Noise Pollution: Hind Brain, Hangnail, Tim Somnia, Shave 'N' Shut, CMCB, New Age of Decay, Harvest Festival
Lots to dip into this weekend as one of the harbingers of Beijing’s punk scene returns and a newcomer from Xidan emerges from the shadows with live music on its mind. From wistful indie-pop to blood-curling metal – plus the latest experimental music festival for all the sound masochists out there – the options at hand cover the entire musical rainbow. So venture forth gig lovers and find your calling.
Friday, Mar 19
Blood Feast月宴, Seagull 海鸥, BG Thunder 大雷音, Toysoldiers玩具兵团, Hind Brain反骨 at Mei Live 魅现场
It only took a couple of weeks but 2021 is already seeing its first new venue and from the looks of it they mean business. Mei Live is located in Xidan – an area that has probably seen better days yet still retains its charm (and most importantly is a heck of a lot closer than some of its brethren). For their first outing, they’re getting dirty, hosting a carousel of grunge, pop-rock, metal, and indie pop, featuring dependable acts like Hind Brain as well as newcomers BG Thunder, who sports some serious attitude. Color me intrigued. 7.30pm. RMB 80/120
The Cheers Cheers, Alipu 阿力普, Biuya 不优雅 at Omni Space
Indie pop done right! Omni Space gathers both seasoned vets and rising newcomers tonight – each with a knack for crafting wistful, bubbly, and playful melodic tunes. Biuya, formerly Mr. Graceless, whose knack for crafting ridiculously catchy singles full of Beatles-esque charm and no-frills melodies remains stronger than ever. Joining them is the rarely seen jangle-pop outfit The Cheers Cheers, headed by Hangzhou-based singer-songwriter Wangxiao Yu, the former frontman of shoegaze outfit City Flanker – which digs into his mellow, restrained, and emotionally futile side. Rounding out the bill is Xinjiang singer-songwriter and urban pop singer Alipu. 8.30pm. RMB 130/160
The Brewers, CherryMor, Hangnail 倒刺, Labour Glory 劳动光荣, Son of Bitch 犬母之子 at School
You hear that? That’s the sound of Wudaoying vibrating with the rollicking tunes of School Bar which, after a rough start this year, is back in fighting form! Praise! For their first Friday outing, they’ll be hosting a wide berth of acts who want nothing more than to shake you loose and get you moving including street punks Hang Nail, ultras punk outfit Labour Glory, pop-rock ruffians CherryMor, and many more. 8.30pm. RMB 100/120
Tim Somnia, Loooongish Cat at Aotu Space
An off-kilter and existentially twisted evening for tech nerds over at Aotu Space with electronic producer and sound artist Tim Somnia joining tape manipulator and live sampling act Looongish Cat for an inspired, improvisational, soundscape crafting night of sound art. 9pm. RMB 60/80
Saturday, Mar 20
Dummy Toys, The Sailor's Grape 水手葡萄, Shave ‘N’ Shut, Shochu Legion 烧酒军团, Unregenerate Blood 不复之血 at School
Hardcore, Oi! punk, reggae, street punk, and then some! If any of those genres perk up your ears then you best head over to School where they have rounded up a Molotov cocktail of a lineup featuring some of the most deviant acts out there, from the all-girl street punk drudgery and aplomb of Qingdao’s Dummy Toys to hardcore legends Unregenerate Blood, ska-twisted reggae-bumping Sailor’s Grape, Oi! punks Shave N’ Shut, and more. An all-star proper welcome back party for the venue that does so at its finest. 9pm. RMB 150
Armor Forest 圣殿骑士, Scare the Children 吓死宝宝, Death Penalty 死刑, Necronoumena 本体尸尊, Dengel, Purple Ring 紫环, A.J.K. 玉麟军 at Mei Live 魅现场
Nothing like a good old-fashioned resurrection of the gods via blood-curling shrieks, thundering drums, and face-melting guitar riffs. A dozen metal bands from China look to conjure something from the depths with a two-day festival held at the newly opened Mie Live in Xidan – a sure sign that this venue isn’t messing around. Female-heavy gothic metal band Dengel joins horror metal outfit Scare the Children, staple industrial goths Army of Jade Krin aka A.J.K, and more. 3pm. RMB 160/180
CMCB at Omni Space
