After a week of wisdom toothless misery, I’m seriously jonsing for something loud and in my face. A bombardment of the senses. A symphony of musical mayhem. Straight into my bloodstream. And looking at the layout this weekend gig wise – from Caravan’s three day blitzkrieg of celebrations, to the latest incarnation of the 330 Metal Festival, as well as an assortment of top notch acts across town, there’s plenty out there to ease the pain. Let’s jump into the deep end…

FRIDAY MARCH 24^th

ChaCha, Machaco (Japan), Chakka C (Singapore), Cyalda, Aivilox at Modernsky Lab

The Reggae Sistas, made up of prominent Japanese reggae artist Machaco, Shanghai’s vital trip hop artist and MC ChaCha, Singaporean performer Chakka C, Chengdu-based DJ and artist Cyalda and Aivilox, a dance and soul music artist, bring their eclectic set of skills and laid back grooves to Modernsky Lab alongside Raddam Ras aka MCWebber. Expect good vibes to carry you through the evening. 100 RMB

Elenore, The Twenties, Mr. Honey, Me Guan Me, L-Gentlemen, PoShangCun at Yue Space

Britpop, ska, sunshine pop, indie rock, and more at the ‘Back To Britain’ themed evening at Beixinqiao’s Yue Space but don’t let that scare you – there’s some serious talent on display here. From the alt rock melodic perfection that is The Twenties to the ruff and tumble Manchester rock of Elenore, to the big band fun of Mr. Honey, this is a top notch billing that’ll more than worth your time. 100 RMB

Ancestor, Bio-Cancer (Greece), Punisher, Toxic Waste, Explosicum, Alcor, Choleraic at Mao Livehouse

Trash metal fans unite! It’s time to indulge in the trashing sounds of yes, The Trash China Festival. Nuclear invasion, social inequalities, and some of the most extreme metal bands this side of China including the infamous Explosicum from Nanchang, rising Liaoning champs Punisher, Huazhong representatives Cholera, and a slew of other hot blooded bands, like Greece’s own Bio-Cancer (band name for the win!) ready to thrash the night away. Gotta love it. 320 RMB

Peter Harper & Midwest Kind (AUS) at DDC

‘An amalgamation of blues, soul and world music’ – catch award-winning, Billboard charting didgeridoo and harmonica blues master Peter Harper and his band Midwest Kind at DDC with their highly original take on the roots genre which many have labeled \”World Blues\”. Dope sounds indeed. 60 RMB

Zhang Shouwang, Yan Yulong, Nick Parsons at Mogu Space

Three artist take the stage at Xizhimen including Carsick Cars and White+ frontman Zhang Shouguang who’ll shred alongside violinist Yan Yulong from the band Chuiwan, and indie singer-songwriter Nick Parsons, who recently released an experimental ‘back to nature’ album. 66 RMB

Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen at Jianghu Bar

Veteran blues rock outfit Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen look to bring the good vibes to the cozy Jianghu Bar – harmonica, acoustic guitars, and some very merry singers. These cats are pros and have been working the crowds for ages – expect nothing less than a harmonica-infused evening of homegrown blues. 100 RMB

Backspace, mystery band at Temple

Psychedelic-tinted indie rockers Backspace, one of this year’s rising stars bring their energetic blend of mayhem to Temple alongside special guests and secret bands – ahhhhhhhh. FREE

Lost In Space, The Tek Dead, The Skin I Live In, Time So Fast at School

Things get heavy at School as post-hardcore outfit Lost in Space, deathcore five-some The Tek Dead, female fronted electro-post-hardcore band The skin I Live In, and post-hardcore (‘with a smidgen of pop-punk thrown in’) group Time So Fast converge on Wudaoying Hutong to stir up some troiuble. 60 RMB

David Binney’s Tres Tierras (USA), Cuong Vu Trio at Yugong Yishan

Two groups of jazz masters converge in Beijing for two nights of shows. David Binney and his band, the Tres Tierras, which formed in California in 2016, play avant-garde jazz with a punk sensibility. They’re joined on stage by the Cuong Vu Trio, featuring Cuong Vu himself on trumpet, Stomu Takeishi on bass and Ted Poor on the drums. 150 RMB

