Day 2 of the Shanghai Midi Music Festival: Mud is the Badge of Rock

    On April 26, the second day of the 2014 Shanghai Midi Music Festival, it started raining from morning. Under the leadership of Larry Graham, a "living rock fossil" who attended the 1969 Woodstock Festival, and China’s most popular rock band, Painkiller (Pain Relief), the audience quickly got into the groove.The muddy venue became their novel playground, with young people wearing flower crowns and covered in mud evoking some of the most classic and romantic moments in rock history—from the United States and the United Kingdom to Zhenjiang, China.

    Unlike the first day, when the weather cooperated and spring rain held off, early on the second day, fine rain began to fall in Shanghai. The Midi Music Festival activated its emergency plan, repairing the muddy grounds to ensure convenience for attendees. As the performances began, many fans chose to take shelter in the semi-indoor electronic music area, warming up under the intense beats of electronic music.

    Shanghai has long been China’s leading hub for electronic music. Leveraging this advantage, the Yuan Stage at the Shanghai Midi Music Festival invited top-tier Chinese DJs with international experience, including BEN HUANG, who has performed on global stages; DIO, founder of Yan; YANG Bing, winner of the Berlin Music Festival Award; DAVE K, music director of Electric China; JASMINE LI, known for her profound musical talent from a young age; and many other outstanding international DJs based in Shanghai.

    The three-day program at the Yuan Stage featured diverse styles: HOUSE and TECHNO on the first day, an all-genre electronic music feast on the second, and heavy bass assaults on the third, aiming to present China’s most powerful audiovisual electronic music experience. DEXTER, who performed on the second day, is a young Chinese producer with great potential to become an international star. He enjoys immense popularity in Shanghai, has opened for numerous world-class DJs, and has been attending the Midi Music Festival for years. His explosive live performance formed a stark contrast with the gloomy weather outside the venue.

    Warmed up by the electronic stage, the audience quickly got into the mood. Performances at the Tang-MINI Stage and UN Stage kicked off in succession. Two death metal bands—the Australian TRUTH CORRODED and Germany’s Emergency Gate—kicked up storms of metal fury on their respective stages. Having performed at major international festivals, they were highly infectious on stage, seemingly hurling the audience into the muddy ground below with their death metal roars. Wild fans pogoed in the mud, fully releasing their minds and bodies, which rarely get to relax in daily life.

    Nine Treasures, Yaksha, Sharks Take Over (Haishada Sha Yu), and the legendary Israeli band Orphaned Land, who had all performed on international festival stages before, delivered spectacular shows for the fans who braved the rain.SHARK’s lead singer Fu Han noted in an interview that seeing fans still partying hard despite the conditions made them even more excited during their performance. Mumafu wowed the crowd with a stunning light, sound, and visual show, getting even more people dancing in the rain, while Twist Machine’s closing set on the UN Stage brought back the grand spectacle of a massive group sing-along.

    Such a breathtaking scene recalled the Yangtze River Midi Festival in Zhenjiang, where everyone was covered in mud. The heavy rain didn’t hinder the Tietuo (die-hard fans) from enjoying the music—it became a catalyst for their unbridled release. As Zhang Fan, the Midi Festival organizer, said during Painkiller’s performance, the Midi Festival has never been smooth sailing—the perseverance of the Tietuo is the core of rock spirit. And for the fans, if there were no obstacles, how would we prove our resilience?

    "Even if it’s painful, it can’t stop us from holding our heads high" has always been the motto of Painkiller. Despite heavy rain, muddy grounds, and power outages on stage, the band gave their best performance to the fans who stayed till the end. Lead singer GAO Hu, undeterred by the cold, performed in short sleeves, using passionate music to fight back against the challenges, embodying the spirit of a pioneering rock band that draws inspiration from life’s hardships. Multiple classic and new songs drew strong responses from the audience, with the mud becoming a badge of rock. The enthusiastic crowd completed the final celebration of Day 2 at the Shanghai Midi Festival right in front of the stage.

    To provide a convenient and safe environment for fans, the 2014 Shanghai Midi Festival offered a wide range of food, drinks, and merchandise. Rain boots, which were in high demand on the second day, made pogoing safer. As Organizer Zhang Fan said, learning to protect oneself is also an essential part of rock spirit. With better weather on the third day, more fans are expected to join this passionate carnival. (Photography: Yan Min / Li Lewei)