As 2016 inches toward the finish line (to the relief of many) the music scene gets ready to unleash all it’s got left – album releases, tours aplenty, and enough music to keep those dark diabolical thoughts at bay. Or indulge them to their full extent. Whatever floats your boat you loon. Onwards! Here’s your weekend gig guide:

Friday December 2^nd

L1STALLDO at REC Room

Been looking for an excuse to hit up the new Sanlitun underground electronic venue for some time and I think I’ve found the perfect excuse – underground rap trio, L1STALLDO, based out of Chengdu and made up of rappers D.John, Mao, and Killer Wang will be making setting up shop as part of their nationwide tour. Authentic, raw hip-hop with more than enough grit – no glamour, just a hardened outlook on city life with stark lyrics blanketed with everything from Bruce Lee quotes to Chinese soap operas. 40 RMB

Octopoulpe (South Korea), Le Crabe (France), DIGOU (China/South Korea), Klaus Legal (France) at Temple Hot Cat Club (11pm start)

Back to the races! Temple’s first proper day back in business finds them waving their freak flag proudly with an surreal eclectic lineup featuring hardcore math rock, bastard electronica, hardcore punk, and ‘blinding techno’ – with an array of musicians from France, South Korea, and China getting weriddddd. Absolutely mental stuff and just my cup of tea. FREE

The Diders, Shave-N-Shut, M.A.I, Quickshot at School

Punk comes home to School Bar as the this year’s punk vanguard takes stage including Oi! rockers Shave-N-Shut, dbeat ruffians MAI, as well as the female-fronted Qucikshot, and the always reliable (and inebriated) Diders. 80 RMB

TOE (Japan) at Yugong Yishan

Post rock heavyweight promoters New Noise host Japanese instrumental band TOE who return to present their new critically acclaimed album Hear You. These cats sold out pretty quick last time they showed up – expect a packed house and an epic post rock experience. 220 RMB

Rhonda, december3am, Plateau at DDC

An eclectic lineup over at DDC as the Mongolian-infused kraut rock duo december3am continue their stellar 2016 alongside the robust tightly-wound math rock trio Rhonda, and indie rockers Plateau. 60 RMB

Serge Teyssot-Gay (FR), Macondo at Hot Cat Club

Legendary French musician and former guitarist & co-founder renowned French rock band Noir Desir brings his avant-garde solo performance to the Hot Cat Club alongside powerhouse instrumentalist Macondo. 60 RMB

Mojo Hand at Yue Space

Blues rock supergroup made up of some of the skilled rockers of the Beijing scene, including OOC frontman Cheng Chen, bring their richly flavored Chicago blues to the Beixinqiao space. 80 RMB

PVA at 13 Club

‘Fused in the fiery pits of Shanghai, combining the fiercest essences of Hardcore, Metal and Beer,’ PVA are the latest hardcore punk trashers to emerge from China’s financial capital – catch them at 13 Club tonight. 40 RMB (7pm start)

The Frogs at Jianghu Bar

Long standing indie pop trio The Frogs return to the stage after a stint behind the scenes, and they’re bringing their friends along for the fun. 80 RMB

Bike (Taiwan) at Blue Stream Bar

Taiwanese rock n roll representatives Bike bring their polished charm to the petite Gulou center venue – genuine indie pop that goes down nice and easy. 50 RMB

Shannon Leftbridge, Rosie Eade at Caravan

Indie folk goddesses and pixies bring some heavenly tunes to the Moroccan hotspot. FREE

Xu Jun at 69 Café

Xi’an raised singer-songwriter and frontman for the ethnic folk rock trope Chenianpo gives a solo performance at the (still surviving) NLGX joint. 60 RMB

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Saturday December 3^rd

Streets Kill Strange Animals, Last Goodbye, Motorbike Girls at Modernsky Lab

Unsung heroes of the underground rock and roll scene, post punk outfit Streets Kills Strange Animals bring their visceral, cerebal sophomore release McDKids to Modernsky Lab along with psychedelic shoegaze band Last Goodbye, one of the breakthrough acts of the year, and noise rockers Motorbike Girls. 80 RMB

Serge Teyssot-Gay (FR), Xiao He, Xie Yugang at Yue Space

Legenardy French musican, former guitarist for seminal French rock band Noir Desir, returns to Beijing with his spellbinding avant-garde improvisational guitar work alongside the equally captivating freak folk artist Xiao He and Xie Yugang, frontman of the Dalian post rock giants Wang Wen, both prominent artists in the underground scene. 100 RMB

Laisee, Duff Beer at School

Hardcore foursome Laisee has in the past year emerged as one of the best rock acts, a band not afraid to cut loose, and bring the boom to audiences – they celebrate three years together with a special showcase at School Bar alongside up and coming punk scrappers Duff Beer. FREE

Tomahawk at Tango

Tomahawk, one of the oldest bands in Beijing, true yaogun torchbearers, whose twenty plus years on the metal scene have made them a household name – present their newest album Deep Sea to its legion of diehard fans at Tango. If you ever wanted to see flag waving in a indoor setting look no further. 100 RMB

Only Jane, Joker’s Belief, The Peppercorns, The White Papers, Macondo at Mao Livehouse

Believe in superheroes as indie rock trope Only Jane faces off with urban funk outfit Joker’s Belief for some good ol’ fashion rock and roll – they’ll be joined by some of the scene’s rising stars including Macondo, The Peppercorns, and The White Papers. 100 RMB (free if dressed like a superhero!)

