“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” – Andre Gide
PRX, New Sound of China, Carsick Cars, Music Dish, Rustic, Maybe Mars, Global Times, Re-Tros, P.K.14, Rebuilding the Rights of Statues, Beijing Punk, Misandao, Demerit, Hedgehog, Reel Fanatic, D-22, Generation Six, Birdstriking, Flyx, Old Fashion, Pangbianr, Kwanyin, Sub Jam, Yan Jun
Rose Mansion, LuXinPei, Yan Jun, Sub Jam, Kwanyin, Bob Blunt, P.K.14, Pangbianr, tenzenmen, Music Dish, Carsick Cars, Hedgehog, AV Okubo, China Youth Tour, Nick Pedan, ChaosCS, Enovate
If 2010 on a local front seemed a quiet year for the P.K.14 camp with just 3-4 shows, then there sure was some momentum built abroad. The band very much became internationalists last year with welcomed invitations to two internationally renowned music festivals: South by Southwest in March in Texas USA, and the Melbourne Festival in Australia in October. As we all know, part of supposedly cutting your teeth on the global stage requires being hauled into a festival or two, alongside bands from all over the world, and if that means getting a chance to heat the boards for Low from the States, or The Drones from Australia, it’s an invitation to not shrug your shoulders at. I reflected on that and other stuff with the band’s front person Yang Haisong over a coffee recently.
Yang Haisong: It has been amazing for us to have a chance to travel to different parts of the world. Touring has become this new exciting thing and it is something we love doing. In the States, our label manager Michael Pettis (Maybe Mars) has a great network of support and that has really helped us. We have done two tours there now and met many of our personal heroes – the guys from Fugazi and Sonic Youth were really helpful. In Australia, we supported the Drones at the Forum Theatre, one of the most beautiful places we have ever played. We also met guys like Shaun from our support label Tenzenmen who does a great job for Chinese bands there. He ended up coming down from Sydney and staying with us for the whole week, which was a lot of fun. We just hung out on the blocks of Smith and Brunswick Street and saw some great local bands like Eagle and the Worm and of course The Drones.
Full interview at pangbianr here
Cat #: 055TZM
There’s a lot of noodles out of Brisbane around this time and To The North lead the way.
Time Out, Guai Li, Boys Climbing Ropes, Hang Gai, Queen Sea Big Shark, Wang Wen, Noughts and Exes, Pairs, Duck Fight Goose, Liu Kun, Beijing Daze, 24 Hours, 2 Kolegas, Lazy Camels, Dama Llamas, Cipher, D-22, Maybe Mars, City Weekend, Birdstriking, Carsick Cars, F Yeah Chinese Indie, Zoomin’ Night, Archie Hamilton, Split Works, China Music Radar, Smart Shanghai, Morgan Short, Pairs, Rustic, Layabozi, Xiao Pengke, Little Punk, Qu Records, Trash A Go-Go, The Instigation, Beat Bandits, Jake Newby
Post-Concrete, Hang On The Box, Brave New Eye, The Beijinger, Pangbianr, Beijing Daze, Skip Lunch, You Mei You, Flying Mantas, Doc Talk Shock, Dalian, IDH, Smart Shanghai, Little Punk, Qu Records, Subs, Kang Mao, 2 Kolegas, Lucifer, Rustic, Top Floor Circus, Queen Sea Big Shark, Matthew Niederhauser, Modern Sky, Guai Li, Maybe Mars, ShanShui, Sulumi, Torturing Nurse, Hong Qi Le, Xiao He, Glorious Pharmacy, Josh Feola, D-22, Gum Bleed
Beijing indie punk band P.K.14 were invited to play at the Melbourne Festival and I was to be their man on the ground. The festival covered their travel expenses and two nights in a hotel but I planned an extra show and some free time with them.
As part of the promotional push for them, singer Yang Haisong did this email interview with Tone Deaf magazine.
P.K.14 play Melbourne Festival Oct 22nd 2010
We’d like to know a little bit about you for our files, however, we don’t like regurgitating press releases or asking the easy questions. No one gets out of the Tone Deaf Interrogation lightly, so just hold still, grit your teeth, clench your buttocks and be still while we put on the rubber gloves, apply the thumbscrews, and pull out our thermometer while you open up and say ahhhhhhhhhhh… Truthful answers only or we drink your rider while you’re on stage.
