Tag: candy monster

Lao What Turns 11- And You’re All Invited

Sep. 27 blabbers 5 comments

happily tucked around the corner from the forbidden city, Lao What is and remains the place where tons of bands go to cut their teeth and get somewhat ready for bigger stage. The place has rabbid following amongst musicians and for good reasons. Funny thing is, despite their location, they are probably the only music venue that’s never had a problem or been shut down despite the various crackdowns this city sees… and they’ve been at it for 11 years folks! this is pre-olympics, pressers, pre-swine flu era…. how about them ‘bones?

to celebrate, Gao Bo is throwing a bunch of cool little events throughout the holiday week so if you’re a music lover, no excuse not to make it there at some point, have a drink and a dose of music. Here’s the schedule:

September 29, 9:30 pm no problem “reggae party” one drop band – free

September 30, 9:30 pm candy monster, Zao Ban Che, dj green monkey – 40

October 1, 9:30 pm Pangbianr Night- 40 includes a beer

October 2 the Beijing punk night- 60 includes a beer

October 3, skarving & discord – Free

October 4, 9:30 pm ballad tribal Ryoko – 30

more info on their douban:
http://www.douban.com/event/17162558/

see u there

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Live Music Quickslants: Ciao bella, Happy Birthday, Farewell and Don’t grow up!

May. 31 Quickslants, Tunes under the moon 1 comment

With Daze Feast preparations well underway, and BD’s new baby, Cuju, due to open next week, things are little busy here at Daze HQ, but you can be sure that’s not going to stop us catching some tunes! Here’s a few of the shows that have caught our attention this weekend:

Friday June 1

HitWeek China 2012 @ Tango 3rd Floor
Italian acts La Fame di Camillia and Negrita are joined by local friends Shanren for night two of cross-cultural fun at Tango. The party kicks off Thursday night with Subsonica, La Fame di Camillia along with Zhou Yunshan & Ruins.

Goodbye Sister Qin! @ Old What
For anyone who’s ever set foot in Old What you’ll know the lovely boss lady Sister Qin is the one who keeps this little gem running,. Well she’s decided it’s time to say goodbye (temporarily we hope!), so all the regular bands are getting together in what promises to be one epic night to bid her farewell!

The Age of Innocence @ Yugong Yishan
Happy Children’s Day! For those of us eternal children, DUDE, DH & Hellcats, Residence A & Candy Monster will be rocking the house at Yugong tonight. DUDE are currently finishing up their latest album, and about to head out on a massive China tour, so I for one am looking forward to hearing lot’s of new songs from them!

Saturday June 2

Book Swap & Board Games 4th Year Anniversary
Our baby is all grown up folks.. 4 years ago, when a few folks gathered at Sequoia Cafe to swap books and play board games, we had NO IDEA this thing would still be happening now. Come and join us from 2 to 6 pm at Sequoia Cafe inside the jianguomen diplomatic compound. It’s a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

The Noise Revival Orchestra @ Temple
The guys at Temple are on a run, they’ve won both The Beijinger and City Weekend awards in the last couple of weeks, and have fast become my favourite close to home hangout. This show looks intriguing, The Noise Revival Orchestra are an acoustic pop orchestra whose numbers are reported to range between 6 and 13! Let’s see how many they can fit onto the Temple stage. On opening duties are Dwaas, the new band from Joewi of Arrows Made of Desire, who I’ve been wanting to catch for awhile now.

Escape Plan (unplugged) @ Mao Livehouse
Don’t say we’re haters – ok so neither BD nor I are big fans of pop, but we recognise Escape Plan (or Perdel as I still called them!) are damn good at what they do. If you feel like some Beatles haircuts and catchy tunes in your weekend, they’re doing two big shows, Friday’s plugged show and this slightly more intimate (300 instead of 500 tickets) unplugged show.

Sunday June 3

Isbells @ Yugong Yishan
Rounding out the weekend is some gorgeous melodic folk from Belgium’s Isbells, perfect music to chill out to after a busy weekend!

