Some people say that rock is already dead, but rock has never been alive, so it will never die.
I was born in a small city, and I didn't get exposed to rock music until much later. I only started listening to popular music in high school because my desk mate was a trendy person. It wasn't until yesterday that I found out that Mayday was the first rock band I ever listened to (my desk mate's favorite band).
So this article may contain many common sense errors, as I don't know much about music.
Cyberpunk 2077#
As we all know, the missions in Cyberpunk 2077 are named after rock music, and the protagonist Johnny Silverhand is the guitarist and singer of a hardcore punk band. When I played Cyberpunk 2077, I didn't understand Silverhand. He seemed like a terrorist to me, and I didn't understand why he became a legend. He couldn't match Adam Smasher in terms of combat power, wasn't as cool as Alt Cunningham, and even Spider Murphy had made a name for himself in the hacking community.
But in 2023, it was Silverhand who stood up (arguably the only one) to denounce the corporations, spread rebellious thoughts to the people, and used a nuclear bomb to challenge the authority of the corporations. A martyr, he can indeed be considered legendary. This also aligns with my understanding of the hardcore punk spirit.
I found many descriptions of the rock spirit, and "resistance/rebellion" is an inevitable topic. However, just like what Takemura said in the game, "You only blindly oppose the corporations, their order, and their world, but you can't come up with any valuable alternatives." I always feel that there aren't so many things to rebel against in this world, and the rose government that rebels against the government to establish a utopia didn't last long either.
Music Festival#
Because of the National Day holiday, I stayed at home and didn't go out. Then I saw a music festival taking place in a park 2km away from my home (I could even hear it from my home), but I still bought a ticket to go see it.
The music festival was poorly organized. There was no alcohol to drink, and the expensive water and food provided at the venue were sold out by 4 o'clock. There were also more than ten minutes of advertisements during the breaks, making the experience extremely disappointing.
Here is a brief review of each band from my subjective perspective.
Bailin Sea#
I could hear their music as soon as I went downstairs after lunch. It sounded noisy, but I can't give a fair evaluation since I didn't listen to them live.
Number of fans on NetEase Cloud Music: 59.
Dead Wood in Spring#
When I arrived, he was the singer I heard. He had a strong folk and pop flavor, and he looked quite handsome. However, I didn't feel much about him. His singing voice was plain, and he gave me a humble impression. I guess he has a good temper.
Number of fans on NetEase Cloud Music: 1,181,074.
DT Live#
A newcomer band after Dead Wood in Spring, DT stands for Dirty Twinz. I was originally sitting far away, but I was attracted by their rap lyrics full of profanity. They are a band from Xi'an. They were very energetic, and I quite liked this band.
What's impressive about this band is that when they first came on stage, they were relatively unknown and not many people were familiar with them. But by the time they finished their performance, the crowd was completely hyped up, and everyone was cheering and jumping together.
I have high hopes for this band, but unfortunately, they are unlikely to appear on television due to their frequent use of dirty words.
Not available on NetEase Cloud Music, 577 followers on Weibo. Promising future.
Heaven Band#
They were probably the biggest surprise of this music festival.
This band was truly impressive, and the spirit of rock shone through them. After the high energy performance by DT Live, I wanted to take a break. But Heaven Band came out and immediately played a song called "Some People Say Rock is Already Dead". Just hearing the title of this song made me excited, even though I'm not a rock fan.
They are a 31-year-old veteran rock band, and they are true rockers. Some people may grow old, but they will always remain young. As someone who doesn't understand music, they instantly won me over. They must be a very talented band.
Number of fans on NetEase Cloud Music: 29,102. Too few, such a good band shouldn't have so few fans.
I even feel like I've heard this song before when I listen to them. Listening to them sing, the only words in my mind are "rock veterans". Maybe they don't have many fans and can't become rock stars. Another song, "Happy Flowers", is also good, but I can't share it because the external link on NetEase Cloud Music doesn't work.
