JASON- HI, buddy, how’s China? Smoggy? Good noodles? Read any good red-books lately?
PETE- As you might imagine it’s very, very different here than touring in America or Europe or anywhere else I can think of.
As far as I can tell the organizing of shows is driven by money and power, I mean, yes there are people who are into music, but the D.I.Y. ethos we know and love and grew up with and take for granted is completely non-existent here. I guess because it’s just not possible for musicians to play any shows on their own. There are no venues for them. No “indie” or “underground.” no support whatsoever. The tour we’re on is sponsored by Hennessy. And I mean SPONSORED. Logos fucking everywhere. It’s the only way an unknown American band can come here, apparently. We’re actually handed glasses of Hennessy on stage and we’re expected to cheers the crowd. To what extent is one willing to feel like a douchebag sellout tool? This is the ultimate test probably. Oh and if I mention anything remotely political, especially concerning freedom or Tibet or Taiwan, I’m in trouble. I’m not sure what kind of trouble. The chance to see china for free, play a bunch of shows here, interact with a ton of Chinese people, gather stories, some cash…is that worth pretending I bathe in Hennessy? I guess so, I don’t know.
JASON- Well, I don’t think you’re douchebags. We’ve all done worse. Anyway, these days it hardly seems to matter. You can’t type two words online without shilling for somebody.
What kind of bands are you playing with? Are they kids? Do young Chinese bands sound like 1982 like they do here? Or is this an all-American revue you’re on?
PETE- We’re not even playing with bands… I don’t know if bands (as we know them) even exist in these cities. Both shows we’ve played so far, Shenzen and Guangzhou, are in like weird “nightclubs.” the headliner both times was a Chinese pop star. Just a 20-something dude with funny hair alone on a tiny stage singing karaoke style (most vocals on the backing track too) while Chinese girls stare in awe. No one really cheers or even claps. Half the crowd video records the whole show on their phones. The music is straight-up Asian pop, like melodic rock-ish ballads. Sometimes, a rap is thrown in the bridge. At the clubs we’re ushered around with the promoter’s hand on our backs like the entire time. 
We’re not allowed to be anywhere but backstage, other than when we’re performing. And we have to leave the second we’re done playing. I learned last night this is because the places we played are owned and populated by “gangsters.” the promoter said if a girl talks to us, it’s possible she’s “friends” with a gangster, putting us in a very bad situation. Oh, and we can’t drink anything at the show other than Hennessey.
Jason- Holy Cow! Bizarre. It’s like the worst possible combination of Free-Markets and Authoritarianism. But, Judging by the sheer god-awful-tackiness of the Olympic Opening Cermony, I guess it doesn’t surprise me that the music in the clubs would be pretty terrible. So, basically, you’re not allowed to see anything, touch anything, talk about anything and you have to survive on a steady diet of Irish whisky? I think you should woo a gangster’s girl, escape your handlers and run off into a Hard Day’s Night-like adventure of stolen diamonds, kung-fu fights and international intrigue. How bad could Chinese prison be?
PETE CAFARELLA is the lead singer and in-charge of the synths for SHY CHILD. Their second full-length, ‘Noise Won’t Stop’ featured a guest collaboration from SPANK ROCK, was released in the UK by WALL OF SOUND in 2007 and stateside by KILL ROCK STARS in 2008. Their remix of THE BOGGS‘ ‘Arm In Arm’ was used in the trailer for GTA4.
Download Shy Child at NY’s best record store, Other Music HERE.
shychild.com

This 1980′s chinese poster comes from the days when China began to transition away from Maoism toward a more relaxed position with a softer stance toward western culture.
It would seem that this openness included a sudden and immense love of disco dancing.
To see more Chinese posters, check out this site. 

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 21st, 2008 at 15:34. It is filed under THITH Zine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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