beijing underground zhao dabao
I uxeta labrit who’s playing tonight? In recent years the number of music groups and people who work in music has grown considerably. Unlike in the past, nowadays a lot of fans are interested in groups which aren’t all that big. Thanks to new technology, it’s possible to get to hear a lot of new, different groups, there’s much more on offer, and listeners have become more selective when they choose what they want to listen to. Listeners have diversified in their tastes and are no longer band fans in the massive,
collective way they used to be.
At the start of 2012 one of the most important places for the Beijing underground, D-22 (check the first illustration by Cazhuxi), closed. Since 2006 D-22, in the Wudaokou university area, had been the place for many different underground groups. For instance the groups Joyside, Big Sharkof Houhai, Carsickars, Hedgehog, The Gar and Gambler got together in that symbolic centre in the capital of China. The owners of D-22 have set up a new club, XP, and have opened it up to young, experimental groups. Every weekend fans of noise and experimental music get together there. But, probably because of its arty attitude and
feel, it hasn’t become as popular as D-22 used to be.
Beijing’s underground music scene has moved to the city centre and, right now, everyone gets together at MAO Livehouse. It’s bigger than XP and many different types of music are put on there. From Tuesday to Sunday you can see metal, hardcore, punk, hip hop, rock, garage and sometimes even pop concerts. Yu gong yishan is another important club in the city. Many groups who come to China for the first time play there: Air, Mono, Andrew Bird, CocoRosie, Buzzcocks, The
Raveonettes, Silver Apples… Beijing’s biggest club is Star Live, which is where big groups play and lots of people get together.
There are around 12 alternative music festivals in Beijing every year. Midi Music Festival and Strawberry Music Festival are the best known. Around 20,000 people go to each festival. Nowadays the city has more groups, concerts, clubs and festivals, but these all reflect the society we live in. We can all listen and see, everything’s available, but neither musicians nor spectators have the strength, attitude and energy they used to have. Underground groups and singers
from the 80’s have become pop stars and they only play at macro-concerts held in sports stadia, the people listening sing along and see themselves made up by the lighting effects.
collective way they used to be.
At the start of 2012 one of the most important places for the Beijing underground, D-22 (check the first illustration by Cazhuxi), closed. Since 2006 D-22, in the Wudaokou university area, had been the place for many different underground groups. For instance the groups Joyside, Big Sharkof Houhai, Carsickars, Hedgehog, The Gar and Gambler got together in that symbolic centre in the capital of China. The owners of D-22 have set up a new club, XP, and have opened it up to young, experimental groups. Every weekend fans of noise and experimental music get together there. But, probably because of its arty attitude and
feel, it hasn’t become as popular as D-22 used to be.
Beijing’s underground music scene has moved to the city centre and, right now, everyone gets together at MAO Livehouse. It’s bigger than XP and many different types of music are put on there. From Tuesday to Sunday you can see metal, hardcore, punk, hip hop, rock, garage and sometimes even pop concerts. Yu gong yishan is another important club in the city. Many groups who come to China for the first time play there: Air, Mono, Andrew Bird, CocoRosie, Buzzcocks, The
Raveonettes, Silver Apples… Beijing’s biggest club is Star Live, which is where big groups play and lots of people get together.
There are around 12 alternative music festivals in Beijing every year. Midi Music Festival and Strawberry Music Festival are the best known. Around 20,000 people go to each festival. Nowadays the city has more groups, concerts, clubs and festivals, but these all reflect the society we live in. We can all listen and see, everything’s available, but neither musicians nor spectators have the strength, attitude and energy they used to have. Underground groups and singers
from the 80’s have become pop stars and they only play at macro-concerts held in sports stadia, the people listening sing along and see themselves made up by the lighting effects.
