Star bright

The band members found pictures and videos of their beloved music idols in the museum, such as Norwegian singer Lene Marlin and the heavy metal band TNT. They couldn't help but wonder, "When will China have such a rock music museum?"

Visiting Rockheim also reminded the members of the band's history. The 32-year-old Mao was born in Qingdao, Shandong province. He established Escape Plan, along with guitarist Ma Xiaodong in Beijing 11 years ago. With its retro blend of indie pop and post punk, Escape Plan soon became one of Beijing's most-watched bands.

The band's bassist Gang Ang can still remember that he rode a secondhand electric motorcycle with Mao for an hour to rehearse at a small building in Tongzhou district, in Beijing's eastern suburbans. It was in the winter of 2007, and the two men put on as many clothes as they could to keep warm.

In the early days, they performed almost every night at live-house venues in Beijing, either opening for other bands or sharing the stage with others.

"We were unknown and most of the time there were no audiences. But we didn't care and we just performed," recalls Mao. "It was crazy."

"During our tours in China, we have realized that the energy of a small, remote city could be ignited if it has a live-house venue. That's the power of live music," he says.

Now that the band regularly packs Beijing's top live music venues, they intend to slow down a little bit. They want to stay sober and be aware of what they want with music.

Mao says the band is busy recording a new album, including songs he was inspired to write on the Norway trip.

On the last day of their cruise, just when the musicians were about to give up on seeing the aurora, the captain announced good news, and they rushed to the deck with hundreds of other tourists on board.

"In the dark sky, countless stars shining and dancing in big waves, we cannot describe the scene in words. It's just unforgettable," says Gang, the bassist.

"I knew that the trip would be full of surprises but I didn't expect that we could get so much," says Mao. "We may not become the biggest band on the planet, but we want to find our own color and temperature. That's all," he says.