18 hours in Wuhan! Plenty of time to stir up some craziness, meet some amazing folks, hang out at the epicenter of down and out rock and roll, and hear some kickass bands. The occasion: Nasty Wizard Recordings were releasing their latest slice of gonzo mayhem – a split between Busan alt punks Genius and Wuhan’s own grunge torchbearers Jiao aka Banana Tree – whose brooding, conflicted, painfully honest and scathing lyrics are matched perfectly with the band’s unhinged, grit-filled performance, led by Guo Laoshi. Top notch fellas. Also on the bill were jagged post punk outfit Panic Worm – a madcap knot of manic, sardonic, and slightly deranged stream-of-conscious singing and razor sharp arrangements. And finally, if thing’s were already leaning toward the absurd, the evening kicked off with a wildly fun and disturbed set from NoNoShit! – made up of three musicians with radically different backgrounds – a collision course of grindcore, metal, and punk that plastered a shit-eating grin on my face from the moment they set foot on stage. Beijing’s own Noise Arcade (and one of the Nasty Wizards) kept the buzz going and the pedal geeks drooling till way past midnight. Special shout out to WUHAN Prison – the kind of place you immediately feel home at – cold (cheap) beer, friendly staff, and a hub for local patrons there for the music. Not an ounce of cynicism. Another shout out to Sense Club, where I spent the first few hours of my evening at (keep your eyes peeled for a piece on them via Subtropical Asia soon) – a great DIY record store that’s also not pervy to throwing events. And of course, thanks to all the bands and folks who came out for the event. This won’t be the last time.
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