New Get Lucky's live rock shows and German homebrews make the bar a fortuitous spot to stumble upon-or out of-on the weekend, whether you're looking to bang your head or bang back black beers. Cover ranges from 30-40 yuan (US$3.76-5) depending on who's on stage, and drink prices average 30 yuan. The bar's signature black and white German draughts are brewed in a vat behind the counter and imbibed for US$3.13 a mug.

With German and French decor, a mostly Chinese crowd, and restrooms reminiscent of the American Wild West with saloon-style doors topped by a mounted bull skull, the locale feels a bit discombobulated. But few patrons care about the seemingly mixed-up milieu, because on any given weekend, all eyes are on the stage.

Recently relocated to Chaoyang's Super Bar Street, New Get Lucky has become a hotspot for Beijing's beleaguered rock scene, and for good reason. Its spacious stage, ear-splitting sound system and multicoloured, mood-setting lighting scheme make it the ideal stepping stone for rock, punk and metal bands making their climb from the depths of the underground.

New Get Lucky's stage regularly features acts such as Beijing MC Boys, a fearsome five-some of metal heads who paint their faces and don partially burnt black and white robes. BJMC blends rapid-fire blast beats, chugging guitar riffs and bloodcurdling shrieks with the wafting drone of the erhu, China's traditional, two-stringed counterpart of the violin. Another outfit, Four Five Band, is a rough-and-tumble mosh metal crew which features howling vocals over growling guitar work, while female-fronted Galaxy offers a truly- Chinese take on high-energy alternative rock.

The bar's diminutive, sunken dance floor features one of Beijing's greatest collections of facial piercings, tattoos and unorthodox hairstyles, while a setback seating area at the same altitude as the stage offers a viewing station for more reserved fans.

In a city of where hip-hop hubs and DJ-dominated dives are the rule, New Get Lucky offers an auspicious exception for Beijing's rockers.

Super Bar Street
Location: near Nuren Jie, Chaoyang District
Tel: 010-88483339