Storied venue’s return to enliven music scene
Print Edition
SHANGHAI’S live music scene will boom this weekend as one of the city’s veteran live houses, Bar 288 on Taikang Road, is reviving with four days of live shows starting today.
Young local indie pop musician Yang Hanqi will present an unplugged show tonight, using just an acoustic guitar and a standing microphone to perform songs that include R&B, soul, English rock & roll, and folk. After that, a local band called Soulshine will continue the show until midnight.
Tomorrow night, local singers, some of them very well-known from TV celebrity shows or other TV programs, will take the stage. The three — Wu Tianzhuo, Guo Meizi and Zhang Yiya — will perform in turn and also cooperate with the local band Phatty Club.
Known by its Chinese name Bai Xiang (literally “play”) Band, the Phatty Club is one of the residence bands at Bar 288, formed in 2007 by five men in their 30s and led by bassist Xuan Yiheng, usually called Heng Tou, and keyboardist Gao Yang.
Bar 288 has over 10 years’ history in Shanghai and is one of the city’s most widely known live houses, featuring different singers and bands every night. It has a tight relationship with local indie bands and musicians.
Numerous star performers in China started their music career at 288, says Wang Hao, owner of the club and a local singer, producer and theater performer.
In addition to those still active at the Bar 288 stage, some who have played there include Ping An, who shot to fame from the popular TV reality show “The Voice of China,” and local bands like Double Poom, Mushrooms and Blue Garden.
Income from live performances at Bar 288 usually can barely support a musician’s life, but the career launch pad it provides cannot be measured.
“Live houses are now the most important venues for musicians to perform and to reach the audiences who then attend music festivals,” says Shen Lihui, founder of Modern Sky.
Modern Sky is arguably the biggest music festival operator in China which initiated the Strawberry Music Festival, Zoo Electronic Music Festival and Fat Art Exhibition.
Shen established the Modern Sky in 2007 and held the Strawberry Music Festival the following year; the latter has become the biggest music festival in China. In May, a crowd exceeding 250,000 watched the festival in Beijing.
Including owner Wang himself, the singers and bands who play at Bar 288 are regular performers at music festivals on China’s mainland.
Moving from the first floor at 288 Taikang Road to the second floor, Bar 288 reopened in April, several months after the previous Melting Pot was closed because of problems with its landlord. The new venue features better sound quality and decorations and better snacks and beverages.
“We have our loyal customers — those who love live music and enjoy the lifestyle of a glass of beer, listening to live shows,” Wang says.
For him, it’s a labor of love.
“Although I cannot release how much money I invested in this bar, I can say in fact all of my belongings have been invested,” says the owner.
Survival of local live houses is quite a challenge. While the business might seem to be going strong because it’s usually crowded with visitors, the truth is performers earn very little and the owner often loses.
“Earning money in the entertainment industry needs crazy investment,” Wang says. “The tickets for show are usually free or generally no more than 100 yuan (US$16.39) per person. The price for drinks is also reasonable compared with bigger nightclubs in town.”
But Wang remains committed. In his mind, local music scene needs people like him, providing a platform for young singers for easy entry into the business. He says the “music dream” is for all, not just himself.
“In my opinion, the center of Chinese music will be on the mainland — Beijing and Shanghai, rather than Hong Kong, Taiwan, or South Asia,” says Shen with Modern Sky. “And in the music industry on the mainland, more than half of the market and profits will come from live music — concerts, music festivals and live shows.”
Differentiating himself from many other live house owners, Wang does focus solely on local pop songs. He explores collaboration with non-mainstream musicians as a means of enriching the stage.
Last weekend, Ekram, a musician from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, brought his band for a show featuring flamenco and world music.
The bar also stages Western singers at times.
“Popular musical tastes are becoming varied. Besides Western, even Vietnamese songs have audiences, according to the database of our website,” says another Wang Hao, CEO of xiami.com, a Chinese music website that provides a high-quality music service based on social networking.
Founded in November 2008, Xiami has 30 million registered users and 5 million daily unique visitors. More than 6 million songs are in its database and more than 4 million of them are well-organized and downloaded.
Performances at Bar 288
• Yang Hanqi and Soulshine Band
Date: June 5, 9:30pm
• Wu Tianzhuo, Guo Meizi, Zhang Yiya and Phatty Club
Date: June 6, 9:30pm
• Luo Dan, Li Lin, Lyza and Phatty Club
Date: June 7, 9:30pm
• Lao Wang and Ren Ji
Date: June 8, 9:30pm
Address: 2/F, 288 Taikang Rd
Admission: Free
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