Noise Pollution: Incognito, Jannah Quill, Luo Qi, Metalfest, Lil Akin, Tulegur, Beatles Cover Night
It’s a riot out there this weekend with enough rock and roll to smother your ears with. Whether you like it down and dirty, fast and loose, or dressed up enough to get mommy’s approval, you really can’t go wrong. So get after it boys and girls and seize the day.
Friday, Dec 8
Steely Heart, Daydream, Secret Lover, Quick Shot, The Flyx at School
D.O.G and School throw together an all-star lineup featuring the best of the new and old generations of punk – from the sloshed electro punk moves of Steely Heart to the loose and fast punk of Daydream, and even the added bonus of Secret Lover from Luoyang, there's a bit of something for everyone willing to cut loose and throw down. RMB 80
Swinging Barbarellas, Hugh Reed & The Electric Shadows, Tulegur at Temple
You know the drill! Rock it till you drop (and crawl out into the great abyss of Gulou at dawn) with some of Temple's most prominent bands including the theatrical punks Swinging Barbarellas, old-school swagger courtesy of Hugh Reed, and Inner Mongolian nomad rock from duo Tulegur. If that wasn't enough vinyl cuts into the late night. FREE
Suzi and The Paramecia at Yue Space
Su & The Paramecia – the sprawling, psychedelic-tinted folk rock trope – one of Gulou’s most prolific bands – bring the team together (including everything from flute to cello) to present their rustic, epic debut album at Yue Space. Expect a hefty mix of ballads, world music, and avant-garde art rock. RMB 100
Incognito (US) at Blue Note
An acid jazz project with deep roots in the 1970s jazz/funk/soul world, Incognito, originally formed by Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick and Paul "Tubbs" Williams in 1979, celebrate their 35th birthday with a two-day stay at Blue Note. RMB 650
Next Door Band, Finger Family, The Jungle Fever, Gentle Grapes, The Vine, Theory of Relativity at Yugong Yishan
It's clear who the promoters are selling to when the theme of their event is 'By My Side' and a gif of Brad Pitt from Meet Joe Black is the first thing that hits your eyes in their post (isn't that movie about Death hooking up with Anthony Hopkins daughter or something) – romantic to the point of instability girls (and boys) looking to swoon to the ballads from these rockers – whether it be pop punk stalwarts Next Door Band, funk swayers The Jungle Fever, the legit awesome pop punk Family Finger or up and comers Gentle Grapes. RMB 150
1022 at Mao Livehouse
Girl pop trio 1022, who mix everything from bossa nova to drum and bass, have garnered quite the following with their campus folk-pop. Catch them and their surely adoring fans at Wukesong as they release their debut Run To The Messy. RMB 120
Jannah Quill (AUS), iimmune, Menghan at Fruityspace
Australian sound artist Jannah Quill, who uses everything from solar panels to text-to-speech software in her offbeat experimental (nevertheless club worthy) brand of techno music, will perform courtesy of Beijing label Prajnasonic. She'll be joined by prominent producer and electronic artists iimmune and Menghan. RMB 50
Lil Akin, Dyoself at Omni Space
Xinjiang R&B singer and hip-hop artist Lil Akin whose been riding a wave of acclaim (along with the rest of the hip-hop scene) throws down over at Omni Space alongside underground rapper Dyoself. RMB 200
4 Channels Club, The Game Gurus at DDC
Get nostalgic for the glory days of video games with this one-two combo punch at DDC as 8-bit soundtracker 4 Channels Club joins video game soundtrack cover band The Game Gurus who play classics from The Legend of Zelda to Super Mario. RMB 50
Zaebok (RUS), Dan Zeng Zhou Ga at Soi Baochao
Indie folk courtesy of Russian acoustic duo Zaebok and Tibetan seasoned folk tunes from female singer-songwriter Dan Zeng Zhou Ga - all at the increasingly busy Soi Baochao. RMB 40
Luo Qi at Tango
