I'm not talking about blockbuster stadium acts coming to town - Elton John was around when I first arrived in Shanghai, and there was a big fuss about The Rolling Stones coming to town.
It's not even about talented big names playing such as DJ Krush, whom I was lucky enough to see frantically scratching away in Pegasus.
And it's definitely not about the Filipino cover-bands who whore themselves out to any old bar willy-nilly, churning out surprisingly slick, but soulless versions of all your Karaoke favourites.
I'm talking about the small venues showcasing bands ranging from the wretched to the not-so-awful. The point was not good music (which is lucky, because it rarely was), but that there is a raw, entertaining energy to live performances, however bad.
The appeal is helped enormously by the relaxed, unpretentious attitude to music and bands. There's none of the silly fuss about dress-codes and extortionate cover charges.
Yudi, Renzhen and Jia Shuze took me to 布鲁斯 ('Bruce') Club after a debate on which of several pointless activities to indulge in (pool, bowling, karaoke) on a Friday night ended in stalemate.We did the whole local thing of playing cards, with losses incurring a drinking penalty AND a stupid dare, before a couple of guys with guitars took the stage.
They were competent more than anything else. In short, they weren't going to get signed to a major record label any time soon, but they assiduously avoided the cheesy cover-song route.If this were an English lesson, this would be a perfect time to explain "Beggars can't be choosers" and "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" because I loved every heart-felt second.
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