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So if last weekend was all about local bands for local people, this weekend is dominated by wai di ren. Whether it's "ghost punks" from some little hamlet in the US of A, northern monkeys from the capital or a band from the harmonious region of Xinjiang, there's a distinct outsider flavour to the next couple of days.
Not that there isn't some decent local talent on show as well. Some of Shanghai's finest will be in action including Boojii, Pinkberry and our new favorite band Duck Fight Goose. And at the end of the day, whether they have a hukou or not isn't really important, it's all about the music. Man. So here's what's coming your way this weekend:
Friday
Liang Long, the cross-dressing flamboyant frontman of Second Hand Rose, is back. He's changed the line-up of his band (again) and has a new EP out promising a "new sound". We wouldn't expect any dramatic changes though, just a dramatic performance of the rock-with-traditional-Chinese-instruments classics.
¥80, 8pm. 4/F, Building B, No. 28 Yuyao Lu, near Xikang Lu. 余姚路28号B4楼, 近西康路
Few can top Liang Long's knack for creating a spectacle on stage, but fellow Beijingers Guai Li certainly do their best to live up to the indescribable strange powers contained within the Confucian idiom from where they take their name. They're helped by an impressive frontwoman - the beautiful Wen Jun - whose thrashing performance style has been compared to Patti Smith. With PK14 bassist Shi Xudong on drums and an upbeat sound not a million miles away from Queen Sea Big Shark, Guai Li are one to watch. So too are Boojii and Duck Fight Goose, two of Shanghai's leading experimental rock bands and tonight's support.
¥40, 9:30pm, 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu (entrance on Kaixuan Lu), 延安西路1731号 (入口在凯旋路)
Grab your parka and bowling shoes and get on your Lambretta out to Yangpu where it's Britpop night up at the Kunming Lu Live Bar tonight. Monroe Stahr are your headliners with Less and Bulaimei in support.
¥30, 9pm, 721 Kunming Lu, near Tongbei Lu, 昆明路721号近通北路
Remember how we told you about Live Bar opening a new Weihai Lu joint? Yeah you do. Well anyway, you can check it out for yourself tonight as MC Punk brings his one-man-and-his-guitar folk show to town.
¥30, 9pm, Room 103, Building 11, 696 Weihai Lu, 威海路696弄11号103近茂名路
Saturday
Pinkberry, who were forced to withdraw from last weekend's Shanghai Night Fever event, return to action by kicking off the Channel One summer live music series with The Mushrooms taking to the stage in the evening. It's a busy day for both bands as later the same night they'll be at eno as the Changle Lu clothes store relaunches their enoise series. Also on the bill there will be Sonnet, Hard Queen, Joker and 21 Grams, making it a pretty strong line-up.
Channel One: Free, 1:30pm and 6pm, 155 Changshou Lu, near Shaanxi Bei Lu, 长寿路155号近陕西北路
Eno: Free, 6:30pm, 139-23 Changle Lu, near Chengdu Bei Lu, 长乐路139-23号近成都北路
UPDATE: We have it on good authority that you can add Beijing noisesters Hot & Cold to this line-up too. Nice. Speaking of strong line-ups, the Dream Factory boasts one of its own tonight with Brooklyn "ghost punks" These Are Powers headlining. As if the American experimentalists weren't enough to grab your interest, they'll be backed by two of China's finest: PK14 and, marking the Shanghai release of their new album, the increasingly Yo La Tengo-sounding Carsick Cars.
¥100, 9pm. 4/F, Building B, No. 28 Yuyao Lu, near Xikang Lu. 余姚路28号B4楼, 近西康路
Little Bear Biscuit might not sound like the most hardcore of names, but this outfit hailing from Karamay in Xinjiang plough an EMO/punk furrow, albeit with a pop-like Sum 41 or Blink 182 tinge.
¥40, 9pm, 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu (entrance on Kaixuan Lu), 延安西路1731号 (入口在凯旋路)
Neocha's compilation of female/female-fronted artists, Tomorrow's Afternoon Tea, is a record we keep coming back to months after it was released. One of the stand out tracks, a lo-fi folk song called 我们, came courtesy of Coverpeople (actually just one person) and she'll be performing down in 0093 tonight.
¥50, 7:30pm, 93 Lingling Lu, near Damuqiao Lu, 零陵路93号, 近大木桥路
Also falling into the lo-fi folk bracket, MC Punk will be playing his second show of the weekend, this time up at the Kunming Lu Live Bar.
¥30, 9pm, 721 Kunming Lu, near Tongbei Lu, 昆明路721号近通北路
Formed in '60s London, White Noise have been breaking new musical ground for the best part of forty years. Essentially the experimental project of American classical bass player David Vorhaus, they continue today in the form of a duo with Vorhaus joined by music journalist Mark Jenkins. They'll be at D.G.B. with Confirm-X, Sickstar, Yen=DJY? and Zoe Chou.
¥TBD, 9pm, 130 Yichang Lu, near Jiangning Lu, 宜昌路130号近江宁路
Sunday
Day two of the Channel One series sees Brit-poppers Da Fresh and all girl indie-pop outfit Momo attempt to turn the shopping mall into a rocking mall. Ba-doom tish. Sorry.
Channel One: Free, 1:30pm and 6pm, 155 Changshou Lu, near Shaanxi Bei Lu, 长寿路155号近陕西北路
If you prefer your rock and/or roll in slightly less bright and shiny digs, then Live Bar has the answer with 8MG, Lightninger, Five Pence and Counter Spell doing the honours.
¥30, 9pm, 721 Kunming Lu, near Tongbei Lu, 昆明路721号近通北路
Video: These Are Powers show you what ghost punk sounds like
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