Beijing. Friday night. It's been a hot and humid day, tempered only by the occasional shower. But nightfall has brought a breeze, cooling the city as another working week draws to a close. Crowds are heading to the popular party haunts of Chaoyang and Sanlitun and the parks that surround the districts to wind down ahead of the weekend. In the northern part of the city, however, there's a group of diehard fans gathering in a dingy bar to listen to their favourite tunes being thrashed out by a motley crew of hard-core musicians.
The university district of Haidan is home to the 13 Bar. It's not the most fashionable establishment in the capital, but tonight it's a haven for this small group of thrash metal lovers. The surroundings do not matter; where their favourite underground bands go, they are happy to follow. Nestled between a couple of restaurants and a reeking public toilet, you can feel the throb of the bar as you approach. The music is powerful and loud.
There's a group of young guys loitering outside, most of them sporting waist-long hair or dreadlocks. They are wearing the uniform of metal fans the world over: black on black; from their tight trousers to their baggy T-shirts. They drink beer and smoke cigarettes before heading into the bar, which is hosting its monthly thrash metal session - a highlight in a limited social calendar for these fringe dwellers of music.
Inside the dark, smoky bar, the walls are covered with graffiti and the tables and chairs have seen better days. There's a heavy-set man on a small stage. His legs are slightly splayed and he's playing a black, arrow-shaped electric guitar as he shouts incomprehensibly into a microphone. He is flanked by two guitarists and behind them is the drummer. This is Shentou and they play 'old school' thrash metal similar to that peddled by Metallica in the American group's early days. There's about 40 people in the audience and many of them swarm in front of the stage, head-banging in time with the music. Others stand at the back of the bar motionless, staring at the spectacle. Shantou's time in the spotlight is short, lasting just 20 minutes before the next band - Hyonblud - hit the stage.
Hyonblud play 'new school' death metal and have been described as this genre's leading band in the mainland by PainKiller magazine, China's first - and only - heavy metal publication. Their frontman, a spiky-haired Beijing native known simply as Wami, delivers the lyrics in a growl while his bandmates provide deafening support with rapid guitar riffs and repetitive, cold drum beats in what could be
described as a thrash metal version of techno. The popular band perform only six songs, each of which lasts less than two minutes, because the schedule is tight tonight, with six groups featured on the bill. Hyonblud are under pressure to clear the stage so the next act can warm up.