As part of their ongoing world tour, American rock band Sonic Youth played a rather special program for their Chinese fans, whom they met for the first time.

At the Star Live of Beijing on Monday night, they gave a retrospective program that included works from different periods of their career. There was Reena from their latest album Rather Ripped (2006), as well as songs from their classic albums, such as Candle from Daydream Nation (1988).

"We are aware that people here know who we are, for we have been around for a long time," the band's guitarist, Lee Ranaldo, told China Daily. "Coming here is a special thing for us, and it's also special for the people here who have been waiting so long to see us. That's why we play songs from different records."

The program was enthusiastically welcomed by the audience, who sang and danced to their favorite songs.

Though Sonic Youth is far from well-known to the majority of Chinese people, they are certainly one of the most important names for those who like alternative rock music. The Star Live was packed with some 1,000 people on Monday night, in spite of the expensive tickets that cost 350 to 600 yuan ($45-$77).

On April 21, the City Lights Bookstore in Zhengzhou of Central China's Henan Province held a party to play DVDs and CDs of Sonic Youth for those who couldn't go to the band's shows in Beijing or Shanghai.

Xue Jinqiu, a 32-year-old man from Zhengzhou said he was lucky that he could come to Beijing to see Sonic Youth live. Several friends of his who also like the band couldn't make it to Beijing, and asked him to tell them about the show when he went back.

"In Sonic Youth's works, you can hear melodies from noise," said he. "You feel so much more when you watch them live than listening to CDs. It's hard to believe that they are already around 50 years old when you see their energetic performance."

Founded in 1981, Sonic Youth has been experimenting with avant-garde noise for 26 years and have released 21 albums.

Having finished their tour in Japan last week, Sonic Youth played in Beijing and Shanghai on Monday and Tuesday night, at two very different venues: the Star Live of Beijing, a club for live shows with practically standing room only, and the Shanghai Concert Hall, a place usually for classical music where people are supposed to be sitting.

"We like venues where people have the freedom to move around, but we have played in all kinds of places, and it's no problem for us," said Ranaldo. "We hope there will be more and more venues for rock music in China."

(China Daily April 26, 2007)