Second Hand Rose

Second Hand Rose (zh-c|c=二手玫瑰) are a Chinese rock band from Beijing, China. They are amongst a breed of underground rock groups fusing rock and folk with traditional Chinese wind instruments, such as the "suona", in both their recordings and live performances. Their debut album, the self-titled "Second Hand Rose Band", was released in 2004 to critical acclaim in China's bigger cities. The album also received rave reviews on specialist music websites in the U.S.

The group was formed in August 2000. Before the release of their second album the band were known as "Second Hand Rose "Band", but the word "band" was subsequently dropped with the release of their second album and they are now merely known as "Second Hand Rose".

The band is fronted by the cross-dressing lead singer Liang Long who often performs in a qipao, a traditional Chinese dress. Long hails from the Heilongjiang province in northeast China. His stage antics and flamboyant look have earned the band controversy in their native China.

In 2002, they became the only foreign band to be invited to play at the Swiss Snow Mountain Music Festival, an annual event attracting some of Switzerland's established musical names. They were also one of the few Chinese rock bands invited to perform in Shanghai at the 2003 China-Japan Pop Music Exchange Concerts, an event organized by Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

The band, Liang Long with a new line-up, released their second album in late 2006. The album, titled "Yu Le Jiang Hu", contains ten new studio recordings that have been well received by the specialist and online press in Mainland China. The video clip to the first single, 狼心狗肺, was also included on the release. The band are undertaking a tour of China to promote the release; nevertheless, they remain an alternative act with a non-mainstream following.

Discography

*2004 - "Second Hand Rose Band"
*2006 - "Yu Le Jiang Hu" 娱乐江湖 (CD + VCD)

See also

*Chinese rock