Luo Qi is China's first female rock singer, now back on the scene with her Be Reborn national tour. Get back in a nineties rock groove, now with fresh elements, and see a piece of China`s rock and roll history live and in person at Tango this Friday night. RMB 180
Lili Limit (JP), mol-74 (JP) at Tango
Popular Japanese indie pop acts mol-74, from Kyoto, and Lili Limit from Yamaguchi, bring them charming ass selves to Tango. RMB 200
Three Blessings at Jianghu Bar
The artist San Fu (Three Blessings) appears at Jianghu this evening in support of his new album Earworm. The indie singer-songwriter is a self-described pessimistic optimist, who writes because music is life for him. RMB 80
Liao Zhaofeng, Chen Xueyuan at La Plantation
An intimate saxophone and piano recital by Beijing-based Liao Zhaofeng and Nanjing born Chen Xueyuan. RMB 200 (7.30pm start)
Ember Swift at Modernista
Known for her unique, jazz-influenced guitar playing and elastic vocals, the Canadian born Beijing based singer-songwriter Ember Swift has been a fixture of the Beijing music scene for years releasing an array of LPs and melding Mandarin, English, and French into one intoxicating package. FREE
Nancy and The Fantastic at Good Bait
The multi-national outfit Nancy and The Fantastic, festival favorites all around Asia, bring their intoxicating blend of rock, pop, dance, and R&B, and classics, old and new, to Modernista – a class act in talent and style. FREE
The Great Buffalo Blues at Blue Stream
Three-piece electric blues band The Great Buffalo Blues bring their funky blues ramblings to Blue Stream Bar. FREE
Crispy, Riva Jan at Snail Hostel
Indie pop boy-girl duo Crispy get all moshy over at Snail Hostel along Jiaodaokou with support from singer-songwriter Riva Jan.
SimQ & Callum Morrison Ham, Li Wentian, He Daqian
Chinese Australian singer-songwriter and record producer SimQ joins other acoustic wonders tonight at Mogu Space. RMB 60
Saturday, Dec 9
Casino Demon, Sondia, Uncle Hu at Mao Livehouse
While Beatles cover nights are one thing I don't think any venue has done it with such aplomb till now – Wukesong's Mao Livehouse invites some of the legends favorite fans – from indie rock stalwarts Casino Demon, songstress Sonia, and alt-rock feelies Uncle Hu – to pay tribute and belt out their best Paul, John, George, or (we can only hope) Ringo. So grab a black tie, dress like a mod (or whatever trench those boys were following at the time) and get ready to sing to your favorite Beatles jams. Read more info on what to expect with here. FREE (6pm start)
Free Sex Shop, Hugh Reed, Oldy Baby, Holy Shit, Laisee, Wasted Laika
School gets back to basics as they say happy birthday to one of their own – Xiao Hou – by starting a motherf**king ruckus with this gleeful ramshackle lineup up full of rock and roll attitude and reckless abandon. Not one ounce of pretension between this lot, including riot grrrl queens Free Sex Shop, two-piece punk pop blender Oldy Baby, aerodynamic hardcore kids Laisee, and much much more. A Molotov cocktail of fun. RMB 80
Place Holder (AUS), Xiao Long, Li Song
Zerowave quartet from Sydney, Place Holder, had me at their logline: 'no-pedal-noise, loud-improv, guitar-bass-drums-yelling'. Seriously that's all I need to know. The Aussies will be joined by a slew of the experimental and underground rock scene including Chui Wan's Yan Yulong, Li Song (of Xi’an System Error), and Guo Zhen of Future Orients. RMB 40
AK47, Ego Fall, Atomic Prophecy, Purgatory, Lost in Space, Dagon Power, S.A.W, The Dark Prison Massacre at Tango
Influential Chinese industrial metal band AK47 join brutal death metal band The Dark Prison Massacre, screamo kids Lost in Space, Inner Mongolian melodic metal outfit Ego Fall and many other air guitar worthy bands ready to tear Tango a new one. RMB 200 (4pm start)
Bayan Dalai, Xiao Liu at Yichang Cafe
The Inner Mongolian singer-songwriter, frontman for Horse Radio and december3am, goes solo this evening alongside up and coming singer-songwriter Xiao Liu, fresh off the release of her stellar ambient-filled indie pop debut. RMB 70
