Risqué performance sparks Beijing venue crackdown

Beijing’s grassroots music scene is under siege as authorities crack down on its live venues following a performance by controversial, frequently topless poet Lin Ce.

Dusk Dawn Club (DDC), the venue which hosted Lin (whose NFSW art tackles issues around body image and body-shaming), was temporarily shuttered by police and its owner, known only as ’69’, detained. It has since reopened, reports Reuters.

New venue Modernsky Lab is also reportedly under investigation, although it was allowed to remain open.

Those working in China’s live music scene frequently come into conflict with the communist state’s censors, which target references to nudity, sex, drugs and religion in addition to political content

Elsewhere, the MAO Livehouse – which has been forced to close by Beijing’s ever-increasing rents – was ordered to postpone its farewell gigs, while those planning to attend showcase festival and conference Sound of the Xity were refunded the cost of their tickets without explanation, and a number of shows (some planned for DDC) were rescheduled and moved to another club, Tango.

Those working in China’s live music scene frequently come into conflict with the communist state’s censors, which target references to nudity, sex, drugs and religion in addition to political content.

Lamenting the loss of many of Beijing’s venues, Lai Jinrong, a guitarist with heavy metal band Logic Out of Control, tells Reuters: “I think that rock and roll and metal in China began to die before they reached maturity.”