Demerit

Featuring Li Yang on vocals/bass, Zhang Ning on guitar and Du Shuai on drums, Demerit is widely-recognized as one of the best punk bands in China. After forming in Qingdao in 2004, the band's original incarnation soon migrated to Beijing, China's music capital. There, Demerit quickly gained a reputation for blazing sets that mix the ferocious energy of street punk with the heavy guitar riffs of 1980s metal. In mid-2006, the band self-released their debut album, “Never Say Die,” a record roundly praised for its DIY energy and raw electricity. It was this spark that drew the attention of Public Enemy bassist and producer Brian Hardgroove, who discovered Demerit on a trip to China, and was so impressed that he returned in 2007 to produce their sophomore release. “Bastards of the Nation” came out early-2008 to critical acclaim from local and national publications. With fiery anthems like "Fight Your Apathy" and "TZ Generation" - songs rife with razor-sharp guitar licks and Li Yang's searing social and political commentary - “Bastards” quickly established Demerit as leaders in the Chinese punk scene. In the wake of the album's release, Demerit toured far and wide, planting the flag of punk in every corner of China. Throughout, they acted as ambassadors of punk - helping to build DIY communities, create links between regional scenes and spread punk's rebellious spirit throughout the PRC. As elder statesmen in the Chinese scene, Demerit have also helped foster the growth of younger bands while sharing the stage with such notable foreign acts as DOA (Canada), Queers (USA), Insurgent Kid (Sweden), SS20 (Germany) and Suck Stuff (Korea). In 2008, they gained further international attention as the subject of "Beijing Punk," an award-winning documentary that details the capital's recent musical explosion. Following several lineup changes, Demerit has taken the past year as a time for rest and reflection. Though they've continued to perform at a number of festivals, Demerit has taken a break from the club circuit, holing up in their practice space to regroup and work on new material. Meanwhile, they have several projects underway, including a split 10-inch with German band SS20, as well as a new album slated to be recorded before next fall. This summer they will hit the US for fifteen dates on Vans Warped Tour 2011.