Demon's Hard Edge Rocks Beijing

By Jerry Chan

Demon's intense live performances and hard-edged sound have earned them a reputation as one of the coolest unsigned acts in Chinese rock. Recent shows at 17 Club, the newly re-opened Busy Bee, have fueled audience demand for more live shows and an album release.

Formed in 1998 by Central Fine Arts Academy graduate Fang Ke, Demon's original lineup included Fly axeman Huzi on guitar, drummer Wei Dong, and bassist Ren Yiqin. The band's current lineup consists of Fang Ke on vocals and guitar, guitarist Li Tong (not to be confused with Black Panther's founder/guitarist of the same name), drummer Wang Pengfei, and the divine Ms. Ge-Er-Le on bass.

"We hooked up with Ge-Er-Le via Wang Lan from Overload," Fang says. "She played a few gigs with them as a stand-in bassist and was also performing solo at the Boys and Girls Club in Beijing's Sanlitun Bar District."

While studying traditional Mongolian dance and ballet at the Art Institute of Inner Mongolia, the sultry bassist got into the music biz via the sugar-coated pop songs of Taiwan songstress Deng Lijun in the 80's.

Tweaked-Noise

"After I graduated, I started listening to rock and I really wanted to start a band," she said. "For me it was a natural progression from dancing to playing music, especially since both art forms are physically expressive and rely heavily on rhythm."

Aside from her work with Demon, Ge-Er-Le's current weekly appearances at Zang Tianshuo's new bar, Friends Club, has gained her a reputation as a solid bassist and songwriter.

Drummer Wang Pengfei has also been playing for both Demon and Zang Tianshuo's house band. Wang's pummeling style and rhythms provide a solid foundation for Demon's sound. Combined with Fang's vocals and guitar, Ge-Er-Le's bass, and Li Tong's tweaked-noise guitar, Wang's drumming completes Demon's heavy musical equation.

The band's influences include college rock staples Jon Spencer, Sonic Youth, and the abrasively rhythmic sounds of Rage Against the Machine.

"If you ask me which band has influenced me the most, I think I'd have to say the Pixies, especially Bossonova," says Fang with a mischievous grin.

Having just completed a 12-song demo, Demon is currently presenting their material to local labels Jingwen and Modern Sky.