Recently, indie music circles and variety shows have a hot topic-" Band's Summer " and Wujoren.
is not unfamiliar to many fans.
emerged in Guangzhou as early as 2009, and when it released its first two albums "County Towns" and "Some Sceneries", it has been well received by the arts and literature circles and independent music circles.
Since 2010, five people have been invited many times to perform at the Meinong Yellow Butterfly Festival Concert and the Wandering Song Music Festival. When
released "Guangdong Girl" after joining Modern Sky in 2015, she also toured and won the 6th Golden Music Award for overseas music creation that year. The two works "Dream Lisa Hair Salon" and "Story Meeting" published after
are a continuous trilogy of the urban bottom. Compared with the life of young people in the county during the Haifeng dialect, although the lyrics are mainly in Mandarin, they can still Feel their honest eyes, keen ears, and powerful music storytelling ability. The works of
are complete artistic creations. From music, lyrics, visual design, recording to presentation of performances, collaboration with musicians and friends, even mystery answers in interviews, novels and articles written by myself, they all consistently present their aesthetics and philosophy. The five people of
are admired not only because they are interesting, but because they have their own central ideas. Listening carefully to the two works of the county’s youth, you will be impressed by the exquisite allusions, the compassion and affection transformed with humor.
has a high evaluation of them in the independent music circle, and there is no lack of apt descriptions such as "the blues folk punk of the Pearl River Delta, the musician closest to Bob Dylan in China". In "Summer in the Band," they describe their music as dirt to scum, but their music is not dirt at all. The impromptu noise passages hidden in each album, the psychedelic interludes or performances, the surface melody and vocals seem to be very vulgar, but they rushed to another world unpreparedly.
In Chinese indie music, Wutiao is an orchestra that has always been telling stories and is very good at telling stories. Listening to their music is a bit like the music version of Jia Zhangke or Bi Gan’s films, always modeled on the low-level characters, using poetic narratives to illusion an alternative beauty in the dust and dirt, and outlines a completely different line of sight, sense of life and life from the mainstream. Worldview. There are literary art, revolutionary figures and legends in towns and towns, and there are countless low-class people in cities.
They can sing a ridiculous but thought-provoking song like "Looking for a Pig in the City", as well as the poetic and romantic yet unspoken "My Hair Is Disordered Like This".
Listening to their works and watching their scenes, you will like them like admiring stars, but you will have more indescribable respect like poets, novelists and philosophers.
In "Summer of the Band", they sang three old songs "Daoshan", "I will tell you when the problem arises", "A Zhen fell in love with A Qiang", and an adaptation of Wu Bai "Last Dance", And the last two new songs "The Ideal of the World" and "The Globe". The audience eliminated them because they were not used to listening at the beginning, to rescue them again and again, and finally to embrace their new work completely. The process was really dramatic and magical.
Originally, the music career of Wutiao people in the past 11 years was a typical generation logic of independent music and subculture—recognized in the niche, then gradually expanded and fermented, and their continuous performances and works established their Music value and status in the hearts of fans. In the beginning, such sub-cultural artists appeared on TV, it was indeed a bit out of place. At least at the time, the performance of Nishina and Amao was still reckless and unconcerned, and therefore they were considered funny or too funny.
But in the end, although they still retain their true qualities, there is no doubt about their musical strength and charm, diehard fans can still hear the "Dream Lisa Salon" note that was secretly added in the prelude to the adaptation of "Last Dance". Surprisingly, the non-fans' listeners have a more favorable impression. However, what I thought was a farce turned into an overly wonderful comedy, which always caught people a bit off guard.
We can’t help but ask: independent orchestras with established status and niche music styles, go to national TV variety shows, toWhat do you want? What is the follow-up effect? Since the first season of
"Summer of the Band" was broadcast in 2019, it can be said to be a new milestone for Chinese indie music and rock bands. Several of the most important record companies that gather Chinese independent music works and artists.
, including Modern Sky, Taihe Music, and Street Sound are the main partners of this program. Obviously, it should be this "independent music industry, program production, and broadcasting platform" to mainstream independent music, allow orchestras and diversified niche music types to be recognized, accepted, and even loved by the public, and move toward commercialization and industrialization. The most ambitious goal of the tripartite cooperation project.
From the first season of last year to the second season of this year, more and more Chinese heavyweight independent orchestras that have been in the army for more than 10 and 20 years have appeared on the show. For example, New Pants, Joyside, Hedgehog, Houhai Shark, Right to Reshape Statue, Wild Child, Carsick Cars; there are also some well-known orchestras, such as Wangfu, Queen's Suitcase, and Chair Orchestra. The luxurious lineup of
has made Hong Kong music critic and poet Liao Weitang tell himself: I have to resist writing several times, because there are too many old friends in the participating band... I couldn’t bear to watch it from the beginning. . The reason for
is that too many love groups are on this variety show, and it is difficult to calm down the fans who already love them. After all, reality shows in the form of competitions are scored by judges and audience votes. After being eliminated, they can vote to retrieve the contestants, participate in resurrection and PK competitions.
Various kinds of variety shows and merchandise placement routines, although they can help the more marginal rock bands and orchestras in the past, have the opportunity to be recognized by the general public; but it is very likely that the true colors of rock bands, the diversity of independent music, and the values of subculture The style will also be flattened, consumed, and even guided and distorted in such variety shows.
However, it is undeniable that after the first season of "Summer of the Band", several popular orchestras have indeed reached another peak in their careers.
