As the birthplace of Confucius and Mencius culture, Shandong has a long history and has had a profound impact on the formation of Chinese civilization. The geographical environment of the mountains and rivers, the developed agriculture and handicraft industry, made it the economic center of the Qin and Han dynasties on the mainland.
Qufu Confucius Temple
Time comes to modern Shandong, we may think of two meters high green onions, is the excavator technology is invincible Lanxiang Advanced Technical College, or some time ago because of the short video became popular in Cao County. In the past two years, I have to mention rock and roll.
In 2020, Shandong clearly regarded the music festival as the main cultural product for the prosperity and development of night tourism. In 2021, with the successive registration of music festivals such as Dongying Strawberry, Qingdao Wheat Field, Weifang Guochao, Jinan Erli, Binzhou Midi, etc., rock music has grown strongly in Shandong.
Music Festival Live Image source: People of the Day
Go out and have a look
In the 1980s, China's reform and opening up was further promoted, and all aspects of the country were in a state of waste waiting to be revitalized and actively forging ahead. At this time, Shandong took the lead in catching the train of domestic industrial reform and achieved leapfrog economic development. During this period, the people of Shandong not only received the traditional "Confucius and Meng" cultural education, but also opened up a variety of explorations of culture. The relationship between the people of Shandong and rock and roll is also emerging in the 1980s.
Weifang, Shandong in the 1980s
In 1987, Xie Tianxiao from Zibo, Shandong Province, touched the first guitar in his life, and it was Fa Xiao Wang Lei who taught him to play the piano, and since then the two have begun their first exploration of rock and roll.
In the early 1990s, Cui Jian and Tang Dynasty bands and other rock pioneers came to Jinan, Qingdao and other places to perform, and the more famous one was the "Rock on the New Long March Road" held in November 1992 - Cui Jian Jinan Concert. This has greatly promoted the development of Shandong rock music. At that time, the young people in Shandong, who were deeply encouraged, formed a band and planned to go to Beijing for a walk, and Wang Lei and Xie Tianxiao were two of them.
Early thanksgiving
In 1992, Wang Lei came to Beijing alone, saw the rehearsal of bands such as Black Panther and Tang Dynasty in the North Third Ring Road, and later became a student of Tang Dynasty bassist Zhang Ju at the recommendation of drummer Zhao Nian. Since 1993, he has been a bassist in bands such as Fly, Peach 5 and 43 Bower Street, experimenting with a variety of rock and roll styles.
Musician Wang Lei and his wife form a Lei Luo group
Almost at the same time, Xie Tianxiao also began to explore music in Beijing. In 1994, he formed his first band: the monk Hunter, and then formed the cold-blooded animal band with Shandong compatriot Li Ming and others, and released his first album "Cold-blooded Animals". At this time, Xie Tianxiao was deeply influenced by foreign rock music, and was similar to David Bowie in musical style and performance form. Decadent melodies, angry lyrics and strong stage expression make Thank Good and Cold-Blooded Animals a favorite in the rock market.
Always a secret music: thank Goodness Laugh - Cold-blooded animals
Cold-blooded animal album cover
Cold-blooded animals
I also landed in the water
It doesn't make sense for the sun to shine on me
I am in your arms in my dreams
I was very hidden in the grass
Floating on the water everything is normal
Chewing on the mud I was sad
Climbing on a tree does not panic
It's a long, long time before you die
will die
Subsequently, Xie Tianxiao went abroad for further study, combining foreign musical styles with Chinese local rock music. After returning to China, he released the album X.T.X with cold-blooded animals in 2005. In that era when internet songs and mp3 became popular, the album sold more than 300,000 copies in total, establishing Xie Tianxiao's important position in the history of Chinese rock.
Opening Music: Thank God Laughs - XTX Laughs at Beijing
X.T.X album cover
In 2008, Xie Tianxiao released the album "Only One Wish", and the melody of the album works is no longer filled with extreme anger and rebellion, but more peaceful and has become his transformational work. Since 2009, he has successively released albums such as "Guzheng Reggae", "Illusion", and "Coming Again", which are diverse in style and more accepted by the mass market.
