Days of Rock

The inflammatory band AK-47	The Thin Man	Blister,a band from Norway

From last October 1st to 3rd, at the foot of Fragrant Hill, a suburban Beijing resort famous for its flaming maple leaves in autumn, more than 20,000 rock fans indulged themselves in music for three days..

Called the Midi Music Festival, this annual free music festival for the masses has been held for the past four years. It attracts rock fans from all over China and has gradually grown to be one of the most important venues for Chinese rock.

Its theme, "Rock 'n' Roll Supports Animal Protection," the 2003 Midi Music Festival had a 45 band-lineup, including two from Japan and Norway. The concert featured nearly 30 hours of performance, every day from 2pm to 12pm.

The festival brought people free music and three days of a free life. They listened to music, and made friends while lounging on the grass. Some stayed overnight sitting around the fire chatting, singing, playing guitars and harmonicas, drinking beer, watching and gazing stars, before retiring into their tents for a good sleep. Rock fans from the U.S., Europe, Japan and other countries were everywhere in the crowd. Country folk who seldom get a chance to listen to rock music also came from nearby, joining the urbanites for three days of leisure. Band members became part of the audience as soon as they got off the stage, the same as one audience member jumped on the stage and became rock performer for a moment.

The festival provided me a chance to get to know many musicians. I interviewed some of them, and they shared with me their insights into the Chinese modern music scene.