Polish band Scream Maker Played in the capital of Liaoning province as part of first China tour

Editor's note: To celebrate the 65 years of diplomatic ties between China and Poland, Polish band Scream Maker was invited to Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, to perform two concerts for local rock fans.

The heavy metal band has given more than 100 live shows in Europe. Polish rock magazine Teraz Rock credited the band as one of the greatest on the Polish pop music scene today.

Sebastian Stodolak, who sings lead vocals for Scream Maker, spoke with China Daily reporter Liu Ce about the band's music and its experiences in Shenyang.

Have you heard of Shenyang before you came here? What impressed you the most in the city?

It's our first time in Shenyang and also the first time in China - so many things to talk about. It's hard to choose one. But the first thing that really impressed us was the food. We've tasted Beijing cuisine. I like spicy food but it is not very good for my tone. Just after the first show, I lost my voice in China. But here in Shenyang, the food is much better, not so spicy, and sweeter.

I think I've heard of the city. It's one of the big cities, but I didn't know much about it. For example, you also have a Forbidden City, smaller, actually better. Beijing is too colorful, too modern. But the one here is really old, really cool, just like something from 500 years ago. On the other hand, you have all these modern skyscrapers that make Shenyang look like New York. When you go along the riverbank, it looks like Manhattan.

Your first show here was for undergraduates at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. Did you meet with any of them in person?

It was an amazing experience because we didn't get any formal education in music. Every one of us learned how to play and sing by ourselves. That's why it was interesting to play music in front of audience that studies music. They would think, judge and search for faults. Actually the show was very cool.

Before the show, we had a meeting with the head of the university. We talked a lot about music including Chinese music. We tried to compare Chinese music with European music.

What do you think is the difference between Chinese and Polish rock music?

I don't know Chinese rock music very well. I only know some bands like Tang Dynasty who became famous for metal music. It is a good band with Westernized sound. But I also had the chance on this tour to listen to some Chinese bands that like modern metal, new metal and mixing metal with digital electronic sounds.

What's your next plan in China?

A: Right before we came to China, we released an album called Living in the Past, which is still unavailable here. At the same time, we released two albums, one in China, called We Are the Same. We will come back to China to promote the Living in the Past as it is a huge market. We want to be the pioneer.

(China Daily European Weekly 08/29/2014 page15)