keep people warm. Be hospitable, because either way you have to share and pass on love to people.

Check out Long Shen Dao’s music here.

Photo: Courtesy of Gao Xu