, such as new pants and hedgehogs, not only have more commercial performance and endorsement opportunities, performance fees have risen, and the number of tours has also continued to rise. The number of listening sessions on digital music platforms has risen sharply, and the operation of the recording and agency companies behind them has become more stable.
Compared with the indie music market in the past, the commercial benefits of "Summer of the Band" have made the orchestra's worth. After each episode, the on-demand ranking of digital music platforms is also a highlight.
In addition, during the November holiday that just ended, it is said that when the music festivals arranged their performance lists, they only distinguished two types of orchestras: "have been in Lexia" and "have not been in Lexia". For bands that have played "Summer of the Band" and have a national reputation, performance fees can rise by 20 times. Various product endorsements, tours, interviews, and cooperation opportunities are flooding in. Orchestra merchandise and online stores also attract fans.
In the Chinese music festival market, first-line orchestras have a worth of 400,000 yuan. It can be seen that well-known independent orchestras seem to be no longer a poor artist with a livelihood.
, such as admiration, new trousers, or the universal youth hotel that is also very popular on both sides of the strait, enjoys star-rated income of tens of millions of years.
So apart from the real gains, what is the appeal of "Band Summer" to well-known independent orchestras?
First of all, the high-standard performance stage, sound and light effects and sound equipment of the program can indeed leave a TV performance screen that is different from the previous experience under the professional photography and radio recording. It is also very attractive to the niche cultural elite orchestra to transmit your own music to a wider audience through a high-profile film and television platform. Even for the old groups that have been in the army for a long time, the original fans and the market has reached the ceiling, the show is a new stimulus to get rid of stagnation, and it is a good opportunity to expand their art.
Secondly, for younger orchestras, going on shows is another hope. Some orchestras want to open their eyes and experience the operation of large-scale programs, get to know other musicians who have been heard in the past, and gain opportunities for communication. Because their music career has just begun, the performance of the program will not lose much to the status quo; if the effect is good, it can create new Bureau.
From this point of view, for the old or new group, whether they will stay on the show or not, having performed in such a high-profile popular TV show is still a good qualification. The live performances of many orchestras have received great repercussions; some niche music styles such as the right of the post-punk group to reshape statues, the impromptu noise rock Carsick Cars, also left high-level scenes in the program, which is moving. .
However, participating in "Summer of the Band" does not guarantee success, and there are still risks. First of all, "Summer in the Band" is still a film and television variety show, which has its own logic. In the show, the attraction of these famous orchestras is the more dramatic images of celebrities and celebrities, as well as the ups and downs of the topics of social media. Programs also often use interviews and editing to allow musicians to tell a moving story for their songs, and the results will also be reflected in the voting scores.
After all, the logic of TV variety shows is the cultural production mode of commercial media, mass market, and star industry, rather than the sub-cultural mode that independent music relies on for growth and nurtured from the bottom up. After hundreds of orchestras participated, they were eliminated. Most of the musicians who can enter the mainstream market because of "Summer of the Band" are the few orchestras at the top of the pyramid. How long can you use the trend and popularity of
"Summer of the Band"? It is likely that it will soon fade with the new heat transfer. It is hard to say that the mainstream public will patiently remember the participating orchestras one by one, let alone listen and study their music carefully.
In TV shows, there are still limitations to the display of subcultural heterogeneity. Some values, lifestyles, and cultural content that are different from the mainstream cannot be fully displayed, nor are they necessarily understood and accepted. Even some more personalized clips will be trimmed, edited, or constantly added to the eyebrows, and will be broadcast only if they conform to the program's purpose and entertainment effect. The sub-cultural form of indie music that is dominated by live music and niche fan interaction is difficult to reproduce and feel.
, coupled with the close relationship between the show and the business, is not a crime, but it is the spirit behind the show. Sponsorships constantly appearing, various reminders, tastings, and repeated retelling of the trademark slogan. After a few rounds, even if it is not serious music, an artist with a sense of humor can endure this irrelevance and irrelevance. What is the extent of commercial insertion and juxtaposition? This should be a big test for musicians who care about beauty and persist in aesthetics.
In general, this type of program is helpful, but it also has recoil. Want to go or not? It is an equation that integrates its own situation, situation and future possibilities, and requires actuarial calculations.
But in the role of a bystander, the waves of "Summer of the Band" are a bit like a crossroads. Many musicians who have been established in rock and indie music for many years and have a reputation, face a problem like "to be or not to be"-do you want to show? Or do you support your favorite band to go to the show? It becomes like a struggle between heaven and man. After
five people appeared on the show, some of the original fans had a bit of pain and always felt that they were consumed by variety shows. If you participate for a long time, the musicians and music will deteriorate, and the original creation and life will be forced to change. Of course, for creators, everyone wants more people to hear their own music, and they have confidence in their own determination, but whether to use this method is a choice.
But for Wutiao people, this problem is a bit like whether to write subsidies or receive subsidies? Or do you want to register for the Golden Music Award or the Golden Melody Award? In short, the way in which the two sides of the Taiwan Strait promote independent music is interestingly taking two different paths. It seems that the choice at this crossroads is an equation that convinces oneself, not an equation that convinces others. What about the cultural logic of independent music?
has a base of fans gradually expanding, not so much through the twisting and amplification of TV variety shows, not so concerned about the wave of media and consumption logic; maybe very plain, even self-confident, but it feels like nurturing fans and nurturing culture. So, as an audience who loves music, we also need to be more aware of it, so that we can be considered to be consistent.
