Rocking China with Historian Andrew Field

Barbarians at the Gate

In this episode, we welcome back Andrew Field to discuss his new book Rocking China: Rock Music Scenes in Beijing, Shanghai and Beyond.

While having already conducted valuable research into the history of Shanghai jazz, in 2007, Andrew began a deep dive into the nascent Chinese underground rock scene of the early 2000s with the passion of a rock fan and the intellectual fascination of an anthropologist. He spent years haunting the indie rock bars and performance venues of Beijing and other cities, interviewing the performers, observing the audience reactions, and taking extensive “field notes” (pun intended), all documenting this explosive chapter in the evolution of rock music in the PRC.

Andrew followed seminal groups such as the Carsick Cars, Subs, and Hedgehog, giving first-hand accounts of the performance ambiance and providing fascinating portraits of performers like Yang Haisong, Kang Mao, and Wu Hao.

Andrew has become one of the go-to documentarians of popular music in China:

Rocking China: Rock Music Scenes in Beijing, Shanghai & Beyond

Spotify playlist for Rocking China by DJ BO

Shanghai’s Dancing World: Cabaret Culture and Urban Politics, 1919–1954

The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, 2010

Documentary: A Century of Jazz in Shanghai

Andrew Field's website

http://shanghaisojourns.net/

Mentioned on the show:

China with a Cut: Globalisation, Urban Youth and Popular Music

Jeroen de Kloet (IIAS Publications series)