Western acts rock Beijing music fest
BEIJING (AFP) — Thousands of Chinese music fans flocked to a park in Beijing this weekend to see some of the West's most subversive bands, who infused the annual Pop Festival with serious rock-and-roll attitude.
Crowds were expected to swell on Sunday for shows by anti-establishment industrial rockers Nine Inch Nails and China's political bad boy of rock and roll Cui Jian -- previously banned from large outdoor concerts in Beijing.
On opening day Saturday, punk legends Marky Ramone and the New York Dolls wowed the crowds in Chaoyang Park, while rap legends Public Enemy called on about 20,000 youths to "fight the powers that be."
In its third year, the two-day pop festival has brought increasingly controversial bands, a trend attributed to China's pledge of greater openness ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
China has a history of restricting or shutting down music acts at the last minute as the government often puts the lid on anything that could be construed as challenging its political authority.
But over the years, rock music has slowly but steadily become part of the Chinese mainstream. On Saturday, police just stood by when Public Enemy front man Chuck D delivered his politically charged raps.
"The people have a voice, the people want choice," said the legendary hip-hop artist, who paid tribute to China by wearing the jersey of hometown NBA hero Yao Ming, the All-Star centre for the Houston Rockets.
"We got freedom of speech ... break the power ... fight the powers that be," he said as an army of security guards eyed the largely Chinese crowd jumping up and down and chanting with him.
Billed only as "PE" due to the subversive nature of their full name, Public Enemy brought the house down by teaming up with drummer Ramone and Cui Jian on a rap version of the Ramones' classic "Blitzkrieg Bop."
Ramone -- who has kept the spirit of the seminal punk band alive, following the deaths of its other members -- received a huge welcome here, where the group has a large following.
David Johansen, the once cross-dressing front man of the New York Dolls, is also revered here for his "glam" and "sleaze" rock.
"I think (the festival) is going to be a big step for Chinese rock and roll," said Sylvain Sylvain, guitarist and founding member of the Dolls.
"We are playing real rock and roll, blues chord progressions, guitar solos that are improvised and singing sexy lyrics," he said following a set that included the Bo Diddley hit "Pills," a tribute to rock music's drug culture.
Also sharing the festival bill were dozens of Chinese indie bands as well as Russia's Mumiy Troll, the Swedish band Mando Diao and Japanese bands Ra:IN, Rize and Doc Holiday and the Apache Train.
