Results tagged “loudspeaker” from Andy Best

Playful Warrior night @ Yuyintang

By
Andy Best
on January 30, 2010 1:32 AM |
warrior flyer
There was some big show or other on at Dream Factory tonight, but it was of no consequence to metal and hardcore fans as Yuyintang hosted the battle of the -cores.

Loudspeaker hardcore
Chaos Mind metalcore
Six Shot deathcore

Newcomers Lala Ying supported.

Of these five bands, Lalaying and FAF are the younger newcomers and the other three are well established bands who thoroughly embody their style. 

Good turn out and plenty of true fans ready for some heavy music. Lalaying got a good reception but are new and need a bit of development. They broke up their thrashy set with a sweet ballad and only the bass player looked really badass in her spiked neck collar.

FAF were the first to get the crowd moving with a longer than usual set. Ding Ding intro'd their Story of the Year cover version as their favourite track which was odd as their opening two original songs Escape and Parasite were the clear winners. The crowd had a good time, but they were waiting for the real hardcore. 

Six Shot had the perfect slot. At this point the room was as full as it was going to get and they were they first experienced band on. They have improved a lot since I last saw them and have pared down their sound into relentless grinding. This was as violent a mosh pit as I've ever seen at YYT. Full of mad windmills, straight out punching and non stop action. The most impressive sight was the girls giving as good as the guys and never shirking from the pit centre. The band were badass and the front man even growled/gurgled the brief banter between tracks. It was metal heaven and such a great show.

Then we passed 11 p.m. and a bunch of people disappeared. A pity as Loudspeaker and Chaos Mind are equally as good as Six Shot. Loudspeaker used to be a skate punk band but then they changed their sound into hardcore. They continued right where Six Shot left off.

I was wondering on the pod about bands in Shanghai who are developed and can play full sets. I shouldn't discount the metal scene. The three headlining tonight acts tonight all had unique sounds with a modern edge to them and sh*t can they rock the room. Hell United just keep getting stronger.

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Children's Day party @ Yuyintang

By
Andy Best
on June 2, 2009 7:48 PM |
8mg
The 1st of June is Children's Day in China so Yuyintang decided to put on a show despite it being Monday night and everyone having to work the next day. It was a throw together line up but one that featured some interesting elements especially new projects from Lin Di of Cold Fairyland and also Lu Chen of Top Floor Circus.

Here was the full line up:

8MG
Elephant Makers
Bad Himo
Lightninger
Dragon Pizza
Zhi Wang

None of these acts have quality online music available sorry. 

Everyone got free red neckerchiefs on entry which made it feel like a costume party to some extent. Unfortunately the carefree fun attitude also extended to the general organisation and tech quality. Back when YYT first opened it was par for the course, and slightly romantic almost. Bands added randomly to the line up after the show had already been advertised ... organisation and timing all over the place, sound quality completely different from band to band etc. But after a long run of top quality shows at YYT it just seemed annoying. Maybe I've been spoiled. 

First up were 8MG. Having been amused by the Douban thread 8MG are the most ignorant band I have ever met, I was really interested to see them. They have a large line up with arena rock keyboards, guitar shredding and big epic tunes. The crowd were a bit confused as how to react at first but the band gave it their all and had consistent style. By the end of the set they got a genuinely pleased reaction. The band seem serious about what they do so let's see where it goes. Following them were another young, new band called Elephant Makers. Their set was mainly covers and was strictly in the mould of Sum 41 and Blink 182. Again, they gave a good performance and did the job and people appreciated it.

By this time it was apparent that Zhi Wang, whom I came to see, were not going to get on until midnight due to the expanded line up. Midnight on a weekday. 

Next up was Bad Himo. We were then witness to Lin Di and Seppo of Cold Fairyland playing a multi-media experimental set that was completely about their cat and it's bad behaviour. Moving on. At about this time the considerable section of the crowd who were attached to 8MG and Elephant Makers in some way started to filter out. Just like the old days. Bafang, already wound up about having to wait until midnight to get on, could be heard muttering 'buyao zou' by the door as they left, although half jokingly. 

