While crowds of Chinese gather in Beijing's Tiananmen Square to
celebrate the people's republic's 57th birthday, thousands of young
Chinese have been flocking to the capital's western suburbs to
worship rock and roll.
It is rare for the government to sponsor a rock music festival,
and this one will rock usually quiet western Beijing for seven days
in a row – a huge army of 77 bands has been invited to play at the
outdoor venue.
The festival begins at 2:30 every afternoon of the National Day
Holiday, but things really hot up when night falls in International
Sculpture Park. The sound is sometimes so deafening it can be heard
in nearby Babaoshan Cemetery where many of the country's founding
fathers and revolutionary martyrs lie in peace.
"Rock it up, friends, to beat the cool night!" Ying Peng,
vocalist of the power metal band Ordnance, yelled at 2,000 fans
standing in front of the stage, as he performed the band's famous
number "Struggle."
The crowd exploded. People shouted, jumped and danced. Some
firmly gave the middle-finger salute, and some splashed cups of
beer into the air.
China may be taking the world economy by storm, but its cultural
sector is developing quite slowly. Rock, the western-born music
style which has nurtured scores of Chinese bands, is still
struggling for acceptance 20 years after entering the country.
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(Photo source: sina.com)
The music, viewed as angry and rebellious, was scorned by most
Chinese whose traditional culture values obedience and hierarchy
more than freedom.
"China's rock and roll needs to fight. We need to fight with
people who never listen to rock music but criticize it a lot, and
fight with people who try to get in to rock concerts for free," the
skinny but energetic Beijing native Ying shouted to the screaming
crowd.
In the capital Beijing, less than five clubs host regular rock
performances. Outdoor festivals are therefore a rare opportunity
for rock bands to be heard.
"Rock is still a sensitive topic in China," said Jing Ziye,
chief organizer of the festival. He said the government's
authorization of the outdoor concert was "extremely difficult to
obtain" as officials fear excited crowds will cause social
instability.
Jing said it is the first rock concert directly sponsored by the
government with 360 police and safety guards present for each day's
performances. Performances have to end by 10 PM.
Despite all the difficulties, the rockers seem to be making
progress. Their music is increasingly popular with young
people.
People attending the Beijing festival are mostly in the 20s.
Many dress up in typical punk fashion with spikes, chains, and
Mohawk style haircuts. The less frenetic fans also wear T-shits
with pictures of rock bands such as Nirvana, Radiohead and domestic
groups.
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(Photo source: sina.com)
Cheng Xiang, a 20-year-old from the central province of Henan,
said he had a tough train ride and slept only one hour on his way
to Beijing. He paid 280 yuan (US$35) for a seven-day ticket to the
festival.
"How can we stay home and listen to rock music downloaded from
the Internet all the time? I think we should move and act out the
rocker life," Cheng said in a weak voice that had not recovered
from the cold.
During the performances, he took part in nearly every crowd-surf
and pogo, a free-style dance often seen in punk concerts where
dancers can occasionally go offbeat and collide with others. "We
don't hurt each other. Energetic, aggressive, but still friendly –
that is the character of today's rock fans," Cheng said.
Rock has been bubbling away in China for 20 years but it has not
yet reached its prime, said Jing, who is also a director of China
Performing Arts Agency, China's major art performance promotion
company.
He said at present rock has little commercial viability in
China, but the potential is great.
"Holding a concert like this is not profitable," said Jing,
adding that they have no company sponsors and need to sell tickets
worth at least 600,000 yuan per day, which is not easy with a daily
audience of only 3,000 people on average.
But he is hopeful about rock's future. "You see, there are so
many young people coming to the festival. Rock will eventually
become popular, it's just a question of time."
The government seems to be aware of the trend too, because it
has given the green light to more outdoor rock concerts over the
past few months. Three large outdoor rock festivals have been held
in Beijing alone since May.
In hosting the festival, Jing said he wanted to promote rock
music among ordinary Chinese and build trust with the government so
that he can convince them that rock and roll is "not as dangerous
as most people think," he said.
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(Photo source: sina.com)
(Xinhua News Agency October 6, 2006)