The ebb and flow is nothing for music: thank god laugh - guzheng reggae
Thank god laugh at the performance scene
Perhaps it is Shandong's unique spirit of hard-working and hard-working that has played a strong role in motivating, Wang Lei and Xie Tianxiao have not stopped exploring rock music. The alternative rock style has made them not only a representative of Zibo rock music, but also a pioneer of Shandong rock music.
Regional flowers bloom
In the 10 years since the beginning of the new century, Shandong rock music has crossed the initial exploration period, and the band style has become more and more diverse. Black metal, new metal, back shake and other styles are prominent.
Jinan was the first to host a music festival, inspiring and nourishing Shandong rock musicians. In 2001, the Funeral Lake Band, known as the most mysterious black metal band in China, was founded here, and its metalpunk style became the representative of Jinan rock music. The band strives to blend traditional Chinese elements with black metal music, seeking the best balance between the two. It is worth mentioning that the lead singer Liu Yao is a doctoral supervisor of a university in Shandong, which is also in line with the temperament of Shandong's "hometown of Confucius and Meng", expressing his strong emotions in a polite way.
Pluto Music: Funeral Lake - Yi Qiu
Funeral Lake Band performs live
River Metempsychosis
Darkness strikes the sky
Smoke outside the ethereal Bihan River
Clear streams
Dressed in light boats
The undead
Look back miserably
The west wind wandered alone
The wilderness is sad
The clouds were bleak
Frost moon hazy
The stars are lonely
Yamaki-go-go
Crimson Sky Curtain hates weaving streams
Blood rains down on melancholy
Known for their metallic style, there are also the Dream Spirit Band and the Deep Mountain Band from Tai'an. Mengling Band, founded in the early 20th century, is deeply influenced by the Spring and Autumn Band, and its works are mainly Chinese style, and the style is biased towards traditional heavy metal, power metal and folk metal. Their melodies are free and unrestrained, and their works are full of various intentions and allusions of traditional Chinese culture. The lead singer's vocal voice is clear and bright, and the scene has a strong appeal and impact, which seems to express the feelings of "fighting the sword in their minds". It is known as "the strongest sound in the metal of Chinese national melody".
Chaotic World Music: Dream Spirit Band - AD One Two Seven Nine
Dream Spirit Band
Founded in 2009, Deep Mountain Band's style is mostly black metal, covering styles such as post-rocking and hard rocking. The lyrics are very thoughtful, basically following the traditional Chinese ancient poetry format, and integrating traditional Chinese music elements into the songs to create a poetic atmosphere.
farewell
Gathering and dispersing, there is a period, the long road is long, not light.
Returning to the birds, migrating fish, I dance, send the king away.
The rivers and lakes are far away, the wind and waves are urgent, the yangguan is miserable, and it is far away.
In this life, Mo has come to the next life, the cloud crane sends dreams, and catches the soft grass.
Deep Mountain Music: DeepMountains Deep Mountain - Deep Mountain
The Deep Mountain Band performed live
Qingdao Rock 'n' Roll has a variety of musical styles, covering indie pop, grunge, post-punk, experimental rock and other styles. In the early 1990s, Qingdao saw the emergence of the first electro-acoustic band recognized by locals: the Puppet Band, which laid the foundation for the development of rock music in Qingdao. At the beginning of this century, a large number of bands appeared in Qingdao, of which the four-line square, negligence, escape plan and other bands are the most well-known.
Puppet Band Early Show Tickets
The four-line square band was officially formed in 2001, and its works are focused on Grunge (grunge) and alternative rock. The band's stage is extremely explosive, simple and strong guitar riff, sonorous and powerful bass is memorable.
Weightless Music: Four-Line Square - Wave Tour
The four-line square band performed live
Founded in 2004, the band Negligent is a representative of Hardcore Rock in China. Their creations have always followed the atmosphere of classic rock and roll of the 70s and 80s, with a unique style, aggression and tension.
New Generation Genocide Music: The Band of Faults - Out of the Fog
Negligence Band
Escape Project Band was officially established in 2007, the band style is mainly Indie pop (independent pop), during which there are also new music forms such as New Wave (New Wave) and Post punk (Post-Friend), represented by "The Brightest Star in the Night Sky", creating a number of inspirational lyrics and catchy melodies loved by the majority of music fans.
