Friendly Fires Performs at China Music Valley Festival

The concert I can’t wait to witness: Friendly Fires

After the music festival overload over the 3-day May holiday (four festivals taking place simultaneously across three days is excessive), you might have thought it was all over but the best is yet to come!

In my previous LDS article covering all the music festivals taking place across the month: The Month of May is Music Festival Madness, I had briefly introduced China Music Valley Music Festival, but with all the other music festivals over and done with, you can now focus your attention on CMV who’s bringing 8 groups of international artists, 8 groups of Chinese artists, several electric and jazz artists and even some high-energy aerobics sessions by my favorite Swedish guy wearing bright pink shorts, Heyrobics.

These were the same guys who brought Avril Lavigne, Little Boots, Editors and KT Tunstall last year to Beijing for a rocking 2-day Music Festival.

China Music Valley Music Festival (May 18-20)

The full line-up is spread across three stages (one more stage than last year) with Brit-pop leading CMV with 6 out of the 8 international artists coming from the UK (coincidence that this is happening in this London Olympic Year?)

CMV’s International Artists:

• Legendary Scottish band: The Jesus and Mary Chain
• UK R&B diva who sold over 11 million records worldwide: Joss Stone
• The UK pop icon: Pixie Lott
• Top level European rock band from UK: White Lies
• The famous Scottish band: Glasvegas
• Electric rock band: Friendly Fires
• Fantasy rock band from NYC: School of Seven Bells
• Electric pop band from Finland: Husky Rescue

CMV’s Local Artists:

• Two of the biggest mainland China rock superstars: Xu Wei & Wang Feng
• Indie Rock Star from Taiwan: Mavis Fan & 100%
• Female Eason Chan from Hong Kong: Kay
• The most influencing indie DJ in mainland China: Youdai
• Beijing Brit-pop rock band: The SuperVC
• Electric Band: Nova Heart
• The New Generation Jazz Band: Li Gaoyang Jazz Tribe
• Chinese Princess Mermaid: Blanda Sun
• Beijing new band: G11
• Mainland Top DJ: DJ-A.M.U
• Beijing electric music producer: DJ Howie Lee

For those die-hard music festival goers, fans have the option of camping out there all weekend with the campsite opening up on Friday, May 18 and you can score 3-day tickets for only RMB 150 if you pre-pay before Wednesday, May 16 (regular price is RMB 480 for 3-day pass or RMB 580 if you pay at the door).  To purchase this steal of a deal, go to sendmetickets.com and they can even deliver tickets directly to you!

Camping spots are limited and it’s first come, first serve so act now if this is something you are interested in booking – just email the CMV Committee: cmvfestival@163.com (very official sign-up process).

If you are just interested in going up for with Saturday or Sunday, here’s the breakdown of performances per day with acts displaying backwards chronologically showing headliners first:

CMV Music Festival: Friday’s Line-Up

CMV Music Festival: Saturday’s Line-Up

CMV Music Festival: Sunday’s Line-Up

While the line-up is good both Saturday and Sunday, I’m biased towards Sunday when one of my all-time favorite bands Friendly Fires will be on the YUE stage from 8:40-9:40PM.

CMV Music Festival Details:

• Dates: Friday, May 18- Sunday, May 20, 2012

• Times: Friday from 8:30-11:30PM, Saturday and Sunday from 10AM – 11PM

• Tickets: Purchase a 3-Day Pass for only RMB 150 on sendmetickets.com (normally RMB 480 for pre-sale or RMB 580 at the door for 3-day pass or even 280RMB (per day pre-sale), 350RMB (per day at door)

• Location: Beijing Yuyang International Ski Resort

• Address: Click here for directions and Music Festival Bus Pass

The Month of May is Music Festival Madness

 Music Festival Madness: Strawberry Festival 2011

Get ready for a month of pure music madness, which starts this weekend on Sunday, April 29.

It sucks for most of us who have to work on Saturday, but we are quickly rewarded with a 3-day holiday. Last year’s May holiday saw three music festivals: Strawberry, Midi and newcomer China Music Valley (CMV) which is where I rocked out to Little Boots, Editors, and KT Tunstall.  Click here for my LDS Summary of last year’s triple festival line-up.

This year is even more manic with 4 music festivals happening across the 3-day May holiday followed by CMV Music Festival on May 18 & 19th with big international headliners including one of my favorite bands, Friendly Fires.

Before I get ahead of myself, I’ll focus firstly on what’s most imminent: the upcoming festival line-up for this year’s May 2012 holiday in Beijing (Midi and Strawberry will both also take place in Shanghai).

LumDimSum Breakdown of May Holiday’s Music Festivals:

1. Strawberry Music Festival

The biggest of the four festivals, Strawberry Music Festival has a total of 8 stages, covers the biggest area and will most definitely attracts the biggest crowds. Created by Modern Sky (who will also be celebrating their 15th anniversary), Strawberry has the broadest range of music with the biggest international headliners with Italian twin brothers, Blonde Redhead, headlining as the indie favorite followed by Goose and Laura Jansen (US).

