Chinese Punks On Film

What is it about Chinese punk that gets Scandinavians and Germans so excited? While traveling in Europe this week I read a two page spread on the Beijing punk scene in a German music magazine, and see Joyside and Subs all over the Scandinavian music websites.

 

Not a whimper in UK or Ireland, or Madrid of any Chinese band, aside from your’s truly on Beijing Beat. Scandinavia and Germany have however proven welcoming touring grounds for the likes of scream-a lot Subs, and a bunch of other bands from around China. Subsidies have helped – the Norwegian city of Bergen last year spent public money sending middling bands over to China, releasing two CDs of Bergen music in China, and welcoming return visits by Chinese punks, who then drew on Norwegian connections to secure gigs across northern Europe. There has been some, but less, traffic in the opposite direction: Back in Beijing, illed as the "Drum King of Scandinavia," Emil de Waal is back in Beijing this weekend to play a drum set at the Mao Live over in Gulou.

 

German label Flyfast made a documentary titled Beijing Bubbles on punk band Joyside. While grateful of foreigners help, Liu Hao the hulking bass player with the Shane McGowan grin and attitude to booze is also wary of foreigners’ attention: “I hope they don’t consider us a Chinese band, I hope they just consider us a rock and roll band. We don’t need their curiosity. Some foreigners think Chinese rock is lovely and curious, and I don’t want to be that.”

 

Joyside took their name from a carnival in ancient Rome. The band had considered calling themselves Foreskin Ring after getting bored of the moniker Size Matters – the latter “because Liu Hao was so much bigger than us.”  Say that in Swedish.