could this be the man who will save Shanghai's music scene?
Don't get me wrong, our previous differences were well documented back in the days of 'gigshanghai', so this isn't a just-cause-he's-a-fellow-Texan write up, but there's no denying that Brad Ferguson might just be the Shanghai Savior...at least for the handful of muso's in this town.
Let's look at what he's done...in less than 2 weeks:
Provided a last-minute space for Dandi Wind when the people behind The Shelter couldn't.
The next day offered up an unheard-of free show to The Subs, to date (still) the hottest act to book
Last night brought down the legendary PK-14.
He's one of few, if not all, who has his paperwork in order when it comes to licensing.
Now, should his newest project be, say, on the Bund, then sure, a 60-kuai drink should occasionally justify a free show, but this is f*cking Windows Tembo. As in 10-kuai drinks Windows Tembo. Cover has never reached over 30rmb - and this is for the big-named acts. Let's say you can get 300 people in there. 300 x 30 = 9000 kuai, less than it takes to bring down these bands from Beijing. So, say everyone has 2 drinks, that's another 6000, bringing our total up to 15,000. That ain't much, kids.
He's not getting rich off of this project. He, and anyone who knows him can tell you, could give a f*ck about what the public thinks, so it's not for bragging rights.
I'm left with no other answer then 'he just must care about bringing good music to town'.
I can' t be the only one who thinks so.
Comments Add a public comment
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Per the sound - he mentioned the other night getting some serious speakers, which would include the back...works better with the shotgun set-up of it all, I guess.
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he mightly worked out some shows but sorry he won't be THE MAN. i'll see with my eyes. =)
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Well let me say this:
I don't understand what you just wrote.
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I mightly agree ... if just for the fact that he saved the Dandi Wind show. They rocked Beijing, and I can only assume that if saving a show full of non-stop crowd surfing means saving Shanghai's music scene, I mightly mightly mightly agree that he mightly be THE MAN.
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My math was off - there were four-hundred and fifty people there Sat night.
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I agree with gemnil's comment...Brad will book shows, but a scene will not be created by a handful of dilettants.
I'd also like to congratulate Aricsqueen and Stonebanks for mocking someone because they made a mistake in their second language. The nepotism is palpable...
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Sorry, was that mocking, or just saying I didn't understand what they were saying?
Obviously we struck a chord here though...
Fact - there were little to no places booking bands of respectable caliber.
Fact - Brad brought down 2 big names, charged little and offered up his place less than 24 hours before the Dandi Wind show.
Fact - this comes at a crucial time.
Stop using fake English words like 'nepotism' and 'palpable' and make sense...oh wait, this is your first post, despite numerous on the scene.
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"he mightly worked out some shows but sorry he won't be THE MAN. i'll see with my eyes. =) "
The meaning is clear. It's an alternative opinion. Can you dig it?
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So now we're getting scolded by someone who steals lines from 'The Warriors'?
Here's my point - you register here to do nothing but offer up your attempt at erudite commentary? You use fake names, fake hometowns and expect us to respect your Pictionary posts?
Go hang out at Babyface.
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I'm not sure if he wants to bring music to Shanghai or he just hasn't discovered MAGIC (The Gathering).
Either way I don't feel comfortable about him around the young ones.
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My two cents - first off 'The Scene' is just an abstract concept. If you freeze it in time at any one point then that's 'The Scene', the sum of ALL it's parts. It can't belong to anybody. But we can have a romantic perception of ownership.
I think there is an invisible ceiling. The peak of most scenes is to be signed by a major label with national distribution. The current political climate (with regards to popular culture) means that you are not going to get national coverage in the mainstream press and TV ..or a nationwide CD release ... if you have a rock image and naughty words in the songs etc.
The fate of the 1234 festival last year confirms that this is still an issue as does the rollback following Bjork.
Brad didn't write this artcle and Aric's writing style is actually restrained compared with music mags 'back home'. It's not fair to be down on them and it's an unrealistic assessment of what's positive or negative in 'the scene'. Great moments like the Subs performance at Windows or the Hedgehog gig at YYT are basically the only high points.
If 'dilettantes' such as large record companies got involved the perceived ownship would be sucked up in an instant and the 'originals' would be reduced to currying favour from suit wearing A&R men. And being 'underground' would become a euphemism for 'haven't made it'.
If we think about the big picture, I think we'll enjoy what's going on a lot more. Like all eras and good times, it'll change ... and Brad is as much a part of it as anyone who contributes.
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In my opinion, the sound and a good ventilation system to clear the smoke are the only missing parts to his successful equation.