Noise Pollution: Glades, Peking Floyd, Dark Radish, Guo'an Fan Club Night, School Bar Reopening Twofer

The musical fasting is over folks! The Year of the Pig is here and boy does it feel to be back to our regular schedule of live music-filled weekends. And what better way to work off all those kilos due to excessive holiday feasting then to shake loose and rock out late into the night. So let’s get back into the groove Beijingers – here’s your weekend roundup.
 

Friday, Feb 15 

Glades (AUS) at DDC 
From tooling around with tunes and guitar riffs in high school to playing shows across Australia, the US, and now Asia, Australian electronica indie-pop band Glades have had a big couple of years. The young group whose music mixes sleek backbeat with atmospheric production and solemn melodies, make their way to DDC this evening. RMB 150

Haze Maze, End of the World, Electric Sewage, Joker’s Belief at School
Time to get back in the swing of things the only way School knows how - by indulging in some good ol' fashion rock 'n' roll. The venue reopens with a two-day weekend blowout of rock, ska, punk, and more – evening one hosts an array of expat bands that have been making noise as of late with all-star ensemble prog rockers Haze Maze, neo-funk outfit Jokers Belief, long-term running ska-punk band End of the World, and classic metal-punk outfit Electric Sewage. RMB 60

Peking Floyd at Temple
Beijing's premier Pink Floyd tribute band bring their vast and ever-increasing collection of cuts from the British rock heavyweight's most creative years, including Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety. While staying true to the original structure, Peking Floyd prides itself on emulating the live performances of Pink Floyd during the 1970s when their improvisation and psychedelic jamming were at their best. FREE

Naruyoshi Kikuchi & Tomomi Oda (JP) at Blue Note
Japanese saxophonist Naruyoshi Kikuchi and singer, composer and pianist Tomomi Oda are Flowers and Water. The pair have both played in several ensembles, working on soundtracks (Kikuchi on Cowboy Bebop and Gundam) as well as creating independent works. RMB 200-400

Xiao Han, Cui Hongtao at Jianghu Bar 
Blues night over at the cozy hutong mainstay with Chicago blues prowler Cui Honglao and Xiao Han giving it up for nothing. FREE
 

Saturday, Feb 16   

Ghetto Blaster, Show Hand, Husband Killers, War/N/T at School
Time to get back in the swing of things the only way School knows how – by indulging in some good ol' fashion rock 'n' roll. The venue reopens with a two-day weekend blowout of rock, ska, punk, and more – evening two continues the madness with electric blues rockers Ghetto Blaster, good-natured punk outfit Show Hand, rustic Chinese Quyi inspired rockers Husband Killers, and genre-bending rock ruffians War/N/T. RMB 60

Labour Glory, Discord, Dirty Children, Jungle Fever, Hang Nail, Devil Mask, XueBi, JuQiZuHe, The 2econd, RapaciouzC, Xuan Nan, Black & Poor, Inner Power, JiDiLaoShi at Omni Space 
Guo'an football fanatics converge on Omni Space as the Beijing homestay’s fan club celebrate 10 years of underground rock and roll gatherings with a jam-packed musical extravaganza over by the Temple of Heaven. On call are underground hip-hop crew Dirty Children, veteran street punks Discord, industrial metal band Devil Mask, upbeat beat-dropping rockers Jungle Fever, and much, much more. Represent. RMB 120

The Playcat, Electric Lady, Liu Xingke at DDC 
Back to basics and an eclectic group of rockers who dabble in everything from noise pop to stoner as Baoding-based indie rock outfit with an knack for catchy shoegaze-laced jams The Playcat join fellow favorites and stone cold killers Electric Lady and "old-school rocker with a poet’s soul" veteran singer-songwriter Liu Xingke and his merry band of art rockers. RMB 80

Qianchuan Pharmacy, Wen Liang, The Peppercorns, Li Eryang at Yue Space
Yue Space returns will a sultry, musically stimulating evening of exotic songs – from the electro punks Qianchuan Pharmacy, ambient producer and pianist Wen Liang, psychedelic kickers The Peppercorns, and '70s-evoking guitar maverick Li Eryang. Lots of good exploratory sounds to dig into here. RMB TBA

Bad Mamasan, Bad Clutch, Pink Sabbath at Temple
Local metal gods Bad Mamasan return for a one-stop reunion tour at Temple where the seasoned showstoppers will churn out old favorites. They will also be bringing with them fellow headbangers Bad Clutch, as well as a special sneak, peek of Pink Sabbath, the new project featuring Temple's very own Pink on bass playing some Sabbath tunes. Righteous indeed. FREE

Barbara Mendes & Misha Piatigorsky Trio at Blue Note
Vocalist Barbara Mendes grew up in Rio de Janeiro before moving to the US to attend the New School. She brings that to her music, adding jazz, blues, pop, and gospel to her southern roots. See her at Blue Note Beijing with Russian-American pianist Misha Piatigorsky and his trio. RMB 100-300

Mr. Freeman at Jianghu Bar
Mr. Freeman, veterans of the local music scene – whose fusion of pop, punk, hip-hop, and blues have made them audience favorites for the last good decade – swing over to the cozy Jianghu Bar for some fun. RMB 80

String, Li Eryang, Xue Fang at Snail Club
Instrumental composer and performer String aka Xian, who combines "world music, Chinese traditional melodies, and spiritual/religious themes," brings his tunes to Snail Club this afternoon where he’ll be joined by fellow guitarist and musical explorers Li Eryang and Xue Fang (of The Peppercorns). 2pm start. RMB 50

Ah-Q Jazz Orchestra at East Shore Cafe
Since their formation in 2003, the Ah-Q Jazz Orchestra has weaved an eclectic mix of straight-ahead, modern, funk, and Latin jazz compositions, including quite a few originals. FREE
 

Sunday, Feb 17 

Dark Radish (FR) at DDC 
Dark Radish was born from the meeting of three figures of the contemporary improv scene, including members of bands Jean-Louis, Sidony Box, and Bribes 4. Invoking free jazz, post-rock as well as trance music, the trio made up of drummer Yann Joussein, double bassist Joachim Florent, and eight-string guitar player Manuel Adnot, conjure up a dark and devilishly twisted world that’ll put a spell on you. RMB 80

Barbara Mendes & Misha Piatigorsky Trio at Blue Note
Vocalist Barbara Mendes grew up in Rio de Janeiro before moving to the US to attend the New School. She brings that to her music, adding jazz, blues, pop, and gospel to her southern roots. See her at Blue Note Beijing with Russian-American pianist Misha Piatigorsky and his trio. RMB 100-300

Rather cut a rug instead? Check out the best of this weekend's nightlife offerings here.

Photos: Will Griffith, courtesy of the promoters