MIDI Festival 2010: A quick guide

Recognized as China’s oldest and longest-running rock music festival, the MIDI Festival is, for the second time in its 10-year history, heading for Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province for their 11th go-around, slated for October 1-4.

While MIDI has always placed an emphasis on the metal and punk genres, the 2010 MIDI Festival, also known as the Changjiang Music Festival, has a wide range of bands and artists during the four-day affair. 

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The trifecta of blazing riffs, brutal beats and frontman Brian Fair’s massive dreadlocks makes Shadows Fall one of the most anticipated international acts at this year’s MIDI Festival.

MIDI Festival group no. 1: Headliners from abroad

Like all Chinese music festivals, there is a certain emphasis placed on headliners and foreign participants, given the limited local talent pool. And, while all the 2010 MIDI headliners play heavy metal, festival organizers have gone to great lengths to concoct a roster that combines the best in contemporary metal as well as some more classic acts.

Bands not to miss at MIDI: Hailing from Springfield, Massachusetts, thrash quintet Shadows Fall has been at the forefront of the contemporary American metal movement since the release of their 2002 LP "The Art of Balance." Known for their blazing riffs, brutal beats and frontman Brian Fair’s massive dreadlocks, Shadows Fall are slated to tear through the festival’s Tang Stage at 8 p.m., on the final night of MIDI, October 4.

Aside from Shadows Fall, MIDI 2010 features sets from Japanese pop-metal legends Loudness (Tang Stage, 10:30 p.m., October 2), incendiary Brazilian guitarist Max Cavalera’s post-Sepultura band Soulfly (Tang Stage, 10:30 p.m., October 3) and Finnish folk-metal spectacle Finntroll (Tang Stage, 10:30 p.m., October 4).

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Guaili takes the MIDI Festival stage after rocking the Chinese live music scene with their new disc “Flight of Delusion.”

MIDI Festival group no. 2: Maybe Mars connection

While mainstay Beijing indie label Modern Sky has taken to forming a festival of their own in the capital’s Haidian Park, their top competitor in the Chinese indie market, Maybe Mars, has aligned with MIDI, sending several of their more coveted acts to Zhenjiang for the National Day festivities.

Bands not to miss at MIDI: Hot off the heels of their newly released disc “Flight of Delusion,” alternative quintet Guaili will be gracing MIDI’s Song Stage at 5 p.m. on October 3.

If Guaili’s abrasive noise-punk isn’t exactly your bag, Maybe Mars is also sending some more straight-forward punk acts including Demerit (Tang Stage, 4:40 p.m., October 2) and SMZB (Tang Stage, 7 p.m., October 3), as well as dance-punk quartet AV Okubo (Tang Stage, 3 p.m., October 4) and alt-folk group Low Wormwood (Song Stage, 4:20 p.m., October 4).

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Chinese rockers Tang Dynasty school the new MIDI acts on how legends are made.

MIDI Festival group no. 3: Chinese legends

Although the timeline of Chinese rock, punk and metal still only dates back to the mid-1980s, some groups, like the much-beloved metal outfit Tang Dynasty (Tang Stage, 7 p.m., October 4), have already achieved legendary status.

Bands not to miss at MIDI: Aside from Tang Dynasty, other Chinese legends in the MIDI fold include heavier-than-thou thrash quartet Suffocated (Tang Stage, 8:10 p.m., October 3), metal core group Twisted Machine (Tang Stage, 10:50 p.m., October 1) and blood-meets-Beijing Opera act Voodoo Kungfu (Tang Stage, 9:20 p.m., October 3).

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The formerly goth-based music of Muma & Third has taking a decidedly more indie-friendly approach, and the crowds are loving it.

MIDI Festival group no. 4: Best of the rest

In addition to these highly coveted metal and punk bands, MIDI 2010 also features some more unclassifiable bands, groups that play music within the rock paradigm, but that aren’t necessarily the most genre specific.

Originally known for their gothic motifs, Muma & Third Party (Song Stage, 9:40 p.m., October 3) have evolved into a more indie-friendly band, while legendary cross-dressing folk-rock/alternative band Second Hand Rose (Song Stage, 8:30 p.m., October 3) have always been considered one of China’s most original bands.

For a more straight forward rock and indie sound however, head over to MIDI Festival's Tang Stage at 3:50 p.m. on October 4 for a set from Brit rockers Steely Heart or to the Song Stage at 4 p.m. on October 3 for Perdel’s pop-rock inspired-tunes.