Culturally, there was great excitement around the Beijing Olympics in 2008.  This was a chance for the outside world to witness what we’ve know for some time – that Beijing has a thriving, diverse music and arts scene that is growing year on year.

In the end, however, Beijing was just about the most boring place in the entire world for a 3 month period leading up to August 2008.  Nearly every venue was closed for the lead up and duration of the big O – the city was completely locked down to musicians, artists and even brands and national bodies that had been planning for the Olympics for up to 3 years.  Damp squib – hell yeah! Continue reading →