Banding together to change their tune

Forming a successful band isn't an exact science. It requires experimentation, objectivity when examining the results, as well as a healthy dose of interpersonal chemistry.

It is the kind of alchemy The Flash Band is trying to achieve. The 12-episode variety show focuses on social contact via music, and features nearly 30 artists from various genres, such as rock 'n' roll, hip-hop and electronic music. It is broadcast on Zhejiang Satellite TV every Saturday.

The show uses an innovative technique. You could say it's the beat of those who have yet to meet.

Six bands perform adapted versions of auspicious songs onstage especially for Spring Festival holiday, the Year of the Tiger, with a vigor that enthralls viewers. The bands consist of singers and instrumentalists who have already established their reputation but have rarely, before the series, played together.

As the participants interact with one another, adapting classic songs and writing new ones, a band will eventually be formed to perform onstage.

The variety show aims to attract an audience of both the old and the young, so the production team invited celebrities of different ages, with their own characteristics.

Viewers can enjoy more than 90 songs, collaborated on by household names such as Rainie Yang, Yang Kun and Zhang Yadong.

"Our ultimate aim is to help the participants to find their soul mates in music via social contact with each other during our 58-day shoot," says Fan Jiaju, the variety show's chief director and scriptwriter.

He admits that it's difficult to form bands that still function after the variety show ends. Also, a band needs time to gel to create good music.

"Our competition rule is no jungle law. We've weakened the competitive mechanism, encouraging them to have fun. Also, the participants don't care much about victory or defeat, so they have little pressure in that regard."

During a period of more than two months, the variety show－which has attracted widespread attention on Chinese social media platforms－will examine participants' performances and audience reviews to help several of them to establish a new band.

Fan is touched that participants have deepened their attachment to each other during filming.

"They have to socialize with one another, because of the importance of teamwork as a band. They find suitable partners based on the expectations of the music they will perform onstage, which has nothing to do with age or experience," he says.

Viewers will watch more bands perform as the episodes air, because members will take time to bed in. In the later episodes, the participants have to write a song within a week.

Fan says the stage designs and lighting are diversified, to cater to different themes of songs.

"At first, we found it hard to persuade them when we have divided opinions about the styles of songs in the variety show. For example, they tried to adapt classic songs in an innovative way, but we were worried whether viewers will like the style or not," he says.

Then Fan chose to fully trust them in their expertise－they are in charge of choosing and adapting songs. For example, the adapted version of Xuancaohua, which literally means "day lilies" in Chinese. It's a song about the greatness of motherly love, and became popular on social media.

"It turns out that they know the taste of the audience well. Good songs will always resonate. Professional people do professional things－that's what viewers want to watch," Fan says.

"Many musicians may propagate an air of cool aloofness, but their inner world is fun and humorous. For example, rock 'n' roll legend Zhang Chu has become more open about himself as the variety show goes on. He is showing us an unpolished version of himself and has become popular online."

Participants will not be eliminated during the filming. Instead, some well-coordinated groups will be reshuffled so they have the opportunity to cooperate with different musicians, even if sometimes, they are reluctant to part with previous partners.

"In the end, a few participants of different genres team up with each other and figure out how to gel. It's also a way to inspire their creativity," says chief producer Wu Tong.

The production team, led by Wu and Fan, has produced Zhejiang Satellite TV's popular celebrity variety shows, I Am the Actor and Trump Card VS Trump Card.

"Musicians are relatively less sociable compared to actors and actresses, but they happily cooperated with us. We all enjoyed ourselves," Wu says.

He also highlights that the most important element of the program is the appeal of the music, and, he adds, participating artists with distinctive individual styles have got unexpected, yet astonishing ideas, when they are "forced" to work together.

The veteran producer recalls that pop singer Shang Wenjie and rock singer Zhang Chu gave a lot of thought before teaming up with Li Yugang, who's known for combining traditional operas with pop, because they wondered whether or not their respective styles would mix well.

"But they had to follow the rules. The unlikely team performed a breakthrough remake of the 1990s hit song Martian, which was one of the biggest surprises for both our crew and the on-site audience," Wu says.