Star Band at Caravan

Caravan kicks off it’s ‘Anniversary Musical Orgy’ with the happy-go-lucky celebratory Star Band, who, along with the 50% off Tajine deal, look to make folks fulfilled in style. FREE

Kuso Eyes, Lake, Richer King, Labor Glory, Kahlua at Hot Cat Club

The Hot Cat Club puts on a free concert featuring multiple great local bands. The show will feature up and coming local bands making a name for themselves, including indie rockers Kuso Eyes and Lakes as well as acts like Richer King, Kahlua and others. FREE

The Plum Trees, Nathan Boroka and Jurat at 69 Cafe

Beijing indie band The Plum Trees, which consists of vocalist Shannon on the ukelele, Clancy on bass and Scott on guitar perform their laid back folk rock for audiences alongside guest guitarist Nathan Borofka and Uyghur musician and singer Jurat. 60 RMB

Bluso, XiZi, Heaven & Earth, QianZi at Mars Club

Pop rap, jazz rap, old school hip hop – you guessed it – it’s an evening of hip hop and rap-offs of up and comer rap groups Bluso, XiZi, and more take to the Batong line located venue. 60 RMB

Krazy Family, H.O.G, Easy Boyz Gang, ZDev at SOKARTMALL

There’s a player at 798 by the name of Sokartmall and after last week’s silent movie soundtracking there’s throwing a hip hop show with an array of hip hop and rap artists taking the stage at the art space (that strangely has ‘mall’ in their name). 60 RMB

Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies at Modernista

Inspired by all things classic, pop, and big band, Stevie Mac & The Mac Daddies bring ‘a vintage approach to contemporary music’. Enjoy classic reimaginings from the ever-expanding trope at Modernista. FREE

---

SATURDAY MARCH 25^th

Ritual Day, Nine Treasures, Crack, Never Before, Defeated Sanity, Silent Elegy, Hierarchy, Tumour Boy, Eclipsia, Rupture, Dark Haze, The Dark Prison Massacre, Inferno Requiem (TW), Screaming Savior, Cankered Corpse at Tango

330 Metal Festival returns with a vengeance! The longstanding indoor metal festival, with 16 years under its belt of bringing China’s best metal acts to the stage, is at it again with a hefty filling of all things metal. Besides established and respected acts like Crack, Nine Treasures, and Ritual Day, each fresh off of a stellar release, taking the stage, the event is chock full of acts that’ll have you raising hell in no time. I mean, just look at the list of names – Cankered Corpse anyone? You’re in or you’re out. 330 RMB

Casino Demon, Da Bang, The Hotline at School

Sweat it out at School with this killer one-off double showcase show featuring Modern Sky heavyweights Casino Demon and Da Bang, who’ll bring their rock and roll charm and indietronica vitality to the venue with a lil help from electro rock up and comers The Hotline. Get their early and claim your spot on the dance floor cause it’s gonna be packed and crazy real quick. 100 RMB

Li Xia, Wu Ning Yue, Wu & the Side Effects at Caravan

Badr’s musical orgy three day celebration continues at Caravan and they’ve pulled a killer Ningxia bill out of their sleeve as renowned folk singers Li Xia (of Li Dong) and Wu Ning Yue (of Buyi) bring their ruff and tumble rock and roll folk spirit to the small stage alongside psychedelic blues madmen Wu & the Side Effects. Three bands that haven’t shared the stage since the days of Dos Kolehas and one that’ll have the Moroccan joint in high spirits till the early morning. Did I mention fifty percent off the Lamb Mechoui. Yum. 80 RMB

Rhonda, Black Hipster, Motorbike Girls, Jokers Belief, Ogenix at Mao Livehouse

Catch some of the expat scene’s hottest items with this wild n’ out showcase at Mao Livehouse featuring everything from electro metal outfit Ogenix, math rocky instrumentalists Rhonda, noise garage rockers Motorbike Girls and much more. 100 RMB

Fork, Romantic Betrayal at Chen Livehouse

What’s more metal than Nietzsche? God is dead at Chen Livehouse on Saturday as two great bands, Fork and Romantic Betrayal, play. Fork has been together for 12 years, and through many tours and lineup changes, have stayed metal. Romantic Betrayal is a new metal and industrial metal trio. 50 RMB

