It’s like night and f@cking day. No one could have predicted how fast Shanghai’s live music “scene” would evolve. Week after week is loaded with shows, CD releases and an outrageous influx of international artists, forcing the issue of whether or not this city is ready for another live music venue.

“I’ve thought that there has been space for another venue for a while,” says Split Works’ Archie Hamilton, who has thrown the majority of his recent shows at the Zhijiang Dream Factory. While the Dream Factory’s ideal for larger shows, the space is expensive to rent and relies on independent promoters, making it nearly impossible to turn it into a pure music venue.

The only way for any live house to succeed is for a selfless owner to wait out barren times and champion the activities therein. Yuyintang, for example, painstakingly nurtured the 0093 rehearsal studio and spent 15 months making countless improvements to jumpstart the venue into a five night-a-week juggernaut. “The demand seems to be there,” adds Andy Best, a champion of local music. “But without all the community connections of [Yuyintang and 0093], I believe they’d struggle to fill the line up.” In fact, Yuyintang’s success and strong relationships have made it extremely tough for local bands to book weekend shows, prompting the 0093 crew to open O3, a space for up-and- comers to hone their skills.

“I think Shanghai definitely needs another live rock venue,” comments former Shuffle / Live Bar / Windows Tembo / 4Live / Windows Underground manager Brad Ferguson. “I’d like to be the one to open it, but haven’t found a suitable location yet.” Another option of course is Live Bar, which manages, somehow, to stay open. But given the general aversion to leaving downtown (one-way cab runs upwards of RMB40), combined with the dismal sound and gear makes it a difficult place for a gig.

For now, the best solution appears to be re-drafting existing spaces into more music-friendly environments. LOgO, hinting at the possibility of a new location, has invested in a new PA. Anar’s new management is also boosting the live music scene.

Whatever the case, there’s no quick fix, and in order to spark interest from an angel investor, the crowds must continue to support in droves.