SUBS HAVE SOMETHING of a publicity problem. It's not that the punk rock quartet aren't getting any: Whether in blogs, music magazines or the popular press, Subs have been getting plenty of attention at home and abroad. It's the content the band have issues with.
'In China, the media focuses on the fact that I'm a girl,' says vocalist Kang Mao. 'Overseas, they focus on the fact that we're from China. Nobody talks about our music.'
Formed just two years ago, it's a wonder the group get talked about at all. Subs have neither official release, nor official representation. Yet they toured Norway and Finland in August, and are due to perform in Amsterdam on Saturday ahead of a two-week tour of Germany.
The Subs' story began in Wuhan, where the founder members - Kang, Wu Hao, Shi Xudong and Shen Xia - first met. Guitarist Wu and drummer Shi were then in a metal band, and Kang in an all-girl rock group. But it wasn't until 2002, when they'd all moved to Beijing, that they got together to create their own brand of garage punk, inspired by bands ranging from The Sonics, to Fugazi and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. By then, Shen, who was suffering from a brain aneurysm, had been replaced by Zhu Lei.
After their first gig in early 2003, the group was forced into six-month hiatus while the mainland battled the Sars outbreak. Even so, Subs were soon generating significant buzz; their live performances crackled with energy rarely seen on local stages, bringing invitations to support visiting bands such as Norwegian rock act Bonk, who played in Shanghai and Beijing last year.
Bonk's manager was so impressed he booked them this summer to close a major Oslo rock bonanza, the ?ya Festival, playing alongside groups such as Franz Ferdinand and Sonic Youth.
