This article was published in 2007.

This month, soulful dance/rock act Kava Kava became probably one of the very few UK bands yet to tour China! Hot on the heels of their appearance at SXSW Festival in Texas (back in March), the funky six piece have just returned from a tour of China, taking in club and festival dates in key cities Beijing and Shanghai. The tour included a headline slot on the Gibson Stage at the Midi Music Festival in Beijing.

Obviously not content with one West Yorkshire band taking China by storm, Leeds metal band Mishkin also descended on and triumphantly swept through Beijing. Four days of beer soaked musical mayhem and heavy moshing had not quite prepared the 60,000 strong multi-national crowd as the band exploded onto the Gibson Guitar stage, and after the set the five Ilkley boys were featured across national TV and radio stations.

The Festival, now in its 8th year, is arguably the largest outdoor rock festival in China. Fulgoni (Kava Kava) said, "The tour was fantastic. We certainly got the crowds moving and grooving. I had been shown some footage of previous MIDI Festivals so was absolutely made up to be offered a slot at this huge outdoor bash.”

Mishkin have also been approached by a regional record label for a nationwide distribution deal in China, and having already played 6 Beijing gigs, the band are to complete their Chinese tour with nine more high profile gigs in Shanghai, starting later this week.