And don’t forget our friend’s over at Pangbianr are celebrating a birthday this weekend, 2 years of bring you the low down on the city’s experimental and underground scene. Head over to XP on Friday and wish them all the best!

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Quickslants: Lots of Insurance, Subs-tacular, Tributes, Electric Shadows Anniversary and more

Apr. 12 Quickslants, Tunes under the moon 2 comments

After a few weeks of balls-to-the-wall type of shows, we got a nice chilled weekend to recharge the batteries before facing another onslaught for weeks! and that’s why you’re getting minislants folks! Let’s get to it:

Thursday April 12

Rock Tigers Rolling Bolling @ 2 Kolegas
Chances are this is not gonna happen as I’m writing this a few hours before the gig and it’s hard to get official confirmation. Worse case scenario is that you’ll be in the drive-in listening to Rolling Bolling. If by miracle the tigers show up, then you’ll get Kimchibilly aka rockabilly made in Korea. I heard a few things online and loved the energy! Here’s hoping! Tigers won’t be there!

Li Jianbin @ Jianghu
You might remember him from the band “Dong Fang Hong” or Low Wormwood’s 2009 tour, Lao Li is one of those Lanzhou multi-instrumentalists with a sharp guitar, yellow river flavor and folk credit. He’s releasing his new album, Moonlight Through Flowers, with an intimate performance over at Jianghu. It could and should be enjoyable. He reminds me a lot of Dong Zi.

Friday April 13

Rock Night @ Yugong Yishan
Amazing Insurance Salesmen, Wu & Side Effects, Devils at the Crossroad and Dwaas are on hand to deliver a big rock night for those of you that get there. There’s some pretty good raw talent on there folks and it will be loud.. that is if Yugong’s sound holds up. Dwaas is the unknown on there because from what i heard, they’re more post rock than anything else so your mileage might vary

Saturday April 14

Electric Shadows Anniversary @ The Bookworm
A good way to get your saturday started is to head over to the bookworm and help celebrate Electric Shadow’s 3rd year anniversary. These cats are doing some really cool stuff for the indie movie community in town and should be commended for it. I saw some of their stuff during the BILF and came out beyond impressed. Fun film games, mini-screenings, music and drink specials all night.. Free, starts at 8:00 pm

Monsters Rock @ 2 Kolegas:
SUBS, Steely Heart, Amazing Insurance Salesmen and perenial openers, Candy Monster are all on hand for a punchy evening. I haven’t seen SUBS in a few months and they’re always awesome, especially at 2 Kolegas. That place/scene suits their sound like no other in town and they’ve never disappointed there. Steely Heart has been low key lately and i missed their album release so I’m anxious to check out the new sound. AIS seems to be on a mission to make up for lost time with gigs almost every week… Let’s hope they don’t burn out. There’s really no other place one should be other than maybe

The Beijing Beatles @ Temple:
these evenings are becoming legendary for a good reason. The guys are tight, the place is fun, everyone knows the songs and it’s just one hell of a down to earth good time. Expect them to be howling at the moon all night long baby with the customary 3 sets! Love it baby

special mention for a Guns n Roses tribute at Yugong Yishan with Jacky Danny, Los Crasher, Kick Ass and 16mn which could be fun.

Sunday April 15th

Manafest @ Mao Live
Canadian Rapper/hiphopper with plenty of street cred stops by Mao Live for what should be one hell of a performance. He’s on the heavier side of things with a lot of P.O.D / Linkin Park type of sounds that are sure to be a hit with the Mao crowds. This could be a sleeper hit.

