The haze has lifted and the body is mending itself back together. First off, thanks to everyone who can’t out over the past weekend; to everyone who sent a kind message; and of course to the venues and bands who made this possible and gave it their all.
DDC has been my de facto venue for putting together showcases for some time now. Our first rendezvous was for the epic (how did that even come together?) Fake Fuzz Fest held back in 2014 – a two-day fest of music, food, and art that put Mr. Gaymer and me through the wringer. So it only felt appropriate (and masochistic clearly) to go back to where it all started and throw myself into the pits of hell. But oh, what glorious music was made over Friday and Saturday. Every band was firing on all cylinders and I couldn’t have been more honored. Night two couldn’t have unfolded any better, with each band offering something rich and diverse to the stage.
Kicking off the night were one of 2019’s best new bands – UNIT, the combustible trio whose lean, sharp, and scrappy dirty garage rock noise punk acted as the perfect wake-up call to anyone who was still feeling the remnants of the past two nights. Their set also acted as a bittersweet goodbye, as the band, like too many others involving its members, will be hanging it up. Hell of a way to go out I say.
Up next were Bye Bye Fish, the avant-garde folk duo formed by the leading duo behind the beloved punk outfit SUBS – donning white ghostly costumes that were a cross between Chef Boyardee and The Pumpkin King, they blindsided an unsuspecting audience, captivating them with their enchanting, mysterious and melodic aura – can’t tell you how many people came up to me afterward to find out more about them.
The evening also saw the return of Dalian’s Floating in the Mist, whose nuanced, resonating, and innovative blend of math rock, shoegaze and psychedelic rock, continues to impress – love how its low-key seductive nature hides the band’s more explosive tendencies. Simply put, don’t sleep on these cats Beijing!
I can’t tell you how happy I was to have Deadly Cradle Death on the bill. Despite the duo keeping a relatively low-profile for over the last decade, they put on one of the best live shows period, and their sizzling contagious and oh so cathartic deep dive into rugged hip-hop, drum n’ bass, and acid punk, is something to behold, and they rightfully had the audience into a frenzied trance.
The evening closed out with a debauched, surly and righteous set from psych-infused indie rockers Backspace, who brought a slew of new songs with them (new album this spring!). They’re dear to my heart – from the first time I caught them at their debut gig in 2016 up until now. It was an honor to have them play LiveBeijingMusic off – complete with crowd surfing, lots of dancing, and some serious moshing. One for the ages.
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