Yugong Yishan has always been one of my favorite venues in Beijing, from the old Bus Bar car park location to the current spot. They've always had some of the best events - it's about the only place that can comfortably handle, or seemed interested in having, both punk punk shows and house and techno nights.

They're now consistently bringing international bands and hip-hop DJs to play, but that's where the problems begin. Almost any time you go to see a foreign band there, the place is overcrowded and the venue starts to feel too small for the size of the event. I'm not the kind of person who wants to sit down to watch a concert, so I'm not whining about "oh, it's crowded and people push you" - what I'm talking about is that you can barely even get anywhere near the stage or move without tripping over people. People have to stand or sit down on the stairs, and it all gets a bit hard to enjoy. Last few times I've been to a big event there, I've ended up standing at the bar, where you can't really see anything or hear too much.

I love this venue and hope it continues to be one of Beijing's best places for live music - I just wonder if the present space can sustain Yugong Yishan's ambitions for too much longer. I wouldn't be surprised if they end up moving again at some point in the next couple of years.