Music to all ears: Beijing's best upcoming gigs for every taste

Whether you like jazz, indie rock or something else, there's a live music event for you

With incredible musicians from all over the world landing here in the next few months, from instrumental guitarists to vocal goddesses, we're pretty sure all tastes are catered for – just choose what you want to hear and get out to enjoy.

Talos

Omni Space. Apr 18. 160RMB; 130RMB (presale).

Eoin French, aka Talos, has become an inspiring new voice in the intimate world of indie electronic beats. His debut album garnered acclaim worldwide, and his latest release, Far Out Dust, promises just as many emotional riffs and haunting melodies. Catch the Irish wonder as he tours China with his newest sounds.

Andy Shauf

Blue Note. May 11-12. Tickets TBC. 

Best known for his lyrical grace and delicate melodies, Andy Shauf's folk-pop tunes go off the beaten track with an eclectic range of instruments backing his stirring vocals. The Canadian singer-songwriter has won, and been nominated for, numerous awards over in the Great White North, and his hit songs, including 'The Magician', have seen him gain fans around the world.

Timber Timbre

Mao Livehouse Wukesong. May 18. 150RMB; 120RMB (presale).

Mixing melodic rock beats with a haunting eerie pulse, it’s no wonder this Canada-based crew have landed a few scores in The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad. Timber Timbre make lush, sombre folk with a quirky edge that resembles early-twentieth-century blues recordings. Catch them in Beijing for some psychedelic folk.

Ally Kerr

Omni Space. May 19. 150RMB; 100RMB (presale).

With a knack for consistently writing heartfelt gems and a growing and dedicated following across the globe, Scottish folk-pop singer-songwriter Ally Kerr returns with his newest album Upgrade Me.

Dough-Boy

Omni Space. Apr 25. 200RMB; 150RMB (presale) 

After the success of his first album Chinglish, Hong Kong-based rapper Dough-Boy is back at it with his latest release Good, Bad & Ugly. Charting the growth of the hip-hop star, the album features previously released hit songs 'No Tattoos' and 'MK Circus'.

Nomak

Mao Livehouse Wukesong. Jun 13. 180RMB; 150RMB (presale).

Japanese hip-hop producer Nomak weaves together chilled-out tunes that rely on piano, flute, sax and more. Known for his melodious, jazz-based approach to his music, Nomak returns to Beijing for another unique night of blended sound.

The Baylor Project

Blue Note. Apr 20-21. 220-420RMB.

The Baylor Project is made up of husband-and-wife-team Marcus and Jean Baylor. Marcus, former Yellowjackets drummer, and Jean, singer extraordinaire, create jazzy gospel and soul sounds, with two Grammy nominations already under their belts for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Love Ssega

Omni Space. Apr 29. Tickets TBC.

Love Ssega (aka Ssegawa-Ssekintu Kiwanuka) is a British-Ugandan vocalist and songwriter. Upon completion of his PhD in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology from Cambridge, he strode out into the world as a (rather educated) solo artist. His slow-mo beats fuse soul, funk, disco, pop and more.

Karen Souza

Beijing Concert Hall. Apr 30. 180-680RMB.

You'd never know from her incredibly jazzy tones, but Karen Souza started her career providing vocals for EDM songs. She then went on to record covers of famous '70s and '80s songs on various album series. Heading to Beijing this April, Souza performs from her repertoire of hits at the Beijing Concert Hall.

Eli Degibri Quartet

Blue Note. May 2-3. 160-400RMB.

A jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger, Eli Degibri has performed with some serious names, including Herbie Hancock, Al Foster, Brad Mehldau and Ron Carter. He heads to Beijing with Tom Oren (piano), Tamir Shmerling (bass) and Eviatar Slivnik (drums).

Tommy Emmanuel

Tango. May 3. 520RMB; 420RMB (presale)

Two-time Grammy nominee Tommy Emmanuel is an Australian steel guitar legend with a professional career that spans over four decades. First inspired by guitarist Chet Atkins, Emmanuel picked up a guitar aged four, learning to play by ear without any formal instruction. Renowned for his unique playing style called country fingerstyle, Emmanuel plays bass lines, chords, melodies and harmonies simultaneously by plucking guitar strings directly using all ten fingers. He returns to Tango this year with Andy McKee.

Steve Smith and Vital Information

Blue Note. May 4-5. 160-400RMB

Highly charged US fusion supergroup Vital Information have built up quite a reputation for negotiating tricksy time signatures, jazz-rock solos and all sorts of Yellowjackets-style funk. Former Journey drummer Steve Smith leads, with Baron Browne on bass, Mark Soskin on the keyboard and Vinny Valentino on guitar.

