Generation Six - September 11

　 Generation Six - September 11

Meet the seven young bands looking to prove Beijing is coming into its own as a rock capital

　
　

A concert by Chinese band Gala inspired Lazy Camels frontman Cui En to form his group. Mr Graceless singer Qiu Shuang (pictured) pulled together bandmates because he wanted to participate in a ‘University Night’ performance at local venue D-22. And Birdstriking’s drummer Wang Xinjiu came to Beijing specifically because the city is home to his favourite band, namely Carsick Cars.

　
　

Grouped under the name ‘Generation Six’, those three bands, along with Rustic, Flyx, Me Guan Me and Residence A, make up the seven acts playing a gig this month to showcase a new class of talent. While there are maybe 20 names that could fall under the Generation Six umbrella – young bands formed in the past few years who make the rounds through smaller venues such as D-22 and Old What Bar – the organisers, local label Maybe Mars, chose seven of those they deemed most representative.

　
　

What makes these Chinese bands different from their predecessors, explains Maybe Mars and D-22 owner Michael Pettis, is that they look to domestic influences, while previous waves took inspiration solely from overseas rockers. Birdstriking’s singer He Fan, whose first concert was the 2008 Modern Sky Festival, looks up to international superstars, including Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Hole and Animal Collective, along with local acts PK14, Carsick Cars and Gar.

　
　

‘There’s a level of confidence that generations preceding it lacked when they were struggling to create Chinese rock ‘n’ roll,’ Pettis says. ‘These bands grew up seeing Chinese bands, and there’s no doubt in their minds that Beijing is a major rock ‘n’ roll city. They waste no time wondering: Is there such a thing as Chinese rock? That question has already been answered.’

　
　

Rock ‘n’ roll is still young in China – basically unheard of until the 1980s. And while bands in the West may struggle under the everything’s-been-done-before weight of history, those in Beijing are beginning to find their own directions. It’s why the music here seems fresher, but the bands also sometimes seem underdeveloped compared to their peers in, say, London or New York. Some struggle to hone a distinctive sound while others wear their influences on their sleeves.

　
　

There’s no particular style unifying the bands – although all draw inspiration from the previous generations of Chinese rockers. Rustic have been steadily gaining a following with their over-the-top antics (high kicks!), bassist Ricky Sixx’s bleached mane and Lucifer’s stage banter, such as ‘They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but girls are a boy’s best friend.’ Fusing punk and a dose of ’80s hair metal with energy and glam showmanship, they’ve been known to outshine the headliners at their gigs.

　
　

Flyx fly the punk flag with songs that are classically short and punchy. Me Guan Me make layered rock songs, heavy on the harmonies – you can hear flashes of local bands Carsick Cars and Joyside.

　
　

Residence A, meanwhile, confidently move through post-punk and droning art-rock. ‘Residence A is like a big house, welcoming everyone to join in our fun and play together,’ says guitarist Zhang Bin.

　
　

Mr Graceless already boast great songwriting, with a hint of ’60s harmonies, ’90s indie rock and a little punk spirit. The three-piece, with the guitarist and bassist trading vocal duties, cite local three-member acts such as Gar, Carsick Cars and Hedgehog as models for how to be a band. Lazy Camels pull on garage-rock influences for a noisy guitar-driven sound (although their music is still a bit all over the place).

　
　

Birdstriking are the most experimental of the lot, but they don’t lack in rock ‘n’ roll swagger. ‘We are the youngest of all the bands in the event, but we are the most outstanding and special,’ says He Fan. ‘There’s no tender feeling in our music. We’re very noisy, which gives our listeners a very excited feeling.’

　
　

The band’s name comes from aviation jargon for when a bird strikes an airplane. ‘It makes me think of many things, such as a small individual. Sometimes a tiny thing can have vital power when it starts moving, while a huge thing is fragile,’ adds He Fan.

　
　

Be the first to see the bands set to push the Beijing scene forward.

　
　

The First Five

　
　

Although the lines are a little fuzzy, here’s how the previous generations break down.

　
　

1. In the mid-’80s, ‘godfather of Chinese rock’ Cui Jian and his contemporaries opened the doors.

　
　

2. Later, heavy metal dominated the scene with Tang Dynasty leading the charge, while thrash metal ruled in the early ’90s.

　
　

3. A wave of punk and hardcore bands swept Beijing by the late 1990s and early 2000s, with a cluster of bands nicknamed the Wuliao Contingent, including Brain Failure and Reflector.

　
　

4. Then punk grew up, with more glam and post-punk influences, courtesy of acts such as Joyside, PK14, ReTROS and Subs.

　
　

5. The ‘No Beijing’ movement started in 2005, which saw the rise of bands such as Carsick Cars, Snapline and Queen Sea Big Shark, and their diverse styles.

　
　

Yugong Yishan, Saturday 11 September 2010, 9pm; 80RMB; 50RMB (students/presale/with a September print issue of Time Out Beijing - one discounted ticket per magazine.)
　

　

本文相关标签： September Six Generation