On stage, they are wild, emotional, visually dramatic and steeped in the dark rock 'n' roll world of their creation. Off stage, they are friendly, sunny, curious like kids and surprisingly normal. They are like most college graduates with ambitions and passion to try everything new.

During the National Day holiday last week, the Norwegian glam band Malice in Wonderland threw their first Asian concert at Shanghai's Zhongshan Park, together with Finnish band Negative and local bands Cold Fairyland and The Flying Fruit.

Outdoor concerts are rare in Shanghai although they have become popular in parks in Beijing. The problem is noise and lack of venues. Organizer Sun Lu from SigAct says it was extremely difficult just to keep the concert from being shut down as a disturbance. But the show went on.

Nearby residents complained about the noise, but the external factors did not affect the ambience the bands created at all.

However, some older neighbors bought low-price tickets to the concert last Wednesday. While some walked out, others enjoyed it and some could be seen wearing their pajamas and slippers - and swaying to the music.

"We don't have a mature system for rock concerts like this yet, not to mention outdoor rock concerts," notes Sun. "In addition, the rock fan group is far from mature here because of lack of information. But this shall change in the near future along with the popularization of Internet and more concerts being held."

Sun says that is exactly why the multimedia production company started hosting concerts like this, even knowing that they would lose a lot of money and confront many difficulties.

After taking in the music warehouse Yuyingtang two months ago, SigAct tried very hard to hold at least one live performance every week at its venue in Tianshan Park. Sun says the goal is to promote and package local bands as well as introduce non-mainstream bands from overseas to give the fans more exposure to world-class quality.

The concert proves local fans' desire for high-energy live performances. Even the band Malice was surprised by the immediate enthusiasm of the audience. European audiences would initially be more reserved and need a little time to absorb the sound and the scene if they had never seen the band perform before.

Many local fans admit that they are first attracted by the glamour and beauty of the band members. But the live performance gave them the opportunity to really experience and appreciate the music, the stage and the performance.

"When they came out, the atmosphere was totally different," says Kola Qian, a fresh graduate extremely depressed about her future prospects - before she attended the concert, that is.

"Expression on the stage - that is the big difference between our (Chinese) bands and bands like Malice in Wonderland and Negative. As soon as they came out, they created for themselves and for the audiences a different world to hide in and to reflect, with their music, their movements, their expressions and simply their presence," Qian says.

Founded in 1997, Malice in Wonderland has undergone a large lineup change from the original five members to the current four, with new member Tracy Loveless on guitar. Other members are Chris Wicked as vocal and songwriter, Andy Valentine on bass and Tommi Gun on drums.

The band released their first album in 2005 and the main song "Lucifer's Town" circulated on the Internet and gained them many dedicated fans around the world with fan sites from Brazil to China.

Mostly in their early 20s, the band is musically influenced by 1980s rock 'n' roll bands such as Guns N'Roses, Poison, Motley Crue and The Rolling Stones. They also admit that ``the British dark rock scene and the LA glam/sleaze scene in the 1980s have been our main inspirations.''

Their songs are melodic with strong beats although sometimes also emotional and trancy. The deep and tender voice of Wicked, as well as his small but confident movements, blends well but is also distinct in murmuring tales of love, freedom and decadence.

Calling themselves "Norway's most decadent rock band," Malice in Wonderland give a misleading first impression of decadence, especially with the lyrics often linking to darkness and Lucifer. But as with many Goth bands, the reference is meant to be allegorical.

"You cannot take it literally," says the songwriter Wicked. "It is a metaphor for freedom. We want people to think and act freely. Instead of following the rules they are being told. We are saying we can think about it ourselves."

Having delayed their German tour for Shanghai concert, the band plans to record their new songs after going back to Norway.

"It will still be classic, but we have new directions. The songs have more attitudes, they are more guitar-oriented and there is more variety in the style," notes Wicked.

The band plans to release a new single later this month, with another one before Christmas. And they expect to release their second album early next year.

(Shanghai Daily October 8, 2007)