Thirty-something moms push strollers through crowds of colored-hair, tattooed 20-somethings. Dads in jeans and T-shirts chill out with beer in hand while kids sip cola while playing on their skateboards. Everyone cheers as loudly as the hard-core metal fans.

This is the scene set to play out when Chinese music fans rock out at Beijing's regular outdoor music festivals during the upcoming holidays.

Arguably, the two Chinese music festivals most responsible for transforming the Chinese rock music scene over the past decade are Midi and Modern Sky.

Both are more than 10 years old and feature A-list names from various music genres, including alternative rock, hip-hop, folk and punk rock.

"The difference between the two is that Midi offers more rock and roll, while Modern Sky is more trendy and unconventional," says Shen Lihui, CEO of Modern Sky. "But whatever the difference, people are in for a musical treat for the holidays."

When it began 10 years ago, Modern Sky was at the heart of China's underground music scene. The independent music label has released more than 50 definitive Chinese underground pop-punk, electronic and indie albums by bands such as New Pants, Supermarket and Hopscotch.

Last year, the record label celebrated its 10th anniversary with the Modern Sky Music Festival, featuring a roster of label veterans, as well as headliners such as the New York rock band Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

This year, the Beijing-based Modern Sky will hold its second annual Modern Sky Festival from Sept 30 to Oct 2 at Beijing's Haidian Park.

Performances will be held on two band stages and one DJ stage, and the artist line-up includes all the singers and bands under the label, as well as long-not-seen Chinese rockers Zhang Chu and He Yong.

"Our sensibilities as producers," says Shen, "has always been to include in the festival a lot of different elements that we're passionate about."

"We invite prominent figures in Chinese rock history, such as Zhang Chu and He Yong as well as bands such as New Pants and Carsick Cars that cater to young fans."

This year's edition will also have some special sections, such as four bands from Shanghai who will take the music carnival till midnight.

Shen, who set up the band Sober in 1987, ventured into making the record company simply out of self-interest. "I found it hard to find a music company that would make us an album, so I thought why not create a music company of our own."

Just like when he started Modern Sky, which was ahead of its time, Shen believes in living in the future. "New and creative music elements are what have kept Modern Sky going for 10 years," he says.

The original plan was to have Lou Reed and Bright Eyes as possible headliners. However, there will be no foreign acts at this year's Modern Sky Festival.

While Shen says that it is "regrettable" that these international performers could not attend, he adds that "for the young Modern Sky Festival, the important thing is continuation and growth."

Another much anticipated extravaganza this October is the famed Midi Music Festival, another 10-year-old annual music festival featuring the most prestigious Chinese rockers, such as Chinese rock godfather Cui Jian and mainstay rock band Tang Dynasty.

It began in 2000 as a rock festival with taste - one that made a point of bringing together the big Chinese rock acts, at the foot of Fragrant Hill.

This year's festival, which will run from Oct 10-12 and Oct 18-19, will have 100 domestic bands and 15 foreign bands performing at Haidian Park.

Organisers estimate that about 100,000 people will attend.

Like Shen, Zhang Fan started the music festival with no big ambitions. Zhang was handed the rock and roll dream 14 years ago when he was appointed headmaster of Beijing Midi Music School, the earliest private conservatory of modern music in China.

Zhang, who had his own rock band then, accepted the job without any grand plan in mind. "Our purpose was to provide a place for people to have fun, to relax and to communicate via music," Zhang recalls. The continuing popularity of the Midi Music Festival can be attributed to its original simple plan of "providing young people with music in an open space with greenery and sunshine".

Zhang, together with domestic music labels, has brought in big-name performers from home and abroad as well as offered a launch pad for the country's new talents.

Zhang says the festival is evolving naturally - many of those who attended the original shows keep returning, while young people are also drawn in.

Last year, big names including Locksley and Dave Stewart hit Beijing. The stalwarts this year include Swedish rock act The 21st Century Noise, Finnish female rock group Likka Royal, Norwegian synth-punk band Surferosa, as well as rockers from Germany, the UK and Spain. Chinese rock acts, such as Brain Failure, The Verse and AK47, will continue to storm the stage.

Profit, however, remains a secondary concern. In years gone by, Midi has never made money, nor have many other music festivals. Despite hopes that admission fees might help the formerly free concert break even, Midi lost 200,000 yuan ($29,000) last year.

But with increasing support from sponsors, including Motorola, clothing company Lee, and guitar-maker Gibson, Zhang is quietly confident. "We hope to break even this year."

(China Daily September 25, 2008)