Xie Tianxiao

Singer Pu Shu

Strap yourself in for a May music melee as Beijing braces for one of the busiest months on its music calendar. Before you set out to brave the crowds and plan your itinerary, Metro Beijing offers you an essential dossier of this weekend's four festivals to help you get the most out of your yuan. Whether you're planning to attend the heavy-hitting Midi and Strawberry festivals or its bantamweight counterparts MMAX and Ditan Folk, here's your rundown on music you can choose so that you won't lose.  

MMAX Festival

Don't miss: Day 2 (April 30): Pu Shu (pop rock), Zhang Xuan (folk)

But you'll have to diss:

Midi: Yasiin Bey, aka Mos Def (US hip-hop), Muma & Third Party (rock), Residence A (rock)

Strawberry: AV Okubo (electro rock), DJ Spooky (US), A-Boys (Oi Punk)

Ditan Folk: Shanren (Yunnan folk), Xiao He (indie folk), Dolan (Mongolian)

What to expect: no alcohol, a short film exhibit and limited food

With so much anticipation for Midi and Strawberry yet lackluster promotion, Beijing's first MMAX Festival comes somewhat as a surprise. Loosely aligned with Chaoyang Pop Music Week as an "independent event," MMAX offers bare bones and only two stages occupying the Chaoyang Sports Center near the Fourth Ring Road from April 29 to May 1.

"Midi has heavy rock and Strawberry is for young people still finding their direction in life. But MMAX is for people who know what they want," said Ma Yue, the festival's public relations officer.

Considering the festival is an alcohol-free affair, one of its only redeeming features is managing to lure reclusive pop rocker Pu Shu, who will headline on April 30 with an eight-song set. Ditching the backing tapes that dimmed his rare appearances in recent years, Pu has finally put together a live band.

Although Pu will stick to his hits, he is currently road-testing the band for a long-awaited third album. The album, to be recorded later this year, marks his first release in nearly a decade, his management told the Global Times on Monday. MMAX has opted for local talent to go with its local venue, with the most exotic artist being Hong Kong crooner Huang Yaoming. Though weighing heavily on the Mandopop side with the likes of Yu Quan, Peng Tan and Tan Weiwei, the lineup unites acts with historically different festival allegiances under one banner. 

Among MMAX's modest 33 offerings are Modern Sky's Queen Sea Big Shark, Midi poster boys Miserable Faith and Maybe Mars flagship band Carsick Cars.

There will also be a simultaneously running electronic stage courtesy of S.T.D. in Shanghai featuring usual DJ suspects Elvis T, Sulumi and Terry Tu.

Unlike the DJ lineup, over a third of bands overlap with other festival rosters, including Hao Yun and Miserable Faith at Midi, as well as The Life Journey, Carsick Cars, Hanggai, New Pants and Hedgehog at Strawberry. With the exception of The Life Journey and Hao Yun, Day 2 at MMAX offers people the chance to catch them either on April 29 or May 1. 

Add an independent film exhibit and indoor "social networking event," and perhaps MMAX might be worth checking out. 

When: April 29-May 1, 2:30 pm-9:30 pm

Where: Chaoyang Sports Center, 77 Yaojiayuan Lu, Chaoyang district

Tickets: 80 yuan (presale)/100 yuan (gate)/220 yuan (three-day pass)

Getting there: Take bus No.406 heading east along Workers Stadium North Road and get off at Pingfang

Contact: 400-880-2880/chinaticket.com

Strawberry Festival

Don't miss: Day 1 (April 29): Blonde Redhead (US indie), Re-Tros (indie) The Mystery Lights (US garage rock)

Day 3 (May 1): Xie Tianxiao (grunge rock), The On Fires (Aussie rock), Pitchtuner (German electro).

But you'll have to diss:

Day 1 at Midi: Cui Jian (rock), Useless ID (Israeli punk), Suffocate (metal)

Day 1 at MMAX: Hedgehog (indie), Queen Sea Big Shark (electro), Long Shen Dao (reggae) 

Day 3 at Midi: Miserable Faith (China roots rock), Subs (post punk), Good 4 Nothing (Japanese pop punk)

Day 3 at MMAX: New Pants (electro), Huang Yaoming (Cantopop)

What to expect: targeted marketing, neon accessories, musical variety 

If variety and sheer scale tops your priorities for festivals, Strawberry is ripe for the picking. Offering seven stages and around 170 different events, the festival will be held at the Tongzhou Canal Park from April 29 to May 1.

Besides bringing in over 30 overseas acts, Strawberry is digging niches all over the festival market, including The School of Rock stage showcasing younger bands and the quirky Glee-inspired A Cappella Stage of purely vocal acts, more than half of whom are from Taiwan. 

"It's not always shouting and pogo-ing," said Modern Sky's public relations officer, Wang Qing. "A cappella is more easily accepted by Chinese mainstream audiences."

Strawberry has apparently made amends with Tongzhou's local government after last year saw alcohol sales suspended for not paying municipal event fees. Speaking of alcohol, expect strawberry vodka concoctions which, though appropriate, is all that's available.

Be prepared for a corporate logo overload. Even the not-so-sexy Yili Yogurt has a sponsored stage, a strategy fitting with Modern Sky CEO Shen Lihui's philosophy:  it takes money to make music. 

