Results tagged “midifestival”

                                       

Midi Festival commenced at Zhenjiang this year, a mere 11 hours away from Beijing by train. Musical highlights on May 1 included Shouren (Thin Man) and Cui Jian doing an extended set. Other things I will remember: the singer of Turdus Musicus tangled in his microphone cord, trying to get through into the audience past a panicked security line and members of Mike TV tripping over the phrase "niu bi" (eventually it was decipherable enough to understand). Beer and kebobs were available. All in all, the first day of the festival was a well-organized affair. Who knew Zhenjiang could rock?

If you had plans to go traveling for the May Labor Holiday, you ought to think about canceling them now. Midi Festival, China's longest running music extravaganza could be hitting Shanghai.

Bands left drifting helplessly after the cancellation of Midi have found a sort of oasis in Shanghai. The past week has seen a multitude of Midi bands play and this week things get even busier. Even as we write Karin Park should be wrapping up her first of two consecutive nights out at Live Bar. Should be a surreal experience watching a pop act prance around the stage of a proper dive bar. Tomorrow, the 21st Century Noise will be entertaining the crowds out at Yuyingtang with their Swedish rock. On Thursday Karin Park heads to Yuyintang where she will join Surferosa for a night of wicked 80s-esque rock pop while R&B outfit, One-J, will be at Live Bar.

May holiday was looking a bit bleak for music fans after the cancellation of the Midi Festival both here and in Beijing. However, despite initial setbacks Yuyintang are determined to put something on.

We have recently been taking flak for being lazy in bringing you the latest news in the live music scene. So here you go — something to make you all wet inside your pants: Rumors have been flying around that the Midi Festival is taking the show on the road this year. They are supposedly organizing something called the 'Midi Carnival' featuring many of the local as well as international bands that will be playing at the original Beijing Midi Festival. According to what we have heard it will be spread out over two days at some park adjacent to the Pearl Tower. This is apparently what has been told to a few tour managers who are bringing over bands. From the short list of international bands that we have seen so far it looks like Midi is going to have an even stronger metal slant than in the past. Backyard Babies and Hardcore Superstar from Sweden as well as Raunchy from Denmark are scheduled to play. Watch this space for more news!

Pitchfork ran a post recently that touched on some Shanghai live music news, mostly the role they felt was played by the "slightly-more-repressive-than-ours" Chinese government. (Pitchfork is based in Chicago.) We've already offered you some reasons why Pretty Girls Make Graves canceled their April 28 gig at 4live. Pitchfork talked to their label, Matador, which said "following some miscommunications with promoters, Pretty Girls were unable to secure work visas in time for the shows." Hmmm. Wonder if the Shanghai-based promoter would want to comment on that? (The Pitchfork story also mention that Sonic Youth's Shanghai gig "went off without a hitch" — for the fans, yes ... but, again, the promoter may sing a different tune.)

The upcoming May holiday sees a Shanghai band heading to the US and a US band (not Pretty Girls Make Graves) coming to Shanghai.

Though only in its infancy, newly launched online portal NeoCha has already got its eyes on the big time. The web project purports to bring together Chinese creative clans and facilitate the discovery of original music, art, events and goods.

GigShanghai: Hawaiian death metal, cAntipop and Black heads back