Music festivals on a roll
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Midi Music Festival, started by the Midi Music School, moved to Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, last year, with Cui Jian headlining.
"The entire independent music scene has come into the spotlight, which has brought rock back into the mainstream," says Liu Yifan, one of the organizers of InMusic Festival, which attracted nearly 100,000 fans over three days in August last year.
"With the support of the governments and music fans, I think it's a good time to be an indie rocker in China."
"The problem wasn't lack of bands, but lack of venues, stages and media attention," he says. "These music festivals are more like carnivals than just music. We have beer, grasslands, pollution-free air and tents here."
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American Michael Angelo Batio plays his signature Double-Guitar at the Holisland Rock Festival in Suzhou. [China Daily] |
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Last year, fans had big acts like English trip-hopper Tricky and local rocker Xu Wei. This year features some of the top Chinese rock music artists, such as Zheng Jun, Xu Wei, as well as international musicians such as Las Vegas-based rock band Panic! At the Disco and the indie-rock band CocoRosie.
Liu says not all the music festivals are making profits but the situation is improving.
"China has emerged onto the international stage with the Olympic Games and Shanghai World Expo attracting lots of world attention. There's been a change. It's slow, but it's happening.
"I'm booking more Chinese bands these days to help the rock revival. I am confident of building up InMusic Festival into an international music festival, which will have world-class artists such as Lady Gaga joining in."
With many young rock talents appearing, rock music has been blended into TV shows, movie soundtracks and commercials, which has changed its image.
Once wary of rock music, the government is now more accepting. "There are old concepts about rock music and singers associated with people who drink, meet girls and are violent," says Sun Xiaohan, the Party Secretary of Zhangbei county. "But when we saw people coming here and having fun, we felt that we should shake off those negative images about rock music."
Sun says this year the government has invested 3 million yuan ($442,800) in the InMusic Festival and audiences of more than 30,000 a day are expected to attend.
"It's not that rock is strange, it's not that bizarre - it's simply a little ahead of its time in China," the rock pioneer Cui Jian once said in an interview. "China needs rock 'n' roll to come back."