Consumer distractions aside, the main stage will see New York trio Blonde Redhead return to Beijing for their second time, while art-rockers Re-Tros will be delivering their final Beijing performance for the year before heading to New York to focus on their new album. 

For metalheads, their biggest magnet will be the Overdrive Stage featuring Voodoo kung fu and a rare performance by Tomahawk, one of China's pioneering metal outfits. 

Where: Tongzhou Canal Park

When: April 29-May 1 (1 pm-9:30 pm)

Tickets: 100 yuan (day pass)/240 yuan (three-day day pass)

Getting there: Festival shuttle buses will run every half an hour from Tongzhou Beiyuan Subway Station on the Batong Line from 10:30 am-5:30 pm. Return buses will run from 11:30 am-11:30 pm. Taxis should also be available from the subway station (expect to pay 25 yuan)

Contact: www.mlive.me

Ditan Folk Festival

Don't miss: Day 1 (April 30): Zhang Si'an (French-Mando folk), The Randy Abel Stable (bluegrass), Xiao He (indie-folk), Shanren (Yunnan folk)

But you'll have to diss: Strawberry: Hedgehog (indie), New Pants (electro indie) Midi: Brain Failure (punk), Mos Def (hip-hop) MMAX: Pu Shu (pop rock), Zhang Xuan (folk), Carsick Cars

What to expect: bare feet, fixed-gear bikes, family picnics

Ditan has decided to rumble with the big boys again this year, picking festival dates smack bang on the May holiday weekend. Ditan offers the only good excuse for wearing hempen trousers and crashing out on the grass; just be wary of the anticipated influx of hutong-dwelling laowai.

The most conveniently located music festival for city slickers, Ditan is unfettered by threats of beer boycotts and normally unmolested by excessive security. It's no wonder it remains the most chilled out option on the cards this weekend.

Like a comfortable poncho, expats and locals alike potter around the festival happily munching on chuanr (skewered meat) to the sound of electro acoustic guitars and Mongolian throat singing. We've always been big fans of this festival, but after three years the comfortable poncho is beginning to look a bit moth-eaten.

Zhang Si'an is such a veteran of the daytime stage he knows each of the amps by name, Afrokoko's roots can start growing their own stage props in readiness for next year and Traveler occupy Ditan so much in the evening that they should be sued for false advertising.

Although the roster has hardly changed, the majority of this year's lineup is exclusive to Ditan Folk. It's also solid enough to keep people coming back for more, which is what really matters.

Last year, a small monsoon rained on the parade and destroyed much of the stage equipment. Nevertheless, the show still went on for 20-odd waterlogged die-hard fans, who can breathe a sigh of relief for the long weekend's sunny forecast.

Ditan is dedicated to the music and the vibe that goes with it. We're confident that Ditan Folk can't fail this year, even as it competes with the big boys.

When: April 30-May 1 (2 pm-11 pm)

Where: Ditan Park, Dongcheng district

Tickets: 60 yuan (presale)/80 yuan (gate)/120 yuan (two-day pass)

Getting there: Take Subway Line  2 or 5 to Lama Temple Station and get out at Exit A. The park's south entrance is just a short walk over the bridge

Contact: 6403-0513

MIDI Festival

Don't miss: Day 1 (April 29): Cui Jian (rock)

Day 2 (April 30): Yasiin Bey, aka Mos Def (US hip-hop), Muma & Third Party (rock), Residence A (rock)

But you'll have to diss:

Strawberry: Hedgehog (indie), New Pants (electro indie)

MMAX: Pu Shu (pop rock), Zhang Xuan (folk), Carsick Cars (indie)

Ditan Folk: Buyi (folk rock), Li Dong (folk)

What to expect: dust, sweaty mosh pits and plenty of yaogun (Chinese rock)

Although its claim to fame is as Beijing's original rock festival, MIDI has fallen on tough times in recent years. It has once again had to relinquish its historic Haidian Park location due to conflict with the local government, forcing it to relocate 30 kilometers outside the city to the northern Shunyi Olympic Water Park.

The festival has scaled down to four stages, but still packs plenty of punch with 106 music acts over three days. Put simply, it's the grittiest rock option available. Local big guns are rallying to support the festival, with Cui Jian stepping up after 90s rocker Zhang Chu canceled. Cui makes his first appearance at Midi in its 13-year history, while Zhang will play Strawberry Festival on its second day.

Midi's Qing Stage is doing what it does best: fostering talent by showcasing new bands, according to public relations officer Wang Man.

Sponsorship from skateboarding footwear giant Vans has delivered a kickflip of hip-hop in the form of superstar-turned-actor Mos Def, the biggest name in Midi's lineup of 11 international acts. Perhaps it's still a sign of the Midi's gradual recovery from the Zhenjiang Festival debacle last year, when after commitments, deposits and fees were paid to foreign bands, the local city government awarded the festival contract to rival Strawberry. Adding insult to injury, Midi is still struggling to attain a licence to serve alcohol at the time of going to press. We're holding hope that alcohol will be available, but bring a flask just in case.

Where: Shunyi Olympic Water Park, near Chaopai Lake, north Xiaoying county, Shunyi district

When: April 29-May 1 (1 pm-9:40 pm)

Tickets: 100 yuan (day pass)/240 yuan (three-day pass)

Getting there: Take Subway Line 15 to its last stop (Fengbo Station), where Midi shuttle buses will run every 10 minutes to the festival

Contact: www.midimidi.cn