Touching messages

People in the city have welcomed the return to normality, with restaurants, shopping malls, factories, and transportation and delivery services gradually recovering.

VOX, although unable to stage live performances, reopened in May for customers wanting to have a drink or drop by to relax.

"I received many touching messages of support from people who said they were looking forward to attending a show at VOX again," Zhu said.

Born and raised in Panzhihua, he became interested in music when he was a boy after watching a Sichuan Opera troupe perform at the machine factory where his father worked.

Zhu learned to play drums as a child, and as the country's rock music scene emerged in the 1980s, he listened to bands such as Black Panther and Tang Dynasty, as well as rock pioneer Cui Jian.

In August 1995, when he was 24, Zhu quit his job at the factory where his father worked. Taking his life savings, he boarded a bus before switching to a train for the 3,000-kilometer, 24-hour journey to Beijing. His destination was the Midi School of Music, the nation's first contemporary music school.

During his training at the school, Zhu decided to devote his life to music. At the institution, he met two students from Wuhan-Wu Wei and Han Lifeng-with whom he formed the punk band SMZB in 1996, which is considered to be the first such outfit in the city.

In 2005, Zhu rented a 170-square-meter bar, which he transformed into VOX. Since then, it has become a leading venue for indie music, in particular attracting students and expatriates living in Wuhan.

"The city lies at the heart of China, making it a destination that is hard to ignore for rock bands planning nationwide tours," said Zhu, who launched VOX venues in Changsha, capital of Hunan province, in 2017, and in Chongqing a year later.

"After all we have been through during the pandemic, it now seems much more meaningful to perform in Wuhan. The city has been brave and has successfully tamed the virus. We're proud of it," Zhu said, adding that performances at VOX in Wuhan are fully booked for summer this year.

On Nov 9, concerts with the theme "Restart "were held at the three VOX venues, with the audiences comprising those who contributed to the fight against the pandemic, including medical workers, volunteers and rescue teams.

One of the acts featured was French musician Djang San, who performed with Nicolas Mege on drums and Pierre Billiard on bass.

Djang San, who played at VOX in Wuhan in 2011, said: "The audience feedback was great. The moment we took to the stage, people cheered like crazy."

Raised in Peru, and now living in Beijing, Djang San, whose real name is Jean-Sebastien Henry, started playing violin as a child and guitar as a teenager. He first visited Beijing in 2000 and began to play Chinese instruments, such as the zhongruan, pipa and guzheng.

When the pandemic struck, he started composing pieces to convey the feeling of isolation. He also wrote an album titled Coronavirus Music, and others such as Stars Falling Into Places and West East North South.

"The pandemic reduced the number of venues available, and concerts were often canceled. Many people left and will not come back. Some good musicians are still here, but life has changed," he said.

"There are a few more shows now, but there is always the possibility that performances will be called off due to the pandemic. Online shows can't really replace live performances, and watching a video on the internet is no replacement for meeting with people."

Since 2007, VOX in Wuhan has staged shows at universities, with the aim of offering young indie bands an opportunity to show their talent. Every year, 10 shows are open to amateur young bands from local universities.

As the venue is near Huazhong University of Science and Technology and China University of Geosciences, the young bands also get the chance to perform with professional indie rock outfits at VOX.

On Nov 27, a year-end show was held at the venue, featuring five young rock bands from Wuhan who are signed to VOX's record label.

Xu Bo, founder and lead vocalist with local rock lineup Chinese Football, said: "The city is noisy and crowded. It inspires me to think about and write music."

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)