Faithless in a Shanghai park
Aug
20
Written by:
8/20/2007 12:16 AM
Local organizers get Bacardi and Converse backing to bring Faithless, Ozomatli and Talib Kweli for pearl city’s “first ever outdoor pop festival” in Zhongshan Park. They’re calling it the Yue Festival.
Split-t is getting bigger and braver. For the National Day holiday the event management company, which made its name brining Sonic Youth to China, is bringing three foreign names to Beijing and Shanghai for a Beijing club show and a Shanghai festival. Britain’s dance duo Faithless is headlining the bill at the
Yue Festival in Zhongshan park, atop LA Latin/hip hop/rock nine-piece Ozomatli and Brooklyn bred rapper Talib Kweli.
In further proof that you can’t bring a big name here yet without being sponsored to the hilt,
Spli-t thanks Bacardi and Converse in its press release and carry their logos on promo material. We’re not quite sure of the exact nature of the sponsorship but Spli-t have good connections to both Bacardi and Chivas after running successful music events - like Sino Sessions, sponsored b the US rum maker. for them in China. Maximo Park and the Infadels and the Go Team were among those bands flown out for Bacardi-sponsored shows in Beijing and Shanghai.
The ticketing system looks interesting, and the priciest yet by China standards. Students pay RMB140, about 14 euros, for the day out in Shanghai. Those who earn pay RMB180 if you buy in advance or RMB360 at the door. In Beijing however similar prices apply for the Faithless gig on October 3 at
Starlive down by the Yonghegong Temple. It’s cheaper for the October 2 gig when Ozomatli and Talib Kweli play: RMB100/140/180 depending if you’re student/buy in advance/at door. So much then for the assumption that Shanghai is wealthier than Beijing. It may be down to capacity: Star Live can fit 1000 punters at a pinch, whereas we assume Zhongshan park is more roomy, hence more paying punters. We await to see if the Western-style ticket prices will put off more price-conscious Chinese punters.
Getting permission to use a public park can’t have been easy – assembled, standing masses - so hats off to Nathaniel Davis and co at Spli-t for securing approval. Local support is not yet finalized but Beijing bands Hedgehog will be traveling to Shanghai to play with two local monkeys: yes, Monkey Banana and Monkey Soundsystem.
2 comment(s) so far...
Re: Faithless in a Shanghai park
What do you mean by tickets being "the priciest yet by China standards" Have you noticed the price on any recent show in Shanghai with major international stadium-level talent, which Faithless obviously are...? Just last week we had Avril Lavigne for 200, 400, 800 and 1200. I would pay 180 to see Faithless any day. Never heard of Ozomatli but I will give them a listen before the fest. Talib is a legend. A pretty damn good lineup for Shanghai, if you ask me.
By slipshai on
8/5/2008 1:46 PM
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Re: Faithless in a Shanghai park
Nathaniel Davis says the Festival was built around Faithless, who always wanted to play China. Why does everyone want to play China? There's only a very small market for western/rock/electronica music here.
By Gou Fu on
8/5/2008 1:46 PM
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