(Ecns.cn)--Largely unheard of ten years ago in China, music festivals have exploded recently in terms of quantity. In 2011 alone there will be over 100 music festivals held across the country.
Compared to long-standing foreign music festivals, however, Chinese festivals are still in their infancy – and probably growing up just a little too fast.
As in other Chinese businesses, rampant imitation, incomplete or mishandled equipment, entertainment of dubious quality and a narrow development vision can also be found in the music festival industry.
Highly homogenized
Music festivals held in China for years like the Midi Festival, the Strawberry Music Festival and the Zebra Music Festival have already landed in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu in the past few months.
Yet from July to October, China will usher in a whole new round of similar offerings.
Almost every weekend from July to September there will be a rock music performance in China, taking aim at the pocket books of young people all over the country. Famous Chinese musical icons like Cui Jian, Lao Lang, Xie Tianxiao and bands like Tang Chao are listed on the playbills of many different music festivals.
And therein lies the problem. Though these artists have a large following, some find the lack of variety tiring.
"I was expecting to see a variety of performances at different music festivals, but it turned out that every festival is the same," said a music fan who went to three different festivals during the three-day May Day holiday in Beijing.
"I am a frequent visitor to music festivals, but when I see so many similar playbills, I just won't go," said another music lover in Beijing.
It's good that more and more music festivals are being held in the country to enrich the lives of young people, but the similar content of all the festivals will land them finally in the graveyard, said Shanwei, an industry insider.
Some fear the lack of original songs and performers is leading to homogeneity. Finding a suitable pattern for each festival and inviting different styles of music will ultimately make the festivals more enjoyable, added Shan.
There are exceptions, of course. The 12-year-old Midi Festival has set an example by inviting bands from other countries such as the US, Japan, Canada, Germany and Finland. Held four times this year in different Chinese cities, the performances were well received, further cementing Midi's good reputation as it continues to mature.
