Weekend Live Music Roundup: 2 Kolegas turns Five, Folk on Riverbank and Darkwave from the South

2 Kolegas celebrates its fifth-year anniversary with a two-night series (Friday & Saturday), headlined by Black Cat Bone, Re-TROS, DH & Chinese Hellcats, Buyi and Wu & The Side Effects (with their debut album releasing in June). However the originally scheduled Free The Birds performance has been canceled as Helen Feng is still not fully recovered from the injury caused by jumping off the stage in May.

Meanwhile, avant-folk guru Xiao He jams with Mongolian chiefs Hanggai at Obiwan on Saturday - find out how the gray-haired 30-something experiments with the sound of horsehead fiddle. On Sunday, the recently re-opened Mao Livehouse sees the arrival of black metal followers Be Persecuted and Hate Ka from the southeastern province of Jiangxi, playing all the darkwave in depressive moods. Of course, if devilish face paint is not your thing, you can always check out the melodic compositions by Swedish singer-songwriter Sofia Jannok at Yugong Yishan.

Check the Beijinger Directory for venue details

FRIDAY (May 28)

2 Kolegas 5th Year Anniversary Day 1: Black Cat Bone, Re-TROS, Buyi, Skarving
Blues, post punk, indie rock and ska give 2 Kolegas a happy birthday, followed by all tomorrow's parties. RMB 60 (per day), RMB 100 (two nights). 9pm. 2 Kolegas (6436 8998)

Big Nose
Six-piece hip-hop jazz band fronted by MC Felix. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Body of Blood, Skeletal Augury, Funeral, Perish the Skeleton, S.I.F.
Hail to metal power. RMB 50. 9pm. 13 Club (8261 9267)

Brain Failure, SUBS, Steely Heart, Exit A
Punk, emo and garage test the limit on noise you can take. RMB 80, RMB 50 (advance). 9pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)

Buyi
Indie rockers go acoustic. RMB 50. 9.30pm. Jiangjinjiu Bar (8405 0124)

Fan Ren Duet
Taiwanese folk duo plays Shuangjing. RMB 150-300. 8.30pm. Mako Live House (5205 1112)

Guai Li, B-Side Lovers, The Me Guan Me’s
Noise rock and punk starts weekend fun in advance. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Hoochie Coochie Gentleman

Blues behind a bus station. RMB 80, RMB 60 (advance). 9pm. The One (5914 8087)

Jacek Sienkiewicz

Polish DJ turns on minimal techno. RMB 50. 10pm. Lantern (135 0134 8785)

Lao Liu & Sand
Blues rock veterans reunite with former members. RMB 60, RMB 50 (advance). 9.30pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

Mao Livehouse College Rock Night Day 1: Yes No Break, Chaliangfen, Sound Slaughter, Poshangcun, Slack, Nanwu
Folk and punk rock plays 111 Gulou Dongdajie. RMB 50, RMB 80 (two nights). 9pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

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

SATURDAY (May 29)

2 Kolegas 5th Year Anniversary Day 2: Nucleus, DH & Chinese Hellcats, Wu & The Side Effects, Sulumi, Larry's Pizza, Attractive Rootin
The celebration continues with electronic smarts, grungy junkies, swing cats and blues funksters. RMB 60 (per day), RMB 100 (two nights). 9pm. 2 Kolegas (6436 8998)

Ajinai
Hugjiltu and friends express themselves through horse head fiddle and throat singing. RMB 30. 9.30pm. Jiangjinjiu Bar (8405 0124)

Bian Yuan & Friends
Former Joyside frontman plays acoustic with friends. RMB 20. 9pm. Bye Bye Disco (6402 5581)

Ekber Turdi

Rock star from Xinjiang. RMB 40, RMB 30 (advance). 9pm. Tiny Salt Coffee Club (5900 0969)

Hanggai, Xiao He
Mongolian group and improvising guru demonstrate the power of folk music. RMB 50. 9.30pm. Obiwan (8322 1231)

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

Mao Livehouse College Rock Night Day 2: Iron Mushroom, Soft Drink, 917, Mang Band, Li Mo
The Gulou carnival continues with indie rock and acoustic folk. RMB 50, RMB 80 (two nights). 9pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Second Hand Rose, The Heaven, Golden Buddha, Powell Young, The Trouble, Maya, Wu Hongfei, Shuangzi & The Boxers, Zeng Yi, Mama’s Mud, Wang Bao, Magic Bus, Icing Dolls

Alternative rock, metal guitar and ska from afternoon to midnight – all singing for Children’s Day. Blimey. RMB 50-150. 2pm. The One (5914 8085)

The Molds, The Urbis, Lazy Camels, Mojo
Rockabilly trio shakes stage with punk rockers. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 10pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Zhou Yunshan & Ruins

Psychedelic rockers play unplugged session. RMB 60, RMB 50 (advance). 9.30pm. Jiang Hu Liveshow Bar (6401 4611)

SUNDAY (May 30)

Be Persecuted, Hate Ka, Skeletal Augury
Black metal bands from Jiangxi tear the beauty of darkness. RMB 40. 9pm. MAO Livehouse (6402 5080)

Didier Petit, Xu Fengxia, Sylvain Kassap, Li Tieqiao
Avant-garde mix of cello, guzheng, clarinet and saxphone. RMB 50, RMB 40 (advance, students). 9pm. Mako Live House (5205 1112)

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

Ordnance, SAW, Egofall, Forced Pose
Hard metal label DIME Records showcases their soldiers. RMB 40. 8.30pm. 13 Club (8261 9267)

Qing Tian, Jing Song, Lin Tianran
Folk singers from Lijiang play a moment of peace. RMB 40, RMB 30 (students). 9pm. D-22 (6265 3177)

Sofia Jannok
Swedish singer-songwriter offers smooth listening. RMB 100, RMB 70 (advance). 9pm. Yugong Yishan (6404 2711)