Boo Yeah!
Nothing whips up a crowd of Chinese teenagers into a bubbly froth quite like pop stars and nationalist fervor, and the Pepsi Battle of the Bands Guangzhou Finale delivered heaping portions of both.
It was a packed house at Guangzhou Gymnasium, Battle of the Bands fans out in full force to watch their idols one last time.
The performance opened with a group rendition of the classic song “Big China,” a gift of youthful ebullience in honor of sixty years of communist governance. Youthful ebullience and communism certainly have a long and happy history in this country, of which this is the next chapter.
Then PLAY band, Guangdong residents, MC’d the event with a little Cantonese action, before launching into their three- song set. Highlight was their hit ‘Yumiko,’ about the lead singer failing to get a girl’s attention.
But this time, the song opened with the singer rising from a hidden compartment onto the stage on a hydraulic couch, and sitting beside him was the very girl that inspired the song, Yumiko! Have your attention now, don’t I? Check out all my glittery blazers and weep, ungrateful one.
After that The Wheels did a three- song set, capping off with Panda saying “I hope that our motherland is always the same as a young man: marching forward at a robust pace, running into the distance.” Aww, that’s nice of him to say.
Sweet Journey went onstage for their set, and then teamed up with Leo Ku for a duet on the song “I want I want,” before the Cantonese semi superstar launched into his own three- song set.
Then it was M+ up onstage for two songs.
Focus 5 was the final contest band to play, again putting hydraulics to good use riding a special platform, rising from below like pagan gods of the netherworld… oh, wait, no, more like preppy boys of the happy world, sorry. The smoke machine confused me.
Focus 5, winner band, played three songs, and then the lead singer was so swept up with emotions of gratitude and happiness, he shouted out “The motherland, Happy Birthday!” Although this is not technically correct, as October 2 is the sixtieth anniversary of the communist party, not ‘the motherland.’ China is waaaayyyyy older than that, like a hundred thousand years old or something, right? Anyway, it doesn’t matter, it’s the thought that counts.
Finally Paul Wong, ex- Beyond guitarist, played three songs together with Focus 5, and then all five bands came back onstage and sang about a brighter future for everybody.
So ends our Battle of the Bands journey: Pepsi, the PRC, Paul Wong, and bright- eyed young bands and fans, arm in arm singing a birthday ditty for China, proclaiming their utter happiness and optimism.
THE END
But wait, what happens now?
Focus 5 go to LA and spend some of their ludicrous prize money, but what about the nine other bands?
We shall see. Here are some photos of the Guangzhou event.
Focus5Dizzy says:
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