Strawberry Festival Headliners Blonde Redhead Perform on Day 1

Located the same spot as last year at Tongzhou Channel Park, there will be eight stages spread out including the main Strawberry Stage, a Love Stage (pop, alternative, reggae), a School of Rock Stage, a Planet Stage, an Overload Stage (metal) and an electronic stage.

Strawberry Main Stage

Highlights of Strawberry: Day 1: Hanggai, Re-Tros (重塑雕像的权利), Blonde Redhead (all three on main Strawberry stage) and Jeans Team (Planet Stage); Day 2: Goose and Queen Sea Big Shark (strawberry stage), General Elektrik and Tahiti 80 (Planet Stage), DJ Bite-Size Buddha and DJ Spooky (electronic stage); Day 3: Brain Failure, Carsick Cars, Laura Jansen (US), Xie TianXiao 谢天笑 (all on main Strawberry stage), Hedgehog (Love Stage), The On-Fires (AU), Fever Machine (US) and Pitchturner (DE) (all three on Planet Stage), and DJ Slide (electronic stage)

Here’s the 3-Day Strawberry Line-Up:

Day 1: Sunday, April 29

Strawberry Stage
13:30-14:10 Da Bang
14:30-15:10 Xi Ban (戏班)
15:30-16:10 Hanggai (杭盖)
16:30-17:10 Cao Fang (曹方)
17:30-18:30 Re-Tros (重塑雕像的权利)
19:00-20:00 Blonde Redhead (US)
20:30-21:30 New Pants (新裤子)

Love Stage
12:30-13:00 Twinkle Star
13:30-14:00 CNdY
14:30-15:10 Is and Ism（JP）
15:50-16:30 Waa Wei 魏如萱（TW）
17:10-17:50 Zhou Yunpeng（周云蓬）
18:30-19:10 Convenience Store（便利商店）
19:50-20:30 Reflector（反光镜）

Planet Stage
13:00-13:30 Streets Kill Strange Animals（街道杀死奇怪的动物）
14:00-14:30 Wang Shengnan（王胜男）
15:10-15:50 Killersoap（HK）
16:30-17:10 The Mystery Lights (US)
17:50-18:30 Arms and Legs (US)
19:10-19:50 Kulu （梁晓雪）
20:30-21:10 Jeans Team（DE）

Overload Stage
15:00-15:40 Tarot Saint（塔罗圣徒）
16:00-16:40 Nuclear Fusion G （核聚变G)
17:00-17:40 Bloody Climax（血腥高潮）
17:40-18:40 A.J.K (玉麟军 )
19:00-20:00 Voodoo Kungfu （零壹）
20:20-21:20 Tomahawk （战斧）

Electronic Stage
14:00-15:00 Jiongjiong
15:00-16:00 Nassdak (ES)
16:00-17:00 Pipesmokers (IT)
17:00-18:00 DJ Thome Tomato (US)
18:00-19:00 Elvis T (TW)
19:00-20:00 DJ Wengweng
20:00-21:30 Strip Steve (FR)

 Day 2: Monday, April 31

Strawberry Stage
13:30-14:10 Namo（南无）
14:30-15:10 No Fish (非鱼）
15:30-16:10 Perdel （逃跑计划）
16:30-17:10 Yiko (曾轶可)
17:30-18:30 Goose（BEL）
19:00-20:00 Zhang Chu（张楚）
20:30-21:30 Queen Sea Big Shark  (后海大鲨鱼)

Love Stage
12:30-13:00 Fuzzy Mood
13:30-14:00 Hogan (IRL)
14:30-15:10 AV Okubo (AV大久保 ）
15:50-16:30 A-BOYS
17:10-17:50 Shuang Zi Yu Ci （爽子与瓷）
18:30-19:10 熊宝贝（TW）
19:50-20:30 Second Hand Rose（二手玫瑰）

Planet Stage
13:00-13:30 Dúo De Guitarras Umbral (UY)
14:00-14:30 Trebunie-Tutki Family (PL)
15:10-15:50 EKEE & Zarahn（HK）
16:30-17:10 Party Horse（UK）
17:50-18:30 General Elektriks（FR）
19:10-19:50 旅行团
20:30-21:10 Tahiti 80（FR）

Overload Stage
15:00-15:40 Death Pack（死亡契约）
16:00-16:40 Dark Haze （霾晦）
17:00-17:40 Crack （裂缝）
17:40-18:40 Die From Sorrow （郁 ）
19:00-20:00 Hades（冥界）
20:20-21:20 Suffocated （窒息）

Electronic Stage
14:00-15:00 Peipei
15:00-16:00 Liz
16:00-17:00 Kai Ze
17:00-18:00 Boflex (US)
18:00-19:00 Bite-Size Buddha (US)
19:00-20:00 Do Hits
20:00-21:30 DJ Spooky (US)

 Day 3: Tuesday, May 1

Strawberry Stage
13:30-14:10 Candy Monster（糖果怪兽）
14:30-15:10 Steely Heart
15:30-16:10 Brain Failure （脑浊）
16:30-17:10 Carsick Cars
17:30-18:30 Crowd Lu 卢广仲（TW）
19:00-20:00 Laura Jansen（US）
20:30-21:30 XTX（谢天笑）

