Maybe Mars Decade: 12 acts play Beijing early October

I've been dying for some quality noise up here in Dongbei.

I was all set to pull the trigger on another October holiday in Chengdu, still quite excited after last year's excellent NUART Festival.  We wrote about why that was so cool for China...and just like that, as China loves to do, it fell thru for 2017.  

Leave it to Maybe Mars to pick up the slack on my yearning for rock and roll, and deliver just that, when a dozen acts from their roster descend onto the "public kingdom for teens'" capital of Beijing in early October.

Here's the lowdown. 

Aside from what looks to be a great kick-off for this week at School Bar September 30th with Free Sex Shop, Dr. Liu and the Human Centipede, the first of 4 parties begins on Tuesday, October 3rd.

DIRTY FINGERS : Xiami / Douban

LONELY LEARY : Bandcamp /  Xiami 

+ Some secretive shit that nobody will tell me about.  Only hints. Don't blow it.

Time: October 3rd, Tuesday, 21:45

Venue: School

Line-up: Dirty Fingers, Lonely Leary, Maybe Mars surprise

Ticket: 60 RMB

Click here to buy tickets.

Now we're talking!

AV OKUBO : Xiami / Facebook 

DREAM CAN : Xiami / Douban

BACKSPACE : Xiami / Douban

Time: October 4th, Wednesday, 21:45

Venue: Yue Space

Line-up: AV Okubo, Dream Can, Backspace

Ticket: 80 RMB, pre-sale, 100 RMB at door

Click here to buy tickets.

Holey damn!

CARSICK CARS: Bandcamp

HIPERSON: Bandcamp

BIRDSTRIKING: Bandcamp

Time: October 6th, Friday, 21:45

Venue: Yugong Yishan

Line-up: Carsick Cars, Hiperson, Birdstriking

Ticket: 120 RMB, pre-sale, 150 at door

Click here to buy tickets.

HNNNNNG.  Get outta here!  We can't fucking make this one.  Sorry, folks, but it was difficult enough to get Friday off so we could finally catch our dear sweethearts Hiperson from Chengdu.  Having just caught P.K.14 nine times in a row, I think we'll live.  

I advise you to get off your ass and grip tickets to this one!  Chui Wan's new record is great, as are P.K.14's new jams.  Do it.

P.K.14 : Douban / Bandcamp

CHUI WAN: Bandcamp

FAZI: Bandcamp

Time: October 7th, Saturday, 21:45

Venue: Yugong Yishan

Line-up: P.K.14, Chui Wan, FAZI

Ticket: 120 RMB, pre-sale, 150 at door

Click here to buy tickets.

Goddamn, this will be fun. 

See you in the pit.

After Argument in their natural environment.

Wuhan. Most of the fast trains are sold out when I arrive, something that I thought never happens, so I leave Beijing at 4PM instead of noon. This brings my arrival time in Wuhan to 9:00PM. You really need to give yourself a hell of a lot more time than you need, to do anything, especially in a new city. After Argument's set time : 10:30PM. This does not bode well.

I fear the worst, and begin asking my train-mates what the quickest way to the VOX club is, even though I already know the answer. Get in the taxi queue line and wait. This is only really an issue because Wuhan is basically 3 huge cities in one, and this train station is in the middle of nowhere. Out of thin air, a guy comes up and hands me a phone. On the other end, a random guy speaking english. He asks me where I was going, and I tell him the live-house name. He knows it. We talk about rock music. He likes Dead Kennedys. His kids will grow up going to that venue, but they're too young now.

After a while, I'm now texting this guy on MY phone, and he says his friends have a taxi waiting at the station for them. Another too perfect moment in China. They take me to the venue. My arrival time : 9:45. I'm early, and catch the first band. I can't make this shit up! I give Za Za and Haisong a hug, and meet Wu Wei, singer of the legendary punk band SMZB, who have been a band for 15 years. I have entered the Wuhan Prison. RIP Lou Reed.