It’s not easy to have a real conversation with Huang Liaoyuan,
the organizer behind the three-day rock festival being dubbed,
“China’s Woodstock.”?
Within the space of five minutes, the easygoing Beijinger takes
three calls on his cell phone, all connected to his ambitious
brainchild: a live rock extravaganza in Ningxia
Hui Autonomous Region.
The 39-year-old is fired with enthusiasm for the major
undertaking, despite a previous festival flop overseen by China’s
godfather of rock himself, Cui Jian.
“I guarantee this is going to be great fun. The location is at
the foot of Helanshan Mountain in Ningxia and the terrain is like a
desert. The huge stage, you know, about 300 square meters, is built
at the lower end of a slope and surrounded by rows of
anti-sandstorm trees. Far beyond is the clear star-studded sky that
most of us urbanites have missed for long.”
And even more enchanting than the setting, he insists, is the
star-studded line-up representing a who’s who of Chinese rock from
past to present.
“The lineup of 18 rock bands is representative of the
development of rock and roll in China over the past two decades,”
he said.
With six bands playing on each of the three nights, the festival
will showcase established acts like Cui Jian, Tang Dynasty, Black
Panther, He Yong, Zhang Chu, Cobra and Ziyue.
More contemporary acts, such as Second Hand Roses, Thin Man,
Tongue and Bu Yi, will also be appearing.
Despite the event’s sobriquet, Huang denies his idea has been
inspired by the legendary 1969 festival. Also staged in August, the
original Woodstock attracted 450,000 people to an open-air
three-day show featuring some of the biggest stars of the era.
“It all came naturally,” he explained. “Two years ago, a friend
of mine told me that a group of 12 artists had each built a
self-designed house at the foot of Helanshan Mountain. And he said
they wanted some publicity and asked if I could organize a small
party. I thought it would be better to have a bigger event.”
Being an observer of Chinese rock and roll and a commentator on
the alternative scene for the past 20 years, Huang says he had long
hoped for the chance to organize an outdoor concert like this.
After two years of preparation, he describes the event, titled
Glorious Path of Chinese Rock and Roll, as a “retrospective of
Chinese rock.”
He explained: “Rock and roll has developed in China over the
last two decades. However, Chinese rock fans have few chances to
get a full view of what has been achieved. The rock musicians
themselves, who are soldiers fighting for the same cause, get few
opportunities to perform on the same stage. This festival is an
opportunity.”
In the summer of 2002, Cui Jian initiated a similar rock
festival at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, in southwest China’s Yunnan
Province. The event also attracted a media buzz. However,
partly due to a low budget that restricted appearances to new and
upcoming rockers, high transportation costs and unexpectedly harsh
weather, it was widely regarded as a flop.
Even so, this was the event that inspired Huang: “What the
Lijiang festival taught me is that Chinese rock and roll can
prosper only when it is grounded among the public. At present, its
public base is just as loose and sparse as the air up in the snow
mountain. But as there are still constant followers like those that
showed up for the festival, we know that there is still hope.”
Huang’s rock retrospective is timed to coincide with the
completion of the 12 buildings and the opening of the annual
Yinchuan Motorcycle Festival being held only a few kilometers
away.
About 30 kilometers from the town, the audience can easily find
accommodation. Some 5,000 tents are prepared for either sale or
rent. And a special “rock train” to transport festivalgoers from
Beijing and other major cities rolls out on August 5, leaving
Beijing at 12:45 pm.
“I hope this is an affordable event for ordinary people,” said
Huang.
But he is hoping for more than that: “With the festival
providing an opportunity for us to look back on how our rock and
roll has developed, we hope we can also figure out where and how we
are going.”
Event Info
Time/date: August 6, 7 and 8, 2004.
Tickets: 380 yuan (US$45.6) inclusive of three
days of activities; visits to the 12 buildings and the motorcycle
festival. Tour packages are also available.
Tel: +86 (10) 6515 0488
(Beijing Weekend August 2, 2004)