Formed in Qingdao in 2004, and having moved to Beijing the following year to be closer to the center of the Chinese music scene, Demerit is widely recognized as the best street punk band in China. They play blazing sets with a ferocious energy that masks the craftsmanship of their music until, during their increasingly popular acoustic shows, it becomes obvious that these guys also write great songs. Unlike a lot of punks, their musical tastes are also fairly wide-ranging, with band members regular attendees, for example, at concerts by Mafeisan, the anarchic wild men of Beijing noise.
Not just musicians, Demerit takes the rebellious spirit of punk very seriously, and they have cooperated widely with foreign bands touring China as well as with young new Chinese bands just starting out. They have also planted the flag of Chinese punk throughout the country during their wide-ranging tours.
For many of the younger punks they are seen as leaders and guides, but they are clearly at their best when they are on stage, ripping through their songs while front man Liyang snarls out his lyrics. In September of 2007 Public Enemy’s bassist and producer Brian Hardgroove, one of their most hard-core fans, came to China to record their CD, returning again in January to finish the recording and to mix and master the final result. Now with a high quality recording to their name (Bastards of the Nation) they are prepared to take on not just all of China but also the world.
Demerit – “T.Z. Generation” Maybe Mars/tenzenmen by BlankTV
