When I think of Qingdao, my mind turns to the infamous Tsingtao Beer, stunning mountains and golden beaches--not necessarily the city’s live music scene.

That being said, Qingdao is a city that has no shortage of talented instrumentalists and vocalists – the only challenge is knowing when and where to find them.

I sat down with some of Qingdao’s finest up-and-coming artists to find out the challenges of pursuing gigging as a career and discovered some of the best, most reliable gig venues in town.

The Unique Qingdao Audience

Singer Amelia Gao from Qingdao-based band Dopamine says the audience here is very mixed and this is reflected in the diverse range of musical styles most bands play.

“Bands often act as background music here,” she says. “But you can definitely get a good following of locals and foreigners, if they enjoy your music.”

This creates a challenging environment for emerging artists and makes it difficult for live music clubs and venues to stay open. Despite this, Gao says the music scene here is growing.

“Live music in Qingdao is not as good as it once was, but it has definitely improved a lot recently and all my band mates have hope in live music for the future.”

Parents Vs. Music Dreams

The lead singer and songwriter says it was her parent’s involvement in music and the arts that made her pursue music.

“They always saw music as my destiny and pushed me towards that career. I started to learn music as young as 4 years old,” she says.

When asked what inspired her to get into music, she said it was almost like music was a part of her and in her blood. From her confident responses, she clearly never questioned that music was the path she would take, and says the support from her parents helped make music her career.

Many musicians from China (and all around the world) aren’t as lucky as Gao – they have to stand up to parents who want them to pursue “more dependable” careers.

The lead singers of the Club SIZ house band, Rikki and Zhang Yonglo, chased their dreams of being singers, despite their parents wanting them to study accounting.

Here are the spots where you can catch some of the best live music in Qingdao…

D&3 LIVE MUSIC PUB

In the late hours of a Thursday night in winter, when I thought all the bars in town would be getting ready to close their doors, I stumbled upon the D&3 Live Music Pub. The sound of the live band, which could be heard from the street, left me no choice but to check out this venue … and I’m so glad I did!

The six-piece band played mostly Chinese pop and rock with a bluesy influence, and it was mostly locals in the audience at this venue. Unlike some clubs in Qingdao, the band was center stage and acted as much more than background music, with powerhouse male and female singers, and a guitarist who wowed the crowd with his solo.

Address: 65-6, Xianggang Zhong Lu. 香港中路65-6

Phone: 153 3639-1010

CLUB SIZ

Lucky for us, six talented friends ditched their day jobs to do what they love and formed the Club SIZ band. Located in the Zhonglian Plaza, Club SIZ really is a live music lover’s dream hangout.

The house band plays every night of the week except Wednesdays – which is “jam night”. Anyone with hidden musical talent (or little musical talent and some Dutch courage) can jump on stage and perform for a Qingdao audience, with the house band on hand if you need some help with accompaniment.

Every other night you can catch the six-piece SIZ band delivering a range of Western and Chinese cover songs. Keyboard player Liu Xianguang says the band plays a whole range of music from Adele to Bon Jovi, and wants to bring a unique sound to the Qingdao audience. “The band formed in 2016 when SIZ opened but we have been friends much longer, have great chemistry and we really love what we do,” he said.

Address: 125 Bldg H, Zhonglian Plaza, 122 Nanjing Lu. 南京路 122号中联广场H栋125号

Phone: 8267-9898

VENU+

On the 21st floor of the elegant InterContinental Hotel, you’ll find a rooftop bar with an accomplished piano-vocal duo, Maggie and Maurice. The duo, who work corporately together by day and take to the stage by night, play at VENU+ every night of the week.

Maggie and Maurice have an extensive catalogue of Western and Chinese songs in their repertoire and said they choose songs to cater to the different crowds they have each night.

We visited on a fairly quiet Wednesday (ladies’ night) and the duo certainly knew how to please our group of foreigners looking to dance the night away – with dynamic covers of Shakira and Shania Twain beckoning us onto the dance floor.

Maggie and Maurice said they usually deliver the upbeat numbers on the weekends and busy nights, playing the power ballads, some jazz and blues on quieter evenings– perfect for a romantic date night! If that wasn’t enough, the rooftop location provides one of the best views of the sailing city from an impressive balcony.

Address: 21F, Block B, InterContinental Qingdao, 98 Aomen Lu 澳门路98号海尔洲际酒 店B座21层

Phone: 8579- 9898

BEBA-Hyatt Regency Qingdao

Located at the Hyatt Regency Qingdao, BEBA is the perfect place for a decent night out with friends or business partners. The house band here is composed of four people. Maricris, the lead singer, started singing at the age of 17. She sings a variety of songs in various languages, ranging from Chinese to English and Russian. She is a very nice lady, whom you can laugh with until the wee hours of the evening. So don’t expect any dull moments when you are with her, especially when you see her perform live!

Their performance starts from 9pm to 12:45AM, Monday through Sunday. Come earlier if possible to grab the best seat in the house and enjoy the music!

Address: 88 Donghai Dong Lu. 东海东路88号

Phone: 8612-0656

THE BEATLES BAR

Fans of Lennon, McCartney and Co. shouldn’t expect the Cavern Club (the Liverpool venue where the iconic group first gigged), but the Beatles Bar is definitely worth a visit if you want to enjoy some live music in a cool location. The venue opens nightly from 7:00pm, and the house band plays most nights of the week, but the bar draws more of a crowd on weekends.

Address: 19 Yan'er Dao Lu.

Phone: 159 5328-8958

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