SY in Wikileaks Cable

mkb3 · 09.02.2011, 04:47 PM

http://cablesearch.org/cable/view.ph...sonic+youth%22

Shanghai Rocks Out To SONIC YOUTH
---------------------------------

¶12. (U) In the past year Shanghai has hosted an increasing
number of concerts by foreign performers, including the Rolling
Stones, James Brown and the Black Eyed Peas. The audiences at
all of the concerts have been remarkably consistent, mostly
foreigners (of all ages) with few Chinese. As a result, most
foreigners expected a similar audience at an April 24 show by
New York-based punk band SONIC YOUTH. Unbeknownst to most
(Econoff included) SONIC YOUTH has a large, devoted following in
China.

¶13. (U) The concert was held at the Shanghai Concert Hall, a
historic building in the center of People's Park that primarily
hosts classical music concerts. Before the show started the
mostly twenty-something clean-cut Chinese audience was seated
politely, many still in work attire, most with backpacks, a far
cry from the typical SONIC YOUTH crowd in the United States.
There was no alcohol or soda sold, only water. As soon as the
lights dimmed, however, pandemonium erupted.

¶14. (U) The Chinese security seemed unsure how to react; for
the first hour every time they tried to control the audience,
the band would castigate them. Five minutes into the show the
audience rushed the stage but the security stopped the surging
crowd and aggressively pushed the audience back to their seats
at which point the band stopped singing and asked the security
to let the crowd approach the stage. Security held firm until a
particularly popular song whipped the crowd into such a frenzy
that it overwhelmed the security guards and the audience took
over the stage pit. As the concert went on, security eased up
more and more so that by the end they were allowing stage diving.

¶15. (U) According to Lilo Wang, a 24-year old accountant, who
spent most of the show in the heart of the mosh pit, SONIC YOUTH
had been popular in China for a long time and within the rock
crowd was extremely popular. She said that Shanghai's rock

SHANGHAI 00000283 004 OF 004

scene was weak because all everyone cared about was making money
and they were not passionate about life. She said the cost of
the tickets (RMB 480 or USD 62) was worth it and that she hoped
more bands like SONIC YOUTH would come to China and that rock,
especially punk, would grow in popularity in Shanghai.

09.02.2011, 04:47 PM	#1
mkb3 empty page Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 14	http://cablesearch.org/cable/view.ph...sonic+youth%22 Shanghai Rocks Out To SONIC YOUTH --------------------------------- ¶12. (U) In the past year Shanghai has hosted an increasing number of concerts by foreign performers, including the Rolling Stones, James Brown and the Black Eyed Peas. The audiences at all of the concerts have been remarkably consistent, mostly foreigners (of all ages) with few Chinese. As a result, most foreigners expected a similar audience at an April 24 show by New York-based punk band SONIC YOUTH. Unbeknownst to most (Econoff included) SONIC YOUTH has a large, devoted following in China. ¶13. (U) The concert was held at the Shanghai Concert Hall, a historic building in the center of People's Park that primarily hosts classical music concerts. Before the show started the mostly twenty-something clean-cut Chinese audience was seated politely, many still in work attire, most with backpacks, a far cry from the typical SONIC YOUTH crowd in the United States. There was no alcohol or soda sold, only water. As soon as the lights dimmed, however, pandemonium erupted. ¶14. (U) The Chinese security seemed unsure how to react; for the first hour every time they tried to control the audience, the band would castigate them. Five minutes into the show the audience rushed the stage but the security stopped the surging crowd and aggressively pushed the audience back to their seats at which point the band stopped singing and asked the security to let the crowd approach the stage. Security held firm until a particularly popular song whipped the crowd into such a frenzy that it overwhelmed the security guards and the audience took over the stage pit. As the concert went on, security eased up more and more so that by the end they were allowing stage diving. ¶15. (U) According to Lilo Wang, a 24-year old accountant, who spent most of the show in the heart of the mosh pit, SONIC YOUTH had been popular in China for a long time and within the rock crowd was extremely popular. She said that Shanghai's rock SHANGHAI 00000283 004 OF 004 scene was weak because all everyone cared about was making money and they were not passionate about life. She said the cost of the tickets (RMB 480 or USD 62) was worth it and that she hoped more bands like SONIC YOUTH would come to China and that rock, especially punk, would grow in popularity in Shanghai.
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