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Hang on the Box

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Hang on the Box
OriginBeijing, China
Genres
Years active1998–present
Labels
Members
  • Wang Yue
  • Yilina Li
  • Shenjing
  • Xiaogan
Past members
  • Li Yan Fan

Hang on the Box (known also as HOTB) (Chinese: 挂在盒子上; pinyin: Guàzài hézǐ shàng) is a punk band based in Beijing. They were China's first all-female punk band.[1] The band usually sings about sex and relationship issues in a forward political manner. The original band consisted of the following line-up: Wang Yue, known as Gia Wang, on vocals, Yilina playing bass, Li Yan Fan playing guitar, and Shenjing on drums.

Their music could be described as cheerful and hilarious, deadly serious, and personally political[citation needed]. Most of the questionable content involved comes in the form of native Chinese speakers using English commonplace epithets.[citation needed]

Gia Wang has said that in the early days it was hard for the band to play in China and they were not welcomed by the Chinese market so without signing to a Japanese label she would have been unable to continue her music career.[2]

History

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Hang on the Box formed in July 1998 after Yilina and Wang Yue, high school classmates, met Li Yan Fan at the music store where they worked. After a discussion, they decided to form a band together.[3] The trio decided to call themselves Hang on the Box, after a band that Yilina had dreamed about being in.[4] The following year, after graduation, Wang Yue met Shenjing and invited her to join the band.[3] Shenjing took over on drums while Li Yan Fan switched over to guitar.[4]

At Hang on the Box's first performance at Beijing's Scream Club in 1998, their songs did not have lyrics and only high-pitched screeching accompanied their power chords.[1] They were featured on the cover the local edition of Newsweek six months later.[5]

HOTB was included on the compilation album Beijing Screams, released in August 2000 by Japanese record label Satsugai Enka Vinyl [ja].[3] Audrey Kimura of indie label Benten later heard the compilation and was so intrigued by the band's music that she travelled to Beijing that November to see them perform live.[6] Impressed by what she saw and heard, Kimura signed Hang on the Box to Benten and the following year the band released their debut album, Yellow Banana.[7] [8] Looking back on the record, Jim Butler wrote: "The album offers glimpses of alienation and frustration that can sear the soul if they catch you right."[9] Later in 2001, they played their first shows in Japan as part of the Wild Wacky Party Asia tour, alongside Lolita No. 18, Mummy the Peepshow and Non Stop Body.[10] In 2002, Yilina left the band and was replaced by Liu Bao of New Pants. However, she rejoined HOTB the following year.[9][11]

In March 2003, Hang on the Box went on an American tour, which included performing at SXSW.[12][13] Following the tour, Li Yan Fan left HOTB and was replaced by Xiaogan, who was a friend of Shenjing.[9][11] With his addition to the group, HOTB ceased to be exclusively female. Regarding this change, Yilina explained in 2004: "We have gone beyond being a girl band. We want to keep the inspiration of being female musicians, but at the same time be recognized as just an awesome group."[9] May 2003 saw the release of the band's second album, Di Di Di, on Japanese label Bad News, who had arranged for the US tour.[12] CD Journal [ja] called it "a truly compelling work" and noted influences of Sleater Kinney and bands on the Kill Rock Stars label.[14] A few months later, in October, the band released their first record with European distribution. For Every Punk Bitch and Arsehole, a compilation of previously-released songs plus one live recording, was released by Cherry Red imprint Arrivederci Baby.[15] The record was well-received by Karen O, who voiced her praise on HOTB's online bulletin board.[9]

Members

[edit]
  • Gia (王悦) – vocals (1998-)
  • Axu (徐京晨) – guitar
  • North (北北) – bass
  • Desi-Fan (德思凡) – drums

Former members

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  • Yang Fan (扬帆) – original guitarist (1998–2003)
  • Yilian (隐退) – original bassist (1998-)
  • Shen Jing (沈静) – original drummer (1998-)
  • tookoo – guitar
  • Ubi (邓力源) – guitar (2010–2013)
  • Niu Fang Fang (牛方方) – bass (2010–2015)
  • Yang Yang (杨扬) – drummer (2010–2015)

Discography

[edit]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Loewenberg, Anna-Sophie (October 30, 2003). "Anarchy In The PRC / Beijing punk comes to San Francisco". SFGate.
  2. ↑ Vivien Goldman (May 7, 2019). Revenge of the She-Punks: A Feminist Music History from Poly Styrene to Pussy Riot. University of Texas Press. pp. 97–. ISBN 978-1-4773-1654-2.
  3. 1 2 3 "【復刻インタビュー】HANG ON THE BOX（2001年11月号）- 日本で成功させて、中国のシーンをひっくり返しちゃうようなことがしたい - インタビュー". Rooftop (in Japanese). November 9, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Hill, David (2004). "Hang On the Box". Shredding Paper. Vol. 18. pp. 12, 13.
  5. ↑ Sullivan, Gary (January 4, 2013). "Hang on the Box". Burning Ambulance.
  6. ↑ Kimura, Audrey. "Hang On the Box". sister.co.jp. Archived from the original on April 27, 2003. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  7. ↑ "Chinese punk finds its way to Japan". The Daily Yomiuri. The Financial Times. September 20, 2001. The release this past spring of Yellow Banana, on Japan's all-female Benten Label, marked Hang On the Box's debut.
  8. ↑ Bartz, Simon (September 19, 2001). "They'll do it theeeeeeir way". The Japan Times. Retrieved May 5, 2026. The band's international break came when Audrey Kimura, of Japan's all-girl Benten label, spotted them during a trip to Beijing and immediately signed them.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Butler, Jim (August 2004). "Hang On The Box". The Wire. No. 246. p. 10.
  10. ↑ "ついに実現！ ガールズ・バンドのアジアカップ（?!）". Barks (in Japanese). July 3, 2001. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
  11. 1 2 Kimura, Audrey. "- New Hang On The Box 2003 -". sister.co.jp. Archived from the original on February 11, 2005. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  12. 1 2 Chang, Lixin (July 15, 2003). "你们想听到什么—"挂在盒子上"访谈". Sohu. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  13. ↑ "SXSW /music/showcases". SXSW. Archived from the original on April 26, 2003. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  14. ↑ "ハング・オン・ザ・ボックス / ディ・ディ・ディ". CDJournal (in Japanese). Retrieved July 1, 2026.
  15. ↑ Godfrey, Mark (December 2005). "CLUAS | Columns | Beijing Beat | Hang On The Box - a profile". CLUAS. Retrieved July 1, 2026.
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