The Godfather of Young Shanghai

Although 2007 was truly a banner year in Shanghai's live music community, this one has, at print time, been a bit of a disappointment. There has been a severe atrophy in the development of the still-fledgling scene. The closing of 4Live and the hiatus of the beloved S.T.D. has had a severe impact on concert-goers, leaving relatively few outlets for live performances. Thanks to this problem, Jiang Shaoqing, the owner of 0093 Studios, has found a niche ushering in a new generation of local rock bands with his Young Shanghai music series, which serves up its third offering March 8 at Yuyintang.

"It's really the only thing I know how to do," explains Jiang when asked about his motives behind 0093 and Young Shanghai. "I'm just trying to get better equipment to increase the [sound] quality so the bands can sound better." A bit of an understatement as Jiang’s been a key player in the rise and success of 0093 from a single rehearsal space to its current version as a three-room facility on Lingling Lu and promotional force.

Neither a musician nor producer but a serious music lover and supporter of aspiring bands, Jiang opened 0093 in June out of simple necessity. Now, a mere eight months later, he has become a beloved member and perhaps even the architect of rock music in Shanghai. "He runs an important underground rehearsal space and he gets to see firsthand most of the promising (and not so promising) young bands," explains Albert Yu, a local DJ, promoter and record producer. "He's totally unpretentious… he's laid back and always has a wide-eyed enthusiasm about him and he loves music. He'll continue to get a lot of support from people in bands, promoters [and] venues."

While the bands that perform at Young Shanghai lack the experience or polish that Westerners expect when going to see live music, the show itself has become a platform and launching pad for locals to showcase their original music and learn through experience. Of the eight bands to play, already confirmed for the March 8 rendition of Young Shanghai are The Mortal Fools, Chaos Mind, Dream Leader and Demain, while all-girl pop-punkers Blue are bound to make an appearance.

As for Jiang. he has cemented Young Shanghai and 0093 as a staple in Shanghai's rock community and aspire for longevity.

Danny Rogue