Nu-metal rap rocking stalwarts CMCB have been in the game for a hefty 20 years and they ain’t going nowhere – the Modern Sky backed ensemble is rejuvenated, and have a new release to prove it, incorporating everything from "trap metal" and "nu-Djent" into their mix, retracing their steps and giving their old sound a contemporary twist. They’re inviting fans, young and old, for a special showcase tonight at Omni Space. RMB 120/150
Yan Jun 颜峻 x Fei Chuan 废船 + Zi Yang 梓杨 at UFO Space
Wuhan-based experimental musician Zi Yang gets his kicks in early this year with a set over at UFO Space. He’s been practicing mind you, and working on his most extreme voice he says, and plans to join forces with a ragtag team of experimentalists, including avant-garde maverick (and Sub Jam founder) Yan Jun for what I can only assume to be a mentally-stimulating and eyebrow-raising earful Saturday afternoon. 4pm. RMB 90
The Peking Floyd at UFO Space
What better way to up the ante on an abstract day of music than indulge in Beijing's Premier Pink Floyd tribute band, who’ll bring their vast and ever-increasing collection of cuts from Pink Floyd's most creative years including Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. While staying true to the original structure, Peking Floyd prides itself on emulating the live performances of Pink Floyd during the 1970s when their improvisation and psychedelic jamming were at their best. 9pm. RMB 90/110
New Age of Decay, Poetry x Music at nugget café
New Age of Decay is a new band comprised of musical compositions from The Slow Blade and the poetry writer and performer NotAnotherPoet. Described as a bleak outlook on the modern world and many of its abject degradations, the off-kilter duo joins the aptly named duo Poetry x Music – consisting of classical guitar maverick Liane Halton and poet wordsmith Anthony Tao. 9pm. RMB 60/70
Zhang Qianqian, Song Dai Ting at Cloud Nine
Veteran singer-songwriter Zhang Qianqian, a staple of the folk scene since her debut in 1996, joins fellow protégé and rising star Song Dai Ting over at Cloud Nine in Wangjing for an evening of urban pop tunes that speak to the lives inhabiting our fair city. 9pm. RMB 100/120
Sunday, Mar 21
Scotophilia喜欢黑色, Titan 泰坦, Empty Eyes, Death Pact死亡契约, Dr. V’Agent V博士 , Bliss Illusion 虚极, Never Before at Mei Live
Nothing like a good old-fashioned resurrection of the gods via blood-curling shrieks, thundering drums, and face-melting guitar riffs. A dozen metal bands from China look to conjure something from the depths with a two-day festival held at the newly opened Mie Live in Xidan – a sure sign that this venue isn’t messing around. Day two features Buddhist scripture-inspired black metal troupe Bliss Illusion, sludge metal stoner rock head-banging antics of Never Before, death metal renegades Death Pact and more. 3pm. RMB 160/180
Larry's Pizza 拉披, Laisee利事, Gentle Grapes 葡萄不愤怒 at Mao Livehouse
Mao keeps it loud and proud tonight with a trio of electrifying bands including pop-punk outfit Gentle Grapes, who have risen through the ranks with remarkable grace these past few years. Also joining in on the fun are the acrobatic hardcore ruffians Laisee and skate punk legends Larry’s Pizza, holding down the fort as usual. 8pm. RMB 120/150
Sunday, Mar 21–Monday, Mar 22
Ajiao 阿蕉, Mo阿摸, ashui啊水, Rzhen阿珍, cyt陈雨桐, space何宣霓, jiatiziyi假体自缢, alessssss沈修远, Dead Duck China Choir死鸭中国合唱团, Sewer Sultan阴沟算端, Aciiiid Lumo酸鲁磨, OTMF一次性交朋友, Zhang Zhongshu张众舒 at School
It’s spring, a time to plant trees or in the case of The First Harvest Festival, the seeds for a new generation of noise and experimental artists in China. With over a dozen acts from Guangzhou, Wuhan, Zhejiang, and the North converging onto School Bar this Sunday and Monday, the genre-smashing celebration looks to be both a palate cleanser for those needing to reset their musical clocks, and a place to discover something new, exciting, and even unnerving. Sleeper gig of the week. 3pm (Sunday) 8pm (Monday). RMB 100/120
READ: Beijing's UCCA To Hold the World's First-Ever Crypto Art Exhibition.
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Images: Hangnail, courtesy of the organizers