Toy Soldiers, Self Portrait, Siberia Cocklebur at Mars Club

Pop punk, britpop, and indie pop —- lots of refined pop sounds coming through Mars Club, the latest livehouse to start a buzz in the Western outskirts of Beijing, as Toy Soliders, Self Portrait, and Siberia Cocklebur take the stage. 80 RMB

Wang Fanrui at Yue Space

Contemporary folk singer-songwriter Wang Fanrui launches his latest national tour in support of his fourth album Thousands of Mountians, which was released late last year. He’s gonna a big deal with the young ones so expect a packed house. 100 RMB

Jacques Mauger (France), Eglantina Grapshi (Albany) at La Plantation

Ex-soloist of the Opéra National de Paris, Jacques Mauger, gives a master class performance on the trombone, elevating it to a new level alongside Albany-born pianist Eglantina Grapshi, who has performed as a soloist in music chamber ensembles, recital and orchestra in various festivals across Europe. Catch these two highly trained musicians at La Plantation. 150 RMB (7pm start)

David Binney’s Tres Tierras (USA), Cuong Vu Trio at Yugong Yishan

Two groups of jazz masters converge in Beijing for two nights of shows. David Binney and his band, the Tres Tierras, which formed in California in 2016, play avant-garde jazz with a punk sensibility. They’re joined on stage by the Cuong Vu Trio, featuring Cuong Vu himself on trumpet, Stomu Takeishi on bass and Ted Poor on the drums. 150 RMB

Techno Prisoner, Duff Beer at Temple

Left field metal punk look to fry your brain alongside up and coming punk scrapper Duff Beer, who have been killing it with their rambunctious take-no-prisoners style of punk tomfoolery. FREE

Hard Candy Revolution, Back, 4U, Cui LongYang at Laifu Livehouse

Britpop-infused rockers Cui LongYang join female fronted glam rockers Hard Candy Revolution, electronic rock outfit 4U and more at the Shuangjing livehouse for some fun. 80 RMB

Ma Xiao at Jianghu Bar

The folk artist Ma Xiao touches down at Jianghu for a Pisces birthday concert alongside his band. Like the famous fish, the artist’s music has a complex character and a good heart, playing simple, soulful guitar, and mournful flute, and singing about life and love. 70 RMB

Samaga at Hot Cat Club

Finding roots in Indian, Middle East and worldwide musical influences with a joyful dash of modern harmonies, Samaga’s music happily marries different musical traditions as the band melts modern compositions into Indian ambiances, delivering their own interpretation of traditional Arabic Maqam and Indian Raga, constantly reinventing the soundscapes painted by the Indian Sitar, the Middle Eastern Percussions and Oud. Whoa. Hot Cat Club is getting otherworldly. FREE

Dee, Acid, Gael, Zhu Songjie, Axiang at fRUITYSPACE

Noise heads gather together around the bin fire at fRUITYSPACE – as a collection of the music scene’s most offbeat characters concur up a storm including Dee, Acid, Gael, Zhu Songjie, and Axiang. Tomfoolery and audio visual hijinks will ensue.

Guo Ming, Wu Gui, Hou Kang at Mogu Space

Guo Ming, whose ‘anti-folk’ with rugged lyrics joins harmonica and guitar player and poet Wu Gui as well as local Beijinger Hou Kang, always one foot in the folk world and one foot in rock and roll. Three unique artists at the Xizhimen hotspot. 60 RMB

Uighur Sama at Modernista

A mixture of traditional Arabic songs and lively Spanish rumba classics, with lyrics both in English and Uyghur, Uighur Sama continue bringing the energetic sounds of Xinjiang to China´s capital. FREE

Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine at DDC

Audience favorites, Tavey Lean and The Solid Gold Dream Machine bring their impressive repertoire of classic soul, RnB, 3-piece horn section, rock and roll fun to DDC. 50 RMB

Yang Chali at Snail Hostel

Folk singer-songwriter Yang Chali, who has been on the scene and on the road since the 2008 release Living in Dali, performs at Snail Hostel. Stories of the country and of longing for the past should make for a relaxing evening. 70 RMB

