Published in That's Beijing, August 2002
Brief History of China's Punk Rock Scene
By David O'Dell (bassist for Brainfailure 2000-2002)
punk pics in this folder, gotta see them
I was in China from 1995 - 2002, pretty much straight through. I had the priviledge and honor of helping to ignite the punk music scene in China through recording, production and organization. I wrote this short article, among others, about the punk scene so that this great story would be consistent throughout all the media. Only a handful of others, those who were directly involved during the formative years of the mid-90's can really give a detailed account of the roots of the punk philosophy and movement. I am but one of these people, lucky to be so, and here is just a bit of history.
In the year's leading up to 1995, Chinese musicians who were familiar with black market CD's and tapes were mostly exposed to American Heavy Metal and Classic Rock and Roll. As American tastes changed and more record labels supported alternative music, American Grunge (essentially Nirvana) came into the mainstream, and by extension China herself became equally exposed to alternative music through the same discrete channels. Like a slow wooden door creaking open, the Chinese government was allowing eyes to peek abroad and Western culture to seep in through the cracks. By 1995, Nirvana had become Asia's Led Zeppelin, and almost the sole source of inspiration for hundreds of underground bands.
Luckily, as with all trends, the Grunge period came to an end, and punk rock was being scoped out by major labels in the states as the next big thing to package mainstream. In China, through the black market conduits, musicians got a taste of Green Day, Fugazi, Sex Pistols, Ramones, Rancid, NOFX and sadly enough Blink 182. Finding local American bands or low-press runs of underground music is basically impossible on the mainland, unless someone personally brings it over. The most common method for attaining western alternative music is still to find the nearest black market pirate who specializes in things like Goth Rock, Ska, Grindcore, and Rockabilly.
As the influx of alternative music began to swell, two bands had formed in Beijing that year; Underbaby, the first definitive 'punk' band and Catcher in the Rye, the first pop-punk band. These two bands both had similar backgrounds and similar tastes. Most members were local residents of Beijing, most were influenced by late 70's, early 80's punk bands (Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Clash, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Cure, Dead Kennedy's and several others). However, the bands had distinctly different sounds. Underbaby was speed, energy, angst and catharsis while Catcher in the Rye were bubble gum, styrofoam, Robert smith, and accapella. Both were extremely influential to the next generation rising out of the crowds that went to see these first punk shows.
That second generation of punk bands came about in 1997, as if the hands of the first generation had reached into the mosh pit and pulled out the second generation, the new musicians sprang into action with later influences of the mid 80's and early 90's (fugazi, operation ivy, nofx, misfits, bad brains, etc.). The second generation had created a gap between the first generation. The new kids were younger, a lot younger, most were only 16 or 17 years old while the first generation started music much later after their 20's. This new group found comfort in the slacker ethos, found shelter in hardcore punk-ska, and found disdain in their earlier local Chinese influences.
The second generation brought about bands like "Brain Failure (I)", "69", "Reflector", "Anarchy Boys". These 4 bands were eventually signed to Jing Wen records to release a one time, double-CD album. This rare gem was raped by pirate sales, eventual profits buckled underneath the weight of initial overhead. Nothing beyond a few haphazard organized concerts ever grew out of the release. (a year and a half later the record label finally got enough money to do a $500 music video for Brain Failure). 1997 to 1998 brought about the Mohawk, the most pit, stage diving and the foreign press.
So far Brain Failure has racked up 3 years of concerts, totaling around 100
concerts in Beijing alone, with some other concerts in other cities in china.
We've been lucky enough to have been interviewed and published in over 10 different
languages spanning 10 different countries (the Congo as well). As of this writing,
we've been involved and filmed in 15 separate documentaries from the following
countries: France, Australia, Germany, England, USA, Sweden, Italy, Newsweek,
Time Magazine, ABC, CNN, MTV, Channel V.
