And not just mine, for once (because I figure you're probably by now fed up of hearing that - like just about every other male hetero music-lover in this town - I have consuming crushes on Kang Mao, Helen Feng, and Marie-Claude Lebel).
Just to prove that I don't have anything against BeijingBoyce, I thought I'd post a link to an article he ran a couple of weeks back. He is a tireless chronicler of the Beijing bar & restaurant scene, and his blog is thus often a very useful research resource for planning an evening out. Unfortunately, he is an acutely sensitive soul, and got very miffed at me when I taunted him for being a bit of a Communist-Party-kiss-ass last summer (well, he had gone a bit overboard with a whole series of "What jolly fun the Olympics are in Beijing!" posts, so I felt it was fair comment....). In general, though, I am, if not quite a fan, a regular-ish and appreciative reader of his.
And I was particularly intrigued by this piece, guest-written by long-time resident expat Kaiser Kuo. Kaiser, a Chinese American, has been visiting Beijing since the early '80s, and likes to take the credit for kick-starting the rock'n'roll scene here with seminal metal band Tang Dynasty back in the '90s. Although he now has grown-up responsibilities as a husband, father, and tech industry consultant, he's still gigging, and occasionally even touring, with a new band called Spring and Autumn. So, he is eminently qualified to comment on Beijing's All-Time Top 5 Music Venues. (Note 1: this post is about the rock'n'roll scene, so doesn't consider jazz or folk venues. Note 2: it's a review of the history of the scene over the past decade or so; a further post on the best current clubs is promised at a later date, although it's not clear if this will be written by Kaiser or someone else.)
Of course, it should be borne in mind that Kaiser is writing here from the perspective of a performer. His inclusion of current venues Star Live and Yugong Yishan in his list would be quite unfathomable if he were writing on behalf of the paying customer. These barn-like clubs may feel exhilaratingly like really big venues when you're up on their high stages strutting your stuff; and you might not notice how thin the crowds are, especially if there's some decent mosh-pit action down the front (which I'm sure there usually is at Kaiser's gigs). However, they are pretty atmosphere-less and charm-free for the poor punter, unless absolutely packed (which doesn't happen often, if ever). And their drinks are too expensive.
Second recommendation: just the other day, my pal Brendan was so incensed by the shallowness of this article in the New York Times that he felt compelled to write this diatribe on the lameness of Chinese hip-hop lyrics. Indeed, so strong was this compulsion that he spent two hours blogging about it when he had promised to join me on Nanluoguxiang for a drink; however, I forgive him his tardiness because it is a very entertaining piece. I look forward to a series of further posts on how lame Chinese lyrics are in other leading contemporary genres.
And I was particularly intrigued by this piece, guest-written by long-time resident expat Kaiser Kuo. Kaiser, a Chinese American, has been visiting Beijing since the early '80s, and likes to take the credit for kick-starting the rock'n'roll scene here with seminal metal band Tang Dynasty back in the '90s. Although he now has grown-up responsibilities as a husband, father, and tech industry consultant, he's still gigging, and occasionally even touring, with a new band called Spring and Autumn. So, he is eminently qualified to comment on Beijing's All-Time Top 5 Music Venues. (Note 1: this post is about the rock'n'roll scene, so doesn't consider jazz or folk venues. Note 2: it's a review of the history of the scene over the past decade or so; a further post on the best current clubs is promised at a later date, although it's not clear if this will be written by Kaiser or someone else.)
Of course, it should be borne in mind that Kaiser is writing here from the perspective of a performer. His inclusion of current venues Star Live and Yugong Yishan in his list would be quite unfathomable if he were writing on behalf of the paying customer. These barn-like clubs may feel exhilaratingly like really big venues when you're up on their high stages strutting your stuff; and you might not notice how thin the crowds are, especially if there's some decent mosh-pit action down the front (which I'm sure there usually is at Kaiser's gigs). However, they are pretty atmosphere-less and charm-free for the poor punter, unless absolutely packed (which doesn't happen often, if ever). And their drinks are too expensive.
Second recommendation: just the other day, my pal Brendan was so incensed by the shallowness of this article in the New York Times that he felt compelled to write this diatribe on the lameness of Chinese hip-hop lyrics. Indeed, so strong was this compulsion that he spent two hours blogging about it when he had promised to join me on Nanluoguxiang for a drink; however, I forgive him his tardiness because it is a very entertaining piece. I look forward to a series of further posts on how lame Chinese lyrics are in other leading contemporary genres.
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