Folk or Metal? Sunny Park or Dirty Club?

13 Club only rocks for the glory of metal

These are the choices music festival goers have to make on May 1 and 2 between the spring breeze at Ditan Park and the deaf-threatening noise at 13 Club. Or, you could go to both - as long as the genres change from pretty folk to death metal isn't too much for you.

Ditan Park Music Festival

The very first Ditan Park Music Festival invites acoustic folks, indie pop boys n girls, Gypsy Jazz, Chinese ethnic singers and world music selections from Nigeria, Uganda and Greece - it seems just the right way to welcome springtime with easy-listening folk music in the park.

The list includes Xiao He (小河, experimental folk), Ma Tiao (马条, Xinjiang folk and rock), No Name Trio (French Gypsy Jazz), Su Yang (苏阳, Ningxia folk song from West China), Gangzi (Mongolian throat singing), Afrokoko Roots (Afrobeats and reggae), Aojie’aGe & Sun Tribe (奥杰阿格与太阳部落, Yi ethnic music), Livingstone & Tribe (African drum group), Daniel (American Jazz Band), Landaotian (蓝稻田, Funk Blues), Today (indie pop band) and more.

When: May 1-2; 4-10pm
Where: Ditan Park
Ticket: RMB 60 (per day, at door), RMB 50 (per day, advance, at Dong’s Guitar Shop, 57 Gulou Dongdajie, Dongcheng District), RMB 100 (2-day pass, at door), Free (kids under ten)
How To Get There: Get off at Yonghegong Lama Temple (雍和宫) Station on Line 2 or Line 5, and walk to the park.
Email: ditanparkmusic@yahoo.com
Contact Chinese: Liu Yaodong (刘耀东) at 8404 3067
Contact English: Jonny at 137 1851 6912

Bands To Watch

Xiao He (小河 aka He Guofeng 何国峰)
The 34-year-old Hebei native is one of the most dynamic members of Beijing’s local music scene. He’s best known as the founder of folk/experimental troupe Glamorous Pharmacy (美好药店) – imagine a Chinese version of Animal Collective, added with the sound of harmonica and Peking Opera. Call the guy psycho or not, he’s always exploring for new possibilities. Read more about him here and listen to Glamorous Pharmacy here.

No Name Trio
This Beijing-based International trio consisting of Zoe Wang (China, accordionist), Nico Torrese (France, guitar) and Daniel Brustman (USA, guitar) specializes on French gypsy jazz. They have built solid reputations by playing for embassy parties and dining events. Read more about them here.

Afrokoko Roots Founded by Nigerian percussionist Sunny Dada, the Beijing-based band performs afrobeat music in the style of Fela Kuti as well as reggae classics from Bob Marley and others. Read more about Sunny Dada and the band here.

Su Yang (苏阳)Though better known as the drummer of China's first pop punk band Catcher in the Rye (麦田守望者), Su Yang's solo career has been going back his home roots. His own band released its first studio album Xianliang (贤良) in 2006, which contains a mixture of acoustic rock and Ningxia folk songs from China's wild west. Listen to his recordings here.

13 Club Metal Festival

On the other hand, if you fancy bang your head with some old school and gothic metalists, 13 Club is always the top choice in the city for that. Along with D-22, this dirty and heavy rocking club is part of the Wudaokou neighborhood attractions.

Its own metal festival, now on its second year, features some 13 Club regulars while also some best heavy metalists in town. This year, trash & melodic metal band Blind Sight from Netherlands will be joining the local musicians in the name of rock.

Blind Sight gets a taste of Beijing's everlasting metal fever on May 1

When: May 1-2, 8pm-late
Where: 13 Club
How Much: RMB 40 (per day, at door), RMB 60 (2-day pass, at door or 8668 7151)
How To Get There: Get off at Wudaokou (五道口) Station on Line 13, either take 731 Bus to Qinghua Yuan (清华园) or a taxi to the club.

Line-ups (Click to listen)

May 1
1. LILITH (莉莉斯)
2. Bother (火页)
3. Ghost Kid (鬼童)
4. Dengel
5. Blind Sight
6. Toreador
7. Frosty Eve (霜冻前夜)
8. Violence Pretender (歪曲扮演)

May 2
1. White Wall (白墙)
2. Tarot Saint (塔罗圣徒)
3. Soma TNT (索玛TNT)
4. The Falling (堕天)
5. Monded Dadly (重创)
6. Midnight Yi Tu (子夜)
7. Last Chance Of Youth (青年最后的机会)
8. Offset Heads (偏置磁头)

Get ready for some mad metal fun

More to say, D-22, which is only a few steps away from 13 Club, will be holding its 3rd year anniversary party from Apr 30-May 3, with bands and artists playing punk, garage, glam rock, Mongolian throat singing and acoustic folk. Specific line-ups are:

Apr 30
L.A.B.F., Ourself Beside Me, Molds
RMB 60, RMB 40 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

May 1
Carsick Cars, The Gar, Rough Transmission, The Offset: Spectacles
RMB 80, RMB 60 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

May 2
Joyside, AV Okubo, Guai Li, Fading Horizon, You Mei You
RMB 80, RMB 60 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

May 3
Liu Sheng, Wu Tung, Zhou Yunpeng, Xiao He, Hanggai
RMB 60, RMB 40 (students). 8pm. D-22 (6265 3177)