Weekend Live Music Roundup: RandomK(e) turns five, Sally can't dance, Back to Tang Dynasty

Carnivals are in town! Experimental rockers RandomK(e) (Sat) celebrate their five years' anniversary at 2 Kolegas, 330 Metal Festival (Fri-Sat) challenges your hearing at 13 Club, avant-garde musicians gather at D-22 for Sally Can't Dance Festival (Sat-Sun) and JUE Festival continues at Mao Livehouse with Shanghai rockers The Mushrooms (Fri, see interview here). In other news, metal heads Bad Mamasan smash 2 Kolegas (Fri), Girls Are Waiting To Meet You (Sat) at YGYS (see what I just did? haha...lame), and metal veterans Tang Dynasty (Sun) release a new EP at The Star Live. Wonder if they still all got long hair, cuz' otherwise they don't qualify as a metal band.

Okay, that should be enough for three days, there are other things in life.

Check the Beijinger Directory for venue details

Friday (Mar 26)

330 Metal Music Festival: Day 1
13 Club’s annual shindig, featuring Spring Autumn, The Face, Die From Sorrow and Norcelement. RMB 60 (per day), RMB 100 (two days). 9pm. 13 Club (8261 9267)

Bad Mamasan
Melodic metal hits drive-in cinema. RMB 50. 10pm. 2 Kolegas (6436 8998)

Bruce Gremo
Flautist gets electronic, followed by DJ in da house. RMB 30. 9.30pm. Obiwan (8322 1231)

Buyi
Indie rockers from Ningxia play in the shadow of Gulou. RMB 50. 9pm. Jiangjinjiu Bar (8405 0124)

Dong Zi
Folk calls for springtime in office blocks. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Golden Driver, Lazy Camels, Bedstars, The Me Guan Me’s
Get grungy with garage rock. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

JUE Festival: Mushroom, Arrows Made of Desire, King Statues
Shanghai emo noise makers invade Beijing, supported by Beijing indie rockers. RMB 50. 9pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Meiwenti Sound
Beijing’s reggae team throws a party of one love, free Mohitos and punch for ladies until 1am. RMB 30 (includes a drink), ladies free. 9pm. The Boat (6460 5512)

Mr. Rodent, The Gray, Zebra Run, Bai Ci, Sheng Yuan
Grunge and garage rock. RMB 30 (includes a drink). 9.30pm. What Bar (1590 123 6743)

Park Reggae
Members from local reggae bands collaborate across Zhangzizhong Lu subway station. Free. 9pm. The Park Restaurant (6403 0311)

Pierre Brahin Trio
Jazz covers of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Stevie Wonder. RMB 40. 9pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

Wu Kejia & Gao Bo
Ningxia brothers sing folk covers of Chinese classics. Free. 9.30pm. Zuiyuefang Bar (6405 4482)

Xia Jia Piano Trio
Jazz pianist operates on his keyboards. Free. 10pm. East Shore Live Jazz Cafe (8403 2131)

Yang Bing, Zhi Qi ,Ou Yang
Local DJs come together in the name of Friday night fun. Free. 9pm. White Rabbit (6417 2588)

Yen White
Mickey Zhang, Yang Bing, Patrick Yu, Dio and Blackie on the deck, supported by visual aids. RMB 150 (includes a drink). 9pm. The Star Live (6425 5677)

Saturday (Mar 27)

330 Metal Music Festival: Day 2
The second day of metal fest takes to the extreme with more hardcore rockers including Frosty Eve, Lacerate, The Metaphor and Suffocation (with an album release). RMB 60 (per day), RMB 100 (two days). 8pm. 13 Club (8261 9267)

Abu, Moxi
Folk songs of the Yi people from Southwest China. Free. 9.30pm. Zuiyuefang Bar (6405 4482)

Da Yang
Singer-songwriter returns to Beijing with his collection of folk songs around the country. Free. 8.30pm. Siif (6406 9496)

DJs Jim, Tnem, Oshi, Bite*Size Buddha
DJs from Belgium, France and US throw the house into electro. Free. 10pm. Lantern (135 0134 8785)

F.I.R.
Taiwanese pop rock stars take the stage in Xicheng. Tickets at 400 610 3721. RMB 380-1,180. 7.30pm. Beijing Exhibition Theater (6835 4455)

Flying Midnight, G-Eleven, Toyhead, Cheng Huihong
Indie pop bands and artists sing covers of Faye Wong. RMB 60, RMB 50 (advance). 9pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Girls Are Waiting To Meet You, Mademoiselle
Seven-piece rock group supported by French ballads. RMB 50. 9pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

HIV/AIDS Charity Concert
Bands from International Schools rock for awareness fro the growing HIV/AIDS issue in China. RMB 50. 9pm. Mako Live House (5205 1112)

