Bands, Creators & Tattoo Artists Unite at Beijing SKIN Tattoo Bazaar, Apr 29

Quick, dear reader! For one million RMB, give me two examples of things that rise from their ashes! Phoenixes? Yes, that’s right! And what else…?

…Beijing SKIN Tattoo Fest, of course! Let’s travel back in time, okay? Last year, Rumble in the Jumble, now led by the unstopabble Fran Hanshing, of Velveteen’s Secret Potions fame, along with MusicDish*China announced a poster design competition for Beijing SKIN, an exciting pop-up featuring live tattooing, punk rock performances (courtesy of MusicDish) and a packed market with entrepreneurs offering skin care, jewellery, antiques, handicrafts, pet fashion, eco-friendly clothing and so much more.

A poster was selected, the event was set to take place, and really, this would be old news if it wasn’t for Covid imposing numerous postponements and an eventual cancellation of the whole dang thing. Knowing when to call it quits is a good, if bitter skill to have, and so Rumble in the Jumble and MusicDish knew that 2022 was just not the year.

Luckily, we’re in 2023 now and life has returned in full force to our good ole Beijing. So, save the date — Beijing Skin is scheduled for Apr 29 at Xian Bar! This time, be there or be square. Whether you are a tattoo kinda person or not, unforgettable memories and good times await you at this event. But don’t take it from me. Let’s sit down for a chat with Fran Hanshing (Rumble in the Jumble) and Eric de Fontenay (MusicDish).

Congratulations on finally making this happen, folks. Tell me, what can we look forward to in terms of the lineup?
Fran: Let’s start with our five experienced tattoo studios: DELIGHT lighthouse tattoo & graffiti store (灯塔纹身涂鸦商店), Alien-club art space (艺行人空间), SOYI Tattoo (素伊x5.16刺青), Aprilxtats (喃刺青) and Qianyao & SHISHOU (潜瑶& SHISHOU拾手). They’ll provide all sorts of services related to tattoo and body art: design, consultations, tattoo removal, piercings… Communication will be smooth with Chinese and English and your preferences and needs will be covered with plenty of styles to choose from. Some of these studios have been around since 1998, like Alien-club. Plenty have imported foreign influences with their own unique twist, such as DELIGHT, which has a more traditional American style, or Aprilxtats, a self-described addict to the Beijing scene who is also a lover of both Miyazaki’s whimsical universe and the creepy, dark reveries of Junji Ito.
Here, I do need to remind you to have valid documents ready to show to the studios, as restrictions on minors and pregnant folks apply!

As for the bazaar side of the event, I’m proud to announce that my own skincare brand, VSP, is the official sponsor of Beijing Skin. Our customized and crafter Potions and Menjunjes are meant to enhance the skin and hair of our Very Special People, with astonishing aromas and natural, no nonsense ingredients. And, we are happy to shine next to many other amazing entrepreneurs and vendors: Jasmine’s Jewelry, creating exquisite, Chinese-style pieces from repurposed antique porcelain, mah-jong and ancient coins along with precious metals and stones; The Bulk House, the first ever social enterprise in China promoting a zero-waste life; Dainty Dolls, your one-stop shop for 18th century fashion dolls that will make the perfect gift; Zhiwen Handmade Jewelry, with pieces fashioned out of stone, copper and crystal; Tesori D’Amore, with a solid catalogue of crafted oils, solid perfumes and skincare products; Good Eye Fashion Art, with their exquisite sartorial illustrations; BHC Pet, the ultimate pet clothing brand for your little loves; Karma Beach Club, featuring “nice clothes for nice souls” made of seaweed; The Right Way Language School, teaching Spanish, Chinese and English to adults; Yihui, a brilliant graphic designer now debuting as an entrepreneur, and Sozni, a handcraft brand from Kashmir for a soft, warm and luxurious experience.

Okay, phew. My head is spinning now with possibilities, and that’s without even mentioning the music, right Eric?
Eric: Right! Get inked and shop til you drop, but then spring back up on your soles, because from 4.30pm onwards, an incredible selection of six independent local Beijing rock’n’roll bands will take over the stage. We at MusicDish are honoured to have invited these old friends to make us all get restless. Here, I’m talking about Ravages, Gum Bleed (牙龈出血), Hangnail (倒刺), The Close Touchers, 24 Personality Dogs and Bigheart.

What kind of tunes can we expect from them?
Eric: Watch out for the grand return of Ravages, who will be sharing tunes from their upcoming EP that will be released the day before the event. These fuzz trash scoundrels were founded in 2020 in Beijing as a glorious mish-mash of members of Boss Cuts, SHA!, Poetry x Music and the Slow Blade. Their debut album came out in 2021, and at Beijing Skin they’ll shake you off with their blend of garage, mischievous psych and driving organ riffs.

Gum Bleed is a gift of hardcore punk rock to the world, founded in 2016 and gracing us ever since with three fantastic albums — “Beacon Boy” (2009), “Kiss Me I’m Punk” (2012) and “Punk Saves Humanity” (2021)— and a collection with the German band Sick Times. And then we’ve got Hangnail, founded in 2015 as one of Beijing’s most iconic and influential old-school punk-rock bands. These guys are the embodiment of the meaningless brutality of the world, and all I can say is, their music provokes a powerful dialogue.

The Close Touchers came to be in Beijing in 2021, with a music style influenced by noise and post rock, with members Gao Tong on the guitar and vocals, Tang Liou on the bass and Lu Heran on the drums. Are you a fan of post-punk and shoegaze? Well then, you’re going to vibe with 24 Personality Dogs, established in August 2022 with a dazzling array of vocals, drums, violin, bass, guitar and drums. This baker’s half a dozen closes with Bigheart, serving you their experimental electronic vibes from Beijing since 2021, with a very special award to show: the 13th MIDI Best Electronic Music of the Year for their album “You’re Not Me”.

Rumble in the Jumble x MusicDish*China's Beijing SKIN Tattoo Bazaar is happening on Saturday, Apr 29 from 4pm 'til late at Xian Bar in Beijing EAST Hotel. Tickets are RMB 78 pre-sale and RMB 98 at the door. Scan the QR code in the poster to book.

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Images courtesy of Rumble in the Jumble and MusicDish*China