Due to the rigors of being legal in China, Yuyintang's shows are starting later and are advertised less on Douban. This is clearly having an effect on the audiences with younger locals taking the hit. But still we push on ...
This Trash-a-Go-Go show had two talking points - The Beat Bandits are calling it a day after this weekend, and Duck Fight Goose were playing. As it happened:
Phantom Five
What a pity about The Beat Bandits. This was the third time I'd seen them but by far the best performance. The sound was good and all the shuffling and chugging that is so essential to Surf Rock was tight and energetic. Well, go out on top, I guess.
Phantom Five were new to me. They are a pub-rock type band headed by Jeff of BeeDees Bar. And that's what they did. Solid, professional pub rock. A bit out of place I thought but that's just me.
Much has been said of Duck Fight Goose. They came out as a Miniless Records supergroup and wowed music fans with their experimental stylings on the Flow EP. They combined the band's avant-garde leanings with solid tracks that rocked live ... and then ... abandoned all of it for a completely new set. The new material, soon to be released through Maybe Mars, combines the band's previous style with the current fetish for all things cool in the late 70's and early 80's. You could apply any number of subjective applied-in-hindsight terms ... post-punk, synth rock, German experimental and so on. The results were amazing.
Some of the new tracks are obviously more restrained than the older material. Once the CD is out, Glass Walls, the set opener, will become a huge underground hit here. But as the set went on we were treated to a wide range of sounds, beats and concepts that left most of us in a trance-like state of awe. Behind the tables of effects and mixers, the subtly simple and crystal clear rhythm section held it all together perfectly. They have developed a distinct sound and there's no easy comparisons to be made. At the show, I think I witnessed it all come together.
Then I went home, sorry, Battle Cattle.
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