Love Stage
12:30-13:00 Wanderlust
13:30-14:00 Rat Pac (浩子)
14:30-15:10 Josie Ho (何超仪) & The Uni Boys（HK）
15:50-16:30 LURE （诱导社）
17:10-17:50 Ivana Wong 王菀之（HK）
18:30-19:10 Huang Yida 黄义达（SG）
19:50-20:30 Hedgehog (刺猬)

Planet Stage
13:00-13:30 CAssette
14:00-14:30 范世琪&张萱
15:10-15:50 The On Fires(AU)
16:30-17:10 The Fever Machine(US)
17:50-18:30 Tree Music (树）
19:10-19:50 Haya (乐团)
20:30-21:10 Pitchtuner（DE）

Overload Stage
15:00-15:40 Surprise
16:00-16:40 641
17:00-17:40 Four Five (肆伍)
17:40-18:40 Gear & Eraser (齿轮橡皮）
19:00-20:00 Twisted Machine （扭曲机器）
20:20-21:20 Liquid Oxygen (液氧罐头）

Electronic Stage
14:00-15:00 Mo Bass
15:00-16:00 Donky Tonk (UK)
16:00-17:00 Slide (UK)
17:00-18:00 Oshi (FR)
18:00-19:00 Microgram (IL)
19:00-20:00 Psytrance Pete (UK)
20:00-21:30 Djedjotonic (FR)

**Full Line-Up should include Acapella Stage and Campus Stage, click here for complete list.

Tickets: You can score presale tickets from ¥60/day via Piao.com.cn, Tel: 400-610-3721. Or, buy tickets at the door. RMB 100 per day or RMB 240 for 3 Day Pass.
Getting there: Take the Batong Subway Line to Tongzhou Beiyuan. There, you will find Modern Sky free shuttle buses, which depart every 20-30 minutes between 10am and 6pm. Return buses are available every 20 minutes from 6-10:30 pm with the last bus at 10:30pm. Alternatively, you can take a cab to Tongzhou Canal Park (通州运河公园) from the Tongzhou Beiyuan stop for about RMB30.

2. Midi Music Festival 2012

The oldest of the bunch, Midi Music Festival is in its 13th year and this year, they’ve moved from Haidian Park to The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park off of Line 15 and nearby the airport. A legendary rock festival started by Midi School of Music, this festival has the most loyal following. Never have I seen to many punk rock kids with crazy mohawks in one location.

Wonder what’s with the profile of the man wearing a gas mask? It’s actually quite similar to the face mask I wear biking around Beijing and it’s calling attention to China’s growing environmental problem, particularly its poor air quality.

“The theme this year is ‘PM 2.5′ also called ‘lung particles’, refers to the particles less than or equal to 2.5 microns in diameter in the air. That’s less than 1/20 of a human hair! Although the earth’s atmospheric composition consists of very small quantities of PM2.5, it has an important affect on air quality and visibility. PM2.5 contains large amounts of toxic and hazardous substances, remain longer in the atmosphere allowing it to travel long distances and thus may have a greater impact on human health and air quality.  Avant-guarde artist Zhu Wei designed this year’s poster, describing a future scene where all people care about environment.” 

2012 Beijing Midi Music Festival will feature four stages – Tang, Song, Yuan and Qing (also the names of four of China’s long dynasties) with Tang and Song being the main stages and Yuan taking on as the electronic stage organized by the “Yen” electronic music label.  Qing is the stage dedicated to the winners of the Midi Campus Competition and weibo competition.

Here’s the 3-day Midi Festival Line-Up:

Day 1: Sunday, April 29

Tang Stage
12:00-13:00 VANS No Room For Rock Stars 纪录片首映记者会
13:30-14:00 Stolen 秘密行动
14:20-14:50 The Falling 堕天
15:10-15:40 待定
16:10-16:50 Zou You 左右
17:20-18:00 Useless ID（Isarel）
18:30-19:10 Twisted Machine 扭曲机器 
19:40-20:20 王勇独联体
20:50-21:30 Zhang Chu 张楚

Song Stage
13:00-13:30 Ego Fall 颠覆M
13:50-14:20 Wang Wei 王威
14:40-15:10 Logic Control 逻辑失控 
15:30-16:00 Slap 耳光
16:20-16:50 Goldcrush（Sweden）
17:10-17:40 No Fish 非鱼 
18:10-18:50 Suffocated 窒息 
19:20-20:00 La Souris Deglinguee (France)
20:30-21:10 Yaksa 夜叉

Clear Stage 
13:40-14:00 Summer Breeze
14:20-14:40 Perpetual Motion Machine 永动机
15:00-15:30 Pinocchio 匹诺槽
15:50-16:20 Why Lazy
16:40-17:10 The Power Powder 大粉
17:30-18:00 Shut up! Shut down!
18:20-18:50 Island Mood 岛屿心情
19:10-19:40 Lost 代凡与迷失乐队 
20:00-20:30 Dark Haze 霾晦
21:00-21:30 The Samans 萨满
22:00-22:30 R.W.F 瑞王坟

Yuan Stage
13:30-14:45 Liz
14:45-16:00 Jerryson
16:00-17:30 Ouyang
17:30-19:00 Blackie
19:00-20:30 Ben Huang
20:30-22:00 Mickey Zhang feat. Shao Feng 黄少峰

