Although Liang Liang had never been to Lhasa in his previous life, he had learned about Lhasa bars from the internet.
After all, drinking culture is an important part of life in Lhasa.
Where there are bars, there are bands, and where there are bands, you might be able to borrow an instrument.
Wait a minute! Are there any bands in Lhasa now?
I hadn't heard of any bands in Lhasa during the first half of the 1990s.
The earliest Tianchu Band appeared in 1999 and was already known as the first rock band in Lhasa.
So rock music probably doesn't have much of a foundation in Lhasa right now.
Without a band, it's impossible to borrow equipment.
Looks like I can only hope to get lucky and find out by chance.
The intersection of Beijin East Road and Tibetan Hospital Road is where Lhasa has the most bars.
More than 20 years later, the area is now teeming with bars, like a galaxy of stars, with dozens of bars clustered in a space the size of a palm.
Photography themes, road trips, cyclists, walkers, bookstores, backpackers, rock climbing...
No matter what you do, you can find your ideal paradise here.
But that was twenty years later. In 1994, there weren't as many bars here, but there were still about ten or eight of them clustered around.
Liang Liang stopped in front of a bar where a Zhamu Nieqin (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument) hung above the door.
The presence of a six-stringed guitar hanging on the door suggests that the bar owner is musically inclined and may even own a guitar or something similar.
Unfortunately, the bars are all closed at this time of day, so their trip would be pointless.
They don't open during the day, so you can only come at night.
Around 7 p.m., Liang Liang and the Blue Shark band members returned to the bar.
When they arrived, the bar was already quite crowded.
People drinking, chatting, and listening to music, as well as those hiding in dark corners waiting for a one-night stand, all form a miniature society.
In one corner of the bar is the bar counter, and next to the bar counter is a small stage.
On stage, a singer is sitting in a chair, playing a zither.
The other members of the Blue Shark band found an inconspicuous seat and ordered beer and drinks.
Since Han Chui isn't here, Liang Liang will have to handle some things personally.
The burly man behind the bar must be the owner.
Liang Liang then moved closer.
"Brother! Are you the owner of this bar?"
The shop owner, holding a cup of barley wine, glanced at Liang Liang.
"What's the matter?"
"I'd like to ask if your bar has guitars? Electric guitars would be even better!"
What do you do?
"We are a band, and we came to Lhasa to shoot a short film. We didn't bring any instruments, so we wanted to rent a guitar for the film."
"That's quite interesting. You band members came to Lhasa to film a movie, and you didn't even bring any instruments!"
"This is our first time in Lhasa, aren't we afraid of altitude sickness?"
This was definitely a terrible decision. We should have at least brought a guitar. We must learn from this experience next time.
The bar owner shook his head: "I don't have guitars in my bar, but I do have zithers if you want one."
Liang Liang was speechless. Why did you have to ramble on like this? It's just a waste of time!
"Go check out the Shambhala Bar up there. They have electric guitars, and the owner is from mainland China. He seems to really like rock music."
Liang Liang's anger turned to joy. Although the boss was a bit long-winded, at least he had provided some valuable information.
After thanking him and paying the bill, Liang Liang led the Blue Shark Band to the Shambhala Bar.
The Shambhala Bar was noticeably smaller than the bar Liang Liang had just visited, and there were far fewer customers inside, so it didn't seem to be doing very well.
The other band members found an inconspicuous spot to sit down, just like before.
Liang Liang then went to the bar counter again.
This time he was more careful. He carefully examined the bar and stage to confirm that the bar really did have guitars, and even electric guitars, hanging in the bar, though they didn't look like very good ones.
Whether it's a good instrument or not doesn't matter, as long as it looks good.
There were two people behind the bar, a man and a woman, who were estimated to be between thirty and forty years old.
The initial estimate is that it should be a couple.
"boss!"
To Liang Liang's surprise, it was that woman who agreed to his request.
"Are you the boss?" Liang Liang asked, sounding somewhat surprised.
"Why doesn't it look like it?" the woman asked with a grin.
Liang Liang thought the man was the boss, but it turned out he was an imposter.
"Hello, boss! I'd like to discuss something with you."
"What's up?"
"We're a band that came to Lhasa to shoot a music video. When we came, everyone said that there's a lot of altitude sickness in Lhasa, and that we should bring as little stuff as possible. We practically came empty-handed, boss! Do you understand?"
"I understand, you're in a band, and you've come to Lhasa to film M...M what?"
"MTV! It's a short video specifically used to perform songs. You can think of it as a short movie with a song."
In 1994, the term MTV was still quite unfamiliar to the general public.
"You came to film a short film without bringing any instruments."
"Yes, yes! That's exactly what I mean."
"But what good is it for you to come to me? We sell alcohol here, not musical instruments."
“I know! Someone told me your bar only has guitars. How about we rent them? We just need to set up a few poses in Potala Square for an hour or two. How about 100 yuan?”
If the other party says no, they can only ask if there are any guitars for sale in Lhasa and buy one.
The female boss looked at Liang Liang: "Are you really a band?"
"What's there to doubt?"
What songs does your band play?
"That's a lot! We can still sing ten or twenty songs."
"We do have guitars at our bar, both acoustic and electric guitars. My spendthrift husband even tried to form a band, but it failed."
"Sis! Did you kick him off his boss's throne because his band failed?"
The female boss chuckled: "You're quite an interesting little guy. You actually guessed it. He spent over ten thousand yuan to buy some junk, and then the band broke up. Can someone like that be put in charge?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Liang Liang immediately stood on the female boss's side.
Judging from what she said, his family not only has guitars but also other things, and they've all been in bands?
Of course he knew what to choose.
Unfortunately, their equipment was just average. How good could a band set costing over ten thousand yuan be?
The equipment their band uses now costs tens of thousands of dollars for each item.
"Since you're in a band, renting a guitar isn't a problem, whether you pay or not doesn't matter. But being a real band or a fake band isn't just about talking. Come on stage and sing a couple of songs for us. If you sing well, we'll lend it to you for free."
The female boss stated her terms.
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