Saluting the best bands of Beijing at Midi Music Awards

At Beijing's fourth annual Midi Music Awards, punk band Brain Failure blasted their middle fingers out to the crowd. The crowd reciprocated with their own birds, though many waved theirs awkwardly, palm-side forward.

"I guess this gesture is still quite new and daring in China," said Ivo Neefjes, a 22-year-old Dutch student of the Beijing Film Academy.

Naturally, Brain Failure went home with the Best Live Performance after rocking out for the thousand people who attended Sunday's awards at the arena of M Place MasterCard Center in Haidian district.

The Midi Music Awards were introduced by Beijing's famous Midi Music School in 2009 to recognize some of Beijing's most successful bands and solo artists in modern music. The judging panel is mostly Midi Music School teachers and older musical figures. Awards include Album of the Year, Best Song and Best New Artist.

Audience members were mix of students and professionals. One attendee, "Virgin" Chen, a social worker from Beijing, has been to every Midi award ceremony. He said that 2010 has been his favorite year, but that there were standout moments this year, too. He said Beijing funk-rock band Lure were "by far the best thing about this year's."

Another highlight of the evening came with a solo performance from folk hero Chuanzi, who after several renditions of his best known acoustic guitar songs handed the instrument to his 10-year-old daughter, nicknamed Hua, who sang a complete number before the audience.

Best New Artist went to British-influenced rock group Residence A. Both Best Song and Best Album of the year went to Escape Plan, a quartet of neatly mop-topped young men from Beijing. The winning song, entitled "The Brightest Star in the Night's Sky," from their album The World, closed out the evening.

Neefjes, the Dutch punk rock pit member, said, "I didn't really even know tonight was an award ceremony until I arrived. I came on a Chinese friend's recommendation to learn what Chinese rock music is about after all."