A Photo by Matthew Niederhauser for the New York Times

Day 2: Monday, April 30

Tang Stage
13:30-14:00 The Wheels
14:20-14:50 Larry’s Pizza
15:10-15:40 Monstereo（Norway）
16:10-16:50 Liquid Oxygen 液氧罐头
17:20-18:00 CMCB
18:30-19:10 Brain Failure 脑浊
19:40-20:20 Section 6 Hip Hop Crew
20:50-21:30 He Yong *(Mos Def has been cancelled)

Song Stage
13:00-13:30 Screaming Christ 惊叫基督
13:50-14:20 56 Degrees 56度
14:40-15:10 Skyscraper 摩天楼
15:30-16:00 Little Fish（UK）
16:20-16:50 Iron Kite 铁风筝
17:10-17:40 Hao Yun 郝云
18:10-18:50 Backyard Surgeons（Australia）
19:20-20:00 Voodoo Kungfu 零壹
20:30-21:10 Muma & Third Party 木玛&Third Party

Clear Stage 
13:00-13:20 Angel Monoplane 单翼天使
13:40-14:00 Los Crasher
14:20-14:40 Upper Class 上层社会
15:00-15:30 Surprise 意外惊喜
15:50-16:20 魇
16:40-17:10 Jia Huizhen 贾慧真
17:30-18:00 Residence A A公馆
18:20-18:50 Christmas
19:10-19:40 Hell City
20:00-20:30 Dagon Power 大红袍
21:00-21:30 Billow’s Fairy Tale 波澜童话
22:00-22:30 Zuo Bin (Z Brock) 左斌

Yuan Stage
13:30-14:45 DJ Gary
14:45-16:00 Harry Ho
16:00-17:30 LYDNB
17:30-19:00 Eddie Lv
19:00-20:30 DJ Usami
20:30-22:00 Dio

Day 3: Tuesday, May 1

Tang Stage
13:30-14:00 Multi-Ego 猫踢狗
14:20-14:50 Tookoo
15:10-15:40 Blackhead 黑撒
16:10-16:50 Frosty Eve 霜冻前夜
17:20-18:00 Nasser（France）
18:30-19:10 Subs
19:40-20:20 Good 4 Nothing（Japan）
20:50-21:30 Miserable Faith 痛仰

Song Stage
13:00-13:30 S.A.W 锯
13:50-14:20 Raging Mob
14:40-15:10 Arcane Saints（Australia）
15:30-16:00 Yiu 耀 
16:20-16:50 A.J.K 玉麟军
17:10-17:40 Misandao 蜜三刀
18:10-18:50 The Ordeal（Germany）
19:20-20:00 Perdel 逃跑计划
20:30-21:10 F.I.S (Fall in Sex) 秋天的虫子

Clear Stage 
13:00-13:20 Jacky Danny
13:40-14:00 Gemini 双子座
14:20-14:40 Androsace 点地梅
15:00-15:30 Saving Molly 拯救茉莉
15:50-16:20 Twinkle Star 闪星
16:40-17:10 The Amazing Insurance Salesmen 保险超人
17:30-18:00 NewTank 
18:20-18:50 树与颜色
19:10-19:40 The Lifeless 
20:00-20:30 Trouble Maker 捣蛋鬼
21:00-21:30 Norcelement 天行健
22:00-22:30 Five Point Zero 永恒之翼

Yuan Stage
13:30-14:45 自然
14:45-16:00 X Lee
16:00-17:30 Huangweiwei
17:30-19:00 Zhiqi
19:00-20:30 Jerry K
20:30-22:00 Yang Bing

Tickets: RMB 100 per day pre-sale; RMB 120 per day at entrance; RMB 240 for a 3-day pass

How to Get there: The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park off of Line 15 and nearby the airport.

3. Ditan Folk Festival

This will be the most chilled-out option for those looking for a more relaxed environment to spend their May holiday. Unlike the other festivals, this one is conveniently located in the city, you can bring whatever food and booze you want for an all-day picnic sitting out in a lovely park soaking up some sun (but also plenty of shaded areas for those who burn easily).

Unlike the other festivals, Ditan Folk Festival only features one stage playing folk rock throughout the two-day festival (April 30-May 1) which means don’t have to pick up and move from stage to stage and you can literally just park yourselves in one spot and set-up an all-day picnic.

Ditan Folk Festival

Set-Up your All-Day Picnic at Ditan Folk Festival

Started four years ago, Ditan Folk Festival will be hosting international acts and China’s biggest folk acts, with their line-up including Shanren, Xiao He, Dolan, Buyi, Lidong, Zhang Si’an, Randy Able Stable and Mama Funker.