Hoochie Coochie Gentlemam
Beijing’s homegrown blues band bring on the boogie. RMB 40. 9pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

Kodiak Island, Wry Street, Guo Rui
Indie rockers joined by country trio. RMB 30 (includes a drink). 9.30pm. What Bar (1590 123 6743)

Lidong Band
Folk group from Ningxia sings own compositions. Free. 9.30pm. Jiangjinjiu Bar (8405 0124)

Liu Yuan Saxphone Quartet
China’s jazz forefather keeps the Houhai shores smooth. Free. 10pm. East Shore Live Jazz Cafe (8403 2131)

Mafeisan, ONG
Avant garde noise makers make an effort to tear down 798 with a thing called "music", I say go ahead and do it. RMB 30. 2pm. UCCA (8459 9269)

Nanwu, Li Mo, Su Yu
Folk and indie rock in campus. Free. 7.30pm. Hongyuan Square, University of International Business and Economics (6449 6255)

Meiwenti Sound, Steve Barker, Markie Royale
Reggae crew, DJ and MC by the lake. RMB 40, RMB 30 (after midnight). 9.30pm. Obiwan (8322 1231)

Mikey Dee, Kinurahh
A night of funky and dubstep sounds from Beijing DJs. Free. 9pm. The Boat (6460 5512)

RandomK(e)
Experimental rockers turn five years young. RMB 50, RMB 30 (before 9pm). 8pm. 2 Kolegas (6436 8998)

Reading Fire
Folk rockers shake SOHO Shangdu. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Sally Can’t Dance Experimental Noise and Free-Improv Festival: Day 1
D-22 hosts the 3rd annual festival, featuring some of the most influential experimental musicians from across China. Multi-instrumentalist Fred Frith joins local talents for solo and improvisation. See here for full line-up. RMB 80, RMB 60 (students). 4pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

SAMA Band
A night of flamenco, funk and reggae. RMB 30. 9pm. VA Cafe & Bar (5844 3638)

SSS, Tu’er Ye, Wooden Toy, Mang
Funky rock and emo in Fangjia Hutong. RMB 30. 8.30pm. Hot Cat Club (6400 7868)

Swedish Fish
Swedish DJ Donald Summer teams up with local soundman Patrick Yu in Sanlitun. Free. 9pm. White Rabbit (6417 2588)

The Frogs
Easy listening pop trio take the stage. RMB 80, RMB 60 (advance, students). 8pm. The Star Live (6425 5677)

The Redbucks
Bluegrass band reach for roots in CBD. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Toyhead, Fuzzy Mood, Cheng Huihong & The Mailmen, Flying Midnight, SSS
Rock bands sing covers of Faye Wong. RMB 60, RMB 50 (advance, students). 8.30pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Sunday (Mar 28)

19 Mirrors, New Pants
Disco maniac New Pants welcomes their friends from Japan. RMB 80, RMB 60 (advance). 9pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

Keshui Mofang, Ci Qin, Arouse, Judgment Day
Metal and punk wrap the month for Mao. RMB 40. 8.30pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Moreno Donadel Trio
Italian pianist collaborates with a few Beijingers. Free. 9.30pm. East Shore Live Jazz Cafe (8403 2131)

No Name Trio
French gypsy jazz for a sunny Sunday afternoon, hopefully. RMB 50, RMB 30 (students). 2.30pm. Nine Theatre at Chaoyang Culture Center/TNT Theater (8599 6011)

Sally Can’t Dance Experimental Noise and Free-Improv Festival: Day 2
Avant-rock maestro Fred Frith improvises with Wu Fei on guzheng, LI Jianhong plays guitar as an industrial machine, Li Tieqiao blows his saxphone like you can never imagine…all experiments you can do with instruments. See here for full line-up. RMB 80, RMB 60 (students). 4pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Sweet Rock
Pop punksters stay up late on Sunday. Free. 9.30pm. Zuiyuefang Bar (6405 4482)

Tang Dynasty, Brain Failure
China’s rock forefathers release new material, supported by punk veterans of Brain Failure. RMB 120, RMB 100 (advance), RMB 180 (VIP). 8pm. The Star Live (6425 5677)

The Redness, Zhang Atu, Liaofeng & Lumengji, Toyhead
Folk bands and songwriters play an unplugged concert at Fangjia Hutong. RMB 50, RMB 30 (students). 3pm. No.46 Theater (8403 3799)

Zhang Zhi
Kazak music read by dombra. Free. 9.30pm. Jiangjinjiu Bar (8405 0124)

Zhu Guangyu, Feng Yan, Jingang Zhuzi
Folk stories told by acoustic guitars. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)