Suld at Yugong Yishan
Traditional Mongolian folk tunes integrated with Western elements of heavy metal isn’t new to China – in fact, the trend is receiving more and more acclaim here and aboard. So it takes some gusto to emerge from the horde of bands tapping into the trend. That’s where Suld comes in. Also known as Battle Flag here in Beijing, the band which formed in Inner Mongolian and consists of members from there and Xin Jiang province, the five-piece outfit relishes in mixing the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, with a heck ton of heavy metal creeping in. RMB 100
Wu and The Side Effects, Tydi Knots, Redundant Seconds at Temple
Everyone's favorite acid blues joint Wu & The Side Effects, bring their 'cool as a cucumber' demeanor and slick guitar skills to Temple alongside pop-punk ruffians Redundant Seconds and hard-edged emo rockers Tydi Knots. FREE
Zhe Lainu, The Good Man Band at Jianghu Bar
Unwind this Saturday with Jianghu’s third installment of Lullabies for Grown Ups series, featuring Zhe Lainu and the Good Man Band. From the Silk Road area, Zhe Lainu creates a unique sound with an experimental spirit. The Good Man Band explores music with the help of main member, sound designer Zhang Zhiwei. RMB 80
The Peking Floyd at DDC
China’s first Pink Floyd tribute band Peking Floyd present the whole Dark Side of the Moon set as well as other cuts this evening at DDC. Also, catch live footage of the band at Pompeii before and after the show and really go down the rabbit hole. RMB 60
Zhang Shouwang at Mogu Space
Zhang Shouwang, the lead singer of the band Carsick Cars, one of China’s most successful rock groups, goes solo tonight at the Xizhimen space.RMB 66
Koxette (Germany), Zo-On Slows (Germany), Jeandado (Germany), Roland Kaiser Wilhelm, gogoj, Chen Mu Lian at Yue Space
The Cologne-based label, dedicated to arts in all forms, will showcase some of their finest artists, including post-internet, experimental techno artist Koxette, electronic, experimental and drone artist Zo-on Slows and dada-technoist JEANDADO. Support from local electronic artists gogoj and Chen Mu Lian. RMB 100
Incognito (US) at Blue Note
An acid jazz project with deep roots in the 1970s jazz/funk/soul world, Incognito, originally formed by Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick and Paul "Tubbs" Williams in 1979, celebrate their 35th birthday with a two-day stay at Blue Note. RMB 650
The Fantastic Originals at Chao
Five-piece band fronted by Nancy (lead singer of The Fantastic) that brings original guitar-led, rock folk music – from heartfelt ballads to homespun folk tales. FREE
The China Cats at Caravan
Members of the Grateful Dead tribute band, The Beijing Dead, team up with some of Hong Kong's ‘deadicated’ musical luminaries to perform the music of the Jerry Garcia Band, the Dead, etc. FREE
Chris Hopkins and the One Night Stand Band at Blue Stream
Singer-songwriter Chris Hopkins brings his Southen fried American roots to Blue Stream for a blues rock n roll outing. FREE
Parakeet at The Bricks
Multi-national pop group Parakeet whose style is a mix of smooth jazz, funk and soul music perform tonight at The Bricks. RMB 80
The Peppercorns, Moonglow Burlesque at Kirin Place
Psychedelic mind alterers take over the Kirin Place in Wangjing (which I’ve seen pop up more than a few times over the past couple months) alongside the sultry Moonglow Burlesque crew. FREE
Tulegur at Beijing Si Ling Ling Theater
Tulegur, the veteran Mongolian folk-rock duo whose grungy revisionist take on Mongolian music has won acclaim both here and aboard, performs tonight at the new Wangjing space, the Beijing Si Ling Ling Theater. RMB 80 (8pm start)
Jasmine Monk at Snail Hostel
Indie folk artist Jasmine Monk appears at the intimate Snail Hostel on Jiaodaokou. The singer-songwriter has been a fixture of the folk scene – a voice of pure emotion who’ll look to transport audiences. RMB 80
The Rebel 5 at Modernista
