Blast from the past

Xie Tianxiao gets a wild reception from his fans at a 2009 concert. Provided to China Daily

Xie Tianxiao is back with a new album and imminent stage show in Beijing that promises a dramatic landing, Chen Nan reports.

Chinese rock's reliably passionate and moody star has riffed, screamed and smashed his guitar for 20 years. It has won Xie Tianxiao the titles "King of Live" and the "New Godfather of Chinese Rock 'n' Roll". He has long experimented to create rock that belongs to China, including his introduction of the Chinese instrument guzheng. Plucking that became a trademark.

However, he's been out of the public eye for a while. The only time Xie has made headlines in recent years was when he was arrested by police in January 2011 for drug possession.

After performing at Strawberry Music Festival in May 2011, which received wild acclaim from nearly 30,000 spectators, he withdrew from the music business.

Sitting quietly inside a teahouse, he ties his long hair back neatly. The image is far from Xie's onstage persona. Only his hatchet-like profile and skinny figure remind one of his rock star status.

He doesn't think the arrest was bad for his career, which was skyrocketing at that time. On the contrary, it gave him the opportunity to muse and be alone.

"Sometimes fame itself hurts," says Xie, 41. "I tried to regain the feeling when I first wrote songs and the feeling of being nobody."

After a two-year gap, Xie returns to the limelight with a new album, Illusion, and he is enthusiastic about playing live again.

He recorded songs at Baihua Studio, where he recorded his first song at the age of 21. He and his band recorded the album live, reducing the use of guzheng solos in an attempt to shake off his old approach.

If his last album in 2009, Guzheng Reggae, was dedicated to his idol Bob Marley, then this new album is dedicated to himself, he says.