While the new year is officially underway, we asked a few Shanghai favorites to look back at 2013 and predict what's ahead in the city's music and nightlife scene this year.
The Pairs drummer/frontman put out eight records last year under several guises that touched on spazz-rock (Hujiahuwei), pop (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes), piano ballads (Pairs) and electronic experiments (also Pairs). On top of organizing shows for visiting punk acts, his Slink Rat blog is the dark, sarcastic heart of Shanghai's underground rock scene.
So 2013 was a bit of a prolific year for you with what eight albums released? Why did you decide to record so much last year and will you be doing the same thing in 2014?
I was involved with 8 albums, and it was a productive year but doesn’t mean any of them were good. Some people fucking hate everyone of those records. Only one was recorded in something resembling a studio, rest were all just done on the fly, ghetto set ups. Heaps of fun though. There was no real reason though, just had a few ideas and wanted to act on them before they flew out of my head or before I left China. No idea what 2014 will hold although I do know that there will be two Pairs ones coming out before July and a few Summer Dick songs have been written. I’m moving to Melbourne mid year so shit might slow down, but I assume I’ll be making music there too just not sure what kind of stuff.
Out of all the records you released last year, what was the one that got the best reaction and how do you think having so much records out has affected your songwriting?
The Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got some really nice reactions, but all in all, everything that was released got some people saying they loved it and paying good money for it, and some people absolutely hating on it. Nearly every record got some good reviews from someone and a few people are releasing some stuff on vinyl and cassette, putting their money where there mouth is. People shit on the way things sound or were recorded or me not taking stuff seriously enough, but ultimately, there are people out there that are willing to put their own money in to helping it get a wider audience which is a huge something and something I’m super grateful for.
Don’t know how it is changing my song writing, but I guess my ability is getting closer to my ideas as my ideas always run ahead of what I can actually do. Although I’m still horribly limited by my horrible singing voice, I think my lyrics are getting better and looking back at every song written, I can remember where I was at the time and how I was feeling. That’s important to me. Worst thing would be if I couldn’t find any parts of myself or life in my songs – what would be the point of doing it?
You have a number of different projects, what's happening with Pairs and what do you consider your main one?
I think F and I were pretty burnt out on Pairs for a while. South Korea was real fun but after that I felt that we needed to be out of each others hair for a short stint; it was a busy time as we both started new jobs with crazy workloads and doing different things, plus tired of the small cocksuckery of the Shanghai music world. We don’t play in Shanghai that often because we don’t want to keep playing to the same heads at the same bars with the same bands. Seems sad for all involved. But after Rat On Swamp Dog, there was a new kind of energy and feels like we have Stella’s groove back.
You've also branched out into organizing concerts like the recent Rat On Swamp Dog shows. Do you have plans to do more shows like this next year?
I’ve been organising shows since I have been here but ROSD was a big step forward in terms of workload, responsibility, having something a bit longer than a one off show and working with Nathan but it was insanely fun and such a rewarding thing. I think Nathan and I will do something big before Summer but it’s all talk at this stage. Who knows? But I’ll always do my best to help international bands find promoters and press here. Unless I really can’t stand their music, which means I’d be no good helping out Grinspoon.
You're pretty plugged in with the local rock scene. What were some of the biggest trends you noticed in 2013 (bands that emerged, cool venues or regular events) and who are some people/bands that people should look out for in 2014?
I actually didn’t go to a whole heap of shows, well I did and I didn’t. The shows I went to were shows I was kind of involved in. Either playing or promoting. I’m not a huge fan of what’s happening here for one arrogant reason or another. But I did notice that the Sunday Live Shows were doing real well and attracting a whole bunch of new kinds of bands and new crowds and the last few times I have been at Yuyintang it seems that there is a totally new crowd of people there that I don’t recognise. I think the best thing for 2014 and is that a bunch of the stale, jaded old guard are fucking off home and those who aren’t are burnt out on the ‘scene’ (and I use that word loosely) so Shanghai is pretty open for some fresh blood to come in and make things interesting again – would be easier if the venues were reliable and not having their balls squeezed by the powers that be. It’s all cyclical. I’ve seen it a couple of times now, and those dull, ‘fucking nothing is happening, I’ve seen all these bands 100 times and they keep playing the same set’ thoughts people have are good as they encourage people to act and create. The best shit comes from boredom.
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