Out on DVD on Sept. 25th is “Wasted Orient,” a documentary about China’s biggest punk band, , and their first-ever tour of China. But Green Day or the Offspring these guys ain’t. China’s burgeoning punk scene in 2007 more closely resembles America’s burgeoning punk scene circa 1979. And Joyside sound like a band from that era too, citing Johnny Thunders, the Germs and the Ramones as influences with songs like “I Wanna Piss Around You” and “I Don’t Care About Society.” How the filmmakers resisted calling the movie “Chinese Rocks” is beyond us.

Joyside’s four members, three Chinese guys and a dude from Japan, live in squalor in one of the oldest districts in Beijing. Their neighborhood is so poor its inhabitants share a public toilet since many apartments don’t have individual bathrooms. Not surprisingly the band members all speak of feeling disenfranchised and misunderstood both by their parents and society. China, it seems, just isn’t ready for punk rock (though we can’t help but wonder how things might be different if Joyside spent less time drinking and more time write thought-provoking material).

Mostly though, the film isn’t about music — it’s about binge drinking and the bored behavior that manifests itself on long train trips, which is how the band travels from show to show — without amps or a drum kit, just guitars. Drinking out of boredom is surely an activity many touring bands will relate to, but the documentary fails to answer any of the more interesting questions it could have answered. Is the band popular? Who booked their tour? Do they make any money from their shows? Do they have a record deal? Why aren’t they traveling with amps? Where are they sleeping while out on tour? Where do they practice? What do other punk bands in China sound like? Are there many places to perform? And on and on and on. The film is really just a tour diary, and as a piece of merchandise for Joyside fans, “Wasted Orient” is a verite portrayal of life on the road for a struggling band. But there is very little context other than that. As a document of a culture and a scene most people know very little about, the film falls squarely on its drunken, four-chord face.

The film is being released via Plexifilm, and you can peep the trailer here:

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