Gum Bleed 牙龈出血 – Yuyintang 育音堂 2021.04.11
There’s a conviction to bands that Gum Bleed that strikes a chord with me. The band, who have been going strong for fifteen friggin years now, have always stuck to their guns through thick and thin, belting out one rallying call after another. As with a lot of punks bands throughout China, it can be an uphill battle finding the recognition one deserves, especially in this day and age where musical trends seem to shift every few months and variety shows can turn the most superficial of bands into an overnight success.
So while it may have been tempting to ‘go to the dark side’ many seasoned veterans like Gum Bleed have doubled down on their message, finding resonance in their old school, take-no-prisoners, meats-and-potatoes street punk. Which in many ways allows their music to hit firmly in the gut – its empathetic, passionate and hopeful (not to mention catchy as fuck) – leaving one with the belief that punk music can bring people together.
Perhaps I’m being a bit too optimistic and overly sentimental, but bands like Gum Bleed who relish the ‘sentiment, guts and glory’ is the kind of potent dose of punk I need in my life right now. Rock on.
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