Rustic, Hang On The Box, and The Dancers @ Hot Cat, 28 August 2010

By Josh, 2010年 8月 30日

I’ve often been perplexed at how loosely the word “punk” is used to describe Beijing bands that to my ear play very straightforward rock. I’m not trying to get into a debate on what is or isn’t punk because I really don’t care. My point is that I’ve come to realize more fully how punk (both music and mindset) has shaped the scene that I am experiencing today. Of the three bands I saw at Hot Cat the other night, I wouldn’t describe any of them as “punk”, but over time it’s becoming clearer to me how influential punk has been in forming the contemporary Beijing scene.

Rustic – “Rock & Roll for Money and Sex” @ Hot Cat, 28 August 2010

The bands drew straws for playing order, and fittingly enough Rustic, the most “up-and-coming” on the bill, played first. Having only seen them at D22, I was excited to watch them without home court advantage. Lucifer and crew were in fine form, setting the bar high with their trademark energy and performative flair. Unfortunately they didn’t play their Bad Brains cover, but they closed with the hilariously self-aware “Rock & Roll for Money and Sex”, which despite some technical troubles on Hot Cat’s side ended the set on a very high note. Rustic will be playing the Generation 6 showcase on September 11 and have a new album coming out at the end of the year, so I’m sure they’ll be busy in the coming months.

I missed the second band, You Dao She, mostly because I was outside drinking xiao mai bu beers and picking some more knowledgeable friends’ brains about Hang on the Box, whom I’d heard of but never seen. HOTB was one of the first all-girl rock bands in Beijing, and reached a certain amount of international fame after appearing on a 1998 cover of Newsweek. They started off as a rock band, then veered into increasingly experimental territory as they underwent some lineup changes and eventually broke up in the mid 2000’s.

Hang on the Box – “Bitch” @ Hot Cat, 28 August 2010

They’ve played several reunions but this was their first show in well over a year. The lead singer was the only original member, and the material from their set came from earlier in their career. Mostly uptempo rock jams with riot grrrl-esque titles like “Bitch”. Many of the songs played were written by former guitarist Yang Fan, who now leads Ourself Beside Me.

The Dancers @ Hot Cat, 28 August 2010

Last was The Dancers, an ex-member supergroup including Box from Hedgehog and Liu Hao of Joyside. They opened with two rippers from Liu Hao’s old hardcore band, 13 Dogs, which was the high point of the set for me. Most of their original material is fairly poppy, which I wasn’t feeling as much.

After the show I went to a bar owned by Liu Hao, who was dj’ing Dicks Hate the Police as I walked in, and at that moment I started to better understand how bands that ostensibly bend back toward the mainstream keep their underground musical and ideological influences intact in ways that might not show up on a stage or a larger label release.

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