On September 17, 2005, the first ever outdoor International Pop Festival in Beijing was held in Chaoyang Park, attracting nearly 10,000 people joining the music feast.
Now the annual festival, sponsored by Rock for China Entertainment Ltd. (RCE), has become one of the biggest outdoor music events in Asia and China's biggest pop music festival with increasing international participation.
The poster of Beijing Pop Festival 2007
This year's event to be held in Beijing's Chaoyang Park on September 8 and 9 has gone one better and features the biggest set of international headlines China has ever seen, including Nine Inch Nails, Public Enemy, The Ramones, New York Dolls, Suede and China's own rock legend Cui Jian.
The festival will be held on two stages in Chaoyang Park in eastern Beijing. Rock for China Entertainment is in charge of one stage and Hit FM of China Radio International hosts the other.
Headlining act Nine Inch Nails (NIN) is regarded one of the most innovative and influential bands of the past two decades. The band is essentially the one-man project of Trent Reznor, who will bring about 15 tonnes of equipment to the Beijing show.
Public Enemy (PE) is one of the world's most important rap groups and is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. PE will close on Saturday night with a career spanning set.
PE's musical style and delivery have earned it millions of fans. Throughout its career, PE keeps blazing musical and technological trails with new songs and new media, pulling rap music into the future, all the while keeping its musical roots firmly intact.
The one-two punch of Chuck D and Flavor Flav has rocked the world.
The festival will also include two iconic punk artists. Marky Ramone is the longest serving drummer playing with the legendary group The Ramones and the only surviving member. He still tours the world to keep their legacy alive.
The other punk act is the New York Dolls, one of the very few punk acts to actually precede the Ramones.
As the only UK artist this year, Brett Anderson, the founder and voice of Suede, is back to Beijing.
The main stage will also feature Rize, who headlined the Japan portion of the Live Aid gig a few years ago.
Mumiy Troll, one of Russia's most popular acts, is also sure to be a highlight for Beijing's enormous Russian contingent.
In addition to the Western headliners, Cui Jian will lead the Chinese lineup.
It will be Cui's very first outdoor gig in Beijing.
Other Chinese bands include Xie Tian Xiao, Muma & Third Party, Brain Failure, Thin Man, The Honeys and Joyside.
It is the second year that Xie plays at the Beijing Pop Festival. Last year, he was so hyped up he smashed his guitar on stage.
Acclaimed as "an amazing beautiful flower blooming in China's rock soil", Xie and his Cold Blooded Animals are considered a symbol of China's alternative rock.
Their music characterizes China's rock by fusing the energy of grunge, acid-rock and punk. The unique style and the violent voice that has become the band's signiture, has won praise from the Chinese music industry.
Between 2000 and 2002, the band played in many different countries. As a representative of Chinese rock, they took part in a series of international music festivals in Japan and the United States. The band has also been featured in Rolling Stone.
Muma is one of the most influential rock bands in China, and frontman Muma studied in art school for many years. He says painting polished his creative energy.
The debut album Muma was released in December 1998 under Modern Sky. It soon won great popularity all across the country. The keyboard player brought more colorful elements to their music. The third album Pudding Empire has become their most distinguished one.
Other local artists worth mentioning are a couple of D-22 bands, Joyside and The Scoff, two examples of China's rise in rock 'n' roll.
Addicted to New York Dolls and the Stooges, four guys formed the band Joyside in Beijing in March of 2001.
Three years later, they released the debut album Drunk is Beautiful. Then, Joyside took off on their first China tour. American director Kevin Fritz later made them subjects of the documentary Wasted Orient.
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The poster of Beijing Pop Festival 2006
The poster of Beijing Pop Festival 2005
(China.org.cn September 6, 2007)
