New pants remain fashionable

This ethos is demonstrated perfectly by the poster for the upcoming Beijing concert. It pays homage to the cover of the band's self-titled debut album, and has the four members: guitarist-vocalist Peng, key-board player-vocalist Pang, bassist Zhao Meng and drummer Hayato, lying on their sides, facing the camera in mock-seduction, set against bold, primary colors.

While the poster features current photos of the bandmates, on the original album cover, they were replaced by crudely drawn cartoon figures. That first album, released in 1998, was heavily influenced by American punk rock band, the Ramones, and soon won the band a loyal fanbase thanks to their raw punk vibe.

As Peng recalls, the indie music scene in the capital back then was dominated by heavy metal music.

"It was a totally different way of looking at the world then," Peng says. "The indie music scene was not appealing to the mainstream audience, but it was vibrant."

After graduating from university, Peng worked for a Beijing-based advertising company, making about 1,500 yuan ($224) a month. A year later, he spent his first year's income on a guitar, which he bought in Hong Kong.

In 1997, the band signed to Beijing-based indie record label, Modern Sky, and Peng became a full-time singer-songwriter.

The band developed with the label, which was founded by former rocker, Shen Lihui, in that same year. In the beginning, the label only signed three indie bands: New Pants, Supermarket, and Sober, for which Shen was the leading vocalist.

"No one was interested in indie music then. The scene was dominated by mainstream record companies. We just made music for fun. It was purely idealism," says Shen.