Almost twenty-four years ago to the day (it was actually in mid-May), a guy, his band, and a bunch of young folks who wanted to change the world got together to play, and listen to, some music. Continue reading “A Cui Jian Performance”
Category: Model ‘Gunners
A regular introduction to who’s who in yaogun.
Cui Jian, Internationally, Finally…
Yes, it’s another Cui Jian post, but it’s a Cui Jian post with news of developments in the man’s international career. For the first time ever, the music of the man who created, invented and stands atop yaogun, will be available on the international digital platforms that should have, realistically, had his music all along…
UPDATE: Liang Heping
Thanks, yet again, to Beijing Daze for the skinny on the fundraiser held, over the weekend, for Liang Heping:
Beijing Daze’s review of the show is here. A total of just shy of RMB134,000 (just over US$21,000) was raised via ticket sales and an auction that consisted of items ranging from a guitar smashed by grunge-rocker Xie Tianxiao (aka XTX) – who had, back in the day, smashed more than his share of guitars that he could barely afford to purchase, let alone destroy; in his not-so-early-days, he brought along to shows an extra smashable guitar that often went unsmashed – to autographed guitars and albums and more.
Our best goes out to Liang Heping; his wife told the gathered crowd that Liang has regained “minimal use of his hands” and we hope that the healing continues.
photo of Liang Heping (right) and Cui Jian from the late 80s via Weibo user 只爱右
Revisiting Cui Jian
When I found, on my various internetty feeds, sources and whatnots, references to an interview conducted by VICE magazine of Chinese rocker number one, Cui Jian, my attention, like many other China-watchers and -blatherers, was piqued. After all, who isn’t constantly on the lookout for Western media mentions of Chinese rock and roll?
From a Shanghaiist link, the video made its way to newsgathering blog Beijing Cream, China Digital Times and to this post at the Washington Post‘s WorldViews blog. The Post‘s post includes my statement – which I’ve also trumpeted in the pages of Red Rock as well as over WNYC’s radio waves and at as many other platforms as is humanly possible – that Cui deserves to be considered for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
(“We shall consider,” quoth the Rock Hall website’s induction process page, “factors such as an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation and superiority in style and technique, but musical excellence shall be the essential qualification of induction.” It’s not that, say, Heart, or any of the other 2013 inductees don’t deserve admission, it’s just that, well: Raise your hand if you’ve taught a billion people to rock? Anyone…?)
But I digress.
In addition to being piqued by the video interview making rounds, my attention also experienced deja vu, if one might be able to attribute the experience of deja vu to one’s attention. That was because I’d seen this video before, back in 2008, when VICE first posted it.
Liang Heping
I was just informed that Liang Heping was involved in a serious car accident a week ago; details are difficult to come by, but as of June 29, he remains in hospital with serious lower body injuries.
Liang has been involved in yaogun for just about as long as anyone could have been. A member of the ‘house band’ that backed up all of the singers on that yaogunnily-fateful May day in 1986, it was technically Liang that introduced China to yaogun: He played the first notes of the Song That Changed Everything, Cui Jian’s “Nothing to My Name,” at the Let the World Be Full of Love concert.