(DON’T) FIGHT THE POWER

‘Just like a jigsaw puzzle, trying to find my place to be,’ belts out Xue Feng, lead singer of Beijing scream-punk band The Peppercorns. In a scruffy bar, tucked away in one of the city’s ancient alleyways, Xue and his ensemble – which includes a theremin, a Russian-invented electronic instrument dating from the early 20th century – pose the dilemma to a crowd of loyal, moody punk rockers. The band has an angsty energy; the crowd is muted and focused – perhaps they too are pondering the point that Xue later puts to me: ‘Most Chinese indie music is unoriginal and still at the phase of imitation… Chinese Prince, Chinese Oasis, Chinese Guns N’ Roses, Chinese Radiohead, we have them all.’ While Western rock stars may be known for their hedonism as much as their music, their emulators in Beijing