From the Washington Post:
For Chinese punks today, it might take screaming to be heard. They make up a small slice of the music industry here, and they play to a largely underground scene. But their struggle to gain attention provides a glimpse of what it’s like to be a rebel in a country that suppresses dissent and individuality, and an artist in a culture that worships money and Western fads…
“We want to be a dangerous band, like Fugazi or The Clash or Bob Dylan. Woody Guthrie’s folk music influenced me a lot,” Yang said. “But because the government doesn’t care about us, we are not forbidden from playing. Maybe we are not dangerous. It’s sad.” [Full text]
The Post article also includes a short video of the band P.K. 14, and a photo essay of punk bands in Beijing. Songs by P.K. 14 can be downloaded on their MySpace page. For more about the underground music scene in China, see Chaile.org, the ChaileWiki or rockinchina.com.