Liu Yong at Blue Stream

Folk artist and indie musician Liu Yong, who’ll be releasing his first album later this year, plays at the Blue Stream Bar. 60 RMB

---

SUNDAY MARCH 26^th

Randy Abel, the Hunters, Jordan Darling, Redundant Seconds, Dooder, Cello Love, Eric Allen, Star Band, Coupla Cups, Kamau & Friends at Caravan

As the experienced music champion said himself – it\’s the ‘ghost of dazeFeast’ returning for one last shagging this Sunday at Caravan as the Moroccan restaurant celebrates three years of satisfying food and tunes. There’ll be going all out with ten bands performing from four o’clock onwards – including sets from Randy Abel, the Hunters, Jordan Darling, Redundant Seconds, Dooder, and much more. Expect a BBQ on the terrace and plenty of drunken shenanigans throughout the afternoon and evening. And if that wasn’t enough, its 50% off all food all day long – so yeah, there’s goes your weekend. 60 RMB

Last Goodbye, Backspace, Uncle Hu at Yue Space

Blurred dreamy soundscapes, psychobilly vibing, and melodic melancholic Elliot Smith-styled storytelling – it’s a makeshift lienup of this year’s most promising contenders including shoegaze groovers Last Goodbye, indie rock renegades Backspace, and folk artist Uncle Hu. A very solid Sunday night outing. 60 RMB

Life Awaits, Ice Moon, CoupDeGrace, Fearless, Chaos Kills The Pain, Leviathan, Duskystar, 641 at Modernsky Lab

It’s a core-fest! Modernsky Lab sneaks in a stellar lineup of some of the core scene’s finest up and comers – from the emotive emocore rock of Life Awaits, to the rambunctious energy of Chaos Kills The Pain, the angst postcore rock of Ice Moon and the bonafide star power of Leviathan, who are in no way small fish – this is a jam packed lineup – one that wisely kicks off nice and early at 4pm. 120 RMB

Finger Family, Next Door Band, Black Mint, Mr. Deer at Yugong Yishan

Feel young again as ‘In Beijing Gang’ throws an party with the help of pop punk superstars Finger Family, fresh off their latest album and Japanese tour, indie pop outfit Next Door Band, as well as Black Mint and up and coming folk pop trope Mr. Deer. 150 RMB

Racoon Dog, Raven, Ringer, Ciel Errant, Shut Up N Listen, Foes, ShuKe He BoTa, ChangChang FanDiao at School

‘Campus Rock’ night at School Bar with an extensive rock n ready lineup of bands from across the university pool looking to cut their teeth and make a name for themselves. Who knows – you might just find this year’s biggest catch. 60 RMB

Katie Goes To Tokyo (Sweden) at DDC

Swedish singer/songwriter Kathrine Bergstrom brings her charming melodic pop tunes, reminiscent of The Cardigans to DDC. 100 RMB

Fofox, Zin, GaoGe, Jin YuHang at 69 Café

Folk singer-songwriters including Fofox and Zin take the cozy stage at 69 Café for an intimate evening of melodic storytelling. 60 RMB

The First Medal, Back, Miga, SuijiChen at Mars Club

Rock it out down on the Batong Line with these troublemakers looking to prolong their weekend. 60 RMB

Need a Name, Outspoken, Love Eye at Temple

Temple cover night! Witness three bands take the mantle and take turns plugging away at such classics from Iron Maiden, Halestorm, Rage Against The Machine, and the presidential Papa Roach. This is my last resort! FREE

The Big Wave, Qianchuan Drugstore, XianTong, Skin Bad at Central Academy of Fine Arts

Cold Neo, the label/promotion team that’s been steadily building quite the rep over the past two years, is going all in this next month with a series of shows across the country showcasing the team’s stock of bands and friends. It all kicks off tonight at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (just west of Chowenmen) at 6:30pm with auditorium performances from an array of bands – from juggernaut synth wave rockers The Big Wave, to up and coming (and fellow Fine Arts students) indie rock outfit Qianchuan Drugstore, there’s a bit of something for everyone. Must share their post and then a screenshot to the ColdNeo wechat (coldNEO) for a chance to get a ticket.