The normal abnormal

Wu and the Side Effects. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The fast-changing nature of the industry, and its economic imperatives and pressures have been evident this month as Temple Bar celebrated the fourth anniversary of its opening even as an experimental music bar called XP shut down not long after celebrating its third anniversary. The venue 2kolegas and another called CD Blues suffered a similar fate in 2014.

XP, meaning experimental, opened on May Day in 2012 after the founder, Michael Pettis, closed the rock music club D-22 in Wudaokou, Beijing. XP's raison d'etre was to provide a space for interesting experimental music for local Chinese bands.

Nevin Domer, 34, XP's manager, is an experimental musician from the US who plays hardcore punk in several bands. Domer, a black stud on his left ear and two black rings on his lower lip, speaks quietly, slowly and deliberately, with a mellow American accent, but he will not reveal reasons for XP's closure.

There has been speculation that beyond financial problems, the bar, located in an ancient hutong, had few fans among its neighbors, who would have been captive audiences to the raucous music that experimental bands are wont to play, and many are likely to have been unimpressed by its patrons' after-show antics outside the venue.

Domer, who has lived in Beijing for 10 years, says that before XP opened, he worked at a club called D-22, and he now works for a music label called Maybe Mars, helps bands tour and runs a small music label called Genjing (rootstock) Records. In his time in Beijing, he says, changes in China's music scene have been exciting to watch.

"Even in just the past two years things have changed a lot in every respect."

In 2005 there were fewer venues to play in, and most were small bars, he says, and not only has the nature and size of the venues changed, but their numbers have increased greatly, too.