The Flying Mantas

From Rock in China Wiki

The Flying Mantas is a surf rock / garage rock band from Beijing.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Gig History 2 Further Information 2.1 Official pages 2.2 Other pages

History

The Flying Mantas is a project-based musical collective. Its core members Skip Lunch (Guitar, vocal) and Chery Bomb (drums, vocal) started their first proto-punk project "You Mei You" with bassist Richard Gribble down in Fuzhou, Fujian in 2003.

In the passed eight years, Skip and Chery have been moving from Fuzhou to Nanjing, Xiamen, and finally Beijing in 2007. Bass players they have worked with included Tino (Belgium), Scary Gary (U.K.), Tommy Gunn (Australia), Chen Zhong (China), and Michael Winkler (U.S.A).

In the spring of 2009, independent film maker Li Qiao helped them make their first music video "All Talk, No Action".

In March, 2010, with help from baritone sax player Wei Miao (Melody), Skip, Chery and Chen Zhong recorded their first album "Surf Punk!". It will be released as a vinyl within this year.

In October 2010, Skip and Chery recorded 2 demos in the Snake Pit practice studio: "Tian Mi Mi" and "Ye Lai Xiang". This project is named "The Tengs". Michael Winkler was the bass player and recorder / mixer.

Other musicians they have worked with include:

• Li Yan (Lucifer) from Rustic
• Yang Yang from Joyside
• Adam Gayer from Fan Zui Xiang Fa and Bu Hao Chi
• London May from Samhein and Tiger Army

Events they promoted or supported include:

• Surf Night @ D22 (as The CLAMPS!), summer of 2007, 2009 and 2010
• Halloween "Punk Karaoke" @ D22 (as Ed Wood and the Coffin Bangers), 2009 and 2010
• Misfits Tribute Show @ D22 (as Thee Missfits), September, 2009. This show raised 1,000 Yuan for three animal shelters in China.
• Ramones Tribute Show (as You Mei You), Xi`an, March 2010
• Trash a Go-go Showcase (as The Flying Mantas), Shanghai, August 2010

"The CLAMPS!" is Skip and Chery's first surf-rock project started 2007. On lead guitar is the Dutch guitar guru Hans Fenger.

Inspired by this project (and Pixie's instrumental tune "Cecilia Ann"), Skip and Chery have decided to travel along the road of surf and instrumental rock all the way back to the 60's.

But to do so, they would need help from other talents. Thus, the idea of having a "stable" of musicians (and Skip's world-domination) gradually came to fruition.

On February 26, 2011, The Flying Mantas played "The Rolling Stone Tribute Show" @ MAO with a brand new crew including Scott Daly (whose solo project signed to Modern Sky is known as "Arms and Legs") and baritone sax player Melody. On March 25, the same gang played yet another rocking show @ D22. They were compared to The Cramps and Link Wray by the audience.

This coming May, The Flying Mantas will be doing a mini "tour" in Beijing with The CLAMPS!. Venues they will be playing include D22, Mao, 2 kolegas and Hot Cat Club. The details will be soon revealed.

Surf is up! Let us catch the wave!

Gig History

2010-09-26 @ 21:00 : D-22 (with Fragile, No One Remains Virgin, NAkOMA, Maze)

2010-10-16 @ 22:00 : D-22 (with The Bedstars, Lazy Camels, Me Too)

2010-11-13 @ 20:30 : MAO Livehouse (with Los Crasher, Jacky Danny, Kick Ass, Steely Heart)

2010-11-13 @ 22:00 : D-22 (with Me Too, Maze, X is Y)

2010-12-25 @ 22:00 : D-22 (with Rolling Bowling, Lazy Camels, 24hours)

2011-02-26 @ 22:00 : D-22 (with End of the World, CHINA5, Old Fashion)

2011-03-25 @ 22:00 : D-22 (with Maze, The Amazing Insurance Salesmen, NAkOMA, Glow Curve)

2011-05-13 @ 22:00 : D-22 (with The Clamps, Lazy Camels)

2011-05-19 @ 21:00 : MAO Livehouse (with The Clamps)

2011-05-21 @ 22:00 : 2 Kolegas (with Skarving, DH & Chinese Hellcats, The Clamps)

2011-06-25 @ 16:00 : 2 Kolegas (with Migratory Bird, The Randy Abel Stable, Zhang Si'an, Maggie Who, Nucleus, Mademoiselle et son Orchestre, DUDE, Black Cat Bone)

2011-07-25 @ 20:30 : MAO Livehouse (with Les Terribles)

2011-10-29 @ 22:00 : 2 Kolegas (with Skarving, Flaming Heat, The Beijing Beatles)

2011-11-05 @ 22:00 : D-22 (with Not There, The Randy Abel Stable, The Power Powder)

2011-11-09 @ 20:30 : MAO Livehouse (with Me Too, Pirate Pistol, Residence A, Illness Sickness)

2011-12-31 @ 22:00 : 2 Kolegas (with DH & Chinese Hellcats, Rolling Bowling)

Further Information

Official pages

• Douban.com Page

Other pages

• Beijing Gig Guide

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