Play time for stars of Modernsky Now

A gathering of performers for Modernsky Now. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The founder of the label Modernsky hopes to shape the future of China's indie music scene by creating a brand for live performances, Chen Nan reports.

Music fans can enjoy a series of live shows presented by the country's largest indie music label over the summer.

Called Modernsky Now, the shows start on Saturday, and the first part of the tour will see 14 of the label's singers and rock bands perform in such cities as Beijing, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Ningbo.

"We have been planning Modernsky Now for a long time and we want to build it up into a livehouse music brand in China," says Shen Lihui, the founder and CEO of the label Modernsky.

Headlined by Zuoxiao Zuzhou, Moxi Zishi and New Pants, the shows will feature the performers, who have different music styles, in seven pairs.

According to Shen, the label will organize nearly 100 live shows by the end of the year, and he expects the number to double next year with more singers and bands paired together, including Miserable Faith, Second Hand Roses and Zhang Qiang.

"China's music consumers, especially young people, are willing to spend money on live music. These shows will bring a fresh performance experience to fans," says Shen.

Singer-songwriter Zuoxiao Zuzhou, who is known for his experimental sounds and obscure lyrics, will pair with pop singer Yu Kewei, who rose to fame after she achieved fourth place in the 2009 season of Hunan Satellite TV Station's Super Girl, one of the most popular national singing competition shows in China. In the Modernsky shows on July 10 in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, and July 11 in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, Yu will perform songs from Zuoxiao Zuzhou's latest album, We Need a Troubadour.

Peng Tan, the former vocalist of China pop-rock band Dada, who went solo in 2006, will perform with his wife, the model Chun Xiao, on July 10 in Nanjing and July 11 in Ningbo. Since they married in 2009, they have released songs together every year on Valentine's Day, including Our Little World and I Do.

"These shows will not only be a special treat for music lovers but also be something different for us," says Moxi Zishi, who will perform with the rock band Shuh Tou in unplugged shows in Beijing on Saturday, in Guangzhou on July 17 and in Shenzhen on July 18. A month ago, he flew to Dali in Yunnan province, where the band is now based, to rehearse for the show. The band will perform a few songs of Moxi Zishi in their hard-driving style.