BuHaoChi, Bedstars, Free Sex Shop, Shang HuanHuan

Bu Hao Chi, well, Bu Hao Chi, what else is there to say. 10 years after ill-forgotten and disastrous shows have left many a fine memory and impression in the hearts and minds of more than a few Beijing rock n\’ roll fans. Perhaps their legacy is best summed up in their own words:

\”Perhaps it was simply a scam to get free beer, or just a drunken idea from which no one managed to sobered up. Regardless of the underlying rationale, in 2005 four miscreants armed with an electric banjo came together to play punk rock covers of that classic American icon Johnny Cash. Beer-soaked performances, notorious for dropped notes and trousers – even before playing their first song, earned them banishment from stages all across Beijing until they found an easy mark in a then-brand-new-and-not-yet-reeking-of-puke venue in WuDaoKou called D-22. They managed to pack out the bar on Wednesday nights by scamming a local expat rag until management made the astoundingly stupid decision to hire the band members as bar staff, thus allowing them unmitigated access to the alcohol (it’s quite possible however, that management realized they had no choice in the matter). BuHaoChi now possessed an unfettered control, which they wielded to host now-legendary weekly shows comprising their friends and local luminaries of the scene. Joyside, the Scoff, and others all participated shot-for-shot drinking matches before taking the stage where they would often then play the best performances of their careers that none would ever clearly remember – because if you can remember a BuHaoChi show then you weren’t actually there.

This golden period for the band culminated in an ill-fated tour of Hangzhou, during which they never managed to perform two full songs before being kicked out – power cut and backlines hauled away. The unsportsmanlike attitude of their southern comrades, combined with the inevitable crash from a baijiu binge may have been what caused them to burn out after just six months. The members, according to local lore, then set forth to lead lives based on the tunes they had been singing.

Vestiges of BuHaoChi cropped up from time to time but were quickly suppressed like Chinese shanzai goods as the scene continued on its steady march towards professionalism, muscianship and respectability. Memories of the band faded but never quite disappeared completely, not unlike a puke stain that can never be washed out. Now, after ten years of dormancy, whispers of a mounting reunion show with otherwise respectable artists and community leaders can be heard in some of the city\’s seedier bars. Late night discussions are dominated by increasing resignation in the face of an impending disaster – like recovering addicts who know they are headed for a fall. One question however, continues to linger: can anyone really take one more round of BuHaoChi?\”

If that doesn\’t have you ready for round two 10 years later, I don\’t know what does!

Come out on this fine Friday evening, and bring 3 pairs of drinking shoes! Will most definitely end in insanity.

Opening for BuHaoChi are friends the Bedstars, Free Sex Shop, and Shang HuanHuan of Joyside.

RMB 60

Lineup:
BuHaoChi: http://site.douban.com/buhaochi/
Bedstars: http://site.douban.com/bedstars/
Free Sex Shop: http://site.douban.com/FSS/
Shang HuanHuan

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