Noise Pollution: Backspace, curry3000, Nocturnes, Kamau
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Post-holiday whiplash getting to you? Not sure what day it is or whether or not you need to be in the office tomorrow? Then maybe it’s time to dip back into Beijing’s bustling live music scene – complete with young ruffians who have thrown caution to the wind and seasoned veterans who live and breathe music. Invigorating psych-rock that binds us together, irreverent punk rock that makes you remember what’s it’s like to not have a care in the world, and delectable indie electronica that’ll have your ears doing cartwheels, it’s all here for the taking. Here’s your weekend roundup.
Friday, May 7
Backspace 退格at Yue Space
Beijing’s Backspace are back and stronger than ever, ready to present their sophomore release Ants Corrupt Elephant in its entirety, complete with special musicals guests (expect to see cats like Yan Yulong and Zhu Wenbo contributing their violin and clarinet) and installations covering the layout of Yue Space. Their latest takes the band’s paranoid-laced psych-rock and turns it outwards, finding comfort in our most primal feelings, striking a chord that’s playful, invigorating, and filled with both wonder, urgency, and sly dissonance. A cacophony of sounds that bombards the senses and throws listeners into a trance, it’s the kind that'll have audiences dancing with wild abandon. 8.30PM. RMB 80/100
The Twenties, Bone Dragon 化骨龙, The Lightning Club 小闪电俱乐部, Since TMRW at School
A spry evening of rock and roll that’s quick on its feet as Beijing-based indie rockers The Twenties – whose brand of sincere guitar-driven pop has made them crowd favorites – join old school psych-pop ruffians The Lightning Club (whose 2020 EP is worth a listen), sloshed punk rockers Bone Dragon (formerly The Circus), and the newly formed electro-rock duo Since TMRW, made up of the original guitarist and drummer of Residence A. 9pm. RMB 80/100
Open Mic feat. sourtower at nugget café
Nugget records continue dipping their toes into the open mic multiverse giving one of their flock – sourtower – hosting duties. With her stoic blend of cold wave thrills, psychedelic unease, and lo-fi indie electronic minimalism, the singer-songwriter taps into something both danceable and immersive. Muster up some courage and venture forth open mic warriors. 8.30PM. Free
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Next Door 隔壁团, Rustic, Sonicave, Big Heart at Mao Livehouse
Oscillating between pop-rock veterans and aspiring post-punks and back again, tonight’s lineup is seriously all over the place in terms of style. The highlight is Chengdu's all-female outfit Sonicave, who bounce between buoyant arrangements reminiscent of Blondie, the moody temperament of The Cure, and the post-punk relentlessness of Savages, conjuring somber intensity along the way. Joining them will be come-back-kids Rustic, led by the charismatic (and very off-kilter) Li Yan aka Lucifer, who’ll bring their ramshackle assortment of blues, hip-hop, garage rock, and old-time rock and roll to the stage alongside pop-rock stalwarts Next Door Band and newly formed electro post-punk outfit Big Heart, who lean into the stripped-down new wave aesthetics of the genre. 8pm. RMB 150
Curry 咖喱 3000, Finger Family 指人儿, A.D.S at Yue Space
Supergroups come and go in China, but I’ll be damned if there’s one out there having as much fun as Curry3000, a Beijing based Megazord – composed of members of New Pants (Hayato), Mr. Chelonian (Jiang Han), Reflector (Li Peng), and Human Centipede (Wang Zi) – whose deconstruction of hardcore, punk, dance, and pop music is both ridiculously catchy and hilariously assembled. A Trojan Horse of rallying punk music that’s irreverent, impossible to pin down, and primed for detonation they will be stirring up trouble at Yue Space alongside long-standing pop-punk outfit Finger Family, and hard rock affectionates A.D.S aka Ammunition Delivery System. 8pm. RMB 150/280
Qianchuan Pharmacy 浅川药店, Nocturnes 曳取, Fluoxetine 氟西汀, Fancy Wall 花墙、KyoYoko, Liu Yang 午睡留声机-刘炀 at School
Local promoters Kowa throw a blow-out two-parter at School Bar featuring an array of acts that blur the line between electronica and indie rock. The first half of the festivities will feature the sensual and immersive indietronica duo Nocturnes (recently signed to Modern Sky’s new WaterMAde sublabel), alternative rockers Qianchuan Drugstore, whose madcap blend of post-punk attitude and the avant-garde electronica is hard to pin down, and off-kilter dream-pop outfit Fluoxetine. Round two kicks off after midnight (free of charge) with widely loved electro-indie rockers Fancy Wall joining alt electro-rockers KyoYoko and multi-disciplinary musician and guitarist Li Yang. 8.30PM. RMB 80/100
Kamau, Bnoy at nugget café
Kamau – whose long list of credits include playing in such acts as Great Buffalo, Ad Libitum, D.Cortisol, and The Felling Tree – "mixes jazz chords, soul rhythm, slide guitar, blues riffs, and percussive styles with lyrics that have been called pop but personal and full of soul." The prolific journeymen musician will be previewing his latest album tonight at nugget. He’ll join Nepalese singer-songwriter Bnoy, whose mix of chill beats, looping grooves, and soulful melodies is the perfect way to unwind after a long day. 9pm. RMB 60/70
Djang San at CloudNine
East-meets-West fusionist and veteran show stopper Djang San – a jack of all trades, including "zhongruan player, philosopher, poet, composer, guitar hero, DJ, one-man orchestra, and explorer of new sounds" returns to his old stomping grounds of Beijing for a string of shows. Catch the ever-prolific musician and his band injecting some liveliness to Wangjing’s CloudNine this evening. 9pm. RMB 80/100
Sunday, May 9
Wild Reggae Guide 野外雷鬼指南, Ten Degrees Yanjing 十度燕京, Van Gough Madmen 梵高疯人, One Day Winner 一日赢家 at School
A scrappy, impassioned Sunday night lineup at School Bar as a quartet of young and hungry bands take the stage including the vibing Wilde Reggae Guide, one of the city’s few earnest reggae outfits, though they’re not afraid to inject some Latin and funk flavor into their jams. Joining them will be the shameless pop-punk One Day Winner, indie lukewarm beer drinkers Ten Degree Yanjing, and rustic indie-pop crafters Van Gough Madmen. 8.30PM. RMB 80/100
ChiQi 赤旗, Empty Eyes, Bad Clutch 坏离合, 静谧的宇宙 at UFO Space
Things get heavy this Sunday as some of the metal scene's more nefarious characters converge upon Sihui including thrash metal bands Bad Clutch and ChiQi, death metal band Empty Eyes, and rounding out the bill, atmospheric electronic metal musician Quiet Universe, who brings a psych-infused pulsating groove to the genre. 8.30PM. RMB 70/90
READ: Backspace Pushes Past the Bleeding Edge on Sophomore Release Ants Corrupt Elephant
Images: The Twenties, courtesy of the organizers
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