Next on was Lightninger who proceeded to compound the scheduling problem by playing a full length set despite there being two more bands to go. They came on in masks and did a kind of Lu Chen tribute show, reading out poetry in Shanghainese and playing mainly covers of TV theme tunes. Then ... out of the blue came the saviours - Dragon Pizza. These guys are a kick-ass hardcore punk band that mix up the styles a bit. They were the first band to have a loud and clear sound and they ripped into their set like lunatics. Bassist Yuki was on top form and drummer Wang Lei (also of Loudspeaker) beat the hell out of the drums. Alas, there was only about 50 people left at that point. 

Midnight had come and gone and it was finally time to hear Bafang and Lu Chen's new project. Ba Fang is an outstanding rock and punk performer formally of the Fuckn'drolls. Hearing that she was back in town and starting a band was big news. As they set up, I was puzzled to see them fill the front of the stage with tables and chair then cover them with effects, desks and a lap top. The drums were then not manned. Finally they played a set of strung-together experimental noise stuff with no conventional singing or arrangements at all. I imagine this was a kind of subversive/punk act in itself. Or something like that. I was too wiped to take it in. 

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Douban: Pinkberry and Loudspeaker

By
Andy Best
on April 22, 2009 12:56 PM |
pinkberry new promo shot
Things have been afoot in the land of Pinkberry since their triumphant best show with Reflector at Yuyintang.

The douban page has now got two new demo tracks and a gallery of their latest photo shoot. The tracks are Live In Live and 片. Also, more importantly, Pinkberry have replaced their bass player, hoping to add experience and build on their recent progress.



Also around the world of Douban. I have been checking out long term Shanghai punk band Loudspeaker. Loudspeaker have gradually shifted from skatepunk with a twist of hardcore punk to hardcore punk with a hint of "metalcore". We've noticed it at the shows and now they have three good quality tracks available on their page that showcase the sound.

Have a listen here

In other news. If you have been following the Soma thing, Li Pang made a lengthy stream of BS reply at Shanghaiist here. I'm not posting on it anymore so have a look. 

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Red Banana live @ Yuyintang

By
Andy Best
on March 14, 2009 7:22 PM |
new sign at yuyintang
As recently reported, Hefei based rockers Red Banana came to Shanghai last night. Here was the full line up:

The Snot Rockets

I have to admit straight off the bat that I was barely conscious at this gig. I worked all day right up until 8.30 then got there at 9.15. By the time Red Banana went into their set I was lost-in-the-desert hungry and starting to flip out.

Every time I see Loudspeaker they seem to get heavier. They are a skatepunk band who play fast and simple tunes with leanings towards hardcore punk. They were on stage as I entered the venue and it sounded like a metal gig. It didn't help that the sound was muddy over the PA.

The Snot Rockets were next and this was the first time I'd given them a proper listen. They have capable players in the line up, including Mizusu from Banana Monkey. They play garage rock-ish material a la Libertines and all wear shirts and ties on stage. It's a hipster's wet dream. I like t-shirt rock myself but with the talent in the band something is definitely going to come out of the project if they keep it up and make it a priority.

Lastly, Red Banana got on and the sound quality jumped up another level (equipment, not the players). They opened with the signature track Hello and played a solid set. I'd love to write more but I was drifting by three songs in due to hunger and had to bail. They are tight performers with great hooks in the songs. I got the CD and it's worth it. See ya'll at The Return of the Rogue Transmission tonight!

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Metal Night @ Yuyintang (December 4th)

By
Andy Best
on December 5, 2008 1:00 AM |
andy in beanie
Hardcore metal band Corrupt Absolute were in town tonight which meant it was time for a metal night. I'm not sure why but metal nights generally go down at Live Bar. Tonight it was Yuyintang's turn. 

Just want to start by saying that's a photo of me and Yuyintang founder Zhang Hai Sheng holding the new SH Mag. The light makes it look like we both have black eyes but we weren't slugging it out earlier. 

So, aside from Corrupt Absolute, the rest of the line up was as follows:

Wu Jiao Xing (Five Pointed Star)

Great turnout for a Thursday and loads of metal people in the house. Great to see Yuyintang's high turnouts just keep going and going. My wife had arranged to say hi to Levi Wang from Mortal Fools and we ended up bumping into a bunch of people including members of Rogue Transmission, Pinkberry and the MOFOs themselves. Without delay, Wu Jiao Xing took the stage and got going.