As usual, there’s a lot more gigs taking place all weekend but being the jaded son-of-a-gun that i am, none of them seems really a “must-see”. At this point, SUBS/Steely Heart/AIS is the clear winner of the night. Ruby would want me to give post rock some love so here you are warned, there are plenty of post-rock shows in town during the weekend. The Gig Guide should help you find them

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Quickslants: Women, Insurance Payback, Re-TROS, Jue Festival, the Bookworm and more

Mar. 08 Quickslants, Tunes under the moon 3 comments

oh yeah babay.. it’s heating up in Beijing and I’m not talking about the weather that’s taken a dip again. Beijing is finally fully awake and we’re getting to that point where it’s tough picking which show(s) to go to. This Saturday is a prime example with good stuff all over the goddamn city from 798 to Tango with both Jue Festival and the Bookworm Literary Festival starting. So, to quote The Beastie Boys: Let’s Kick it…

Thursday March 8th:

Women’s Day at Starfish:
yeah, it’s a restaurant but the amazing Jess Meider is playing two sets between 6 and 8 pm, there will be whiskey cocktails courtesy of Stephanie Rocard and your truly. A cool celebration of women’s day in style to get your evening started!

Randy Abel Stable @ Temple:
How about that? what celebrated Women more than good old honky tonk tune from Beijing’s reigning kings of americana? I ran into Randy yesterday who casually mentioned new tunes and a possible marathon set with many songs touching on the topic of the day: Women… what can i say? grab a bourbon and holler along about double-timing, heartbreaking significant others.

Light & Love at Mao:
Not to be left out, Mao Live is putting together one a power punk show with some of Beijing’s underground female-fronted bands: First Medal, Cool Fish and more. This one will be a young student affair most likely and could be a cool little distraction for the early Gulou crowd.

Friday March 9th:

AIS @ 2 Kolegas:
I missed the return of AIS last week at Yugong but I’m fixing to be front row at 2 Kolegas on Friday. Ruby was quite positive about the gig and the smug smile on Jean Sebastian’s face later on that night told me that the picky Frenchman was happy with the set. I expect 2 Kolegas to be even better when these guys get loose. Mee Too ( pop punk) and Abominati (metal) share the opening duties.

Dong Chorus @ Yugong Yishan
This is one of the more interesting things i’ve seen pop up on the scene recently! The Dong Chorus dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period of ancient China, which has existed over 2500 years. It is the only polyphonic music in China using natural multi-voice to chorus in harmony, which is very different from the harmony of western. and just to make things even better, Wu Hongfei & Happy Avenue are the special guests. This is very freaking tempting

Tarot Saint Album Launch @ Mao
Interesting band that seems to get more respect from their peers than from the average metal fan. I don’t know too many of these bands in Beijing. They got their new record ready and they should be embarking on a tour again soon. I’m not quite sure who’s in charge of opening duties but you can expect a lot of leather jackets, jeans and mean looking people at Mao on friday night.

Saturday March 10th:

Jue Festival Market @ 798:
Showcasing all the events to come in the 2012 edition of JUE, with specialty vendors selling everything from creative handi-crafts to this year’s newest fashion designs, the JUE Market will also be home to a variety of interactive artworks, installations, and surprise musical guests throughout the day. A delectable array of gourmet delicacies, baked goods, and other fair foods will also be available – including a chocolate fountain! all day Saturday ( more info )

Bad Mamasan @ Temple:
Old school metal with balls… need me to say more? Temple will be loud, lewd, sleazy and fun, just like it’s supposed to be. Originals + a few outstanding covers will keep the night going. Jacky Danny is on opening duty that night so i WILL be able to watch them for sure. This is pretty much where my night will start on Saturday before moving on to

Re-TROS @ 2 Kolegas:
The other Beijing band that’s headed to SXSW ( I know, they’re not really beijingers but we claim them now). I hear rumors of new tracks and a new album around the corner. And even without those, I’d still head over there just because Re-TROS are intense and freaking awesome. One of my favorite acts to watch and listen to lately. Rolling Bowling & Candy Monster will open up the festivities. Originally, DH & The Hellcats were supposed to be on the bill but no more.

Sunday March 11th:

Country Bluegrass Workshop @ Hot Cat Club
Part of Jue festival, the Randy Abel Stable will lead a workshop in country music writing between 3 and 6 pm over at Hot Cat Club. This should be followed by a good old Marathon session again.

