dennis rea

The Vagaries were a Seattle band formed by guitarist Dennis Rea for the purpose of playing the 1991 Sichuan-China International TV Festival and a subsequent clandestine concert tour, among the earliest forays into China by a Western band playing non-mainstream progressive/art rock. Alongside Rea and keyboardist Charley Rowan, the Vagaries included three former members of seminal Seattle art-punk band the Blackouts: drummer Bill Rieflin (later of King Crimson, REM, Ministry, and many others), keyboardist/composer Roland Barker, and bassist Mike Davidson. The band performed five arena shows in Chengdu that were also broadcast on live TV to an audience estimated in the hundreds of millions across China and neighboring countries. They went on to play additional mostly unauthorized concerts in Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming (reportedly the province's first-ever public rock concert), and Guangzhou. The Vagaries' experiences, including various mishaps and clashes with Party officials, are detailed in Dennis Rea's book Live at the Forbidden City: Musical Encounters in China and Taiwan, a new version of which is slated for publication in 2027.

The Vagaries 1991 China Tour t-shirt design by Francesca Sundsten

The Vagaries promo photo; (L-R) Charley Rowan, Bill Rieflin, Dennis Rea, Mike Davidson, Roland Barker; 
photo by Spike Mafford

The Vagaries with audience dancers, Kunming National Defense Arena 1991; photo by Spike Mafford

The assembled cast makes a curtain call, 1991 Sichuan China International TV Festival, 
Sichuan Provincial Arena, Chengdu; photo by Spike Mafford

The Vagaries perform at the 1991 Sichuan China International TV Festival, Sichuan Provincial Arena, 
Chengdu; photo by Spike Mafford

The Vagaries lip-syncing as ordered by Chinese Communist Party officials

The Vagaries play the 'wedding cake' stage, Night Salon Disco, Chengdu 1991; photo by Spike Mafford

Chicago Nightclub, Chongqing 1991; photo by Spike Mafford