Three Good Reasons to Stay in Beijing over the October Holidays
If you were thinking that the upcoming 7-day Golden Week holiday at the start of October might be a great chance to finally take that train ride to Tibet that you've always been talking about, admire the views (and battle the crowds) at Huangshan, or maybe even trek Tiger Leaping Gorge - forget it, if you're into live music, you’re probably going to want to stay in Beijing for the National Day holiday. Here’s why:
1. Bacardi Sino Sessions
The fifth installment of the Bacardi Sino Sessions will hit Star Live over two nights on October 2 and 3 and this time the folks at Spli-t are bringing out the big guns. Talib Kweli (above), half of the classic (and not quite defunct) hip-hop duo Black Star (with Mos Def), is set to headline for the first night and is likely to perform plenty of new material off his imminent release Eardrum. LA funk-hoppers Ozomatli will open for Talib, and given their reputation for truly off-the-wall live sets, this is likely to be one of the best gigs that Beijing has seen in a long time.
The second, equally impressive, night will feature British trip-hop dance sensations Faithless (left), best known for their tracks Insomnia and God is a DJ from the late ‘90s – if you need a reminder, take a listen here, who are passing through Beijing as the final flourish of an enormous world tour.
2. The 2007 Modern Sky Festival
Scottish cosmic post-rock band Mogwai (above) and New York art-punk trio the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will headline the huge MIDI-esque festival that’s set to take place at Haidian Park (yes – they’re even holding at the same venue) from Oct 2-4. The festival also boasts an impressive roster of Chinese bands (over 120 acts will perform) highlights of which include Beijing’s New Pants, Re-TROS, PK14, Joyside and Second Hand Rose. The large-scale festival will cater to all tastes and given the possible presence of UK electronic duo Coldcut (well known for their remix of Eric B and Rakim's Paid In Full and their 2006 release Sound Mirrors), the Electronic Stage is sure to attract plenty of festival goers. Festivities are scheduled to end at 8:30pm, which hypothetically allows for ample time to get back to Chaoyang on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Sino Sessions, and, on Thursday for …
3. NO+CH Festival
Taking place from October 4-6, this year’s Nordic invasion will showcase 30 artists from both Norway and China. Mad jazz-scientist Bugge Wesseltoft has assembled an ensemble of musicians, including Norwegian electro-acoustic sound remixer Punkt and Chinese performers to play at the festival include Nara, Dead J, and 718 (last seen at the Sonar Festival in Barcelona alongside White and FM3).
So forget your dreams of snow covered peaks and hikes in the wilds of Yunnan, stay in Beijing and enjoy the music!
Links and Sources:
Talib Kweli Official Site
Talib Kweli MySpace
Ozomatli Official Site
All Music: Ozomatli
Faithless Official Site
Faithless MySpace
The Barcadi Sino Sessions Official Website
Spli-t Official Website
Spli-t MySpace
Modern Sky: The 2007 Modern Sky Festival
Mogwai Official Site (Image)
Cult Cargo: Mogwai Interview
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Official Site
Yeah Yeah Yeahs MySpace
Coldcut Official Site
Coldcut MySpace
Bugge Wesseltoft’s Website
Punkt MySpace
