Saturday night live at Yuyintang

Shanghaiist was at Yuyintang last night to see indie rockers Boys Climbing Ropes. The renovations are nearly done. The bar area has taken shape and given a bit more depth to the main hall. There is a CD shop just inside the front doors which saves us the trip to Yangpu when we want local music, although 2046 is still worth the visit.

小自然 (Xiao Ziran) opened with a tight pop-punk set and a good sound. The set was just the right length for an opening band too, let it be an example for future multi act shows. However, cynical muso types might wonder if a power ballard with the chorus "Happy Birthday to My Friends" is particularly punk. The show wasn't loaded with 'journos' and hipsters like the Hedgehog show but we did run into Dan Shapiro of the Rogue Transmission who is recently back in town.

Next up, the Dropkicks blasted into their rock set. Soon in, the frontman broke a guitar string and didn't have a replacement string or guitar to hand. This was the start of tech problems that would blight the whole show. Having borrowed a guitar, the sound never recovered. One song after Boys Climbing Ropes took the stage an amp went out completely. Boys Climbing Ropes have great songs and deserve better in the sound/tech department. Still, fans of the band still enjoyed the performance.

With the new Yuyintang venue shaping up into a finished product, why not have them back soon.