2009, Shenzhen. I quit my job and joined an international band and started performing in a bar owned by Chinese in Sea World, Shekou. I know it sounds cool but actually the experience wasn’t quite inspirational.
First of all, we sucked. We were a band quickly founded with a collection of semi-professionals and amateurs. You can’t blame anybody, though. Quality isn’t really what the market needs. A lot of bar owners just want a few foreign faces with some instruments on the stage so they can distinguish themselves in music bars. When we asked the manager what he thought about our song list, he just told us to add Hotel California, dress less and dance our asses off.
Then the sound system was terrible. It was a big room, and there were no monitors. So all we could do was try to “feel” the music from the mixed sounds of all sorts of instruments and voices that were reflected from the walls, hoping that we didn’t sound stupid. But again, it was another challenge for the instant band. And 3 tables away from the stage, no one could tell what we were singing.
If the sound system was so bad, why wouldn’t they make some changes? No customers complained, I guess. We settled for the situation because we wanted a job, I guess. Everyone wants live music in their bars but no one cares what it takes, I guess.
After the contract was over, I spoke with the manager and asked if he would like an acoustic band playing some covers and originals, because I thought that kind of music would really fit the atmosphere in the bar, instead of loud, high energy performances. He said no. He didn’t give a shit about original music and would like to find more foreign bands with girls dancing on the stage and shake their asses off.
How much is there about music, you know?
So I moved on. But during the 3 months performing there I made a lot of friends. I met Mike, a passionate American entrepreneur who encouraged me to start this blog. And there’s Rue, another American man who’s extremely passionate about music. We started writing together, performing together, then we named ourselves Brue, did some recording, tried to make things happen… Then we got married and have a beautiful daughter. And the story’s not over.
March 11th, 2012 by Gabree Kwan
Now,we’re making things happen…
It was August 2008, at the end of my first year in China and I had made it through. I had survived the swim in the deep end that was my job and was just at the start of my music journey in Shenzhen. Someone asked me to form a band to play in Tibet for a Christmas show. With a few phone calls here and mutual friend there, The Collective was formed.
Shortly after, 3 Western songwriters and the best Chinese drummer were opening Friday nights at the newly opened OCT LOFT IduTang, still in collaboration with C-Union at the time, playing only our own stuff. We were livin’ the dream. Not long after, a few fights and a phone call had us going our seperate ways. A little longer after Gabree and I met and well, you read what she wrote.
Bands split up all the time and usually for a number of reasons. We had our issues but central to it was the lack of support from bars for the music we were creating and incentive to keep writing. Outside of Idutang, where else could we play original music? Mccawley’s? The Terrace? V-Bar? True Colors? Basebar? Simply, no.
Most of these bars operate with a house band, 6 nights a week. They simply can’t afford to ask their musicians to sit one out. With their audience it’s got to be classic rock or commerical music. And the Chinese bars? Well, they want Chinese solo artists to play soft music. Sure, there’s the occassional novelty of a foreign band but nothing consistent.
The only other bar that has attempted to showcase foreign talent is La Casa. It started great but as Coco park developed it was swallowed by Viva and Gaga. Now, we get an open mic slot, once a week on Sunday night and it’s just not enough.
So what does that leave for the foreign musician and Western music SZ?
Dealing with Chinese agents for Chinese functions. What is that experience like? One word – GROSS. The agents take 50%or more, the sound system is never set up correctly and the audience stares blankly while you play along with a Karaoke CD. And the worst – half of your “band” don’t actually know how to play an instrument. Their just models. It’s nothing to do with music, everything to do with “how you look”. The only upside is that you can sometimes meet talented players and hot Russians. But even with the easy buck , it’s not long before you come to resent the music situation in Shenzhen.
So, this is why we’re writing this blog… As my good musician friend said, “If we don’t do something about live music, your daughter will grow up thinking live music means 1 person jamming to a backing track.” Music and music performance is a core element to the creative indsutry that is the West. We live, breathe, and grow up listening to the grooves of Hendrix, Fitzgerald, Taylor, Charles, Willy and the likes. Thier lyrics shape the way we think about our lives and inspire us to continue in that spirit.
Shenzhen should be the muscians meeting point connecting Guangzhou and Hong Kong. It’s on us to to make the events and build the venues to bring our music to life. Build it and they will come
We’re here now. Shenzhen is our home.
April 11, 2012 by Rue Moyer
Dan
Looking forward to hearing the story.
