By Chen Nan (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2007-09-07 09:21

 

Aplethora of big-name acts are set to inject the capital with a massive dose of rock, with the star roll for this weekend's Beijing Pop Festival featuring industrial gods, Nine Inch Nails, hip hop legends Public Enemy, and Marky Ramone, the surviving member of the Ramones. They join the Who's Who of Chinese rock for a two-day festival of music madness. The third installment of this annual event will be staged at Chaoyang Park in eastern Beijing.

The top lineup also includes Brett Anderson, founder and voice of former Britpop band Suede, and the reunited New York Dolls.

PE, one of hip hop's greatest groups that is now celebrating its 20th anniversary, will close Saturday night with a career-spanning set. The group transcends the confines of rap and pop, and remains one of the African-American community's most influential messengers.

Digital music's greatest champions NIN, one of the most influential industrial rock groups, will close the festival on Sunday night. NIN's founder and visionary Trent Reznor writes, plays and produces all of the group's material and was named one of the 25 most influential Americans by Time Magazine in 1995. One of punk music's most iconic artists, Marky Ramone, the Ramones longest-serving drummer, will play the veteran band's greatest hits. Brett Anderson, the founder and voice of Suede, is a Britpop legend. He will play a mix of solo works and Suede material with his band. They last performed together in China four years ago.

The rock band the New York Dolls, Rize from Japan and Mumiy Troll from Russia are also on the lineup, according to Liu Fei, spokesperson for Rock for China Entertainment Ltd (RCE), one of the festival's organizers.

Several leading Chinese musicians will share the stage with foreign counterparts. Among them are: the "father of Chinese rock" Cui Jian, grunge veteran Xie Tianxiao, and leading Chinese punk bands Brain Failure (main picture) and Thin Man.

"It's a great opportunity for international music circles to get acquainted with Chinese rock," said Cui Jian, China's rock 'n' roll guru. He will perform on the second night.

The festival will be held on two stages in Chaoyang Park. Rock for China is in charge of one stage, and Hit FM, of China Radio International, hosts the other.

The second stage will have about 20 Chinese and foreign bands. The two top bands to perform are the Swedish group Mando Diao and the eccentric Japanese garage rock outfit Doc Holiday and Apache Train.

Launched two years ago, Beijing's annual pop festival has become a massive music event with ever-increasing international participation. Its first-ever outdoor International Pop Festival in 2005 was held in Chaoyang Park, attracting nearly 10,000 people. The second festival featured even more mainstream rock 'n' roll acts.

Last year's festival was graced by about 25 musicians from all over the world, who performed from morning until night, including the glam rock of Placebo, the Britpop of Supergrass, the heavy metal of Sebastian Bach, and the electro rock of Don Juan Dracula.

Advance tickets for this year's festival cost 200 yuan for one day and 380 yuan for the whole weekend. Day tickets at the gate are 250 yuan.

"Music has no borders. We want Chinese audiences to be able to enjoy the best music in the world," Liu said.

Venue: Chaoyang Park
Date: September 8 to 9
Tel: 010-6417-7845

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