OCTOBER 23, 2000 VOL. 156 NO. 16

Meet the Animals
Deep in the Beijing underground scene, a trio of Shandong rockers rage against the machine
Photographs by MARK LEONG/Matrix

Xie Tianxiao grew up in Shandong province listening to his mother singing Beijing opera. Now, at age 26, he has a well-developed ear for screeching guitar riffs. In 1997, Xie founded a garage band named Cold Blooded Animal with bassist Li Ming, a former policeman. Joined later by drummer Wu Rui the band has brought that taste for high-decibel music to the rotating cast of underground clubs that constantly open and close in Beijing. "A teacher once told me: 'Leaving school will be like entering jail for you,"' says Xie. "I think this had a very deep influence on my music."

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