David Thomas Broughton @ Bookworm
experimental folk artist, and current Pyong Yang resident, David Thomas Broughton performs as his wide-eyed onstage persona. Remember that you can win 2 tickets to this event by entering our ‘daze contest ( What does a book sound like). I’ve heard that his performances are quite intense and I’m curious to hear about his experiences in North Korea

longest quickslants in a long long time folks…. this weekend will be freaking busy!

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Quickslants: Second Hand Rose, Muma, Subs, Voodoo Kungfu and More (updated)

Dec. 21 Quickslants, Tunes under the moon 1 comment

Hellooo Beijing.. miss me?
I didn’t think so either. Ruby did an amazing job keeping the show on the road while I was out on an ear-cleaning mission. Many posts/comments coming up once I catch up but let’s first get started with some quick slants as tonight (wednesday) has some pretty darn solid offerings.

Wednesday Dec 21st

Muma & 3rd Party @ Yugong Yishan
One of the most intense performers I’ve seen this side of the big silly is back with a heavy hard hitting record. We’ve been waiting and talking about this one at ‘daze central for a few months already and the results will be heard tonight. I did get to sample a few of the new cuts and it’s very dark and industrial sounding (think NIN). I’m not sure how that’s gonna come of live, especially at Yugong Yishan. Still, Muma & 3rd Party are veterans coming off a national tour and this should be pretty darn solid.

Second Hand Rose @ Tango:
Good old funny veterans are back in Beijing playing a venue they have learned to control.. Their last gig over there was pretty darn amazing for the band’s 10th and I wouldn’t expect any less from the gang. They’ve also been out touring quite extensively this year so it should be quite tight. Cross-talk rock at its finest with a hint of drag and a whole lotta attitude.

Thursday Dec 22nd

Take a break and save yourself for the weekend…. It’s gonna be massive heavy and busy. Maybe a chilled Jazz set with Lauren Maur at Jianghu if you must have your fix.

Friday Dec 23rd

Voodoo Kungfu @ Mao
Li Nan and his shrieking vocals return to the catacombs of Mao Live where I saw their best show ever about 2 years ago. They’ve had an up and down year headlining MIDI’s big stage but getting disrespected during the summer sonic competitions which marked their last show in the capital. Li Nan has been angry since then and expect a torrential storm of heavy distorted riffs, sampled Tibetan sounds and all the freaks to be out there. It’s Dark Pagan Folk Metal at its best and and almost-religious experience.

Low Bow @ Old What:
They call it “One Man Trash Blues” and from what I’ve been hearing, that’s a very appropriate name! Low Bow mixes blues riff with interesting distortions and is borderline noisy. But this might be an interesting intimate affair over by the forbidden city. BIRDSTRIKING, ARM TRICK and Xiao Hong Yu Xiao Xiao Hong are the opening acts. This is a Jingwei show ( apparently some new music collective) and expect the new CDs up for sale for rmb10.

Saturday Dec 24:

OYS QSBS, DH & Steely Heart @ Yugong:
If I have to explain why you should be at this gig, they you have no business reading this blog, unless it’s your first time: Steely Heart, fresh of their album launch. Omnipotent Youth Society, the reigning darlings of the scene Not to mention DH and her hellcats, the reigning best live act according to City Weekend…. get there early and never leave your sport in the center. It’s gonna be a packed affair!
Note: Omnipotent Youth Society has been replaced on the bill by Queen Sea Big Shark. It’s a bit of a blow to those expecting to finally catch them but the bill is nevertheless still solid with Casino Demon as well as The Kiss of Syrius (2/3 of Joyside) added on

SUBS @ 2 Kolegas
oh yeah… nothing like being front stage and center at 2K looking at Kang Mao and her gang delivering some blistering riffs, screaming vocals and one hell of a good time. Support is courtesy of Candy Monster whom I still can’t figure out as well the ever entertaining all around ska-rriffic Skarving.

There u got it folks… busy busy busy… 2 extremely good shows head to head on wednesday and saturday! I’m looking at Muma most likely tonight then potentially a double trouble with first Yugong then off to 2 K on saturday. Gonna be interesting.

