Chinese rock, or yaogun as they call it here, started in Beijing, and by some accounts stayed there. Before coming to Shanghai, my inquiries about the music scene here were greeted with a sigh, a shake of the head and the comment, "It's not Beijing..."

Throughout China, and indeed throughout Asia, musical scenes are dominated by glamorous "pop stars" singing their mass-produced syrupy ballads or peppy jingles. Shanghai is no exception. More people now can sing Xin tai ruan than The East is Red.

Nevertheless, as long as there is a mainstream, there will be a backlash against the mainstream, as evidenced by Shanghai's nascent underground rock scene. Shanghai rock resembles the early days of the Beijing scene, before the twin events in 1992 of political loosening and the arrival of foreign record labels allowed a handful of musicians to pull out of obscurity.

In Shanghai today, word of rock performances is spread by word of mouth, and demo tapes are copied and distributed hand to hand. Once a month or so, a rock party is convened, although not without some administrative difficulty.

A recent rock party was convened on Sunday night, 14 November, at the Hard Rock Cafe on Nanjing Xi Lu. Ten bands performed, offering both original and cover material in English and Chinese, with styles ranging from pop to rock, from grunge to metal. With prizes of 2,000 yuan each for best band, best drummer, best vocals, best bass, best guitar and best song, the show attracted the best and brightest of Shanghai rock. The show was jointly sponsored by the Yamaha music equipment company, MTV, and the local Parson's Music Company. One must wonder why MTV sponsors these events yet only shows Cantopop on TV.

Before the show began, throngs of pony-tailed Chinese guys congregated outside. Remember, if you want to find a rock performance in China, just follow the long-haired men. The doors opened at 7:00 pm, and the area around the stage was soon packed. The Hard Rock Cafe was perhaps not the best venue for the event, as space was limited and many were forced to wait for admittance. It was nevertheless worth the inconvenience to observe all the expat diners there: their faces were alike in looks of general bewilderment at being surrounded by what was, to them, strange-sounding music and stranger-looking people.

The party began with a twenty-minute introduction of the sponsors and, of course, their products. For the following hour and a quarter, the first five bands performed one song each. The first band was Hei Bing (Black Ice), performing Xunzhao ziji de tiantang (Searching for my own paradise). Shuijing Die (Crystal Butterfly) then performed Dang wo youling shi (When I was a ghost). Then Mengyou (Dream Trip) played Xiang haizi yiyang congrong (Calm like a child). The band Hong (Red) played Buyao zai mengzhong qidai (Don't hope for your dreams). Then Outlook took the stage with Bu xiangxin (No Trust).

After a five-minute break and another plug for the sponsors by the VJ, the remaining five bands played. 119 played Pinzhuang jiyi (Put away memories), followed by Xin gainian (New Concept) with Shi leyuan (Lost Paradise). Li Qi de yuedui (Li Qi's Band) performed Shengming (Life). Guozhi yuedui (Fruit Juice Band) played Tianshi de yanlei (Angel Tears). Finally, Hei Qu (Black Song) performed Gan mao (Flu).

The panel of five judges deliberated for about fifteen minutes. Finally, the results were announced. The contest was swept by Shuijingdie (Crystal Butterfly), which won three of the six awards: best band, best song, and best guitar. The murmurs from the crowd were approving.

The three member (guitar/vocals, bass, drums), six-year veteran band is generally considered to be Shanghai's best, and fans and friends alike were gratified. The group got up for an encore performance. I had not heard them play at the beginning, but this time I was genuinely impressed. They have excellent stage presence, and their original songs were lively and creative. Their style defies definition, something of a fusion of rock, metal and post-punk. Very good stuff. After their encore song, the chats of "One more song, one more song" could probably be heard even at the top of the Portman. Shuijingdie, however, bowed out. They are scheduled to play every Monday and Tuesday night at Ove's in the Golden Magnolia Plaza, although so far they've been cancelled in favor of pop singers in wedding dresses every time.

It's good to know that there is some alternative to the crass materialism and mass-produced culture in today's Shanghai.

Stay posted for dates and reviews of future concerts.