Wuhan gets back on its musical feet

On Nov 9, concerts with the theme "Restart "were held at the three VOX venues, with the audiences comprising those who contributed to the fight against the pandemic, including medical workers, volunteers and rescue teams.

One of the acts featured was French musician Djang San, who performed with Nicolas Mege on drums and Pierre Billiard on bass.

Djang San, who played at VOX in Wuhan in 2011, said: "The audience feedback was great. The moment we took to the stage, people cheered like crazy."

Raised in Peru, and now living in Beijing, Djang San, whose real name is Jean-Sebastien Henry, started playing violin as a child and guitar as a teenager. He first visited Beijing in 2000 and began to play Chinese instruments, such as the zhongruan, pipa and guzheng.

When the pandemic struck, he started composing pieces to convey the feeling of isolation. He also wrote an album titled Coronavirus Music, and others such as Stars Falling Into Places and West East North South.

"The pandemic reduced the number of venues available, and concerts were often canceled. Many people left and will not come back. Some good musicians are still here, but life has changed," he said.

"There are a few more shows now, but there is always the possibility that performances will be called off due to the pandemic. Online shows can't really replace live performances, and watching a video on the internet is no replacement for meeting with people."

Since 2007, VOX in Wuhan has staged shows at universities, with the aim of offering young indie bands an opportunity to show their talent. Every year, 10 shows are open to amateur young bands from local universities.

As the venue is near Huazhong University of Science and Technology and China University of Geosciences, the young bands also get the chance to perform with professional indie rock outfits at VOX.

On Nov 27, a year-end show was held at the venue, featuring five young rock bands from Wuhan who are signed to VOX's record label.

Xu Bo, founder and lead vocalist with local rock lineup Chinese Football, said: "The city is noisy and crowded. It inspires me to think about and write music."