After some 20 months of almost continuous Thursday night residency at Jianghu (apart from their recent 3-month summer exile), it seems that my guitar buddies Daniel & Nico (and their frequent accompanist, the gorgeous accordion-player, Zoe Wang) might - just possibly - be playing their last-ever gig there tonight.
They've been playing for love (and free beers) all this time, because it's such a cool venue, and it has an unusually good sound system - and it's a great opportunity for them to rehearse new stuff, jam with friends, etc.
However, they've reached a point where they feel they merit some more significant incentive to keep playing there, what with the size of the audiences they're often drawing - and the fact that they're getting more and more other offers of paid gigs these days. Negotiations are under way, but I gather it's not looking too promising. Chinese-run places never seem to be willing to pay much - if anything - for performers; while foreign-run places - like Salud, Room 101, Nashville, Purple Haze, La Baie Des Anges - will shell out a little. So, where are we going to go to see the best live music??
I do hope D & N will carry on there at least on an occasional basis. Since January of last year, I must have been to see them play in this bar at least 20 times - and each and every time it's been a wonderful experience. Just try searching for Jianghu on here to see how many times it's rated a mention!
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