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Re-Tros build, NovaHeart has soul and Candy Monster amuses at 2 Kolegas

Nov. 16 Gig Reviews 2 comments

It was a busy week for yours truly with 5 shows pretty much, 2 of which on saturday but the one that did stick out was the shindig at 2 Kolegas with Me Too, Candy Monster, Nova Heart and re-TROS. An absolute delight of a gig with great crowd and fantastic atmosphere. I got there a bit late on account of the Low Wormwood gig at Mako and a somewhat messy encounter with 1000 wines at the Hilton wine fair but it was all good in the end. I did manage to miss Me Too yet again but as far as I’ve been told, it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

candy monster

Candy Monster was kicking things off when i entered the premises with their usual blend of innofensive indie rock. I’m still not sure how I feel about this band but they are definitely carving themselves a niche as an opening act. It’s hard to find much good or bad to say about them at this point. It’s basically KTV worthy happy music with songs like Gu Lou that sings: “I just wanna go to my pretty boy, I’m here… I’ll have another beer”. As Sparky said, they’re just cute.

NovaHeart

Nova Heart was up next! It was my first time seeing Helen Feng’s newest band and i wasn’t sure what to expect despite having heard some of the music online. She’s joined in this by Free The Birds bandmate, Wang hui, as well as ex-hedgehog bassist Bo Xuan amongst others. The performance I must say was quite entertaining, befitting the Voodoo Priestess of Beijing.

What about the music? take Free The Birds latest songs, slow them down to about 110bpm and you have Nova Heart. It’s still good, entertaining and sexy electro-disco but I’m really wondering what’s the point of having yet another band to do the same thing. I could be wrong and I guess we’ll know soon enough since there’s a Free The Birds show this coming weekend. At least, I won’t be shying away from going to see them from now on… There definitely is soul in the band!

Re-TROS
Re-TROS are so much in their element in a venue like 2 Kolegas! So much better for them than a festival stage and Saturday night was no exception. Make no mistake, the audience came for them that night! And whatever you want to label them, sorry… they just ain’t got a label in my book. I heard post-punk thrown around but I’ll stick to calling it “good music” if you don’t mind! Saturday one was one of the first times in a few years i got to watch them up close and really pay attention to the lyrics, harmonies and the whole package… I came out more impressed than ever and I’m putting them up there in the “best of China category”…


Their lyrical aptitude in English is definitely not lacking with songs like “If the monkey becomes (to be) King” or “My Great Location”! Both Hua Dong ( guitar/vocals) and Liu Min (bass/vocals/whatever) are just freaking intense when they perform. Don’t get me started on how difficult it is to snap a shot of Liu Min… almost impossible to get her face. Still, beats, thundering bass, emotions high… and 300 people inside Kolegas singing along to your song is nothing to shake a stick at. They are and keep building something special!

It was overall one of better high energy nights at the drive-in since the summer with a great mix of audience, musicians, sounds and overall good music that reminds me why i love going to gigs in the first place! Getting home at 5:00 is a sure sign of a good night, hey?

I’ll leave you with the lyrics to If The Monkey Becomes (To Be) The King from their 2005 record Cut Off

The system would be stopped in this movement,
Young soldiers are walking in line, without their own minds.
They were hiding in the shadows and waiting for the order,
They are shooting the birds for food, who sings at first.
The lion started screaming as it faced the chaos.
The Country-Zoo is burning, oh it’s burning.
And the monkey, it becomes (to be) the king,
oh, it becomes (to be) the king
“ Oh kill the others!”
“Yes sir, Mr. Captain,
Don’t let them think, speak, survive and
Following the dream to find the truth, Oh yes sir, Mr. Captain,
Oh, yes sir
Can you help me tell my mum, that she was a liar?
The stories that you told on me are not the truth, they are not the truth.
You know?
they pushed me into the cage, and taught me how to be a monkey
They led me into the Country-Zoo, and made me to be the king.
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king, is it so funny?
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king, is it so crazy?
Oh if the monkey
The rider of the time is flowing like the air, so quickly,
And killers in your mind are waiting for a chance to catch me.
The system would be stopped at that moment,
The Country-Zoo is burning.
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king,
Is it so funny?
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king,
Is it so crazy?
They kill your men, your women, your c
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king,is it so funny?
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king,is it so crazy?
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king
Is it so funny will be line any way it’s true or the true
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king,is it so funny?
Oh if the monkey becomes (to be) the king,is it so crazy?
Be king your mind your man your toud your futher your macth your body your music
The Country’s loufe is to be a monkey