The Rebel 5, formerly known as The Rotten 5, is a soul, R&B, and funk ensemble covering some of the greatest songs of all times. Catch them working the dance floor at Modernista. FREE
RapaciouzC, Apw at Vintage6
The Woodstock of Eating teams up with Vintage6, in the warehouse area between Guomao and Dawanglu, for an afternoon into evening market, fair, and concert – the first day has old-school hip-hop artists RapaciouzC and Apw. RMB 60 (2pm start)
Sunday, Dec 10
SMZB, mystery band at Mao Livehouse
Legendary Celtic punk outfit from Wuhan – SMZB – known for their cathartic, scathing, hearty, bag piped infused punk anthems are back for their yearly Beijing shebang and this time they're looking to gather the masses over at Wukesong as they hold out the new Mao Livehouse. Hands down one of the best punk acts in China. RMB 150
Hanggai at M Space
If that wasn't enough to get you to Wukesong, the always-dependable Hanggai are performing next door at the M Space. The Mongolian folk rock demigods Hanggai returned last year with their biggest canvas yet, Horse of Colors – a huge, extravaganza fusion rock opus produced alongside renowned producers Bob Exrin (KISS/Pink Floyd) and Garth Richardson (Red Hot Chili Peppers/Rage Against The Machine) that’ll make you yearn for grasslands. RMB 350
White Elephant ++, Zhang Shouwang, Yan Yulong at DDC
Nanjing avant-garde art rock trope (formed from the remains of outfit 8 Eye Spy) who recently expanded their sound and lineup with a violin and guitarist, return for some mischievousness and what they dub ‘adult music’ at DDC, as they prepare to release their new album in 2018. Support from Maybe Mars' Zhang Shouwang (of Carsick Cars) and Yan Yulong (of Chui Wan). RMB 80
New Generation, Wasted Laika, White Papers, EXBJ at Temple
Temple pulls out a madcap Sunday night billing featuring some of the year's most buzzed new acts - the assured bombastic post-punk throttlers White Papers, the theatrical gut-busting punk stylings of Wasted Laika, scrappy alt-punk kids EXBJ and the dynamic world gaze musings of New Generation, whose singer is something to behold. Also: digging Temple's new 8pm starting time on Sundays. FREE
Ancestor at Yue Space
Old school thrash metal that your folks would surely approve of, Beijing thrash metal outfit Ancestor, who have been going strong since 2007, close out their nationwide tour with a stop at Yue Space. RMB 100
Chaos Kills The Pain, Goodbye Sunset, The Grey, Yazi, Pathogen at School
Hope you've saved your energy cause it's time to scream your guts out with this hardcore, emo and post-core lineup featuring the young and amped CKTP, screamo kids Goodbye Sunset and more bands looking to leave it all out there, both physically and emotionally. RMB 70
Wang Zongxing Quartet at Modernista
Wang Zongxing whose lengthy career includes studying at the Xi’an Conservatory of Music, being a professor at the Beijing Contemporary Music Academy and performing at the Midi Festival, the Beijing Nine Gates Jazz Festival, and the Chinese national football opening ceremony – performs tonight at Modernista. FREE
LOFTHESTAR, Li Enze at Vintage6
The Woodstock of Eating teams up with Vintage6, in the warehouse area between Guomao and Dawanglu, for an afternoon into evening market, fair, and concert – the first day has trap and soul artists LOFTHESTAR and Li Enze. RMB 60 (2pm start)
Zhou Chao at DDC
Afternoon alt-folk from the seasoned guitar virtuoso Zhou Chao who resides in Dali. RMB 60 (3pm start)
Sisi, Dan Zeng Zhou Ga at Mogu Space
Tibetan seasoned folk tunes from female singer-songwriter Dan Zeng Zhou Ga and more at the Xizhimen space. RMB 60
5th Dimension, Susu
Synth wave electro-pop duo 5th Dimension join singer-songwriter Susu at The Bricks. FREE
Still hungry for more? Check out all of our live music listings here. Alternatively, if it's nightlife that you're sprightly little legs are after, well, there's plenty of that too.
Photos: Live Beijing Music, courtesy of the organizers
