Weekend Preview: Indie rock, lit talks and football

There are a lot of tempting events coming up this weekend. But please don't invite us, we're saving up for Kenny G.

On Friday night, Beijing indie rock band Sound Fragment comes to 4Live, inheritor of the old Tang Hui bar, to promote their new album. Opening for them is Shanghai band Banana Monkey (don't ask, we don't know). 4Live is the place for rock these days, bringing both national and international acts on a regular basis. Another venue worthy of attention is Yangpu District's Live Bar, hosting post-rock newcomers Muscle Snog, who we hear play a mean Velvet Underground cover. But beware, their weblog has pictures of dissected lab mice. Supporting are Plastic Chocolate and Boys Climbing Ropes. And starting late, at 10pm the Shuffle Bar (137 Xingfu Lu) re-opens as "Pirates", offering French underground electronic music and an afterparty down the street at Logo Bar (13 Xingfu Lu ... the old Tang Hui).

Starting bright and early Saturday morning is the Shanghai International Literary Festival at Glamour Bar, on the Bund. The day's line-up includes mystery author and translator Qui Xiaolong, playwright Wang Xiaoli, and prolific author Gore Vidal (tickets sold out). The Glamour Bar's website announces that all tickets must be purchased two days in advance, so the choice by now seems to be either finagling your way in on the day of, or bemoaning your bitter fate as you peruse the list of next's week's speakers.

Sports fans have a couple of choices this week. The first comes on Saturday afternoon when the Shanghai men's volleyball team takes on Zhejiang at Zhabei Stadium at 4pm. Don't get your hopes up too high though, as Shanghai is currently ranked number one in the league and Zhejiang is — you guessed it — dead last.

In the evening comes the hard choice; as far as we know Kaiser Kuo would be stumped. At eight o'clock, Shanghai's own Cold Fairyland returns from a European tour to help Beijing's ArtNow studio to open their Shanghai base at the Suzhou Creek Art District on Moganshan Rd; an hour later, "China's best thrash metal band" and Beijing visitor Suffocated plays a 10-year anniversary tour stop at Yuyintang. So pick your poison and drink up.

Sunday the SILF will continue with a session for kids, and talks by Qiu Xiaolong, writer Pankaj Mishra, cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey, and Mosuo minority singer/author/model Namu Erche Yang. Also in the afternoon is Shanghai Second Chance Animal Aid's afternoon at O'Malleys, a chance for you to let your kids run around on the playground, indulge in the Irish pub's lunch offerings, and "learn more about how you can foster an animal, adopt an animal or volunteer your time."

If you're still not disenchanted with the new Shanghai Shenhua line-up, head out to Pudong and catch Sunday afternoon's soccer/football — we're agnostic — match versus Shandong Luneng at Yuanshen Stadium. It's a short 10 minute walk from Shiji Boulevard and tickets should be available from scalpers in front of the stadium doors. A tip: for the lowest price don't start bargaining until you reach the stadium itself.

And finally on Monday night, Norwegian alternative/experimental rock band Ninth pick up the tail end of the week with a performance at Harley's in Xujiahui. It's a good chance to catch them in a smaller venue before they play at the more "mainstream" clubs next week.

On Upcoming.org:

Sound Fragment (声音碎片) + Banana Monkey at 4Live
Muscle Snog, Plastic Chocolate and Boys Climbing Ropes at Live Bar
Suffocated at Yuyintang
Cold Fairyland at Beijing's ArtNow Gallery Shanghai Opening
Shanghai Shenhua v Shandong Luneng
Ninth at Harley's Bar

Photograph from revolver77