Yuyintang turns five: The anniversary of Shanghai live music

Five years: it’s not a long time in most schemes of things. However, Shanghai time runs like dog years -- especially in the fickle twins that are the city’s music and nightlife scenes. This weekend, the city's best-known music dive, Yuyintang, celebrates a dedicated half-decade of nurturing Shanghai’s music scene, and recall a sometimes rough but always rewarding ride.

we had other ideas that I forget now, but we went with Yuyintang because its meaning was evocative of what we wanted to do, which is music and encouraging bands.

— Zhang Haizheng

“The biggest [change] is that having concerts in Shanghai is now very convenient,” which they once were not, modestly muses Zhang Haisheng, Yuyintang’s founder and director. “It has always been that way though, Shanghai bands, as long as they have decent original stuff, can come and play at Yuyintang -- and even new bands without many songs get an opportunity.”

The anniversary party, a free show on December 4, features rising stars The Mushroom, which like dozens of Shanghai bands cut their teeth at Yuyintang shows, immigrant bands Yuguo and Weghur who were given musical shelter in Shanghai under Zhang’s warm wing, and Zhang’s old friends Cold Fairyland.

“Mushroom first got started at Yuyintang, and they grew as a band and are now pretty famous,” observes Lu Sun, another manager who joined Yuyintang two years ago.

“A lot of bands have grown up with us, like Mushroom, Cold Fairyland, Yuguo and Candy Shop,” echoes Zhang. “Well not Cold Fairyland, they were already famous. The bands playing Friday are the most representative of Shanghai, in having good music and continuing to play consistently. There are a lot of other good bands too, but we can’t invite everyone!”

“Their influence is really huge, all along they have been totally supportive of Shanghai bands, and there were periods they were the only place to play,” says Cold Fairyland’s singer Lin Di. “They didn’t want to be a bar but rather a stage, and still their drinks are priced for students. They’re really like old Gua’er,” a music school and rock venue near Fudan from 2000 to 2005, “but more central.”

Even for more established bands, says Lin, Yuyintang provides a haven and outlet. “We’ve played there so many times, released our albums there, and done send-offs for our international tours. Before, their shows weren’t so frequent or professional, but they have come a long way.”

This weekend, the city's best-known music dive, Yuyintang, celebrates a dedicated half-decade of nurturing Shanghai’s music scene, and recall a sometimes rough but always rewarding ride.

Yuyintang first started exactly five year before the anniversary party, with a ten band tribute concert to John Lennon organized at Ark Livehouse, where Zhang worked as an audio engineer until its closure in 2008. Zhang was already an old hand in the Shanghai rock scene, as a fan since 1993 and in bands and working in a music store and then as a soundman since 1996. As for the name, Zhang recalls, “we had other ideas that I forget now, but we went with Yuyintang because its meaning was evocative of what we wanted to do, which is music and encouraging bands.”

Zhang and a friend who left early on proceeded to organize concerts at Harleys throughout 2005, and at the old DDM Gallery on Dongdaming Lu in 2006, but dreamed of a space of their own. “In 2005 we had our own rehearsal studio on Caoxi Lu, near [Shanghai] Stadium, but we were too noisy and got kicked out, and then found the place on Longcao Lu,” explains Zhang. “It was very big for a studio, so we made it into a concert venue.” That lasted from March 2006 to April 2007, when they had to move -- again for being too loud.

Zhang’s old band mate Lu Sun offered up the park-side Xiao Bai Lou (little white building) where his media company Sigact had their offices; concerts there began tentatively in October 2007 and regularly in April 2008 after a renovation that created the Yuyintang we now all know and love.

Zhang shrugs that Yuyintang is not that unique in Shanghai: “Before us, Sun Mengjin [a radio and television host known as the “Godfather of Shanghai Rock”] was similar to us in organizing concerts, but it was all at different places, especially Music Factory [on Taikang Lu], but it closed because it didn’t make money.” Other music venues have had similarly long runs, including Art and The Tribesman.

“There are a lot of live music venues now,” adds Lu Sun, “but now Yuyintang is now the oldest.” And still going strong.