2007迷笛音乐节

Welcome back to today’s China Beat on China Radio International. I’m Xu Jue. Yesterday we briefly introduced the

Logo of 2007 MIDI Music Festival. [Photo: midimidi.cn]

overall settings of this year’s Midi Music Festival, the biggest outdoor music festival now in China. And today we’ll go on with our conversation with Mr. Zhong Sheng, the Media Contact of this year’s Midi Festival. And he’s also going to share with us some of his own experiences with Midi.

To kick off the show, we’ll first listen to the song Boys in Cage, by the band Re-Tros.

(Re-Tros - Boys in Cage)

That’s Boys in Cage, by a very active post rock band, Re-Tros, whose name can be directly translated as Restore the Right of Statuary.

Now is Mr Zhong Sheng talking about the theme of this year’s Midi Music Festival.

(Zhong Sheng’s Words)

As to the theme of this year’s Midi Music Festival, Green Peace, Zhong Sheng says this year is the first time for the Midi Music Festival to work with the world green peace organization. The festival has always been concerned about environmental protection. Midi is trying to use its own influence on the Chinese Youths, reminding them of the importance of protecting the environment and help them be informed of the proper ways of doing that. This year, all festival brochures are printed with recycled paper. 

Xiao Wei, the leading vocalist of the band Catcher in the Rye once worked as the volunteer for the Green Peace Organization. He and his band will also perform in this year’s Midi Music Festival. Here comes their song, Go Your Own Way. Let’s have a listen.

(Catcher in the Rye – Go Your Own Way)

That’s Go Your Own Way, by the band Catcher in the Rye. As a regular Midi goer myself, I’ve always been concerned about whom I can see in each festival. In my opinion the bands are mostly Beijing based. And fewer bands from other provinces play in Midi now than before. As to this question. Mr. Zhong Sheng says,

Bands playing on the stages are mostly from provinces other than Beijing. But most of them have been living in the capital city for quite a long time. Beijing is where they further their musical career and expand their influence. The Midi Music Festival tried to invite bands from other provinces. However, practical reasons like the huge outlays have more or less daunted such attempts. But still Midi is seeking ways of cooperation with such bands living in the vast rural areas.

Coming up we’ll hear the song called Phoenix, by the folk musician Su Yang and his band. They originated in the Ningxia Province, and now have been gaining popularity in Beijing and across the nation.

(Su Yang & his Band - Phoenix)

Through our chatting, Zhong Sheng told me he had just been invited to the organizing team of the Midi Music Festival last December by Zhang Fan, principal of the Midi School of Music. Before, he had been a mere Midi goer and supporter of such a utopia like music festival. And now is what he told me the most impressive Midi he had ever attended.

(Zhong Sheng’s Words)

Zhong Sheng recalled his first Midi experience. Then the music festival was still held in the Midi School of Music at the foot of the Fragrance Mountain. Without any media promotion, rock fans both locally and from other provinces came to the sight and got really excited about the performance given by various independent musicians.

(Zhong Sheng’s Words)

Zhong Sheng mentioned bands like Ak47, 01 playing on that year’s Midi stage, but says many bands no longer exist now. But he says it’s not the bands playing on the stages brings most fun to the audience, but a sense of closeness to the free life many people dream of that piles up the greatest fun of the Midi Music Festival.

So if you’re also a little bit drawn to the scene, will you find yourself some time to have fun in this year’s Midi? Midi is now the biggest annual outdoor music festival in China, a carnival for alternative music defenders. In this year’s 8^th festival, 90 bands plus 50 solo musicians both domestically and overseas will be playing on the 6 Stages during the four days’ festival starting from May 1^st in Haidian Park. The daily ticket fee is 50 RMB and the package ticket for the whole 4 days is 100. So probably we can meet at the Haidian Park during the May Day holiday in our celebration of music in this year’s Midi Music Festival.

Leaving you with the song Glide like a Leaf, by the band Ruins on this edition of China Beat from China Radio International. I’m Xu Jue. Have fun and see you next week.