Shanren 山人 Folk Band

Here’s the 2-Day Line-Up:

1st Day: Monday, April 31st

Time: 2:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Song Dongye 宋冬野 
Ma Di (Sesame Oil Leaves) 马頔 
Mirror 镜子 
Zhao Lei 赵雷 
Dreamer 白若溪 
纬青 (Taiwan) & LAG Orchestra 
Randy Abel Stable (USA)
Polad&David (Iran)
Dolan 都兰 
Xiao He 小河 
Zhang Sian （France）
SoundScape（Canada, France, Iran)
Shanren 山人 

2nd Day: Tuesday, May 1st

Time: 2:30 pm to 9:00 pm

The Power Powder 大粉 
Bloody Woods
Wu Siyao (April) 吴思瑶 
Mama Funker (Brazil)
Li Dong 立東 
叶尔波利 (Yerboli) & 文锋 & 次仁央吉
Nancy J Brown (UK)
Afrokoko Roots（Africa）
Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen 浪荡绅士 
Zhang Quan 张佺 
Buyi 布衣 
Traveler 旅行者

Tickets: RMB 60 per day pre-sale; RMB 80 per day at entrance; RMB 50 for students, RMB 120 for 2-day pass

How to Get there: Ditan Park (地坛公园); take subway line 2 to Lama Temple or Andingmen station.

4. MMAX Chaoyang International Pop Music Festival

Very little information is out there regarding this fourth festival and maybe that’s partly because this is their first year entering the “Music Festival Madness” and maybe because there is also quite a lot of overlap between this one and the others - Queen Sea Big Shark, Hedgehog, Carsick Cars, Hanggai, New Pants and a few of their DJ’s.

Here’s the MMAX 3-Day Line-Up:

Day 1: Sunday, April 29

14:30—15:10 GALA
15:30—16:10 Hedgehog 刺猬
16:30—17:20 Long Shen Dao 龙神道
17:40—18:20 Faith Yang 杨乃文
18:50—19:50 Queen Sea Big Shark 后海大鲨鱼
20:20—21:30 Yu Quan 羽泉

16:00-17:00 Guzz
17:00-18:00 DJ Monk
18:00-19:00 HBD
19:00-20:00 Sulumi
20:00-21:00 Lin Feng

Day 2: Monday, April 30

14:30—15:10 Carsick Cars
15:30—16:10 Hanggia 杭盖
16:30—17:20 Chusheng Chen 陈楚生
17:40—18:20 Zhang Xuan 张悬
18:50—19:50 Miserable Faith 痛仰
20:20—21:30 Pu Shu 朴树

16:00-17:00 Ceezy
17:00-18:00 Cavia
18:00-19:00 Ssoso
19:00-20:00 A.M.U
20:00-21:00 Ben Huang

Day 3: Tuesday, May 1

14:30—15:10 The Life Journey 旅行团
15:30—16:10 Tan Weiwei 谭维维
16:30—17:20 Peng Tan 彭坦
17:40—18:20 Hao Yun 郝云
18:50—19:50 New Pants 新裤子
20:20—21:30 Anthony Wang 黄耀明

16:00-17:00 Sig
17:00-18:00 Billy Starman
18:00-19:00 Howie Lee
19:00-20:00 Terry Tu
20:00-21:00 Elvis T

Tickets: RMB 60 per day pre-sale; RMB 80 per day at entrance; RMB 120 2-day pass

Pre-sale Online: http://www.damai.cn/ticket_35914.html

How to Get There: Chaoyang Sports Centre

• Take subway line 2 to Dongsishitiao, walk to Dongsi Qiao Dong and take the 758 to Pingfang Xikou. You can also just take a cab to Chaoyang Tiyu Zhongxin (朝阳体育中心) at Yaojiayuan Lu (姚家园路).

…But the music festival I’m most excited about is the China Music Valley Festival, which takes place out in Pinggu in a couple weeks from May 18-20 featuring big, BIG bands like Friendly Fires, Joss Stone and Jesus and Mary Chain.

Click here for CMV’s full line-up.

More info to come soon!

Death Cab for Cutie Headlining JUE Music + Art 2012

Death Cab for Cutie (Press Photo by Danny Clinch)

People have been going nuts for American Indie-rock band Death Cab for Cutie tickets since word first got out that they’d be coming to China this year and thanks to JUE | Music + Art Festival, the Splitworks team has brought the arrival of Death Cab for Cutie for two performances in Shanghai (March 9) and Beijing (March 10)!

Beijing’s performance will be held at the 3rd floor of Tango at 8PM on Saturday, March 10 and pre-sale tickets are available now! See below for ticket sale info.

“Fresh off the heels of another Grammy nomination for their seventh studio album, Codes and Keys, Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer, Chris Walla and Jason McGerr bring with them the melodies that charmed a generation of young music lovers and lyrics that made their hearts melt to the shores of China. Whether you love the sweetness of early singles like “A Movie Script Ending” or the complex later work of “I Will Possess Your Heart” and “You Are A Tourist,” the band’s unwavering commitment to sonic exploration and lyrical ambition promises an epic night of rock from one of America’s favourite indie rock bands.”

