Beijing post-rock band Wang Wen (惘闻) had to postpone their show in Singapore in early March to 29 March. I was relieved that they made it to town. It was a 5pm show at the Esplanade Annexe Studio.
The band's charted their beginnings in Dalian in 1999, and while the line-up doesn't have their original drummer and the cellist, the band is still pretty much together actively making music and playing shows. I've been quite a fan of their music since years ago. I didn't make it to their November 2018 show in Singapore when they did a tour for 'Invisible City'/'看不见的城市' (2018). I'm glad to have watched them today.
Of course I didn't know all the songs they played. I had to reference the setlist against my videos and memories. Heh. 'Mail from the River'/ '河边的来信'('Invisible City'/‘看不见的城市’, 2018) and a very early ‘Posthouse’/'驿站' ('7 Objects in Another Infinite Space'/'另一个无限空间里的七个物件' 2007). They played 'Silenced Dalian'/'大连、勿语' ('Invisible City'/'看不见的城市' 2018) too. I thought that title is not quite apt in its translated English. The original Chinese more or less meant that the band feels so much about Dalian, their hometown, that they have no words for it. It doesn't refer to a city that has been silenced by... ... something political or governmental policies or a natural disaster or tragedy.
They played a really long set today. Wow. The show lasted for two hours! With two songs as encore — 'Rain Watcher'/'观雨者' ('0.7' 2012) and 'Shut Up and Play'/'敢问路在何方' ('100,000 Whys'/'十万个为什么' 2020). 'Rain Watcher' is quite representative of the band's musical style — this track is also included in the band's 25th-anniversary live collection 'All Yesterday's Parties'/'昨日的聚会' (February 2024).
That was quite a sentimental show for me. Luckily I didn't bother to make any reservations for dinner and settled for something easy. Otherwise it would have been quite a bummer to have to miss the encore and rush to dinner.
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