Live Bar opens Weihai Lu branch

This is an exclusive sneak preview of Live Bar's new Weihai Lu branch, opening this Friday. Yep, while Soma's head honchos are over in Japan trying to persuade the people behind MAO to part with their cash for a Shanghai livehouse and while Yuyintang continues to pull in regular packed crowds, Live Bar have sneaked in and taken over a downtown location of their own.

The new venue is located in the 696 art compound on Weihai Lu next to the White Factory gallery and will open with lo-fi folkster MC Punk giving the inaugural performance.

The space is small - it can probably hold 200 people at most and is literally just this one room - and for the moment only has ceiling fans and no air con, but it's certainly an interesting addition to the live music scene. It may be more convenient than the other Live Bar in Shanghai, but given the size limitations it'll be interesting to see who they get in to play. Anyone who's been to Live Bar's larger Kunming Lu joint will be familiar with the stark decor, with nothing adorning the walls save for a large Live Bar logo behind the drum kit to be painted later this week. But then who goes to live music venues for the decoration? Far more importantly, come this Friday the small sound and lighting desk at the back will be furnished with a fridge, enabling Live Bar to fulfill the latter part of its name.

MC Punk will open the new Live Bar this Friday. ¥30, 9pm, Room 103, Building 11, 696 Weihai Lu, 威海路696弄11号103近茂名路