Niki Moyer
Interesting to read from both the Chinese perspective and the American perspective.
carlos
I think is good to remember this :
AMATEUR:
Person who has a liking for something, appreciate the research and has some knowledge.
person who practices for his pleasure and not for a living (as opposed to professional).
When I read your comment, guys if I can give you an advice, you need to understand what is around you. And what you need.
I don t like specially this kind of music but hotel California is a great song.
And most of peoples like it.
About this boss want energic band with pretty girls.
It was easy to make original songs and be pretty also be energic.
It was easy to listen what this boss need and to adjust what you need.
But most of amateur want make music and do what they want,
When you were working in office. Can you do what you wanted.
But this boss he has 65 employed ( employed have familly, house, children) he need to pay give salary to all this peoples, this is why he wants cover band and pretty girls to make money. Because you can not bring costumer like how cover band do.
because, customers when they want listen original sound.
They will not go to terrace or vbar.
You both want make original music but your stage area, like Vbar, coco park, terrace, true color etc…..
And the band play 6 night a week in vbar, if you go to see them,
the first set.
You will listen some old school music and more melodic songs, but ending night peoples want dance..La casa !, really guys you want make original songs.
But your area is not match with your idea.
We are in china, original band from the underground and all country are same, all this pub you talking about its for tourist and chinese want live and feel western style.
In china you have a lot of great talents and a lot of place give opportunity for original songs. Just last night I was see tv. Show for new band play original songs. In hong kong you have the festival for original band.
All the spring and summer you have a lot of original band play in the street in hong kong famous area for that. You can go ask a licence in hong kong and play you original song where you want and shenzhen also start do that.
In front of vbar a famous chinese pianist open a big music school8 month ago and give some deep performance. Coco park and vbar is not shenzhen guys.
And the band play one day a week in Vbar is sucked, lets be hones
the boss in vbar get them because they are foreigner and he can not find good band
Want play 1 day a week there.
You need to know what you want do with music be an amateur or professional.
If you want make original song. You go in the wrong area
Most of the bar will use you because you will play for free there.
Actually you go to, indonesia, thailand etc… the industry is more closed for original music.
Maybe is time to learn about this beautiful country, china give chance to everyone have talent and are smart.
Is more easy to judge and give shit about a country, I am tired to listen all this foreigners
don t know nothing about china and give shit.
I think you need to go in the underground and you will see how original music in china is powerful. I met so much chinese talents. And producing label. And this people don t know anything about all the bars you talking about. Shenzhen is a new city not like shanghai or beijing.
Now many country don t allow amateur original band to play for free in bar.
The bar has to provide accommodation and money. This is why they started make a lot of festival for original band.
Its logic guys if you want play original music don’t go in a bar usualy play cover music. You have many place for original band. Just you don t looking for in the right area.
I was thinking same like you few years ago. We will start to record in September our original album and we get a Chinese distributor.
For me Shenzhen don t need to be changed.
Is better to believe and be positive and trust what is around you.
When you have talent everything’s come to you in time.
God bless you guys
Gabree
Hi Carlos, thank you for your comment. I agree with you in general but there ARE a lot of audience complaining about hearing same old cover music everywhere they go. And there ARE bar owners approaching us for ideas on what shows to put on. And I think you would agree it’s not easy to find people to write together, people to play with. We want to make all these easier so people wouldn’t have to try so hard just to be able to play music. That’s what internet is for!
And yes, we are trying to help amateurs because we know how passionate they are in music. In my opinion, original music isn’t just about skills – a lot of it’s about thoughts. And these amateurs are real people who have experienced a lot and they are full of thoughts! While bar owners are working their asses off trying to feed themselves and their staff, while musicians are trying to survive, these people don’t have to play by the market rules. That’s why amateur music is so powerful. That’s why professional musicians have double lives – they can’t live on solely playing original music or they would starve. (Actually I would prefer not to say “amateur” because some people find it offensive.)
The environment can be better for original music, not just in Shenzhen, but anywhere in the world. It just doesn’t seem to work in the current business models and it’s not the market’s fault. So we need to be more creative than ever, on this “revolutionary road”, for our own sake.
SHOT GUN
I like music, I like your style of music, I love your way of life, but perhaps I have not enough courage to go this route.I wish you to realize their dreams and in Shenzhen, all is well
Rue
Thank you! I think courage is our most natural instinct. Why? We need it to survive- without courage there’s no way to get food on the table or climb the mountain. Now, in our digital age, we need courage more than ever! The first step is often the hardest, right? Give it a shot.