We're all still coming down off of Black Rabbit Festival (photos coming soon!) but this week has plenty going on in music: UK boy band heart throbs Westlife are in China for the first time, The Instigation bids farewell to their lead singer, and STD holds yet another concert this month! Read on for all the details, or check out or calendar for even more. more ›

Today's Midweek Music Preview brings you quite the selection: Shanghai-bred punk rock, Canada-bred laid-back rock, old-time banjo infused with traditional Chinese folk, old-time banjo in authentic American country, electronic revivals from Germany and Canada, and a marathon DJ session. You can't really go wrong with this week's roundup, so have a good time and thank us later. more ›

Every Friday, we bring you a roundup of the Shanghaiist's picks of the best upcoming events this weekend. For live music, check out the Midweek Music Preview. more ›

This week we get a sampling of everything from jazz, electro, reggae, rock with a dash of art for good measure. Check out Gong Gong who are part of the Fete de la Musique series if your looking for some visuals to pair with your audio or Dead Vikings if you want to rock out with a cultural twist. S.T.D is also turning three this week so expand your music collection this week with a little diversity. more ›

Shanghaiist lists all the live music performances you might want to check out from now to Sunday this week. For fun things that aren't live music, take a peek at our Pencil This In (out every Monday!) more ›

Looks like this is the weekend to crack out your boogie shoes and hit the dance floor. There's only three weeks left of 2009 and it's never too early to start celebrating. So, beat the winter doldrums, grab yourself a hot chocolate, and check out what Shanghai is cooking up this wintry weekend. more ›

Anke Stockburger and Han Fei, who were the first people who emailed us about free tickets. Thanks! Your names will be on the guest list - just show up and enjoy the show! As for the rest of you who emailed in, we highly recommend you come anyway. The Toxic Avenger (myspace here) is an awesome act to catch. He'll be playing at Not Me (21 Dongping Lu) on Friday night, starting at 10pm. Check out this and other shows you can see around Shanghai this weekend in our midweek music preview. more ›

The Chinese economy boom has helped increase numbers of both great and not-so-great things. On one hand, you've got rising literacy rates, development and internet penetration. On the other hand, you also get more pollution, city overcrowding and... syphilis. According to the World Health Organization, cases of the STD are now growing by 30% a year, and it's all because of migrant workers who now make enough money to hire more prostitutes. All the more reason to take up Zhang Feng's proposal and give them sex toys, eh? more ›

We had a chat with R3 of S.T.D. Promotions (the people who brought us Ratatat in May) about his work on tonight's launch of Shanghai's newest bar and live music venue, Not Me. We also got to take a look around the place on Dongping Lu, and while it's not the biggest venue in town, it's definitely got potential for some great parties. more ›

Some of us, due to extenuating circumstances, were unable to make it to the Ratatat show - which is just as well, we heard it was completely and totally sold out (and gosh, wouldn't it have sucked to be turned away at the door?). But the internet has brought us some condolence in the form of this really sweet video by Shanghai-based American designer Abram Hodgens - the entire Ratatat performance, with supporting acts, compressed into less than 3 minutes. Fascinating! more ›

Sometimes it feels like Shanghai is getting too cool for even us. Australian record label Modular Records - responsible for unearthing talents like Cut Copy, Wolfmother and The Presets - is launching a division here in this city. Basically, that means we can count on a sudden increase in indie-dance-rock booty shaking in the near future. more ›

Bam! Bam! Bam! Nope, that's not the sound of Midi hopes being quashed, it's the sound of three straight weekends of great gigs coming your way. Forget all that tiresome festival nonsense and look forward to Battles this weekend, the brilliant Hard Queen next Saturday and then Hedgehog promoting their new album the weekend after. more ›

It was only a matter of time. Yes, the traditional Midi Shanghai is on, off, on again, moved, all nonsense, season has started in earnest. Not only that, but it seems to be enjoying something of a vintage year. If all the claims and counter-claims are getting on your nerves, then we suggest you hit some of these shows this weekend and get Fucked Up*. We promise these shows aren't rumours. Honest. more ›

Ratatat - whose song we once featured here against a backdrop of Spring Festival fireworks - may be gracing Shanghai with its presence this Spring. According to local concert promoters S.T.D., the Brooklyn-based indie electro-music duo will play on May 21 at Zhijiang Dream Factory, along with Wuhan dance punk group AV Okubo. Ratatat has toured with the likes of Björk, Daft Punk, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand, The Faint and The Killers, and have produced remixes of songs by The Knife, Television Personalities and Animal Collective. Check out their Myspace. more ›

Here you go, Shanghai. A short interview with Jeans Team, one of the hottest electronic duos in Germany, who will be playing two shows this weekend. Check them out at the MOCA tomorrow night or head to the infamous STD parties, at Logo, where they will be getting the masses into a frenzied lather. more ›

Finally, we are back. Unlike the unfortunates who fell victim to visa restrictions our reason for being absent had more to do with laziness from too much heat. Being a pastie white red-head, the sun is not our friend. So what is happening this weekend? Well, not much, but there are a few shows. Chaos Mind and 5-pointed Star, two of Shanghais few metal bands will be playing at Yuyintang, while Live bar is letting 3 new bands take the stage. Who knows, maybe one of the bands will actually be worth the trip to Yangpu. more ›

This weekend and next there are a couple of parties of notable exception that should be on everyone’s calendar. more ›

We are currently in a twist figuring how to go to all three events, decision-making has never been harder! If we can split ourselves, yes we would in a heartbeat. more ›

AFP: China launches first anti-AIDS drive for gay men: state media more ›