Lead singer Yang Haisong from Chinese band P.K14 answers our questions.
We don’t want to know about the bands your press release says you’re influenced by. Take us back to your bedroom when you were 14. What band posters did you have on the wall?
When I was 14, most of music around us are propaganda songs and love songs from Taiwan and Hong Kong singers. I don’t like them both. No any chance to listen western rock music or get posters from stores. So I didn’t have any poster in my bedroom.
What’s been your worst gig and why are you glad there’s no footage of it on Youtube … yet?
I don’t really remember which gig are the worst. I would say the very first gig that P.K.14 played 13 years ago was so bad. We played 4 songs, I sang all the songs out of key, and my legs shacked all the time in front of hundreds of university students. But at the same time, It’s the best gig to me. I hope I can see the show on Youtube but seems nobody shot it.
Tomorrow’s payday, so we’ve only got $A20/$US18/£14/€10 to get you drunk. Where do we go and what do we buy with it?
I have no idea about it. I didn’t get drunk quite long time. Maybe you can take me to some local 2nd hand records stores? I am gonna get drunk even no alcohol there.
What releases have you put out? Are they million sellers or do you still have a few boxes of them sitting gathering dust under your bed?
We put out 4 albums so far. And none is million-seller. Most of people like all the love songs and kind of Chinese idols, Unfortunately, we didn’t play love songs, and are not idols neither.
Suppose we put a gun to your head and force you to kiss a member of another band. Who, which band and why?
Billie Holiday. I think you know why.
You’re touring Australia. We know how much visitors are afraid of our native animals, so what is your greatest fear? Getting attacked by a) a snake b) a redback spider c) a bluebottle jellyfish d) a crocodile or e) a venomous drop bear?
Snake is my nightmare, worst ever.
P.K14 play at The Forum on Fri 22nd October, as part of Melbourne Festival’s Beck’s Festival Bar. Tickets are $20. Find out more info on the Beck’s Bar website, or visit Ticketmaster for tickets.
Cat #: 042TZM
These folks approached me with an already pressed disc and wanting to be part of tenzenmen. I liked their music well enough though find the vocals a little lacking on this recording. Live they really killed it though. I often ended up working with folks that approached me for help regardless of whether I loved their music or not – sometimes not even listening fully until it was released. I figured if anyone thought enough of tenzenmen to want to work together then they were worth a shot.
Cat #: 036TZM
The Warm Side is the debut album from Brisbane band, Nikko. It is a collection of nine songs written over the past three years. The album was recorded in August 2009 at Black Box Studios in Brisbane by Melbourne- based engineer Naomune Anzai (Laura, Because of Ghosts) and Matt Taylor. It was mixed and mastered by Naomune Anzai at Reel to Real Mix Master in Melbourne.
With its eerie yet beautiful guitar melodies, driving rhythm section and droning violin, organ and trumpet parts, The Warm Side encompasses an array of lush textures that create an engaging dynamic. This unique sound embodies what Brisbane has come to expect from Nikko, capturing the energy of the band’s well-renowned live show with the polish of Naomune Anzai’s reputed flair for treating atmospheric rock. This debut album is the culmination of years of solid gigging, self-recording and self-releasing that has seen Nikko refine their genre-blending style.
Cat #: 040TZM
24 Hours are one of the most intelligent newcomers in China’s rock scene. Hailing from Xi’an, one of the four great ancient capitals of China, they create, in their own words, passionate rock and roll. Their music is often the reflection of the relationship among the three members: constantly-changing but always-intense.
After relocating to Beijing in early-2008 they quickly dove into the city’s challenging sonic environment, becoming one of the city’s most prolific bands by playing several gigs per weekend, developing both a devoted following and attracting local media in the process.
After two years together, the band released their debut album No Party People produced by Martin Atkins (PiL, Pigface, Nine Inch Nails) the famed Chicago-based producer who initially cut his teeth in Beijing producing Snapline’s debut LP, Party is Over, Pornstar. Using his unique style to capture both the rough and fresh feeling of their music, Atkins has succeeded in elevating their sound to an international level. The 8-song effort maintains the fury of their live sets while adding a dreamy sonic dimension awash in subtle nuances.
26th Feb 2021 – Another one of my dumb ideas – to release 4 new (to Australia) albums on the same date (see White, Snapline and AV Okubo). At least this time I just imported 100 copies of each from China, rather than pressing 500 of each in Australia.
1994ever 