Happy Tuesday Shanghai. Hopefully everyone got their fill of those delightful salted duck egg yolk pastries on yesterday’s Monday Mooncake day off. From here on out the holidays just don't stop. We're now a few weeks away from a week-long October national holiday. Then you have Halloween, which usually means about two weeks of slutty nurses parading around town. That’ll slide you into the Christmas & New Year season. Then bam, just a month after that is Chinese New Year, when the country shuts down for the month of February. This time of year the music scene really picks up. Last Friday’s Japanese instrumental rock act TOE show had good attendance along with Shelter's solid weekend of Japanese reggae DJs. The Booshkabaash festival was a little light but right next store in the QSW main room those insufferable Tap Dogs kept filling the seats up. Just try to stop a Tap Dog, I dare you. This week continues with three solid rock shows. First off on Friday, a show by thrash metal legends Morbid Saint on Friday at Mao Livehouse followed by a CD release party for Shanghai-based punk band XXYY at Yuyintang on Saturday. Then on Sunday, Chinese punk outfit Brain Failure stop by Yuyintang on their 14-date tour across the red lands.

Morbid Saint

In a very random appearance, classic thrash metal band Morbid Saint is playing at Mao Livehouse this Friday. Recently reformed after breaking up in 1994, the Wisconsin, USA band raised hell throughout the 80’s and early 90’s but only had one record release and are widely unknown to much of the metal world. This has created quite a bit of mystery and a cult-like status surrounding the Midwestern boys of thrash. Their one album, originally recorded as a demo in 1988 and later remastered and titled Spectrum of Death, blows away anything by fellow thrash metal bands at the time like Sodom, Destruction, or even Slayer. After taking a gander on PopSike.com, which lists what high-value records have sold for on Ebay or Discogs, I noticed that a first pressing of the Spectrum of Death album went for 9 dollars earlier this year and another for 5. With those kind of prices the 280RMB door fee should hurt a little less. But that’s still a pretty high ticket price for an obscure Wisconsin band that I’m pretty sure 95% of metal fans in China have never heard of. With bone crushing double bass drums and mind numbing guitar solos, the band is famous for pumping through seven minute songs that rip from beginning to end. There is no way I’m missing this show and if you call yourself a fan of the dark music arts you’ll steal a few hundred RMB from your girlfriend's purse on Friday and "go out for a pack of smokes." Morbid Saint - Assassin Morbid Saint – Beyond the Gates of Hell

XXYY

Those fun loving expat rockers XXYY are back with a brand new ten-song CD that is available at Yuyintang on Saturday night. XXYY is made up of Mike Herd (aka Scottish Mike) on vocals and guitar, the larger than life Mike Bush on bass, and Jaret "always carrying" Shank on drums. Recorded at the infamous 72 Studio, this new masterpiece is titled PM250 and was mixed down by Raphael Valensi, formerly known as Laura Ingalls. Packing hotel lobbies, pool halls, and KTV’s since 2012 the band has played over 40 shows to date touring around China to places like Qingdao, Huainan, Wuhan, and Nantong. Opening up Saturday’s main event is long time friends Stegosaurus? and Shanghai legends Banana Monkey. The cover art on this album features a drawing of Scottish Mike with what only could be described as a "Bolivian marching powder face." If you're interested in taking a sneak peak at the full album, Inferno is hosting a listening party this Friday with free entry. For now enjoy these two songs off XXYY’s – PM250 album. XXYY – All in the Mind XXYY – Bai Fu Mei

Brain Failure

One of the hardest working bands in China, Brain Failure, are back in Shanghai on Sunday as they tour around the country yet another time. Their roots date back to 1997 and they've traveled across the world and back, sharing a brand of light-hearted pop punk that even your mom couldn’t hate. They cite influences coming from classic punk bands like Bad Brains, Fugazi, Misfits, and more. Back in 2008 they did a track with the legendary Chuck D of Public Enemy for their album Box On the Broken Ball. They're kind of the go-to band when documentary crews roll through China looking for a punk angle on the different emerging scenes, and they've been featured in over 15 music films about China. See what all the fuss is about yourself on Sunday at Yuyintang. That will cost you one big pink Mao. Well looks like your Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of rock n roll is sorted. See you on the streets of Shanghai. ***