PAUSE for artistic thought

Bored of the same old over-priced and pretentious crap that seemingly dominates Shanghai’s nightlife scene? Then a new event kicking off on Saturday could be right up your street.

OK, it’s not actually taking place at night, but it’s free to get in, and therefore unlikely to be pretentious. So why not check out PAUSE in the basement of YY’s on 125 Nanchang Lu between Ruijin and Maoming Lu, from 2 pm to 7 pm on Saturday? Local independent music crews, including Antidote and Phreaktion are helping to organize it, so it comes with an impressive alternative pedigree.

The event offers a feast of locally-based talent, injecting a much-needed boost to underground culture in Shanghai. All manner of artistic delights will be on show for connoisseurs of alternative art -- a video wall, animation, live graffiti art, and tattoo artists. Local DJs and musicians will also be offering merchandise and CDs for sale.

The organizers hope PAUSE will inspire local youth to seek a more creative alternative to the prevailing commercial hip-hop MTV culture which dominates the airwaves. So if you're looking to "keep it real" in Shanghai and don’t want "The Man" to keep pumping you with the same old tired music, get down to the underground bunker at YY’s and disconnect yourself from the mainstream, and join all the others who took the red pill.