I mean, we’ve got an Irish Pub that serves Guinness on tap, we’ve got one, two, three places that I can get a taco, we’ve a cafe/bookshop/lending library loaded to the rafters with English-language books, we’ve got an English-language movie cinema playing Iron Man, and now… well, now..

We’ve got a frigin’ MUSIC FESTIVAL!

This weekend, May 10-11, the aforementioned Bookworm is hosting the East & West Music Fest (has got a nice ring to it eh?). The event will host more than 150 musicians and 25 different sets. Multi-diciplined and multi-culture doesn’t cover it, the festival is going to have everything from Chinese punk to a children’s recorder ensemble will be performing.

The Line Up

Saturday 10th – 2pm to 9pm

• Charlie bringing some good old American folk to Suzhou (America)
• Suzhou’s own Tom Waits: William on guitar, piano, harmonica (America)
• The Mysterious Weapons: Rock/pop/punk (China)
• The Doctors Rock/pop: (Indonesia)
• Rico: rock (Phillipines)
• Jimmy and Robert: Rock (Phillipines)
• Too Match Rock/pop (Phillipines)
• Joe and Mike- Rock (America)
• As Is: Jazz/Funk (band members from all over the world)
• Sim: Blues (Korea)

Sunday 11th – 2pm to 9pm

• Eton House Recorder ensemble and choir – Pop and Classical, (from all over)
• Dulwich College Orchestra – classical (all over)
• SSIS Orchestra -classical (all over)
• Suzhou University Music Union – traditional Chinese instruments (China)
• The Doctors – pop/rock (Indonesia)
• Sonja and Mira on violin and piano – Classical ( Germany and Bulgaria)
• Misha and Lupkieva – accordian and piano (Russia)
• Joe unplugged – folk/rock (America)
• Suzie and Boyd – guitar vocals duet- folk/rock (China/America)
• 张云鹏 (Zhang Yun Peng) Chinese rock/pop

What’s more, the festival comes complete with a BBQ. Now if it’d only stop raining.