Midi Music Festival rocks Shanghai

This year's Midi Music Festival could also have been called "MUDDY Music Festival." Even though the rain stopped Monday, Saturday's downpour left Sanjiagang Seaside Resort in suburban Pudong wet and muddy. People could barely tell what their shoes originally looked like. But that wasn't a problem for rock fans and even some of the musicians.

"For our music it's good if the rain comes down. For the atmosphere. We hate to play in sun. We played a concert on Friday in our hometown in Munich in a festival, then we go direclty to the airport, fly here for about 25 hours and then we were picked up at the airport and we go on stage," said Oliver Nikolas, guitarist, Lacrimas Profundere.

It took us more than half an hour to get here from the entrance, and road was muddy all the way. Saturday's performances were delayed due to rainy weather, but the Sunday crowd is the biggest among the three-day event.

The biggest name on the bill was the British alternative rock band Suede, which had played at the Shanghai Grand Stage last year. The band members say they were surprised to see that their 1993 single "So Young" was featured in a popular Chinese film last year by director Zhao Wei, who also used So Young as the film's English title. That new exposure helped the group regain its popularity here.

"I like the band's music style and lyrics. I'm addicted to their power on the stage. What I love about a music festival is that you can always find something in common here," said Liu Hao.

Several emerging Chinese rock bands were also here this year. The members of Beijing-based "Escape Plan" say they actually grew with music festivals in China. When the band was founded in 2005, it started out playing at local bars and live houses that hold just a few hundred people. Thanks to more exposure at music festivals, the band's growing popularity earned it a chance to perform at the 2011 Summer Sonic, one of Japan's largest urban rock festivals.

"What we always try to give our audience is something warm and positive. It's about being as sincere and exact as possible. Just by working you can get out the right music, and doing what kind of music reflects what's in your mind," said Mao Chuan, singer of "Escape Plan".

Organizers say music festivals are the most pioneering aspect of the music scene. And they say beyond the music itself, things like safety management, the stage setting and good food and beverage service are also key to attracting more people.