Review: Beijing Calling Vol. 3 at Star Live

Beijing Calling Vol. 3
RMB 50, RMB 40 (advance).
8.30pm. Star Live (6425 5677)

There were a lot of shows to choose from the Saturday before last. What to do, what to do? ReTROS/Subs? Been there, done that. D-22? Please…again? It seems that the Beijing rock scene is doomed to repeat itself … well, not exactly. I made it to Star Live to catch the 3rd installment of the “Beijing Calling” series. The audience, although pitifully small (especially when considering how large the venue is), at least was given a more intimate peek at some newer and lesser-known bands emerging on the scene.

The first band was Oliver. This band has a special place in my heart, for its frontman, Leaf, was one of my first friends when I arrived in Beijing for the first time last winter. I met him when he was just a starry-eyed volunteer bartender at D-22. Now he plays in a band and hangs out with Hedgehog backstage. Not bad going for one year.

Anyways, I liked his band. They were nothing too special, but they were in no way jarringly awful, either. It was fun and simple Brit-influenced rock music. I also had a chance to chat with him after the show.

The band is named after the movie Oliver Twist, and if you’ve heard his music you probably could have guessed that yourself. Their first song was called “The Meaning of Life.” I asked him what is the meaning of life and he said it was to be more passionate and positive about life. Fair enough. You can hear this philosophy in his cheerful, lax and boyish tunes. When I asked him how he got his inspiration to start a band, he told me that he learned about rock music and how to play guitar from P.K.14’s Xu Feng. What a lucky kid! Oliver’s new album is called “Nineteen Years Are Coming Back.” Check it out.

While I was interviewing Leaf and some other musicians I unfortunately missed the next two bands: 23 and Steely Heart. I hope that in the future I can hear them again and give them the time they deserve. If it’s any consolation, I could hear their sounds blasting through the hallways. I’m not sure which band was which because it all kind of blended together, but if I could sum up my impression I would say “they” sounded like a cross between The Exploding Hearts, rockabilly, early Bowie and The Vaselines.

As a relative newcomer in Beijing, I try to engage other people to share my passion for the music scene here. Mostly I am met with criticism, annoyance or apathy. “Beijing Rock has no future.” But, why? There are a whole host of problems. Piracy, namely, but I always sense an underlying tone somewhere between doubt, envy and smugness. Doubt that anything worthwhile will develop here, envy about the wonderful opportunities and creative potential that await Chinese rock musicians and smugness that, perhaps is justified, or perhaps is a defense mechanism against that envy. I asked some of the band members about this, and here is what they had to say:

On piracy…

Leaf, Oliver: It’s getting better, but at the moment there are no laws to protect us. It’s not only a problem in Beijing. This problem is plaguing the entire industry. We will find a new way.

Dazi, 23: Piracy makes it very difficult for us. I wish we could ban all of these pirates. They ruin bands. But right now, most of the bands are not good anyways!

Two Cocks, Universal Hostel: There are many problems in China, not only music piracy. Rock music is not important to the Chinese government. Anyways, who cares? Only foreigners care.

On foreign criticism…

Dazi: They [Chinese musicians] don’t know what they should talk about. Simple entertainment? Love? Youth? They are confused and they don’t have a core. They don’t have their own main ideas. Take for example, Cui Jian. He knew what to talk about. But today, a lot of young people don’t get the point.

On the future…

Dazi: It’s a big problem. But I think we will solve it if we stay true to ourselves. That’s what my band tries to do. I think that’s what sets us apart from other Chinese bands.

Two Cocks: We don’t think about the future. It’s not important. It’s only for fun. We need rock music for ourselves. It’s true [that we may not be original]. But we want to create our own style in the future.

The next band was The Linga and I was really taken back by their cool and (yes!) unique style. One song was obviously rock but the singer seemed to be rapping or something. And no, thankfully, it did not sound anything like ‘rap-rock’. It was more like Cui Jian and by that I mean something different. Other songs were equally quirky and inventive, especially one near the end that mixed punk elements with what sounded like a military marching song, reminiscent of the Chinese national anthem. It’s times like these that I wish my Chinese were better. Even though I thought The Linga pulled it off well, one thing I don’t like about this band (like so many others here) is that they are a little too good at imitating the affectation of detached cool. Like they say: you should take what’s good and scrap the rest. Overall, The Linga impressed me and I look forward to what they have in store for us.

The last band of the fully loaded evening was Universal Hostel or 万能青年旅店 Wanneng Qingnian Lvguan - it seems they also go by the name Omnipotent Youth Society. They hail from the self-proclaimed capital of rock Hebei's Shijiazhuang. They formed in middle school and consist of a power-trio plus a trumpet player. Their first song was a dreamy ballad - like a canto-pop song that didn’t suck. Very good use of horn that in no way sounded like Cake, by the way. The next few songs were awesome rockers! The lead guitarist, who goes by 2000, is probably one of the best Chinese guitarists I have heard so far, passionate and skilled, he doesn't sound anything like Stevie Ray Vaughn. The bassist was solid, as was the drummer. Though they may not have the most “original” sound (think Blind Melon), they fxxking rock and they play what they love.

Truth be told, I did hear a lot of new things here tonight. It may not have been as immediately evident as, say, the experience of being twisted on acid when hearing Jimmy Page’s solo on “Heartbreaker” for the first time, but you can’t compare apples to oranges. Take the youthful ambition of Oliver, the innovation of the Linga and the unpretentious virtuosity of Universal Hostel, combine that with the fact that I didn’t even see 23 and Steely Heart - but I could tell from way across the room that they kicked ass - and I think you have something happening here.

Keep an eye on theBeijinger events page and the 7 Days newsletter for news about upcoming shows from these and other local Beijing bands.

Links and Sources
MySpace: Oliver
Douban: Image of Oliver performing at Mao
MySpace: 23
Douban: 23 at Star Live - image
MySpace: Steely Heart
Youtube: Steely Heart Performing Live at Mao
MySpace: The Linga
Douban: Image of Universal Hotel aka Omnipotent Youth Society
Douban: Image of The Linga
The Beijinger: Review: Snapline at Mao Livehosue