Well ... what the f%*k do I know? Tonight's show at Yuyintang was going head to head with Battles at Dream Factory, essentially stripping it of hipsters and ex-pat party types. Then, on top of that, the night was marketed (to mainly local rock fans) as a silk stockings night. If the ladies wore a mini skirt and stockings, they get in half price. And the weather was miserable. Seemed like a perfect recipe for a dead night.
So yeah, I turned up near doors open time and had to queue to get in. It was already over 300 when I bought my ticket and ended up being absolutely rammed with overspill into the park, just like the Halloween Subs show. To top it off, there were wall to wall local indie and rock girls ...yes ... almost all wearing short skirts and stockings. As co-owner Zhang Haisheng said to me later on, never bet against the discount.
So, yeah, it was rammed and a great night. The main room was bursting and everyone got jumping about halfway into the set of Banana Monkey. Lead signer Bono was visibly dissapointed with the crowd at first and asked them to get jumping between each song. But to be fair, they still haven't found their mojo since reforming and the point at which the crowd got going was the point at which the songs were tighter and the performance better. By the last song I finally felt like I was at a BM show and the band went out in rock style, taking turns to throw down thier instruments and attack the drum kit.
Next up, the Mushrooms were the headlining act. And ... finally, the new line up has tightened up and settled in and the energy we were used to from the Mushrooms was back. What a good time for a return to form, in front of a packed room of adoring fans who knew the words to every song. Front man PuPu has never been short of charisma and with the new line up solid, it was back to his old self. I did want to get some footage, and Youtube is back but once in the mosh zone there was no chance to get out again. Great band, great night. Perhaps we could schedule a hipster friendly show on the same night as local rock shows all the time? It's win-win.
You see, it's really easy to write a title or post that is sensational. So much for actually being punk, eh?
Regular readers may have noticed that when I link reviews and articles by other English language writers that it's the same small group of people. That'll be because there's only a small group of writers covering it in English. You may also notice that I am supportive and diplomatic in the main. Sometimes, though, another writer will just say what they think and it happens to sum up what I was thinking too. Then I can quote them and they get all the blame if someone objects. Yes!
Jake Newby was at the Subs show with me and threw out some observations in his SH Magazine blog. He starts by mentioning Sub's singer Kang mao's hilarious opening line, referring to the other Beijing act in town that night (indie pop act Milk @ Coffee):
"We're the beer band," joked Kang Mao as she took the stage at Zhijiang Dream Factory.
But it's his observations of the support acts that really hit the mark:
Before them, The Molds had disappointed with their Lou Reed-like post-rock and out of tune, echo-laden vocals. Having delayed the start of the gig due to an hour and 45 minute soundcheck, they were completely upstaged and made to look amateurish by opening act Pinkberry. "All four of us have got colds today," declared Pinkberry lead singer Xiao You, but it didn't seem to affect their performance. It's not often the crowd demand an encore from an opening act, but Pinkberry are no ordinary band.
Jake also lays down a tip that might see this blog do it's first report from Live Bar. Upcoming act Tianping Dian (Candy Shop) are headlining there on Sat 6th which gives me an alternative to Hua Lun who are post-rock. Laziness may well win out so don't despair, shoegazers.
Finally. Yuyintang have just announced a 'Winter Madness' all day show on the same day that Hedgehog play in the evening. So, on the 13th there'll be a bunch of bands playing from 1.30 in the afternoon (including Candy Shop) and then the Hedgehog show in the evening. Football in the park behind anyone? Jumpers for goalposts?
Yuyintang, which has basically become Shanghai's only real (and consistent) livehouse, had just announced its November line-up and rock fans are in for a seriously awesome month.
Promoters S.T.D. had a great success last year with their Halloween rock party and decided to repeat the formula this year by bringing the Subs to Yuyintang. Fair play. From the start it was clear this was going to be a huge event. It was also clear from the Regurgitator show at Logo that they would oversell the venue if necessary. Not very responsible of them, but luckily a bunch of the people there seemed to filter away before the last band or stay out in the park. Yuyintang is packed at 250 people. A friend, George, came at twenty minutes after the official start and had ticket number 280. And it went on from there.