By Megan Rogers, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Lead of the Meanings, Identities, and Communities Cluster
On September 14, 2023, the Center for the Study of Contemporary China’s “Meanings, Identities, and Communities” cluster held its inaugural event, a book talk and documentary screening celebrating Professor Andrew Field’s release of his new book Rocking China: Music Scenes in Beijing, Shanghai, and Beyond (Earnshaw Books, 2023). Professor Field is Associate Professor of Chinese History here at DKU, and he teaches courses on Chinese history as well as special courses on “Sounds in the City: Live Music Scenes in China” and “Documenting City Life.”
During the book talk, Professor Field traced the development of the independent rock scene in China from rock music’s introduction to post-Reform China in the 1980s onwards. He focused particularly on the Beijing music scene in the mid-2000s, which is when he began filming in Beijing music clubs and at rock music festivals for his documentary. He filmed many of the major indie rock acts of that era, including Carsick Cars and Hedgehog, and focused particularly on the hardcore rock band SUBS, interviewing them about what brought them to the indie rock scene and their families’ reactions to their unconventional career paths. He also followed them back to their hometown of Wuhan and filmed them opening for the legendary rock musician Cui Jian. In addition, the film is interspersed with interviews with other members of the Beijing music scene, such as club owners and music producers.
He notes that when he started following the indie rock scene in China, he was focused on making the documentary, not writing a book. Indeed, at the time he never intended to write a book on the indie rock scene in China, but he finally wrote it as response to the inevitable question that came up when he screened his documentary: “What has happened to the bands and clubs in your film since you finished filming?” He described how some of the bands achieved more widespread recognition thanks to social media and a music TV show, but Beijing is no longer the hub of the indie rock scene in China, and some of the clubs featured have shut down. The indie rock scene is now dispersed among different cities, with many cities, including Suzhou, having their own small indie rock scene. For students in the audience wanting more details about the current indie rock scene, he encouraged them to embark on their own research projects, saying that he will leave these questions to a younger generation.
He also provided practical advice for students considering doing research in live music venues: “Protect your ears!”
