Rock in China had covered MIDI Festival 2010 previously, but they seem to be offline for some reason. So here is a run down of what is happening. I’ve recommended five bands for each day of the festival, and the timetables are at the bottom of the page. I’m going to do something similar for a bunch of other festivals happening around the same time, so keep an eye out.
And apologies for the lack of recent posts, I’ve been down with the flu.
Day 1
山人乐队/Shanren Band
Shanren Band (pictured)sound like they take as much inspiration from San Fransisco as they do from Inner Mongolia.
Alt Senior
Alt Senior may be a band stuck in the trapping of mid-2000s emo music, but at their core they have some decent songwriting.
虞洋/Yu Yang
Yu Yang is a slightly refreshing musician. Chinese music can get quite gimmicky, but Yu Yang stick to simple songwriting and basic but effective accompaniment. And organs. Never underestimate organs.
冬子/Dong Zi
Dong Zi makes beautifully understated folk/blues music. He’s been kicking around Beijing for a while but hasn’t garnered the same level of renown as some of his contemporaries.
Sham 69
Oi! punk progenitors, Sham 69 are these days a shell of their former selfs with only one remaining original member. They also happen to be the only non-Chinese act at MIDI that I’ve heard of before.
Day 2
Candy Monster
Pop-punk cross with the twee pop sound of Shonen Knife. Candy Monster pictured) are definitely one of the more ‘fun’ bands playing at MIDI.
谢天笑/Xie Tianxiao
Cold Blooded Animal frontman Xie Tianxiao is one of China’s most well known and respected artists. While his previous band were known for their grunge sound, Xie Tianxiao now tends towards a more reggae style sound.
零壹/Voodoo Kungfu
I’m not a big metal fan, nor am I particularly partial to Chinese traditional folk music. But putting the two together? A genius move on the part of Voodoo Kungfu (pictured).
反光镜/Reflector
Reflector sound like they listened to way too much Green Day. And, umm, I like Green Day.
小河/Xiao He
Former Glorious Pharmacy singer Xiao He is one of China’s leading avant-garde folk musicians, and he always reliable for a good show.
Day 3
出口A/Exit A
Exit A are an industrial band in the vein of Nine Inch Nails – poppy hooks hidden under grinding electronic waves and angst ridden vocals.
Hanggai
Hanggai are possibly my favourite band to see play in Beijing. They are a band that is constantly on the road, the result being a tight live show in which they showcase their unique Mongolian folk/rock synthesis.
唐朝/Tang Dynasty
One of MIDI’s biggest draws, Tang Dynasty are a behemoth of Chinese rock (often considered second only to Cui Jian). Their albums have been sparse (an average of one every six years), but remain influential.
Subs
Subs have been relatively quiet recently. Hopefully a return to live shows also means a new record soon.
吴俊德/Wu Junde
Hanggai member Wu Junde’s solo show is a much more downbeat affair. Think 1970’s Laurel Canyon rock (you know, like the Eagles!) through a Chinese folk music filter.
Day 4
Carsick Cars
Just in case you miss Carsick Cars the other two times they play this weekend (or maybe because the fourth day of MIDI sucks).
逃跑计划/Perdel
Perdel’s squeaky clean sound makes me think of the best parts of power-pop: “Surrender”, “In The Street”, “My Sharona”, all that fun stuff.
Free The Birds
Free The Birds (pictured) are the reincarnation of one of Beijing’s more interesting bands, Ziyo.
Brain Failure
Expect moshing, and lots of it, for the band that is arguably China’s most popular punk act, Brain Failure.
石头公社/Stone Unit
Stone Unit are the highlight among the hip-hop acts on the 4th day. I can’t claim to know anything about Chinese hip-hop, but these guys seem to represent well.
| 花舞台 (Flower Stage) | 黑舞台 (Black Stage) | 白舞台 (White Stage) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15：45 | 玉麟军 (Army of Jade Kirin) | 15：00 | Dude | 杨千墀 (Kurty QC) |
| 17：15 | Subs | 16：30 | 唐人街 (Chinatown) | 跳猴 (Lucky Monkey) |
| 18：45 | 苏阳 (Suyang) | 18：00 | 过失 (Demerit) | 大飞与摩天楼 (Da Fei & Skyscraper) |
| 20：15 | 二手玫瑰 (Second Hand Rose) | 19：30 | 左右 (Zuoyou) | Pinkberry |
| 21：45 | 老狼 (Lao Lang) | 21：00 | 春秋 (Spring Autumn) | 耳光 (Slap) |
| 23：15 | 高旗 & 超载 (Gao Qi & Overload) | 22：30 | 夜叉 (Yaksa) | 简迷离 (Gemini) |
| 花舞台 (Flower Stage) | 黑舞台 (Black Stage) | 白舞台 (White Stage) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15：00 | Tookoo | 13：00 | 指人儿 (Finger Family) | 李漠 (Li Mo) |
| 16：30 | 窒息 (Suffocated) | 14：10 | 卡木堂 (Kamutang) | 海龟先生 (Mr Chelonian) |
| 18：00 | 反光镜 (Reflector) | 15：45 | 液氧罐头 (Yeyang Guantou) | DH & Chinese Hellcats |
| 19：30 | 扭曲机器 (Twisted Machine) | 17：15 | CMCB | The Bigger Bang |
| 21：00 | 何勇 (He Yong) | 18：45 | 糖果枪 (Honey Gun) | The BLue Violets |
| 22：30 | Killing Joke | 20：15 | 周韧 (Zhouren) | 逃跑计划 (Perdel) |
| 21:45 | 面孔 (The Face) | 阿修罗 (Ashura) |
| 花舞台 (Flower Stage) | 黑舞台 (Black Stage) | 白舞台 (White Stage) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15：00 | 川子 (Chuanzi) | 13：00 | 堕天 (The Falling) | Pacalolo |
| 16：30 | 龙神道 (Longshendao) | 14：10 | 郁乐队 (Die From Sorrow) | 马条 (Ma Tiao) |
| 18：00 | 新裤子 (New Pants) | 15：45 | Larry's Pizza | 南无 (Nanwu) |
| 19：30 | Psycroptic | 17：15 | The K | 咖啡因 (Caffe In) |
| 21：00 | 郑钧 (Zheng Jun) | 18：45 | 天堂 (Tian Tang) | 虞洋 (Yu Yang) |
| 22：30 | Panic! At The Disco | 20：15 | 爽子 (Huang Shuang) | 山人 (Shan Ren) |
| 21:45 | AK-47 | CocoRosie |
2 Comments
Hi there,
RiC is down since two days. Reason: We got such a huge peak in traffic that the server crashed and our provide put us offline. Now we are upgrading to a better system. Sorry for the unconvenience, but actually I am proud. Started 6 years ago I never thought that I could say that, but RiC crashed due to traffic overload!!!
That clearly shows there ARE enough people out there who just crave for Chinese rock!
Rock on!!!
Max
Ouch, that’s bittersweet. Here’s to a speedy recovery!