Getting in on the act

"I didn't really know much about the indie music scene, but I was curious about my younger colleagues who were really into music festivals. That's why I was inspired to create a reality show that focused on Chinese bands," says Ma.

"Bands are a group of people, who, despite their different personalities and interests, gather together like a family," says Zhang, who has worked with top Chinese indie musicians, including singer-songwriter Pu Shu. "Now audiences can choose from a greater variety of music styles, but the current music scene in China still lacks diversity. Diversity is what a band prides itself on."

Five of the indie bands that took part in the reality show came from Modern Sky, one of China's largest indie record labels that's home to around 100 acts. According to Wuli, vice-president of Modern Sky, the country's indie music scene is flourishing and has a big share of the music market thanks to outdoor music festivals popping up all over the country.

A young band called Penicillin, made up of musicians born after 1990, caught the attention of Zhang Yadong on the show. He was impressed by the band's British-rock influenced music, and especially one long solo played by lead vocalist and guitarist Zhang Zhexuan.

"When we performed for the first time in 2014, at School Bar, usually one of Beijing's most buzzing music venues, there were only four people in the audience. Now we perform sellout shows at much bigger live house venues," says Zhang Zhexuan.

Besides showcasing the vibrancy of the young Chinese bands, the show also invited established Chinese rock bands, who have witnessed first hand the start and transformation of China's rock music scene, to take part.

One of them is The Face, which formed in 1989 and comprises lead vocalist, Chen Kui, guitarists, Liu Jingwei and Wu Jindi, bassist, Ou Yang and drummer, Liu Zhong.

On the show, they performed one of their best known songs, Dream, which was released in 1994, during a period often regarded as a golden era for the Chinese rock scene.

In 1994, the band's bassist Ou Yang performed at the Chinese Rock Power concert at the Hong Kong Arena. Gathering together He Yong, Dou Wei and Zhang Chu, nicknamed Moyan Records' Big Three (or Moyan San Jie), the concert was the first showcase for musicians from the Chinese mainland to perform in Hong Kong. It stunned Hong Kong audiences and created the momentum for a wave of rock music to wash across the country.

"At 23, I was one of the youngest rock musicians onstage. Now, I am almost 50 years old and I am proud that I am still with the band," says Ou during the show. "We have experienced a lot of changes over the years, whether it's a change in the band's lineup or a change of musical direction－but we still play music we love."