Kuso Eyes, Half Half, HET, Wang Yuqi at DDC

Indie folk, emo punk, and garage rock – all in one afternoon setting at DDC as Kuso Eyes, Half Half, Wang Yuqi, and more take the stage and bring some tunes before the sun goes down. 40 RMB

Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine at DDC

Audience favorites, Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine bring their impressive repertoire of classic soul, RnB, 3-piece horn section, rock and roll fun to DDC. 50 RMB

Randy Abel, Parker Threvatan, Kamau, Peter Murchison, Moor Hick, Rosie Eade at Caravan

Beijing based, American roots musician Randy Abel, a fixture of the live music scene, as a solo artist and as the leader of the Randy Abel Stable, celebrates his birthday with a wide array of musicians and top grade alcohol. FREE

Kovlo (Switzerland), Comp Collider at Yugong Yishan

Instrumental tour de forces Kovlo, based out of the south of Switzerland, bring their epic soundscapes to Yugong Yishan as the band preps their latest release Timelapse. 120 RMB

641 at Temple

The Tianjin based hardcore and metal band, 641, an active force on the scene for over ten years, bring their rough, magnetic sound to Temple Bar as apart of their nationwide tour. FREE

Bad Monk at fRUITYSPACE

Jazzy basement bunker shenanigans! Bad Monk is a trio that performs improvisational-centered original music. The members are comprised of saxophonist Nathaniel Gao, guitarist Simone Schirru and drummer Xiao Dou. 50 RMB

A Scent Like Wolves (US) at 13 Club

US band post-hardcore band A Scent Like Wolves stop by 13 Club in Beijing as part of their Asia tour. 100 RMB

Mademoiselle et son Orchestre at Jianghu Bar

Beijing’s premier gypsy jazz band Mademoiselle et son Orchestre are in quartet mode this time out with Doug Martin on guitar, Fiach O\’Brien on drums and ET on double bass – expect good vibes and good times at the cozy hutong space. 60 RMB

Monster, Lattice, Time Partner, N&Y at Mars Livehouse

Another afternoon rocking showcase at the newly minted Mars Livehouse out by the Communications University – old faces, new faces, pure rock and roll. 60 RMB (2pm start)

 

Cheng Kam Lung, Zhang Yang at La Plantation

Beijing born violin virtuoso Cheng Kam-Lung joins pianist Zhang Yang for a top class recital featuring the works of J.S Bach, Beethoven, Brahms and more. 200 RMB

Kuso Eyes, Big Face, X-Summer, Boiling City, Gravitational Force at Chen Livehouse

The 798 district venue gets down and dirty this evening with bit of something for everyone – emo punk, industrial rock, metalcore. It’s a grab bag of genres and bands. 50 RMB

Ma Xiao at Snail Club

Rising folk pop singer-songwriter belts out his latest gems at the warm and cozy Snail Club among his hardcore fans. 70 RMB

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Sunday December 4^th

 

Nahas, iimmune, Noise Arcade at fRUITYSPACE 

The Shanghai based drone metal project spearheaded by Acid Pony Club member and producer Laura Ingalls, brings the diabolical madness to fRUITYSPACE – just getting shivers down my spine recalling my last run around with them. Bone chilling stuff. He’ll be joined by esteemed electronic artists iimmune and Noise Arcade. Get down with the sickness. 40 RMB (8pm start)

 

Marching Church (Denmark), The Molds at DDC

Copenhagen’s Marching Church, the onetime solo project and now bona fide band formed by Elias Bender Rønnenfelt (best known as the lead singer of Iceage), swing through Beijing with their latest album It Like It Is alongside alternative proto rockers The Molds. 80 RMB

Favours, Nocturnes at Modernsky Lab

Xiamen britpop infused electro rock outfit Favours, present their latest album Now Or Never, at Modernsky Lab – upbeat synth-laced tunes to bop your head too. Support from the rising indie rock duo Nocturnes, who are looking to release their debut early next year. 80 RMB

Rock Against Jams! Vol. 4 at Temple

Temple celebrates the end of the Moon Fest with the next volume of ‘Rock Against Jams’ in which bands form for the first time, and after a 90 minute studio practice, strut their stuff onstage for the ultimate judgment! FREE

Ember Swift, Kamou at School

Beijing based Candian singer-songwriter Ember Swift brings her spunk and rock and roll swagger to School Bar for a Sunday night get up with support from The Feeling Trees singer Kamou. 50 RMB

Zhang Qianqian at Snail Club

Veteran sing-songwriter Zhang Qianqian, a staple of the folk scene, since her debut in 1996 gives a special showcase courtesy at 69 Snail Club. 80 RMB