The next day, around 8 a.m., Liang Liang saw Qin Wenjun off on the bus back to Yanghe.
Although she didn't end up sleeping with anyone, Qin Wenju was still very happy; she felt that this dance hall still had potential.
After seeing Qin Wenju off, Liang Liang went to an art studio to have the wildly styled photo of the Blue Shark band enlarged and painted on the wall in front of the Ocean Shipping Ballroom.
After arranging things for the art club, Liang Liang arrived at the restaurant where she had made a reservation, as it was almost noon, to wait for the -40 Degrees band to arrive.
At 11:10, Zhang Hai and the Minus 40 Degrees band arrived at the restaurant where they had arranged to meet Liang Liang the day before and met with her.
Twenty minutes later, the six people sat around a table and began to toast each other.
After downing two beers, Liang Liang asked the first question.
"Brother Yang! What made you guys decide to come to Lianwan? Did that bastard Zhang Hai send you to cause trouble for our place?"
At times, Liang Liang is not a natural defender; he can be quite aggressive.
Zhang Hai was frustrated; they had just unfairly labeled him a coward.
“Brother, you’re overthinking it. It’s not what you think. The rock and roll environment in Songyang is terrible. People can’t even make ends meet. We just wanted to come to Lianwan to change things up and see if things are any better here than in Songyang.”
What were the results of the comparison?
"They're all the same as Songyang, so no one can say anything about the other."
"Brother Yang! We're only at the beginning. I can say with certainty that we haven't reached the coldest winter for rock and roll yet. Wait two more years and you'll see. That's when rock and roll will truly be in winter."
In the previous era of rock and roll, at least there was the 1994 Hong Kong Coliseum. After 1994, rock and roll stagnated for more than twenty years.
We are far from the worst point yet.
In this period of the previous life, Black Panther, Tang Dynasty, Compass, Lao Cui 1989 Band…
Liang Liang still listened to many popular songs.
However, since 1995, he has hardly heard any songs that catch his ear, including those from their own band, Years.
I have to admit that rock songs after 1995 are really hard to listen to.
Those so-called classics are nothing more than self-indulgence and self-praise by insiders.
Just like the poetry circle, poets of all ages are immersed in their own little world, praising each other, while outside the circle, nobody watches or listens.
Ultimately, it was completely marginalized.
"You're saying rock music will be even worse in two years?"
"That's for sure, Yang! Minus 40 degrees Celsius is considered old rock, haven't you guys ever thought about why the rock environment is so bad?"
"It's because the environment is bad, the country doesn't support rock music, and society is prejudiced against it. How can it be good?" the drummer of the Minus Forty Degrees band interjected.
"Is this the consensus of your entire team?"
"It's not just our whole team; almost all the bands in the rock scene think this way now."
This was indeed a common thought among people who played rock music during this period.
“We have a local saying that you can’t blame society for your bad luck. Why don’t you look for the reasons within yourselves?”
"Look for the cause within yourself?"
"Yes! Rock is a musical form, so why not reflect on the musical form itself? Look at what kind of songs the rock scene is singing now? Confusion, hesitation, disappointment, despair, criticism, satire—what kind of impact can you have on society by singing these kinds of songs? What kind of impact can you have on underage teenagers? Do you think the country will support this kind of music?"
The band Minus Forty Degrees fell silent for a brief moment.
"But isn't the spirit of rock and roll about criticism?" the other bassist retorted.
"Come on! Think about it from another angle. You're just a small band, and you think you can criticize society? Don't you think you're taking yourselves too seriously? If you keep thinking like this, this path will only get narrower and narrower until you can't even afford to eat and are worse off than beggars."
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
Have you ever thought about singing some positive, uplifting songs, songs about springtime, flowers blooming, and sunshine?
The members, whose temperature was forty degrees below zero, looked completely bewildered.
There's a folk saying: "A tree dies when transplanted, but a person thrives." Since this style of song isn't accepted by the public, why not switch to a different style to gain public approval? If you can gain public approval, you'll find that the world is actually full of light.
Yang Dongli asked in confusion, "Wouldn't that be considered pandering to the masses?"
"What's wrong with pandering to the masses? Music is meant to serve the masses. Don't cling to that worthless rock spirit. I'm not trying to discourage you, but even if you cling to that so-called rock spirit every day, you won't create any classic songs. It's all just pointless whining, and it will only make you poor. Instead of ending up like that, why not pander to the masses? At least you'll be living a life of luxury."
"Just like your Blue Shark band is now?"
“We are actually exploring, but at least we don’t get stuck on a single point or cling to one particular method.”
Yang Dongli shook his head: "To be honest, I don't have a good outlook on your development. I feel that some of your songs are aiming for pop music, which goes against the spirit of rock and roll and is a dead end."
You see, it's quite difficult to talk to these people; they treat the so-called spirit of rock and roll as gospel.
Whether it's rock or later hip-hop, they all originated from low-quality groups. It's no exaggeration to say that these kinds of music were trash at the beginning.
What kind of spirit do they possess?
Whether they are rock stars from abroad or in China, if you take a closer look at their backgrounds, you'll see what they've been up to behind the scenes.
Is the spirit of rock and roll just about playing with marijuana and fruit?
“Even if you don’t believe in our development, as time goes by, you will eventually find that the path we are on is the right one. Just watch, it won’t be long before Blue Shark Band joins the ranks of top bands in China. In less than two years, Blue Shark Band will become a top-tier band in China, even though we are not a genuine rock band.”
"You guys will become a top-tier band in less than two years? I really don't believe it!"
"Talking big is meaningless; time will tell. If you're thinking of changing your style, I actually have two songs that I can sell to you at a friend's price."
“We don’t want to change our style, and we’re not interested in your singing and dancing. We don’t want to be criticized by people in the industry for being neither fish nor fowl. Although it’s tough, we won’t go against our original intentions.”
Liang Liang shook his head.
This is a typical example of the saying that people would rather bite a turd than trade it for a twisted dough stick.
Your well-intentioned advice was taken for granted.
"Yesterday was the opening of our dance hall. Regardless of your reasons, those who came to support us are showing their friendship. That's why I'm treating you guys to lunch today. I've already paid the bill, so please enjoy your meal. I have other things to do, so I won't keep you company any longer. If you need anything from me, just come find me at Haiyun Dance Hall. Goodbye!"
Having nothing in common, the meal lost its flavor, and Liang Liang made an excuse to leave.
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