Rock for the ages

The Tang Dynasty's Beijing performance features lead singer Ding Wu (right) and guitarist Liu Yiju (widely known as "Lao Wu").

Vocalist Ding Wu struts across the stage, sporting his signature tight pants and loose T-shirt. The 46-year-old singer now wears his hair cropped closely around his face.

"You guys have been waiting for nine years, and we really appreciate that," says Ding, lead singer of Tang Dynasty, China's first multi-platinum heavy metal band.

He looked out onto a crowd of some 1,000 fans gathered near the 798 arts district in mid June when the band gave its first performance after nine years' public disappearance.

"We will not say that we are coming back, because we have never left," he shouts, then rips into another song from the group's latest album, Knight of Romance.

Nearly two decades ago, Tang Dynasty achieved rock icon status by defying propriety. Now they are defying age.

Meanwhile their eager fans defied the weather, cheering loudly despite the pouring rain.

Ding was joined on stage by several longtime band mates: legendary guitarist Liu Yiju (widely known as "Lao Wu") now 47; drummer Zhao Nian, 47; and bassist Gu Zhong, 40.

The current line-up also includes Chen Lei, 30, who joined the band in 2000.

In case you were wondering, yes, Tang Dynasty can still rock the house. The band's unique attitude and virtuoso musical skills remain irreplaceable, even in an age of modern digital effects.

In the mid-1990s, rock music was first beginning to catch fire across China. It was during this energetic period that Tang Dynasty was born, releasing their first self-titled album in 1992, and their second album, Epic, in 1999.

The band took its name from a period in Chinese history widely celebrated for its affluence and artistic experimentation, the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).

"Tang was such a great dynasty in Chinese history. It was so cosmopolitan and so open to outside influences," explains Ding. "We thought the name of our band fit the mood."

The band distinguished itself from other international acts by melding traditional Chinese influences with the raw sound of heavy metal rock.

Their compositions are more intricate than they might at first appear. "To keep our own style, we try not merely to imitate or follow Western rock music," Ding says. "Musically, we apply the five-note Eastern scale. We also employ ancient Chinese poetry."

For rockers with unruly hair, band members are extremely studious. "Each member tries to cultivate himself in traditional Chinese culture, by reading ancient poetry, playing guqin (a seven-stringed zither), practicing calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting," says Lao Wu, the guitarist.

"Without these deeper elements absorbed by heart and soul, everything would be superficial," he adds.

The band has long combined elements of traditional Chinese opera with the edgy sound of heavy metal.

Lead singer Ding Wu, in addition to his naturally high-pitched voice, also employs singing styles derived Chinese opera, which makes him rather unusual as a heavy metal frontman. Some of the band's lyrics are based upon poetry written during in the Tang Dynasty.

Their first album sold 2 million copies in Asia alone. A music video from that album won the MTV best Asian music video award.

However, the 1995 death of former bassist Zhang Ju in a motorcycle crash dealt the band a serious creative setback. Their second album, released four years after the accident, received lukewarm reviews.

Now, after five-year's preparation and three months in the recording studio, their latest album harkens back to their original sound.

"Classic songs in recent years are rare, whether you are talking about rock or pop music," says Ding. "But when we are writing music, playing, even just rehearsing, we are very serious."

Band members say they would rather release a few stellar songs - for instance, the recent single The Parting, whose music and lyrics are hard to surpass - than churn out multitudes of forgettable tunes.

Today the band faces the unique challenge of trying to appeal to their original fans, now in their 40s, as well as younger audiences accustomed to the sound of pop music from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Commenting on one song, band member Chen Lei says, "We gave it a rock arrangement for a younger audience."

Tang Dynasty is still going strong. The once rebellious rockers are now more serene in person, after experiencing marriage and fatherhood. But their rock music keeps them on the road.

(China Daily 07/09/2008 page18)