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Week Around the Ists
China's largest rock music event looks like it's taking a break from Beijing for the first time since its 1997 inception and moving to Zhenjiang.
UPDATE: According to twitter user @MIDIShanghai: "DON'T FRET, SHANGHAI, MIDI SHANGHAI IS STILL ON." Glee?
Organizers announced this past Tuesday that the Midi Modern Music Festival will be held in the Jiangsu province city from May 1-3.
There are conflicting reports of whether Zhenjiang may be the only MIDI location. Beijing Midi School of Music, the only rock school in China and hosts of the event, indicated that Zhenjiang could just be a "leg" of the festival-at-large. But festival organizers insist that the entire three-day affair will be in Zhenjiang only.
That'd be sad news for us, since Zhenjiang isn't exactly right next door to our city. Though we're not as close to the main event as we had hoped, organizers hinted that there might be a smaller side event in Shanghai proper to sate our rock music thirst.
Still, even if the Shanghai sideline happening doesn't pan out, it sounds like a great excuse for a roadtrip. Imagine how amazing that would be...a two-and-a-half hour train ride with crazily enthusiastic rock fans, locals and expats alike, all heading to one location: rock music nirvana.
Photo by dadiolli
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In a way I think that sounds like more fun than the plans for a Shanghai festival.
You'd have to be pretty optimistic / dumb to start booking hotels already though.
I agree with James, this sounds much better. Assuming this is a decent sized space and something more festival-like than the Sculpture Space would be.
So does this mean that this "cancellation" is actually just a move?
If it was there, i'd go. It's just an hour or so by train ..half way to Nanjing on the regular line. Why not.
if anyone's interested, here's what the (shanghai) promoters have to say:
(from facebook group page)
The "real" Midi is happening in Shanghai. It is also happening in Zhenjiang. The two festivals will be different to reflect their different audiences. Shanghai Midi will feature a wider selection of international bands and also more bands from Shanghai, whereas the Zhenjiang Midi will not. The references to Shanghai as a "satellite festival" or "small concert series" through snippets in the Xinhua article and others are all direct quotes from a single Sohu.com editor who was theorizing about the festivals. These will soon be discredited in forth coming press from Beijing Midi School."
I heard kind of funny and odd comment from an overseas guy who is involved with Shanghai police operations: "Shanghai MIDI will never happen, it will be too big risk combined with the local whorehouse business". Whatever that means, I need to think about it. It doesn't add up, but I know those people are thinking in other terms.