Rock 'n' roll diplomacy for Beijing's Carsick Cars

Carsick Cars' new album comes after setbacks, including member changes and accidents over the past five years. Provided to China Daily

Canadian rocker comes to capital

Back to the musical future

When it comes to major events that celebrate Chinese culture, organizers tend to go with the obvious: Terracotta Warriors? Check. Shaolin monks? Check. Ubiquitous red decorations? Check.

Yet the Nuit de Chine, an extravaganza in late January at Paris' Grand Palais, showcased a new flavor of Chinese soft power-hard rock.

Carsick Cars, one of Beijing's most successful indie bands, performed alongside luminaries such as Lang Lang and Wu Muye to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and France.

"We were shocked we'd been picked as the same level as those artists," says frontman Zhang Shuowang during a break at the band's Beijing studio, tucked away in an underground car park. "We were pretty flattered. It was so different from any show we've ever done. Everything was so new for us. We felt pretty good about it.

"It was good they (the French organizers of Nuit de Chine) did this," he adds, "because people outside China should see that there are a lot of different things happening here, not just the stereotype of Chinese culture."

The event marked the start of what is shaping up to be an exciting year for the three-piece outfit. On Feb 28 they release their new album, 3, and in March embark on their biggest tour of North America-covering more than 20 cities in the United States and Canada.