In 10 years of being a small part of the music scene in China, there have been few things more obvious and out of character in this emerging cultural landscape than the larger-than-life, bald-headed figure of Lei Jun.
Leader of the quasi-legendary oi-punk band Misandao, Lei Jun was an uncompromising figure in terms of what he had to say from the stage and the messages and influences he passed on to others. I only went to a single Misandao show, but it was an illuminating experience – fierce on the one hand, but full of camaraderie and brotherhood on the other.
I had the pleasure to meet the man himself once, and off stage he was as gentle, friendly and charismatic as he was rowdy and irreverent on it. He was also involved in our JUE Festival in 2013 when he graciously agreed to lead a noodle making workshop at his kitchen in Beijing. Punk Rock Noodles was one of the standout highlights of 7 years of JUE: a rotund, shaven-headed, bovver-boot-wearing roustabout patiently passing on the secrets of Lamien Rou to a group of first timers. You can see that at 5:18 in our 2013 retrospective:
Lei Jun tragically died last night – he left us way too young. His legacy will endure and we will miss him. Rest in peace.
Archie
The song in the video below is an ode to Beijing Guoan football team called “The Last Victory”. We thought the lyrics that Lei Jun shared with the audience summed up the man
Wave your hands,
My dear brother,
Win the championship with blood and sweat,
The last victory.