Not bad shit, is it? Download it for free if you’re in China over at Google music:
http://www.google.cn/music/artist?id=A122fe05b415ca6eb&oq=重塑雕像的权利&aq=0

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Quickslants: Ajinai, Rustic, Ghosts, VOM, Music for Orphans and more

Jun. 09 blabbers 2 comments

that time of the week folks, looking at all the goodies in town, sifting through the crap and figuring out where the good sounds are… and there lots of them this week, especially with Yugong Yishan back in business. It’s looking like one hell of a busy weekend out there for the music maniacs.. if i weren’t heading out of town, I might find myself driving all around town to catch all these guys play.

Thursday June 9:

Ajinai @ Yugong:
well, hanggai ain’t the only game in town. These guys, who used to play in …yup, Hanggai, have been putting on some cool performances lately. There’s more throat singing and grassland tones, a little less rock n roll. Me likey!!!
They’re definitely worth a shot, especially at Yugong hoping that most of those chatters from the Genus Expatus do not show up.

Friday June 10:

AIS, Spardac & Candy Monster @ 2kolegas:
The Amazing Insurance Salesmen and Ghost Spardac, two of the better bands in Beijing show up at 2 kolegas for some entertaining musical times. I haven’t seen the Ghost guys in a little while, same goes for AIS whom I missed during the celebration on account of the Champions’ League final. It’ll be cool to catch them. Candy Monster also on the bill!

VOM @ D-22:
This one is flying under the radar but Norway’s 4 piece chick punkish rock band, VOM, is playing in wudaokou along with Nakoma, Christmas and End of the world. I’ve heard VOM’s debut album and it’s a cool little rocker! The girls are fun onstage and they’re a heck of a lot better alternative than the screamers at Mao live. you can guess who that is!

Rustic Album Launch @ yugong Yishan:
The hebei troublesome threesome are back in Beijing after a mini tour of China hoping to finally launch their CD in town. Their last attempt was.. ahem.. blocked by whatever factors so here’s wishing them good luck on their second try. Birdstriking and a mystery guest will handle support duties.

Saturday June 11:

Buyi 16th Year Anniversary @ 2 Kolegas:
I swear every time i turn around and look, BUYI is celebrating something: New Album, Birthday, Anniversary etc.. These guys work hard and their Ningxia rock need no introduction anymore. Expect a lot of musicians, fun, jam sessions and the usual mayhem.

Sambasia 5th Anniversary @ Mao Live:
The beat masters celebrate 5 years of ponding latin rhythms in Beijing. They’re gonna have the full lineup there with close to 20 people on stage. The Beijing Capoeira Maginga group will also be on hand to dance along and play while the Sambasia guys do their thing.

VOM @ Old What
If you miss the Norwegians at D-22 on friday, you have a chance to catch them at the Old What bar saturday night. This might be even better taking into account the intimate nature of the place.

Sunday june 12:

Rap for Orphans @ 2Kolegas:
a bunch of Beijing’s beat masters get together in the drive-in to help raise money for the Shunyi Orphanage who are in dire need of supplies. Jordan Thomas Mitchell, who already contributed to the AIDS world CD, leads the effort. Note that this takes place from 3 to 9 PM.. yes, something happening at 2 Kolegas during the afternoon.

Skate & Rock @ Mao
Dude, Ghost Spardac, Summer Sunshine lead this youngish event that includes a reformed Larry’s Pizza and Xi’An rockers, Teddy’s Wish! these bands are in their element at Mao so expect a slew of locals rocking and doing their 20second POGO sessions. Not a bad sunday night bill at all… Mao getting competitive on a night where no one else puts on shows!

