So Long, Beijing: Lazer Scooter Bids Farewell to the Capital
If you’ve been here long enough, dear reader, you will probably have gained your own intimate knowledge of Beijing as an ever revolving door of welcomes and farewells.
People find their way into our little communities, cast their fleeting light and then, at some point, they’re off…to greener pastures, we hope. Those of us who stay (ahem) become historians of past and present friendships, projects and memories, while always dreaming up our next shenanigans.
Well, the time has almost come for our favorite Norwegian, Nils Henrik Nilsen of Lazer Scooter (激光电驴) fame. He’s departing Beijing by late June, but by golly he will do it with a riff and a bang. Before he’s too busy with his adieu onstage – before he goes through the revolving door – we sat down with him for a little chat on pursuing your creative endeavors and thriving in the community here in Beijing.
Hey, Nils! You’re leaving town soon with your little family and so your outfit, Lazer Scooter, will disband soon. The times are a-changing, how do you feel about that?
It is certainly sad to leave a city that has given me so much. It’s good that it’s sad though, it shows that it meant something. Three years isn’t that long, but for me, it’s been such a wild ride of personal development and amazing friends. I feel like I’m graduating from the Beijing University of Life Lessons. Additionally, I just became a dad and we’re moving to Europe, so I face a very different future. My Beijing adventure has left me with confidence that I’ll figure out how to make the most of it.
As for Lazer Scooter, I’ve encouraged the guys to replace me and keep it going. Either they are not planning to do so, or they haven’t told me. Given we’re both a cyberpunk band and an e-bike gang, I might just open a chapter in Europe and go international.
We belong to similar communities and groups and I think you’ve gone through quite some growth as a creative. Would you like to share a bit of that story with us?
When I came to Beijing in late 2021 I was creatively at the starting line. I knew how to play the guitar and sing, but I hadn’t made any music. I was attracted to creative writing, but I hadn’t written anything.
I often joke that my main profession is being a trophy husband. In earnest, I had no bad excuses to hold back my urge to make meaningful creative things. Through our incredibly supportive community here, not only was I provided with a space to do so, but I was also encouraged to try out new and weird ideas. I was cheered on while I did things that felt scary.
Lazer Scooter is the culmination of this process. In our shows, I get to dress up in silver make-up and cyber-armor, play my guitar amidst a dancing crowd, and shout poetry at them through a megaphone. I wish all creatives could have the support I’ve enjoyed here. Imagine the fantastic craziness we get to be part of when we just encourage the crap out of people!
On one hand, Beijing really has a certain magic to it when it comes to carving your own space and making creative things happen in your immediate surroundings. But new transplants may also struggle when they first move here. Also, we all have our own personalities and personal challenges. Do you have any advice for creative folks seeking to find their own way in Beijing?
Some do well with social media, but for me, it was crucial to find a physical platform, as well as the community and collaborators that come with it. The biggest challenge you’re going to face is tracking down your specific niche of like-minded weirdos or gathering them yourself. My solution was to tell everyone about my interests and passions. Suddenly, you’ll discover that that stiff guy from your pottery class has an illusionist friend, and quickly you’re on your way to making magic ceramics with lots of hidden compartments. But, if you’re more into writing, seek out Spittoon, and if you want to do music, go to the jam nights at Celestial. The people there will point you in the right direction.
That sounds like wise advice indeed. As for yourself, do you find your time here has informed your music and your creative practice? How do you understand music and the intersection of other artistic genres with it?
I’ve found that the best approach to making art is to see it as a way to meet a personal need. The first time I wanted to write a poem, I spent too much time researching what made a good poem. As it turned out, I was unable to write when I was aiming for quality, so I started writing for myself. I discovered my personal needs were to explore my identity, challenge my social fears and divert my restless brain into obsessing over non-depressive thoughts. I formed my creative process and practice around that: experimentation, public performances, and lots of tiny projects with short deadlines.
Doing it this way means I always fear the result will be bad, but grappling with that is way easier alongside teammates. That’s why I love collaborating. Meeting my music partner Krzysztof Florczyk, better known as synth wizard DJ Chris, early on was critical for me. He helped me quickly develop confidence that I had ideas worth playing with, even if I felt embarrassingly unskilled at music.
Nowadays, my truth is this: the most important contribution I can make to any artistic project is a piece of myself. If I can add that, then the project is good, no matter what my head might have to say about skill, quality, or success. And here, I’ve met so many wonderful people with their own intuitive understanding of this key truth. They’re delightful to work with. They just do stuff because they need to, and lots of cool shit comes out of it.
We’re focusing quite a bit on your imminent departure, but until then there’s much to hear from you still. What can we look forward to from Lazer Scooter until the bitter end?
This Saturday (Jun 1) is our farewell show and goodbye party. We wanted a huge, free entry celebration of the community at large, and the community heeded our call. The ingenious people at Timekeepers x Ball House are generously hosting us and our friends and artists have offered to contribute. Our band ethos is “more is more”, so we decided to turn it into a full night festival starting at 5pm. There’s three bands, three solo acts, live visual art, a DJ, and a special Spittoon music and poetry performance. And naturally, it’s a cyberpunk/sci-fi costume party, so we will transform the entire venue into a DIY Lazer Scooter 激光电驴 e-bike gang hideout.
On that note, I still need more hands to set it all up, so you’re welcome to show up early and help out. Do you know anyone who has experience with neon graffiti?
Last but not least, a bonus question. You amassed a good part of your group of friends through your own WeChat group, hilariously called “Nils Has a Thing Again”. What will happen with that delightful corner of WeChat when you leave? E-memorial to your good times in town? Closed and deleted? Passed on to some heir or heiress to carry on your torch?
I started that group in 2022, while I was scrounging for things to do with friends and didn’t want to individually text everyone on my meager contact list. After a while, I started organizing my own events, shows and performances. Then I would post a weekly curated list of events and shows that were on my own agenda. More broadly, I’ve always aimed at helping people find their way into the supportive creative communities that have been so influential in my life here.
This year, I have been more focused on trying to become a good dad than keeping up with all the city’s shows and events. But the group is still there, and everyone is encouraged to share cool things to do together. If someone wants to take over once I leave, they’re more than welcome to!
Lazer Scooter's final concert, Goodbye Lazer Scooter, is taking place on Saturday, Jun 1 at Timekeepers x The Ballhouse, with doors opening at 4.30pm and the first act scheduled for 5pm. Entry is free.
Timekeepers x The Ballhouse
40 Zhonglouwan Hutong
钟楼湾胡同40号
READ: Calling All Beijing Burger Experts: Help Us Rank This Year's Top 16!
Images: Zheng Wei (1st image in article), 代桑子/Sam (Lead image and 2nd), 马佳 (3rd), Elena Blair (4th), Uni You (5th)
