Holy Mao! China punks up.

By: Wendy Wang

If you've never seen a Chinese person with a mohawk or a spiked leather jacket, prepare for a real eye opener. Being punk is actually a common trend among the youth generation in China right now. Beijing has an emerging underground generation X listening to and thriving on punk rock music with Western influences from the late 70's Sex Pistols to the early 80's Ramones.

Most of these Beijing punks have either dropped out of high school to pursue the angry drug induced highs of punk rock or have sought solace in the music that acts as a diversion from their broken homes.

With political and revolutionary lyrics, these Chinese punk groups bring their cultural anger into a frenzied height. Yet it is surprising how this counter cultural genre of musical rage faces little if any government censorship or involvement.

The Beijing punk scene has also spread to the United States in recent years, with bands such as Hang on the Box and Brain Failure playing at the Silver Lounge in Silver Lake just last month. Even though audience numbers were limited, there was a clear indication of an existing fan base.

Girl punk: Hang on the Box

Hang on the Box, an all-girl punk band has the spiked hair, fully pierced, creepers look. The group began in 1998, and they unknowingly served as the launching pad for feminist punk in China. By combining female angst with turbulent high-pitched screams, they are reminiscent of an Asian Bikini Kill. They possess a sadistic dynamic with harsh lyrics such as, "Rape you, rape you" in their hit song, "Asshole, I'm Not Your Baby." Undoubtedly, they treat us to a healthy dosage of a "don't mess with me" attitude that is firmly anchored in their implementation of girl power notions. Wang Yue who does vocals for the group is the kind of girl who should not be taken lightly. Her pale white complexion and small figure is a deceiving front to the galvanizing screams she possesses.

With songs like, "No Sexy" and "Oooo" from their "Yellow Banana" album, Hang on the Box introduces us to their girl riot world of guitar riffs, solos, feedback, and collective screams. In both songs you get a taste of "slap in the face" sounds fused with smashing cymbals of street punk.

Brain Failure rocks the cultural revolution with old school punk

Another band straight out of Beijing is Brain Failure. They are loud, sweaty, and thoroughly punk. These four energetic Chinese lads started their punk passion early with their first jam session in middle school. Since the group formed in 1997, they have been shaking the grounds of China’s youth generation with powerhouse lyrics advocating Mao Zedong’s ideals of cultural revolution.

The boys of Brain Failure greet their audiences with mohawks, tattoos, Mao Zedong pin buttons, and deep-rooted musical influences from Rancid and the Sex Pistols.

Dominated by guitar riffs, they possess a "masters of their own destiny" sound. With the song, "Anarchy in the P.R.C," they open up with Xiao Rong’s signature deafening scream of "ni hao," which means "hello" in English. Throughout the song, we are drowned in a wall of sound as we are treated to a maddening deluge of noise riffs, distortion, cymbals, and screaming guitars that hang in the air even after the song ends. This song is a full-blown Sex Pistols déjà vu experience. Simply take all of the UK angst from the 70’s and transform it into Chinese frustration and rage.

If you are looking for some old school punk (Asian style), then Brain Failure is your band. However, if you are faint at heart or highly conservative their music may reek havoc on your eardrums, so be forewarned.

Unlike the serenading and meandering aspect of traditional Chinese music, this emerging Chinese punk scene is receiving international recognition in the ranks of the punk rock world. So don’t be so surprised the next time you see what looks like a Chinese punk rocker walking down the street. As Chinese punk music becomes the cultural revolution of the youth in Asia and Asian Americans in the U.S., it is evident that China is not only expanding on an economic level but also on a musical one.

So the next time a Chinese punk band rocks your town, get loud, get noisy, and get a taste of Chinese punk.