Metal band Voodoo Kungfu's early influences
It's 1996 in Dublin, and amidst the cobblestone streets and homely pubs a teenager from Beijing sits in his dorm room at a Catholic school hunched over a pile of books. To the eyes of a passing priest all is as it should be, but a closer look reveals two small buds in the boy's ears, permeating the air around him with a steady drone of heavy metal.

Credible metal bands seem hard to come by these days, but being expelled from a European Catholic school for listening to loud music is a good place to start for Li Nan, singer and founder of Voodoo Kungfu. Therein lies the origin of Voodoo Kungfu, also known as 01 and one of Beijing's most interesting and unique metal bands. "I learned about metal music in Dublin and I saw many metal bands play in pubs," says Li. Li started Voodoo Kungfu in 1997 after returning from Ireland with a vast knowledge of metal and rock music under his belt. The band released their first album in 2002, but Li found that the band's output was not enough to satisfy his creative needs.

"Other bands just copy American music, but I wanted to try something different. So two years ago I went to Inner Mongolia to find something special for my music," says Li. In Inner Mongolia, Li found what he was looking for: unique culture and, more importantly, unique music. Li studied with Mongolian musicians and recruited musician Na Ren Man Da to play the Matouqin, a traditional Mongolian stringed-instrument. The addition rounded out Voodoo Kungfu's already intense live shows. "When we play live, we just follow our instincts. If the music is crazy, then we will go crazy. It's natural," says Li, whose day job as a personal trainer gives him a formidable on-stage presence. "Sometimes people stand still at our shows, but usually we can get the audience to go crazy."

In 2005, to continue to develop the band's unique sound, Li again set out on a journey, this time to Tibet, where he researched Tibetan religion and folk art. The result was a broader range of influence to draw on, and an increasingly mysterious edge to Voodoo Kungfu's music. The role of Catholicism in Li's life still remains on a personal level, however, and doesn't affect his ability to perform in an extreme metal band. "In our songs, I sing about '666' and 'God hates us all,' but I don't really believe in those words," says Li. "I just want to make music that makes me feel good." Metal fans can expect a new album from Voodoo Kungfu early next year and a sneak preview of a few of their new songs at their upcoming concert at Live bar.

–Caleb March

What: Live Bar
Time: 9:30pm
Date: Dec. 29
Cost: ¥50
Web: www.chinalivebar.com