Before this show I quite liked Carsick Cars but wouldn't get very excited about their live show. I had the CD but didn't find time to really get into the long repetitive fuzzy tracks. However, they are one of the it bands at the moment in China and this show was going to be packed.
It was packed.
Like sardines. But an unexpected turn was to let me into the action later on. First on was fellow Beijing band The Gar, who are also getting a lot of hype lately. They went confidently into their set of middle-choppy-guitar and the signature vocals with occasional screams but they sound was average and the vocal sound dry. You could tell they were an original band but the material didn't come across that well on the night. Be sure to follow the link above and give them a proper listen at their page.
Carsick Cars were the opposite. Their sound was absolutely dead on. The music style is borderline shoegaze where people are more likely to watch and applaud than jump around but tonight the packed room went off at the start. This is what allowed me to get into the mix. Singer/guitarist Shouwang, one of the coolest people on the scene, was in a zone and everyone in the room was taken in. It was probably the most active crowd I've ever scene at a light indie gig with all kinds of people diving and crowd surfing. Mogu was a highlight of the set as was, of course, the anthem Zhong Nan Hai. I found myself listening to those tracks in work today and really appreciating them for the first time.
Carsick Cars are living up to their massive reputation and the next stops on the tour include Barcelona. Only one regret from the show ... when they were playing Mogu (Mushroom) where was Xiao K in the mosh? That should be your song.
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