Descendents 

Mao Livehouse Wukesong. Apr 28. 330RMB; 280RMB (presale).

The Descendents have been delivering 90-second fastballs of buzzed-up bubble gum punk off and on since the late '70s. The band went on several extended hiatuses in the '90s and aughts; their latest, excellent LP from 2016, Hypercaffium Spazzinate, is just their third in three decades­. Catch the band that may (or may not) have created pop-punk as they hit up Beijing.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Tango. Apr 24. 400RMB; 320RMB (presale). 

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, aka BRMC, is one of the best alternative rock bands on the scene today. Their dirty and powerful sound, alongside their dark folk lyrics and the intensity of their live concerts, have made their shows must-sees around the world. Coming off the back of 2018 release Wrong Creatures, BRMC heads to China with Americana-style blues and rock.

Warbly Jets

Yue Space. Apr 27. 220RMB; 160RMB (presale). 

LA-based band Warbly Jets burst on the scene in 2016 with their rockin' debut single 'Alive'. With the clear goal of being rock trailblazers rather than just another '60s-esque psyche band in LA's over-saturated scene, the foursome create massive rock 'n' roll melodies full of '90s-era grunge, skittish beats and sharp synth lines.

Carl Barât

Tango. May 8. 380RMB; 320RMB (presale). 

After selling out all three of his Mainland gigs last year, Carl Barât returns to China and the surrounds for what we can only imagine will be even more sell-out shows. Catch the former Libertines co-frontman as he bashes out grungy indie-blues once more.

Explosions in the Sky

Tango. May 10. 420RMB; 360RMB (presale).

If you've ever watched an episode of Friday Night Lights, you've probably heard the triumphant, guitar-driven strains of Explosions in the Sky. The Texas post-rock outfit has been mining grandiose, soundtrack-worthy melodies and slowly building arrangements for more than 15 years. After hundreds of thousands of album and ticket sales with features in major picture soundtracks, this iconic instrumental band will be celebrating their 20th anniversary with two nights of performances in China.

Leech

Omni Space. May 19. 180RMB; 150RMB (presale). 

Formed back in 1995, Swiss post-rock outfit Leech devote themselves to experimental instrumental music, connecting unusual rhythms with floating melodies into one eclectic soundscape. Having released their seventh studio album For Better or For Worse just last year, expect a mix of old and new tunes.

Mando Diao 

Tango. Jun 2. 300RMB; 240RMB (presale). 

Maybe you've never heard of them, but Mando Diao, who hail from Borlänge in Sweden, are pretty well-known in their homeland. Their 2013 album Infruset went four times platinum, topped the Swedish album charts for 17 weeks and produced an eponymous single that lingered on the charts for 167 weeks, 86 of those at number one. Their sound borrows from classic rock acts such as The Kinks, Beatles and Rolling Stones, so if that sounds like your jam, make sure you check them out this June.

Suchmos

Tango. Jun 16. 380RMB; 280RMB (presale). 

Deriving their moniker from Louis Armstrong's nickname of 'Satchmo', it's perhaps unsurprising that Japanese band Suchmos take inspiration from rock, hip-hop and jazz. After performing at a whopping 14 rock festivals last summer, such as Summer Sonic and Rising Sun Rock Festival, they head to Beijing in support of their just-released fourth studio album The Anymal.

Lars Vogt

NCPA. May 30. 50-480RMB. 

Having previously played alongside the Royal Sinfonia in Beijing, this time round pianist and conductor Lars Vogt returns alone, playing a programme of Brahms, plus Janáček's Violin Sonata and Beethoven's Piano Sonata No.23, Op. 57, 'Appassionata'.

Constantino Carrara

Rulun Lecture Hall, Renmin University. Sep 28. 100-480RMB. 

With almost 700,000 subscribers and over 117 million views on YouTube, 21-year-old Italian pianist and composer Constantino Carrara is a bit of a wunderkind. Join him at Renmin University as he performs an eclectic programme of pop mega-hits, including Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody', Passenger's 'Let Her Go', The Chainsmokers' 'Closer', as well as music from films such as La La Land and A Star is Born.

MTA Festival

Tianmo Nature Scenic Area. Jun 29-30. 350RMB (one-day pass); 280RMB (one-day pass, presale); 450RMB (two-day, three-night pass). 

Returning for another year, two-day music fiesta MTA Festival takes over Tianmo Desert this June, this time with local icons Higher Brothers, Re-Tros and Omnipotent Youth Society leading the charge. A desert rave featuring music, technology and art (that's what MTA stands for, in case you were curious), dedicated festivalgoers can also camp out for the entire duration.

For full details on each event, hit 'Read more' below.

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