The brightest star music in the night sky: Escape Plan - World
Escape Plan Band
In addition, a series of bands with diverse styles such as Huangliang Princess, Xie Yun, and Bu'e Island have gradually emerged, setting off a different wave of music in Shandong, allowing everyone to see more rock music with Shandong characteristics.
Since the beginning of 10 years, a large number of rock bands with different styles have blossomed in Qilu and left a unique mark on the history of Shandong rock.
Orange Sea, founded in Qingdao. The band's style is heavily influenced by Radiohead, Oasis, Blur, Suede and other bands, with a predominance of British rock. The structure of the work is inclusive and open, interspersed with the design of drums and dance music, with clear layers, rich details and full of romantic colors. Perhaps because they come from the coastal city of Qingdao, each note is particularly psychedelic and hazy.
Alpha Music: Sea of Oranges - Spring Tide
Orange Sea Band performed live
The post-punk band Lonely Lili was founded in Jinan in 2012 and has been active in major music festivals in Beijing. It's characterised by fast drumming, gruff basses and sharp guitar noise. They are trying to unearth the uneasiness that pervades the cultural context of Beijing's mega-cities and translate them into aggressive and artistic post-punk attacks on stage.
Post-Horse Factory Music: Lonely Lilly - Record Store Day Unplugged
Lonely Lilly Band
The boot leg band, which began with lead singer Zhao Hong's personal bedroom recording plan and the mysterious No Future club. Lo-Fi is full of texture, which is particularly prominent in the romantic trend of niche music in previous years. These low-fidelity noises and dancing love songs will accompany you on your lonely steps through every hopeful flower path.
Lost Love Motorcyclist Music: The Bootlegs Boots and Legs Band - I Feel Good
Boot leg band
From spiritual to material
Rock 'n' Roll has always explored the philosophy of survival, the struggle and rebellion against fate. In the early years, in order to survive thousands of miles into the Guandong, the people of Shandong relied on hard work and resistance in their bones. Whether in earlier years or now, the spirit of rock and roll is not contrary to the core of the people of Shandong.
The bond between Shandong and rock music has also been implemented from the spiritual level to the material level. Rock music came to Shandong, the most obvious feature is "grounded gas", combined with many Shandong culture, economic industries. The development of Shandong rock is inseparable from the development of Shandong's violin-making industry. A local musician in Shandong may not have played "Meifen", but it is absolutely impossible not to play "Rufin". ("Meifen" is the Fender brand guitar that has been completed in the United States, which is considered to be more superior in materials, more exquisite in craftsmanship, and higher in price) From Qingdao guitar foundry to a wide range of guitar manufacturing in Weifang, Shandong's guitars are cheap and cheap, lowering the threshold for young people to realize their rock dreams, and indirectly promoting the development of Shandong rock music.
White paper lead singer Said Lu Qin Image source: Dr. X
In 2020, Shandong Province issued the "Shandong Provincial Cultural Tourism Integration Development Plan (2020-2025)", which clearly regards music festivals as the main cultural products for the prosperity and development of night tourism. In 2021, under the guidance of the development plan, the local government seeking growth points and the music festival label companies sinking towards second- and third-tier cities hit it off, prompting more rock music festivals to be held, and rock music has a great trend.
In Shandong, grandpa and aunt with plastic benches and umbrellas to watch rock music up close has become a regular program. The whole people skillfully follow the riffs of heavy bands to dance the body, and it is no longer a "spectacle".
Uncle Aunt Appreciation Music Festival Image source: Rolling Circle Confused Behavior Awards
At the end of May last year, the jinan Erli Music Festival was officially announced, and the local leadership team unified the rock gesture at the press conference, and it rushed to the hot search, which made us truly see the determination of the Shandong government to promote the development of rock music.
Jinan Erli Music Festival press conference scene
Some people say that Shandong rock is gradually moving towards magic, but in fact, under the nourishment of the "Kong Meng" culture, the people of Shandong are striving to combine rock music with the core of life. Perhaps the atmosphere of Shandong rock music is a bit ahead of its time, but I believe that in the future, Shandong will truly become a happy land of rock and roll, and cultivate more rock musicians with Chinese characteristics!