 Death Cab for Cutie by Autumn de Wilde (Photo taken in Greek Theatre, LA)

Death Cab for Cutie by Autumn de Wilde

Death Cab for Cutie Concert in Calgary

Concert Details:

• Date: Saturday, March 10
• Time: 8PM
• Location: 3rd Floor of Tango
• Address: 79 Hepingli Xijie, Dongcheng district  东城区和平里西街79号

Ticketing Info:

• Ticket Price: 280 RMB (Presale) /360 RMB (Door)
• Ticket Info Hotline: 1870 113 3908 (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, EN + CN)
• Presale tickets available:
• -       Taobao (in Chinese): http://splitworks.taobao.com/
• -       Tango 1st Floor Ticketing Desk (Mon-Sun, 24 hrs)
• Address: 79 Hepingli Xijie, Dongcheng District
• -       Crêpanini (Mon-Sun, 9am-12 midnight)
• Address: Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang District
• -       Lush (Open 24 Hours)
• Address: 2/F, Bldg 1, Huaqing Jiayuan, Chengfu Lu (across from the Wudaokou light-rail station), Haidian District
• Website:  www.lushbeijing.com
• -       NLGX Design Store (Mon-Sun,10 AM – 10 PM)
• Address: #33 Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District
• Website: www.nlgx.org

About JUE | Music + Art Festival 2012:

Celebrating it’s 4th year, JUE (觉) is sn independent urban arts and music festival in both Shanghai and Beijing that spans over a few weeks collecting alternative, creative and progressive arts and music events from March 9-March 25.

“Performance art, film, spoken word, street art, workshops, photography exhibitions, live music, madness… all of these things and more fall under the creative umbrella that is JUE.” – Split Works Team, hosts of JUE Music + Art Festival

Last year they brought one of my favorite bands Whitest Boy Alive to Yugongyishan and with Death Cab for Cutie and Summer Lei (雷光夏) as headlining acts in this year’s line-up, 2012 is looking bigger than ever!

So it’s very appropriate that WHALE! is their official opening party to launch this creative festival of talent.

(What is WHALE!? Just ask Bobby Dropper.  He explains it best here.)

JUE | Music + Art 2012

The Rock is Here: Modern Sky Music Festival 2011

Are you prepared for three solid days of rock and roll?

Rock. Metal. Thrash. Electro. Folk. Experimental. 

This year’s Modern Sky Music Festival is going down in Huairou over the next three days – October 3, 4 and 5.

3 days of music, 3 days of creativity.

Out in Huairou, Modern Sky is a great excuse to escape the city into the countryside, breathe some fresh air and rock out to some great local and international artists.

Headliners: 

October 3:  

• The Whip (UK)
• Super VC
• Lenka (Australia)

October 4:  

• The Go! Team (UK)
• Hanggai
• Carsick Cars

 October 5:  

• Mogwai (UK):
•  The Ocean (Germany)

Ticket information is available in Chinese here. An English language ticket guide is also available here.

Prices:

• 1 Day Ticket is RMB 150 (RMB 120 in advance) 
• 3 Day Tickets RMB 350 (RMB 300 in advance) 

Rumor has it that tickets for the express bus from Shaoyaoju to the venue in Huairou are sold out, so you may need to arrange for your own transport out there either through public transportation or taxi.

Directions to Modern Music Festival 2011:

Venue: Huaibei International Ski Resort, Huairou, Beijing

Take bus number 916 from Dong Zhi Men to Huai Rou Bei Da Jie. From Huai Rou Bei Da Jie, there is a free shuttle bus service from the Qing Chu Road roundabout to the festival. More information to follow as it becomes available.

LDS Hook-Up: Free Tix to Black Rabbit Music Festival

An all-day festival in Beijing Chaoyang Sports Park with headliners Ludacris and 30 Seconds to Mars, Black Rabbit Music Festival will be held in both Beijing and Shanghai on September 17 and September 18.

Organized by Taihe Live and Split Works, this should be a pretty diverse festival with a line-up including everyone from local artists like Hanggai and Carsick Cars to Ludacris…sure, why not?

Be among the first to get in touch with me and get the LDS HOOK-UP to FREE Tickets to Black Rabbit Music Festival! This offer comes on a first come, first dibs basis so if you want to get hooked up, just email – kristen@lumdimsum.com before noon on Wednesday, September 14.

Line-Up Includes:

• Ludacris
• Thirty Seconds to Mars
• Titus Andonicus
• Grandmaster Flash
• Gold Panda
• Perfume Genius
• Saigon
• Lil Ray
• Carsick Cars
• Hanggai
• The UK B-Boy Champs
• (see flier for all artists)

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, September 17
• Tickets: RMB 210 (presale), RMB 300 at the door
• Purchase Tickets: www.sendmetickets.com
• Location: Beijing Chaoyang Sports Park
• Address: 3.5km east of 4th Ring Road, 77 Yaojiayuan Rd.
• Website: www.hei-tu.com

Rave All Weekend: Intro Electronic Music Fest 2011

2 Days, 3 Stages, 80 Artists, 20,000 People,46,000sqm Open-air Plaza.
–China’s Largest Electronic Music Festival

Get your rave on this weekend with Acupuncture Records’ 2-day Electronic Music Festival – Intro 2011.

“Promising two days of pulsing electronica”, Acupuncture’s got a great line-up of both international and local DJs with headliners Josh Wink (US), Paul Ritch (FR), Oktain (FR), DJ Sodemaya (JP), DJ Michael Best & MC Shayon (RUS), and Jaein and Beejay (KOR).

Local DJ’s will of course include Acupuncture DJs ELVIS.T, Weng Weng, X.L.F., Terry Tu and Pancake Lee, but will also have broader representation of musical styles, with drum & bass, dubstep, electro and more adding to Acupuncture’s trademark minimal techno sound.