Wu Jiao Xing are a nu-metal band who rap their way through the verses and grind their way through the choruses. When I last saw them a few months back, they had their one famous song that got everyone going and the rest seemed to be just average. This time they had several standout tracks with good arrangements and hooks. The crowd of metal fans were up for it but as the first of four bands their sound wasn't quite up to the challenge. These guys have improved a lot and you can check out the video on the channel.

There was a bizarre moment in the break. I was hanging out near the door and was vaguely aware of some kind of commotion outside. Next thing I know there's the sound of a bottle smashing against the door and I look round to see the girl doing tickets holding the door shut. It turns out there was, and i'm serious about this and not mocking, a homeless schizophrenic guy out front in the middle of an episode. Anyway, at the height of it all he broke the bottle against the doors then hit the doors again, but with a running headbutt and then tried chewing some of the glass. The sad thing is there's no official help available.

Distraction over and Chaos Mind took the stage and played a crowd pleasing set of their own brand of metal. They kept it short but finished on their popular track "Amanda" which I got footage of too. That's a good quality vid from closer in than usual, watch it all the way as it has a protracted intro with darkness and other such stuff. Next up was Loudspeaker who have been around for years and used to be skate-punk. I was a bit perplexed at their inclusion in the metal bill but everyone I asked assured me that their newer material was more hardcore. It was. After a couple of solid openers they riped into the signature track "Loudspeaker" and the audience got to moshing. 

Interesting end note. I saw the Rock SH people coming in, including monopod guy. After getting a positive ID on Douban I left a message about the relentless view blocking. After a ... err ... heated exchange about the Subs show he stayed completely to the sides this time. Could be coincidence though. 

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Rock in the afternoon @ Gua'er

By
Andy Best
on October 18, 2008 7:16 PM |
pink berries guaer
There didn't seem to be much on this weekend. Well, that's not entirely true. Regurgitator are in town for two shows. But, you know, the blog is about local bands. So, I wandered down to Gua Er (Sus2) bar to check out an afternoon show. I'm assuming that it was on early to avoid a clash with the first Regurgitator show at Logo tonight. There's a thought, you bring over a band like Regurgitator and put them on in Logo (postage stamp in the corner of a regular bar type room with no PA). Afternoon shows did used to be a staple at the now defunct Ark Live House, so who knows.

The line up changed from the flyer and the first act was a guy and his guitar doing covers. So, the final line up was:

Pink Berries
Tianping Dian

Only Loudspeaker have a page with songs but you can find the other two on the blog's video channel: here. So, afternoon show. The place was mainly populated by the other bands, their friends and about ten non-entourage punters of which five were me and people I know. Gua Er's set up is growing on me and they have the balcony level too, which is nice. 

So, Pink Berries came on and played a six song set. I managed to get a video of my favourite track of theirs Xiao Bai Tu (White Rabbit). They are growing in confidence and their set is genuinely catchy. I have a soft spot for kind of three-chord (or whatever) garage/punk rock. If you know what I mean. Next up was Tianping Dian. They have this big line up rock-rap thing going on with a female vocalist singing the choruses. The last time I saw them they had the curse of the new band going on. That is, two or three strong songs up front and then the rest of the set is hopelessly behind. This time they managed to keep a consistent level. This band are quite active around the douban.com rock groups and look like they're going to stick around for a while.

Finally, on came scene stalwarts Loudspeaker. These are the heavier end of the garage rock spectrum. Tianping Dian and entourage had gone home and it was a bit more sparse but Loudspeaker always belt out a consistent high energy performance be it to a packed YYT of their loyal fans or an empty room. These guys just live for playing in a band. Also, they skate and wear stuff like DC shoes and caps which makes me feel right at home. All in all a chilled afternoon hanging with basically the bands themselves. And, as the only non-local in there, my hipster douchebag leanings were fully satisfied. 

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More Rockpile picks

By
Andy Best
on August 3, 2008 3:11 PM |

that's shanghaiImage from Wang Jian Shuo

So, we lose a venue and all the others are banned from putting on shows until the Ol*mp*cs are done. My reviews and vids have come to a sudden halt for the next three weeks. Does this mean I have to go out and do interviews or does it mean I will simply rip other people's stuff?

