So You Wanna Be in a Rock n Roll Brand? Beijing Version
I’m really amazed at the changes in the scene lately… The corporate world has really been far away from the underground rock scene in Beijing for as long as I’ve been looking at it with some exceptions. But lately, all the glass walls are being shattered with an whole lotta young bands making their mark or making appearances for some major international brands in private events.
You all know Ray Ban, right? how many of you know Out of Control (OOC)? that’s what i thought. They are a band i’ve been following for quite sometime now, quite tight and with an upcoming record to be released at the end of the month. These kids have been working hard for years to develop a stage presence, a style or their own and it working. Guess who played the Ray Ban 75th year anniversary bash? Yep, OOC.
How about Armani? now that’s some big gun glamour label, ain’t it? You’d thing that Faye Wong or some other celebrity! guess again! Da Bang, formely Bigger Bang, were pegged to perform at the latest Armani event… There is no denying Pupi’s fashionista side but this is quite a big ass thing folks. The other bands on the bill, New Pants and re-TROS were also not something i’d associate with Armani but hell, times-a-changing. ( or Modern Sky getting better connections)
I could also mention DH doing adds for R Factory but that’s a good match and both are under the radar brands really but Armani and Ray Ban are big folks.. Now this is either a sign that they’re willing to take a chance on youngsters or….??
What once started as my personal ramblings has morphed into the number one collective resource about underground live music in Beijing and China. All bands, all music, all Rock n Roll, all the time with a little side of eclectic topics.. best of all, it's still as BIASED as ever
It’s definitely exciting that some brands are beginning to look beyond massive pop artists and actually put some money into the pockets of the artists that have been plying their trade in the margins for a while. Certainly, every little counts and there are emerging shoots that bands can actually make music a full time job which is really encouraging.
There are of course downsides: that the money you get for brand shows (and festivals for that matter) dwarfs the returns from actually getting out there and touring; that you have a whole slew of bands creating a look // sound that brands are going to like rather than creating their own sound; that most of the money gets chewed up by middle men anyway and as usual, the artists see very little of it.
With these developments, we really need some kind of transparency about how much the brands are paying vs. how much the bands are getting. Reputable agents and managers that brands can go to directly, that hand 90% of the money to the bands. But hey, that doesn’t really suit anyone apart from the band, does it? Im sure Andy Best will have something to add here, and he loves the fact that brands are getting involved in this
good points Archie..
As far as I’m concerned though, I just like seeing progress in the scene and young bands being out there.