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quickslants: Noisey, Yang Meng, Hao Yun, Morlocks and more

May. 12 Tunes under the moon 3 comments

Festivals are behind us, for now and we’re getting ready to get back on a more regular steady diet of performances. How is it all looking this weekend? Pretty darn good!

Thursday May 12:

Noisey.com Launch @ YGYS:
So the website aims to make people discover new music… I can swing with that! They’ve set up an interesting lineup at YGYS with Hedgehog, Offset:Spectacles and PK14. It’s technically free but you have to get an invite from the organizers to go in.

Friday May 13:

Black friday baby… this one is filled with cool shows all over Beijing. Can’t really go wrong with any of them but some might be better than others.

Yang Meng @ Jianghu:
Good friends ChunQiu are opening for their lead singer, Yang Meng, who’s releasing his solo CD. expect melodic folk, harmonies and good times. I really enjoy the acoustic side of ChunQiu so it’s double fun for the night!

Jacky Danny, Me Guan Me, Bad Mamasan @ 2 Kolegas:
Some of my favorite bands are getting together to rock the drive-in and we’re gonna have some old fashioned fun there! Steely Heart and Candy Monster are also on the bill so it might be possible to start the night at Jianghu and head over to 2 Kolegas for more sonic goodness.

Retro Burns Night @ D-22:
While I’m not gonna swing this one, it worth mentioning that the Flying Mantas and Friends are gonna take you back a few years and surf rock your rear end :-) Lazy Camels and The Clamps on the bill too!

Saturday May 14:

Ember Swift @ Jianghu:
A good opportunity to chill, grab a glass of wine and listen to one of my new favorite Canadians doing what she does best: Deliver nice folk with good punchlines and smiles. That Laowai song is a must hear folks.

Sunday May 15:

The Morlocks @ D-22:
Gee, when was the last time i mentioned D-22 twice in the quickslants? I might consider heading over there on Sunday for this gig depending on the weather! Good old fashioned punk courtesy of The Morlocks and straight up Rock courtesy of Me Guan Me… win win

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1/1/11 at 2 Kolegas: Aces all around as Buyi, Nucleus, Rustic and SUBS Start the New Year with a Bang

Jan. 04 Tunes under the moon 3 comments

2010 was closed out in Beijing with a number of concerts that were pretty darn good by all accounts. Your truly managed to miss them all but I was determined to make up for it and get 2011 started on the right musical track! While there were a few quality lineups around town, there was no way I would miss out on SUBS, 24 Hours, Rustic and Candy Monster at 2 Kolegas….halfway through saturday, word came around that 24 Hours pulled out and was replaced by Buyi and Nucleus…. not exactly the same but I love both bands.. wasn’t about to change my mind on it.

I got to 2 Kolegas at 10 p.m with Candy Monster getting started. It was my first time catching these guys for an extended set and they were not bad! It’s not music that’s gonna save your life but it’s non-offensive! Given their pedigree of performing with Twisted Machine, Brain Failure and Miserable Faith amongst others, I expected them to be heavier. Singer Bian Bian is highly entertaining and was good about interacting with the crowd, thankful for their first time playing 2 Kolegas. Apparently, they have an American Keybordist who was MIA that day. decent popish punk overall!

Next up were old friends,Nucleus, with Liu Miao (more on him later) back on drums. These cats are either getting better all the time or I’m getting too used to them. Li Xia’s voice is improving and the band looked like it was having fun. That was probably their biggest audience yet with a good two persons in attendance that night dancing and trying to sing along. Funny thing about Nucleus is that it’s pretty much the same lineup as Li Dong (minus Wu Kejia) and Li Xia even made a mistake introducing them as Li Dong before correcting himself. Great show by the kids!


Rustic came on next and proceeded to do what Rustic does best: Bring out the fun in Rock n Roll! Their previous gig at 2 Kolegas was less than thrilling i remember.. not this time! They were on freaking fire! Their songs are better and starting to stick in my head after a few shows. They also premiered their version of Paranoid much to the audience’s delight! It’s easy enough to peg them as a one trick pony but let me tell ya, this trick goes a long way and they work at it so hard! When they’re on like saturday, they’re a joy to watch.