1998 brought about major press coverage for Chinese underground music in general. 'Qui Tian de Chongzi' (Autumn Bug) was hailed as a Marilyn Manson-esque band with their costumes and haunted wailing. Watching a 'Niu Qu de Jiqi' (Twisted Machine) show was like watching a 'Rage Against the Machine' music video. Musicians from all around heard about Beijing's new freedoms of expression and made the trip up north for so-called musical freedom. For the foreign media, this was a tasty dish to see all the macabre variations on Rock and Roll that had crawled out from the iron rice bowl. This faded away as more and more bands started to saturate the scene, and more venues started to offer competitive rates to bands with a large following. During 1998 - 1999 you could easily go out and have 15 bands playing at four or five different venues. Some of the more popular bands would overbook themselves at two or three venues in a single night, just to make an extra 50 RMB. This was by far the hey-day of alternative music, a time when the venues, the audience and the bands were all in equilibrium.
In the two years following this hey-day, the alternative scene literally took a vacation. It was the new millennium and Beijing's already overpopulated city, combined with an overpopulated music and culture scene, led to a mass Southern migration of artists and musicians; target Yunnan. Cradled in the arms of Tibetan and Cantonese culture, the fertile hills of Yunnan played host to these temporary yet flamboyant migrants. In search of a deeper inspiration and even cheaper marijuana, they descended into the backpacker hostels, pizza stalls and coffee houses of Dali and Lijiang. This migration gave Southern China it's first and only opportunity to experience Beijing's alternative music creators. When the bands had smoked or drank away all of their money, venues were found, concerts were promoted and tickets were sold. For better or for worse, an entire new audience had been mesmerized by blue mohawks, spiked leather and combat boots.
Back in Beijing, the absence of the punks led to a few of the earlier rock bands to take a grip on venues and eager fans who had wanted a taste of more traditional rock and roll. Bands such as Zi Yue and Cui Jian managed to play a few shows. The vacuum left behind allowed an entire new scene in Beijing alternative music to solidify: Rap Metal. Mainly influenced by the new Korn, Kid Rock and Insane Clown Posse music video VCD's and black market tapes, no less than twenty new bands rose up from the ancient hutongs and student dorms of Haidian. These acts dedicated themselves to horrific microphone swallowing howls and hip hop guitar riffs that roused most neighbors out of bed, and most venues out of business. What once were called punk venues were taken over by the 'shuo chang yuedui' (Rap Bands), thereby creating a rift between these two genres, not only in ideology, but also economically. Venues started headlining the rap metal bands because they were better looking, didn't throw beer bottles at the crowd and they sounded more like what the discos had been playing for years. Although no "West Side Story" can be told to describe the friction between the two, nature found a balancing force in eliminating some of the less popular bands, and increasing venues along the San Li Tun bar district and Chaoyang Park.
In 2000 - 2001, the punks started making their pilgrimage back to the musical Mecca of Beijing. Some bands reformed with new members while others simply didn't reform at all. A certain air of maturity was infused into these idealistic musicians. Mohawks were exchanged for shaved heads, sideburns were replaced by wise-looking goatees, Tama drums were pawned off for tunable bongos; all this reminiscent of the American beat poets. New songs were written about relationships instead of politics; music for fun instead of music for revolution was heard. A truce was made between the punks and the 'others'; venues and profits were shared, guitar cables and pedals could be 'borrowed' and were sure to get returned instead of stolen, rehearsal spaces became open to all. (Readers should start singing Simon and Garfunkel or Bob Dylan at this point).
Although it's no
easier doing live music on the mainland now than it was before, this past year
(2001 - 2002) the bands themselves have organized and crystallized their direction.
Some bands have toured the U.S.A. or Japan while others managed to go to Europe
for large music festivals. The West has spanned fifty years of musical variants
ranging from Elvis to Flower Children to Glam Rock to Punk Rock to Rap Metal.
All these changes within five years are hard to imagine in the West, but in
the development time warp of China, this is business as usual.
Chinese punk picture gallery available from the homepage