Lucky for me, it's that time of the month when the ex-pat mags come out. First of all, it's important to remember that China doesn't have any good magazines in English or Chinese dedicated soley to indie/rock music. Some that try are basically there to intro 'western' scenes and have an occaisional feature on a Chinese band. Think you know one I've missed? Make a comment and I'll ridicule it for not being a 'real' rock/indie cultural product. My wife quit writing for China's Rock Magazine when it ran a cover story on Britney.

What we have are columns in decidely non rock'n'roll publications aimed at ex-pats in general. Shanghai Daily has a music feature in its Scope section. The latest feature it ran on live music was about Music Matters. Music Matters are a bunch of English teachers who decided that music is, like, really important and should not be absent from the community. They organise a monthly night at Mural Bar where they play covers and rap and all sorts of things. Is it possible that they have completely missed the fact that there is a music scene here with venues, shows, rehearsal studios, muso hang outs and ample opportunity to hear original music or form a band and make your own? The article certainly reads like that. Shanghai Daily, finger up its ass on the pulse.

So, onto That's Shanghai magazine. I just got the new one and must note that their music section - that covers the local scene - now covers a couple of pages and a few columns. Lisa Movius has the Rockpile column. Ben Hogue has Shanghai Live. Also, the two of them plus some staff writers put in a couple of pages worth of Musicology features.

The Musicology features - not yet posted at their website as far as I could see just now - are about the closure of Ark Live House. This is older news that I blogged about here, but you can't blame the monthy magazines. It happened right when last months mags went out which means it had to wait until this months to come out, obviously. Lisa Movius rehashes the debate of the past month but follows up with a good mini-feature about other venues that went the same way called Hello, Goodbye. She lists U-like, Ark Live House, Tribesman, Gua'er, Tang Hui and 4Live. The reasons and stories are varied but there's a pattern which is found in many industries. A project is started by people who love what they do and they get it into the black, not huge profits, but it's running fine. Then, when it starts to pick up, an ego-maniac manager or owner steps in with a ridiculous ignorant ingenious idea to make it more profitable and sinks the whole operation.

Next up in the Rockpile column, Lisa goes with a pick for the second month running. Last time it was Crazy Mushroom Brigade and this time she has gone for Loudspeaker.

Loudspeaker have a new CD out and good quality recording on their myspace page: check it out. 

The column focuses on the fact that they are one of the scene mainstays at nine years and counting. I have seen them a few times and you can find a brief clip on the blog youtube channel. I have an image stuck in my head from one gig as an overheated, sweating Zhang Jian (the singer/guitarist), straight off stage and on a high, went directly to a quiet corner and spent the next ten minutes carefully and lovingly wiping down his guitar. I immediately wished there was some way I could apologise to my own guitars down the years.

I wonder if Jimi Hendrix is plagued in death by the spirits of his ex-guitars that he not only smashed, but often burnt in on-stage rituals?  

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Shanghai vs Nanjing @ Yuyintang

By
Andy Best
on June 15, 2008 2:02 AM |

overdoseYuyintang had a great show on tonight ... Shanghai Punk vs Nanjing Punk. Representing Shanghai were Loudspeaker and Mortal Fools. Representing Nanjing were Overdose and Angry Jerks. I hadn't seen either of the Nanjing bands before and Angry Jerks are a psychobilly group. Loudspeaker are a special fixture on the Shanghai scene having been together for over nine years now.

Alas, once again, the curse of the badly planned show struck me down. With four bands on the bill the show was billed as an 8 pm start. Mortal Fools were supposed to go on first and a band member was missing so rather than adjusting the running order they put the whole show back to 10 - only to decide on putting MF on last, after all that.

I have to run off to Hong Kong this week and have had little to no sleep due to Euro 08 matches finishing at 4 am in China, so with the first of four bands only getting done after 11 in a show advertised with an 8 start I ran out of steam. Loudspeaker did their usual thing and I managed to catch most of Overdose.

The real highlight of the night was Mortal Fools singer Frank's get up. Combining the MF band official shirt with a MF stickered sailor hat. Yes!

loudspeaker

frank 

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