Leader of Car Sick Cars and one half of White, Jeff Zhang, is an anti-rock star. In other words, don't think Mick Jagger. On stage, his unassuming but charismatic manner is the antithesis of cocksure peacock-strutting front men. I'm pretty sure he doesn't own a pirate shirt.
Heralded as a key figure in the emerging Beijing underground scene, some have compared Jeff's guitar playing to Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth. When I first met him, he stood shyly at the side of the stage with his fresh-faced bandmate from White, Shen Jing (former drummer of all-girl trio Hang on the Box). It was far too loud to interview them then but they happily gave me their numbers.
"I'm going to study in England so it might be a bit hard to call me, sorry," Shen said.
I was taken aback, not only because the same girl who had just made a glorious hullabaloo was now revealing her plans to study English Literature, but also because I can count on one hand the times that a musician has apologized to me.
Meeting Jeff the second time around, he was still softly spoken and sincere. Refreshingly, this was not the picture of a brash rock'n'roll hedonist and his lack of ego seemed at odds with the 21-year-old's recent musical achievements.
Both White and Car Sick Cars have been recording their first albums, with the former's debut being produced by Krautrock king Blixa Bargeld, he of Einstrzende Neubauten and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds fame. Also, Car Sick Cars are on the bill for the Sonar festival in Barcelona but Zhang, an engineering student, gave no indication that any of this is going to his head.
"My first rock & roll show was Joyside, one of Beijing' best punk bands and then I started a band in my school," he said.
"I think after I graduate I'll probably work and make money outside of music life. Actually my drummer, she's working right now, working and then playing as well. I think that's what every Chinese musician should do."
Adopting an unconventional approach to guitar, Jeff switches between different tunings and usually plays open-e (translation: he doesn't press down on the bottom string). His willingness to experiment has catapulted him into opportunities that many axe-strummers would give their tight black jeans for.
Opportunities like receiving an invitation from experimental composer Glenn Branca to play in a 100-guitar orchestra in New York. Impressive stuff, but while in the Big Apple, something strange struck the Beijing lad about American musicians. Namely, they owned their own equipment.
"All the bands had their own amplifiers but not in China, rock music is still not that fashionable enough here so we don't have enough money to buy them and we don't have cars to carry them in."
So the mansion and the Mercedes may have to wait, but it's not as if these local artists are holding their breath. For the moment, being part of a scene that is striving to create something new from decades of broad Western influence may be payment enough.
This almost romantic notion of playing for art's sake is not lost on Zhang.
"Everything here is new in China, so this is an exciting time to be here, when the music scene and art scene, just like society and the economy are changing so much. The Internet has opened up a whole new world to a young generation which is influencing youth culture."
But surely even the most humble performer has a musical ambition to share with us?
"I hope we can open for Sonic Youth."
I guess he's only human after all.
(China Daily April 5, 2007)