The Queen of Fu–ing Everything and her crew, SUBS came on after Rustic for one of their first gigs at 2 Kolegas… I’ve seen them so many times by now and let me tell you folks, they’re their best in a place where they can be in your face and get the crowd pumping fists! Some bands are just better suited for that up close and personal style.. SUBS is one of those! Watching Kang Mao from afar is fun but you don’t get to experience the full experience unless you are right there in the pit. Their new material is growing on me.. it’s darker and more elaborate that early stuff! I especially like the song “12 Years”.


Finally, it was Buyi‘s time. I’ve given them a hard time recently because they kept playing the same songs over and over! I take it all back… the previous shows at 2 Kolegas were just a way to keep the band in shape while waiting for original bassist, Li Na, to return and record the new album. I’ve seen them a good 20+ times by now and it was the first time with Li Na… and it freaking kicked ass!!! Zhen Kai did an admirable job filling in while she was on maternity leave but it doesn’t compare to the real thing! She brought a new energy to the band! They played a lot of songs of their new record, Autumn, including the song “buyi” which is one of my favorites. Heck, the album itself is pretty solid and will be reviewed shortly. A testament to the audience being freaking amazing that night is that Buyi was called back for two encores.. and guess what, both encores consisted of variations of “la la la la la” that the crowd ate up. I can’t recall seeing that much energy at 2 Kolegas in a long time, or ever…


At about 3:00 a.m. I swear the audience would have danced to freaking wolves howling… the remaining musicians jumped up and kickstarted what’s becoming legendary jam sessions at the drive in…

It was an absolute blast of an evening and a great first show to get 2011 started. I’m aware that I sound overly enthusiastic about it and that’s maybe due to me having been away from shows for so long due to my flu… or maybe the bands just all brought on their A game. Either way, the audience was the clear winners of the night!

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Beijing Live Music Quickslants: Flaming Hot list, Women & Grass

Jul. 28 blabbers Comments Off

Interesting weekend ahead music wise in Beijing with a few good – if not great- shows going head to head with a music festival over 3 days. So check out the Inmusic Festival post for more details about getting your fix of blue sky & grass (maybe) they have some decent acts lined up, especially on Friday… and look below for what could tickle your fancy this weekend in town.

Wednesday/Thrusday:

Nothing really recommended here.. most smaller venues might have acts on but it could be a good night to just chill and take it easy.

Friday July 30th:

Zippo Hot List #3 @Yugong yishan:
The zippo folks are really serious about this little affair and they’re reaching their third installment. On the menu tonight, you will find Guaili, Ourself Beside Me, Snapline and White which is one of the weirder combos i’ve heard of in a while. Guaili is slowly sky rocketing to the top level of live acts in Beijing and Ourself Beside Me are great when they’re on a good night ( please girls, drink a 1/5 of jim Beam before the gig). Snapline and White intrigue me… side projects that might be better than the ones they spun out of.

Lone + Zhan Pan @ VA Vanguard:
Lone includes China’s answer to Jim Morrison in the form of former Joyside voice, Bian Yuan. That’s the kind pedigree that makes me wanna go out and check it out. It’s gonna be tough balancing these two gigs on friday. I’ve also never been to Vanguard so even more intriguing.

Saturday July 31

Women @ Mao:
continuing on their themed series, Mao throws in one with the ladies: Autumn Waters, Candy Monster, Galaxy Band, Holy Loves, Lacerate and Nightingale all come out to celebrate women in music. I’ve heard Candy Monster before and they’re ok but I’ve never even seen the other names listed anywhere. Still, a quick stroll on myspace turns in enough samples to get me interested. Lacerate , heavily inspired by slayer/metallica) supposedly has a woman vocalist but it don’t sound like it. The others navigate murky muddy waters between folk and rock. color me intrigued yet again!

as usual, there’s plenty of other gigs happening out there and you never know when you might discover some gem, some diamond in the rough… so get out and listen!

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