the Beijinger

Canada’s Sum 41 have been packing concert halls worldwide for well over a decade. This month they bring their punk-rocking ways to Beijing, but before that they were kind enough to have a word with us.

Lao Yu has been crafting footwear for 30 years. He claims that if you hand him any pair of handmade shoes – no matter how fine or uniquely shaped – he can make you an almost identical copy.

Blue Midi Festival just started today in Rizhao, a coastal city near Qingdao; and people are getting wild on the beach while you’re reading this article, all the coolest Beijing bands are gathered at the seaside; and I've heard that bands are a lot crazier at festivals out of Beijing. If you still feel like going, it's not too late to hop on a train or a friend's car or hitchhike to Rizhao right now (or you can take a train to Qingdao and then a bus to Rizhao) and have a weekend that you will never remember. The Blue Midi Festival goes on from today till Sunday.

The 2011 Midi Rock Music Awards (see nominations here) revealed the winners on Saturday at Tango. The results might not satisfy everyone, but they show Midi's attitude. Steely Heart opened the ceremony at around four, then nu-metal CMCB, reggae stalwarts Longshendao and four other bands kept the venue boiling. Longshendao was also the biggest winner with two awards. Yaksa was the only band who protected their title from last year, and was awarded Metal Band of The Year again.

There have been rumors that this year's Midi Music Festival was in doubt and may not go ahead, but we've just received notice from the organizers of the Midi festival that they finally have all the official permits they need for the festival to go ahead as planned on April 30-May 2. However, the event will now take place in Jinglangdao Park in western Beijing's Mentougou District, instead of the festival's traditional home, Haidian Park (as was listed in the April issue of the Beijinger.) Apparently Haidian Park will be undergoing renovations at the time of the festival.

First, let's clear up some rumors and make some corrections. For those worried about whether there'll be any music festivals this May, as it stands Strawberry Music Festival has already got all the government approvals it needs. Midi Music Festival has so far been approved by the Haidian District government and is now waiting for approval from the city government. As for the Pinggu Music Festival, we still don't know much more about it than we did last week, though more information promises to come next week. We'll see.

Looking for details on 2011 New Year parties? You've come to the wrong place - this is the 2010 post. For details of what's happening on December 31, 2011, click here.

The new year is almost upon us, but there's still time for one more drink, one more dance, one more band before the sun sets on another year in the capital. Here's your one-stop guide to what Beijing has to offer this New Year's Eve.

Hope you're ready for the Booey Lehoo concert. We've talked about this charity event and its shining lineup for a long time and now it's finally going to happen this Saturday. As planned, will.i.am, John Legend and apl.de.ap will bring you a smashing night with help from three Chinese songstresses: Shunzi, Sadingding and Coco Lee.
Here's a video of will.i.am explaining his understanding of the 100,000 Strong Initiative and how he can't wait to come to Beijing.

Chinese ethnic bands and musicians are making an ever bigger scene in Beijing and in the wider world. Some of them are not satisfied playing only the ethnic card. Jurat T.T. (from Xinjiang) is one such musician. He started to get more attention after opening at the Mamer & IZ’ album launch in July. Since then, his energetic, dark and psychedelic sessions have gained him quite the acclaim from Beijing’s indie crowd. How can that be enough? After years of endeavor, he will finally launch his first album – Sans Famille – this Saturday (Dec 17) at Temple bar. We spoke to the musical dreamer.