At first glance, especially on the slow nights, the Tribesman can be something of a let-down. It is rather dark, the bar is long and cramped, and the layout is such that, wherever you are, it's hard to see the rest of the place.

There is a little stage in the front, the bar is to one side, and the main room located parallel to, but walled off from, the bar. The main room is decorated with an assortment of photographs and a number of abstract paintings of naked women, contributed, we presume, by the local students. Sometimes, even on a Saturday night, the place can be virtually deserted except for a handful of liuxuesheng (foreign students) and their local tongxuemen (classmates) who come regularly for the 15 kuai big bottles of Carlsberg and Qingdao Gold.

On a good night, however, the place is packed. Standing room only, or at best sharing a rickety bar stool with one or two other strangers. It only seems to get like this on nights with live music. Bands don't come here to perform, they come here to jam. One rarely, if ever, sees an entire band together here, and even then, they always seem to have gained a few extra members.

Normally it's just a handful of individuals thrown together for a good time. You'll see members from the professional bands, such as Tieyulan and Shuijingdie, playing with aspiring university musicians and friends who sporadically leap in and out of the crowd.

They are invariably joined on guitar by bar owner and former manager Ah Wen, who seems to be trying to make the most of his day job. A stereotypical guitarist, he normally grabs the microphone and the spotlight, and we suspect that it is his fault that every time, regardless of whoever else is playing, we are subjected to a rendition of "I Shot the sheriff".

Consider that the lowest point of the evening, and you're still doing pretty well. After all, bad '70's music is heaven compared to your standard Mariah Carey and Celine Dion covers, right?

The jam sessions at the Tribesman range from really good to not too bad, but the energy of both the band and the audience is always excellent.

The problem with the Tribesman is that the nights with music are erratic, and never advertised. The aim is to allow for the argument, if need be, that what is going on is entirely impromptu. And it is, for the most part anyway.

Moreover, the bar does not have its own phone number, as far as anyone can tell. So your best bet, if you don't want lots of long treks north to sit in an empty bar, is to go once, persuade one of the bartenders to give you his number, and call on occasion to find out the schedule.

Or show up with your instrument in tow, and start your own jam session. Even on a slow night, the sound system is great.

And the selection of CDs is the best in Shanghai, so it's a great place to grab a beer and chill a while.

Getting there:

The Tribesman is at 2150 Siping Lu, near the intersection with Guoding Lu. Getting there can be a challenge. It's on the right side of Siping Lu, past Tongji University and a little past Fudan. It can't even be seen from the street. The sign is on the walkway on the side, so all that can really be seen is a large Bacardi bat glowing out front. Walk through a strange-looking little cavern with a wall of beer bottles, and head on in.