• DJ Saul D
• DJ Blackie
• DJ Patrick Yu
• DJ Slide
• The Syndicate
• Bitesize Buddha
• Eddie Lv
• El-Mar
• Oshi
• Tnem
• A.M.U
• Eric Lee
• Harikiri
• Liman
• Lupen
• M.Ross
• Ou Yang
• Shen Yue
• Suki
• Sulumi
• Yang Bing

With a last minute location change from Strawberry Festival’s Tongzhou Canal Park to 751 D Park in 798 Art District, there is limited capacity so be sure to buy tickets in advance!

A 2-day pass will cost you RMB 220 if you buy in advance, while a 1-day pass will set you back RMB 150. Get your tickets early, because a 1-day pass will be RMB 200 from the festival entrance.

Further Event Introduction here.

More Info on Performing Artists here.

Ticketing, Transportation and other Practical Infomation here.

INTRO 2011 Time Schedule here.

Contact Info:

13911194784 (中文), 13910550676 (EN), or email: intro2011@acupuncture-records.com

LumDimSum Giveaway: Win 2 Tickets to Black Atlantic

The Black Atlantic: Mysterious Orchestal Dream-Pop

From the Netherlands, this acoustic pop group released their album “Reverence for Fallen Trees” digitally for free worldwide.

“Since its release on August 21, 2009, it has since been downloaded over 100,000 times via various torrent websites, the band’s own website and it’s label Beep! Beep! Back up the Truck.”

Download it yourself here.

LumDimSum Giveaway: Win two tickets to The Black Atlantic

For your chance to win 2 tickets to their live music gig at Mao Live House this Wednesday, March 23 at 8PM, answer the following –

Name 3 songs from their album Reverence for Fallen Trees.

Deadline is Wednesday, March 23 at 3PM. Email the answer to me directly – kristen@lumdimsum.com

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, March 23
• Time: 8PM
• Location: MAO Livehouse
• Address: 111 Gulou Dongdajie, Beijing, China
• Tickets: 50 RMB

• Website: http://www.theblackatlantic.com

JUE (觉): Awaken to a Celebration of Arts & Music

觉 / JUE (pronounced joo-eh) - verb: to sense; to awaken

An independent urban arts and music festival in both Shanghai and Beijing, JUE (觉) is a collection of alternative, creative and progressive arts and music events over a three-week period from March 12-April 3.

What you can expect:

• Almost 100 artists
• 42 venues
• 22 concerts
• 22 art exhibitions
• 5 live comedy events
• 5 spoken word events
• 4 theatre/performance art productions
• 4 workshops
• 4 film screenings

Presented by Split Works, JUE is now in its 3rd year and with a diverse collection of art, theatre and film events along with major music gigs including one of my favorite groups – the deftly danceable Scandinavian group – The Whitest Boy Alive performing this Tuesday, March 15 at Tango.

JUE (觉) Event Highlights:

• Kite at the Bookworm (3.12): A modern take on the most ancient Asian traditional of strings and drums. 8-10PM, FREE
• “Slap, Rap, Words” Bookworm Literary Festival Event (3.12): Festival guest slam poets Omar Musa and Kelly-Lee Hickey battle Chinese hip-hop artists at Dos Kolegas at 11PM, RMB 50
• 19 Solo Shows on Painting (3.13): Opening Reception at 3PM at Platform China Space A & B (click here for details)
• *The Whitest Boy Alive (3.15): Deftly Danceable Scandinavian Efficiency @ 3rd floor of Tango, 7:30PM, RMB 130 (presale)/ RMB 180 (door)
• Vitalic with Pet Conspiracy, Liman, A.M.U, VJ Zhiqi (3.17): Like Daft Punk – a world leading electronic producer. 9:30PM @ Star Live RMB 80 presale/RMB 120 at door
• IMPROVISE 2 with Beijing Improv & LDTX (3.19): Joint dance and theatre improv performance at LDTX studios, RMB 80
• Shanren (山人) Concert (3.18): Chinese Folk, Reggae-Rockified. 9-11PM @ Tango RMB 60 presale/RMB 80 at door
• *The Besnard Lakes (3.19): A good Canadian Band “like the Beach Boys when it’s calm, and Queen when it’s crunchy.” 9-11PM @ Mao Livehouse RMB 60 presale/RMB 80 at door
• The Black Atlantic (3.23): Acoustic pop band from the Netherlands. @ Mao Livehouse (ticket and time TBA, click here for more info)
• *AAB 2011 Preview Party (3.25): Beer, BBQ and Art @ AAB’s beautiful courtyard space. 6PM, FREE
• *WHALE! and Friends Dance Party (3.25): 200 tons of danceable rock and electronica, 11PM @ School Bar, FREE
• Panbianr Independent Film Screenings & Discussions (3.26-3.27): 2 day discussion and showings of a dozen documentaries, narrative features, and shorts. From 12PM-8PM at HomeShop (click here for info) RMB 100 for 2 day pass,
• Abaji (3.27): A man with over 250 instruments. 7:30-9:30PM @ Jianghu Bar, RMB 30

For a full event run-down, check out their website: www.juefestival.com

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, March 12 – April 3, 2011
• Location: All over Beijing & Shanghai
• Tickets: http://www.juefestival.com/11/en/?page_id=1124

• Website: www.juefestival.com

LumDimSum Super Sweepstakes

For your chance to win a RMB 200 voucher at Hummingbird Therapeutic Spa, answer the following question in the comment section :

Which JUE (觉) event are you most excited about and why?

