ON STAGE: Cui Jian, the father of Chinese rock, sings at a concert in Lhasa, Tibet, on November 5, 2005 (GESANG DAWA)

In 1994, Zheng, who came from Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, released his song With Nothing, adding blues to rap and heavy metal, which were already popular in China.

When recalling rock's splendid years, Yang Meng, lead vocalist of a band named Spring and Autumn, said that a large number of rock bands mushroomed back then, and youth of the time put spiritual pursuits ahead of secular concerns.

Yang graduated from a vocational school in Kunming City of Yunnan Province. He went through an arduous time, forming a band and improving his skills. He then came to Beijing by himself, and eventually became a "spokesman" of Yunnan rock music.

In the late 1990s, as Chinese rock swiftly became more and more commercialized, it also diversified into more styles, such as pop, punk, folk or heavy metal, among others. Despite a plethora of rock styles and young rock musicians, no significant and wildly popular pieces were created. Rock slid into decline.

A new era

Compared with Western rock, which has been around for about 60 years, Chinese rock has a shorter history. At the age of 24, Chinese rock still rolls on, but it isn't as spry as before.

Chinese rock became much milder after the year 2000. Though diversified and unconventional in some ways, it is not as thought provoking, ambitious and passionate as earlier pieces.

PASSIONATE SINGER: Rock star Wang Feng at a concert at Beijing Workers' Stadium on August 27 (CFP)

It is no longer rebellious and flamboyant, Yang said. In his understanding, the essence of the spirit of rock was its concern with the society, and criticism of reality and its detachment from mundane concerns. But nowadays rock is not close to social reality and young people's real feelings, Yang said.

The rock stars at the concert on August 27, mostly middle-aged, gave people the impression that they were no longer in their prime. Zhang had stayed away from the stage for quite a while. Though outspoken, He is no longer as courageous as before. It is a great pity the three generations of Chinese rock stars did not produce any piece that is decidedly more brilliant than classic songs, said some music critics.

Chinese rock used to have the ability to bring people together, now it appeals to smaller audiences. More and more, the new generation of rock stars exist in marginalized states. Several newer bands such as Second Hand Rosy, No, Tongue and Fly are musically talented but suffer from shortcomings such as weak marketing, shoddy recording and limited networking.

But some critics see a rosier picture of Chinese rock. "Rock is still developing. It is too early to say that it is old and lost its creativity. It is far from mature, no matter in terms of the vitality of rock musicians, or the state of the rock industry," said Li Hui. Li is the President of Modern Sky Entertainment Co. Ltd. of Beijing, one of the leading providers of contemporary Chinese music content in the world.

The August 27 concert's big audience also demonstrated that rock and roll is still the most dynamic cultural symbol of this era. It says that the music genre is still around, and rocking. In some sense, this rendezvous of rock's old gunslingers spurs younger rock musicians to move on.