Mark Ramone to Play Beijing

The line-up of the Beijing Pop Festival (September 8 and 9) is finally out. And topping the bill is Nine Inch Nails, who play with Public Enemy and punks the Ramones and the New York Dolls. Brit rock will be represented by Brett Anderson, who, we're told, will play a mostly Suede set. The local acts are usual suspects: Brain Failure, Muma and Thin Man all made the cut.

The festival will happen over two days in a corner of sprawling Chaoyang Park in downtown Beijing. It's now into its third edition, and last year drew an eclectic mix - Placebo and Supergrass were outplayed by a raucous Sebastian Bach, fresh off a tour with Axl Rose. Organiser, rock fan and youthful real estate magnate Jason Magnus deserves credit for bringing international acts - and lining up the sponsors and endless raft of government permits needed needed to run such a big show in Beijing.

Authorities here are still nervous about anything that involves large outdoor crowds, and most Party cadres still don't get rock n roll. Given that ticket prices are kept low, Magnus needs to bring in corporations like Mastercard and Hennessy VSOP to pay the bills. Each festival makes a "modest profit," says Magnus in thisinterview with me after last year's event.

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