Deadline is Tuesday, March 15 at noon.  To answer, click here and scroll down to comment section

Hang Out with Hanggai: Hanggai Music Festival 2010

Sponsored by Time Out and jointly organized by Split Works, 13 Month records and the Lotus Center, the Hanggai Music Festival 2010 will take place in the idyllic setting of Anlilong Mountain Villa, a resort/organic farm in Shunyi.

With one main stage, the area will be set up to resemble a Mongolian tribal area (Time Out will be selling delicious Tiger Beer out of a yurt on the grounds), this is a chance to get out of the smoggy city and see Hanggai perform alongside of the best musicians and bands in China’s folk music scene.

The line-up includes Zhang Quan, Mamer & IZ, Shanren, Dawangang, Zhang Weiwei and Guo Long and Nanchang Erge.

For full line-up schedule, click here.

Tickets: 150RMB or 130RMB (presale before September 15), including a round-trip bus ride to the festival.  Pick up presale tickets at Yugong Yishan, Mao Livehouse, Mako Live House, 2 Kolegas, U-Speed Go-Karting, Solo Guitar Shop (Xinjiekou), Tiny Salt Coffee Club, Gulou 121 and Amilal. Buy tickets online through www.piaowutong.com or www.t3.com.cn. Or call the 24-hour ticket hotline at 400 818 3333.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, September 18

Time: 2PM – 9PM

Location: Anlilong Mountain Villa, Shanlixinzhuang Shimen Mudi, Longwantun Zhen, Shunyi district (6046 5331; 8460 3202). 顺义区龙湾屯镇山里辛庄石门基地.

Getting there and back: Shuttle buses (included in the ticket price) leave at noon on Saturday 18 from the north gate of the Workers’ Stadium (Gongti Bei Men). Return buses leave the festival venue at 9.15pm on Saturday 18. On Sunday 19, buses will leave the festival venue at 10am or guests will be transported to the station for the 918 bus, which returns to Bejiing by the highway.

Lodging: Attendees who bring their own tents can camp free of charge on the grounds – there’s room for about 200 people. Tents will also be available for rent.

Rock Out This Weekend at Max Star Music Festival

If you haven’t left work early this week to head down to Ditan Park to check out Max Star Music Festival, then make sure you head down this weekend to check out live sets from the country’s top rock bands from Omnipotent Youth Society (Wang Neng Qu Nian), Pet Conspiracy, New Pants, Brain Failure, Carsick Cars, Twisted Machine and Rustic.

Visit www.t3.com.cn or call 400 818 3333/6406 8888 for tickets.

• Time: 4PM-late

• Price: Fri-Sun 80RMB; 60RMB (presale), 40RMB (students)

• Location: Ditan Park

• How to get there: subway to Lama Temple, walk west along the north side of the second ring, you will come to the south gate of Ditan park which is the closest gate to the main Stage. Also there’s an electro stage near the north gate.

Weekend Schedule:

August 20
Rock day 2

Alt Senior
Maze
The Bigger Bang
Si Wu
Omnipotent Youth Society
Subs
Pet Conspiracy
New Pants

August 21
Rock Day 3

Lao Ya & Band
Steely Heart
Ourself Beside Me
Nancheng Erge
Brain Failure
Carsick Cars
Twisted Machine
Xie Tianxiao

August 22
Rock day 4

The Reason
Velvet Road
DH & Chinese Hellcats
Tookoo
Zhang Mengmeng
Long Shen Dao
Yaksa
Tang Dynasty

INTRO=Ideas Need To Reach Out

INTRO 2010:

As the motto says --“Ideas Need To Reach Out” — INTRO is designed as a platform to express the belief in music as a vital element of connecting people; to showcase and support innovation in electronic music and digital art. It is run by people who love life, music, freedom, art and alternative culture for people who share that same love.”

- Miao Wong, Acupuncture Records

3 Stages

+

40 Top-Notch DJs & VJs
+
10,000 people
+
46,000 m² open-air plaza

= China’s Biggest Outdoor Electronic Music Festival

Hosted by Acupuncture Records, the second edition of Beijing’s international electronic dance music festival, INTRO, will be held this Saturday, May 22 @ D-Park.  1PM-10PM for an All Day Music Extravaganza.

Performing Artists:

• Robag Wruhme (Germany) -  a heavyweight historical figure in Germany’s electronic scene
• dOp (France)- a three-member new concept, live multi-style DJ/band
• Takkyu Ishino (Japan) - Godfather of Japan’s dance scene and head honcho of Japan’s biggest techno rave “WIRE”

“The electronic beats will ignite 10,000 hearts and souls while sending twice as many arms and legs into a dancing frenzy.”

Tickets:

///On-site tickets 200rmb:///Available at door upon arrival, cash only

///Pre-sale tickets (4,000 limited)///150rmb until May 20^th (while stock lasts)