Heaven Band is undoubtedly my favorite band of this music festival.
Disturbing Band#
They had a great entrance, with the female lead singer coming on stage with angel wings.
They are also a band that I was recommended to listen to. They have a bit of an electronic rock feel, and they said their songs have recently been covered in the TV show "Brothers Who Brave the Thorns".
A "spicy, explosive, and romantic" band, but the female lead singer's way of speaking is a bit awkward, with a hint of contrast.
Number of fans on NetEase Cloud Music: 176,280.
Yu Band#
Death metal, it's cool, but too noisy for me to get into. But those who understand death metal wear sunglasses, and those who understand, understand. If you don't understand, even if I explain, you won't understand.
Although I can't get into it because it's too noisy, they are cool. Death metal is always cool.
Number of fans on NetEase Cloud Music: 52,638. It's an art that some people don't understand, but it's respected because it's really cool.
Yao Band#
After being bombarded by Yu Band and running around, I lay down on the grass to rest, and it was this band's turn.
They seem like a fun band, very young and energetic. Although they are more inclined towards pop electronic music, I don't really enjoy listening to electronic music. Maybe I've heard some electronic music while playing CS before, but I just can't get into it.
But this band feels quite energetic and has a unique taste. They are definitely worth recommending.
Number of fans on NetEase Cloud Music: 23,309. Promising future.
Ma Yuan Poet#
Originally, it was Xie Tianxiao, but due to a stage accident, he couldn't attend, so Ma Yuan Poet replaced him at the last minute.
I don't know if it's just my perception, but I feel that Ma Yuan Poet has a mental illness. The CG behind the stage, I tried hard to understand it, and I always feel that he has a sense of sadness, a desire to be understood, but a despair of not being understood. I personally feel that the songs he chose have a progression. At first, he is not understood, but in the last song, he finds liberation. It's a very thoughtful arrangement.
Although I can't judge whether his songs are good or not, I can't tell, but the lead singer's voice is very unique, conveying a sense of sadness and helplessness to me.
Actually, if the music festival ended here, it would have been quite good. However, the audience was all there for the finale, Xu Wei. They couldn't wait for him to come on stage, showcasing their precious rock spirit. Ma Yuan Poet's first music festival ended without taking a photo with the audience (every band took a photo), indicating that he was not happy.
Number of fans on NetEase Cloud Music: 374,007.
Xu Wei#
It was only when I was waiting for him that I found out that he is the "Resignation Association President" and is known for resigning as soon as the prelude starts. There were fans waving flags with the lyrics "A Blue Lotus Flower, Never Returning Home" but they were scolded by other fans behind them and had to put them away. The rock spirit still shone through.
The first time I heard Xu Wei was in college when I went to KTV with my classmates. There was a male classmate who loved singing "Blue Lotus Flower", and they loved singing that song. After going there a few times, I became familiar with it.
But when I was writing this article, I realized that I had actually heard his songs much earlier than I thought. The classic song "Blue Bird" from Naruto was inspired by Xu Wei's song of the same name.
It was my first time listening to Xu Wei live, and it was worth it. However, I feel that his songs have a cassette tape feel, a sense of an era, suitable for slowly listening to in a slow era, not really suitable for a music festival like this.
Number of fans on NetEase Cloud Music: 1.85 million.
After listening to Xu Wei, I feel like I've resigned, but the holiday is over.
Aftermath#
It was very late when the event ended, and there were a lot of people, and I was very thirsty.
The presence of security guards was meaningless, as they didn't serve any purpose other than blocking the people who came to play.
I bought a bottle of "Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon" when I came out. It tasted great, very refreshing, with no alcohol content or taste. I highly recommend it to friends who don't drink much.
Shot on iPhone 5s#
Feeling bored, I dug out my old phone and took some photos. The photos have a nostalgic feel reminiscent of CCD.
