Forget Valentine's Day Flowers, Opt for Hard Rock With Second Hand Rose, Tonight at Theater of Beijing Exhibition Hall

Though Dongbei-born, Beijing-based frontman Liang Long may be best known for fronting Second Hand Rose (二手玫瑰), one of China’s first breakout indie bands, or for his penchant for crossdressing onstage, his very best attribute of all is rooted is something far more traditional.

Liang Long’s fondness for his native Heilongjiang’s rustic 二人转 èrrénzhuàn, literally two-person turn, singing (a tradition that you can read more about here) was apparent during a recent rehearsal for the band’s special Valentine’s Day concert, to take place tonight at the Theater of Beijing Exhibition Hall. As Liang’s vocals ranged from more conventional singing – which fit snugly with guitarist Yao Lan’s hard rock riffs – to theatrical warbling, and borderline conversational èrrénzhuàn-style wailing, it reminded me of a more down to earth version of Peking opera, without the ostentatious flourishes or eardrum-piercing high notes.

“When we first started the band in the early 2000s, it wasn't that common for Chinese bands to incorporate their own culture in their music, they were mostly just trying to copy Western bands,” Liang – wearing a black Adidas tracksuit that sharply contrasts with the dresses he has become known for wearing onstage – says after the rehearsal, which was held at a studio in the outlying Caochangdi art district. “Now it’s common for bands to embrace [Shaoshu Minzu, ethnic minority] elements or rural, traditional elements in their songs. But it wasn’t happening at the time, and it was a part of myself that I wanted to share with our audience.”

His eyes widen with enthusiasm as he recalled how the distinctly Dongbei characteristics of his singing, along with bandmate Wu Zekun’s use of traditional suona wind instruments, helped the band quickly make their mark both within China and abroad, being the only international troupe to be invited to Switzerland’s Swiss Snow Mountain Music Festival (which usually focuses on established local acts), as well as one of the rare Chinese rock acts on the bill at Shanghai’s 2003 China-Japan Pop Music Exchange Concerts. The latter gig, which was coordinated by Japanese public broadcaster NHK, helped them secure a strong following in that neighboring nation.

Following those successes, Second Hand Rose are now one of the few Chinese acts to sell out major theaters and headline major festivals at home, while also being prominently featured in festivals abroad, while still remaining independent, eschewing mainstream rock conventions or forsaking the traditional Chinese flourishes that helped them stand out in the first place.

Their appreciation of those roots is not only apparent as Liang sings during the rehearsal, but also as Wu Zekun exhales a mixture of gentle and braying notes from his suona flute on hits like “Trick,” (from their 2009 album Used Rose), and as drummer Sun Quan’s sprinkling of clanging of cymbals, which sound akin to ringing gongs heard in Peking opera and kung fu flicks. For tonight’s gig, Liang will accent the performance with the smashing of hand-held gongs before whipping out colorful fans traditionally used in èrrénzhuàn performances.

And while these rich cultural components have helped the band win fans and even in the mainstream press (China Daily and other state media outlets have run long profiles detailing the band and their live acts) Liang’s onstage donning of qipaos, dresses, and other feminine attire made the group edgy and even controversial in their early career, largely due to the heteronomative and conservative nature of the government's outlook. When talk of his performance attire bordered on overshadowing the music, Liang stopped crossdressing onstage. However, he plans to pick up old habits and wear a dazzling dress, along with bold makeup, for tonight’s Valentine’s Day gig.

“The media really began to sensationalize how I dressed in drag,” Liang says of his performance wardrobe, which started as a way for the band to make a distinctive, unforgettable impression on audiences. “People just need to open their minds more, and that is beginning to happen. After all, our fans have always been open minds that were willing to hear traditional Chinese music mixed with rock. We want to keep playing and keep seeing that kind of thinking grow.”

Second Hand Rose will perform at the Theater of Beijing Exhibition Hall tonight, February 14. For more information about the gig, click here.

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photos: Live News, Kyle Mullin