The Insurance Salesmen Deliver while the Ghost of Spardac Rises!
Looking at the ‘daze archives, i realized it had been quite a while since i last saw the Amazing Insurance Salesmen play live. I managed to miss them during the 2K celebration on account of the Champions League Final so when they set the date for June 10 at 2 Kolegas along with Ghost Spardac and Candy Monster, I just had to go check it out! Rustic at Yugong was an appealing bill but I still don’t care enough about Birdstriking.
When I got to 2K, Candy Monster had already played which is a shame. I haven’t been able to see them in months as well. However, The Ghost Spardac, fresh from their Japanese tour, was back in town. Let me tell ya guys and girls, these kids will grow up to be something someday! They go to Japan where they have a record deal and endorsements, play in front of huge audiences, yet they have no qualms about being back to Beijing and playing a dive bar for a crowd of 50. Their energy and dedication is commendable!
On friday, they seemed a lot heavier than usual! Songs like Cleopatra and Family Tree are growing on me and Boxi is a good frontman. The whole band has picked up more stage antics and more chemistry with their new drummer, Liu Zhong. Chong Geng‘s guitar playing is simple but intricate and he does it all while jumping around when most of his peers are content to play the same 3 chords standing in place. Do yourself a favor and catch them sometime soon!
The Amazing Insurance Salesmen were up next!
I can’t say they started the set with a bang. If anything, it was slightly underwhelming as the band seemed a bit off! Mao Mao looked to be favoring his wrist and that undoubtedly had something to do with it. Still, being the seasoned veterans they now are, it didn’t take them long to pick it all back up and righten the ship. This band is really at its best when it is let loose, like wild caged animals doing what comes to them naturally. Small little things like Maikel picking up the guitar slide and using it for a little while unexpectedly before handing it off to JSB make a difference. When they’re laughing and having fun onstage, it’s just cool!
On top of the their usual tunes, they performed a new one i hadn’t heard before that actually sounded good! Not sure about the lyrics on it yet, I might have to hear it a few times before making up my mind.
It was nice to see the boys on stage again, I dig their performances!
K362, whom i never heard off before, closed the show with an absolutely atrocious attempt at industrial metal that was neither pleasant nor inspired. It literally sounded like crap…. and then again, maybe the sound of crap hitting water is more musical and pleasant. :\
The Amazing Insurance Salesmen and Zhang Si’an are playing this saturday in Wuhan and this Sunday in Shanghai for the “French music festival”, don’t miss it if you are there !