Li Xuerong, head of Zhangbei County and a co-organizer of the festival, said that a rare drought caused the dusty, dry conditions on the grassland. He said the county would grow grass to restore the ecological system and prevent desertification. He promised to build more public toilets, as well.

Though there was dissatisfaction, most attendees enjoyed the live music. "What this festival did, and what it should be congratulated for, are it gave another opportunity for local acts to take the big step to perform on a proper stage in front of a larger crowd," wrote a blogger on China Music Radar, a blog about the Chinese music industry run by Shanghai-based promotion company Split Works.

Rock brings change

PRAIRIE ROCK: A foreign festival attendee has a rest on the Zhangbei grassland where the outdoor InMusic Festival, China's largest, is held August 7-9 (CFP)

As many new music festivals have been established in recent years, local governments are also realizing that hosting such events is a good method of self-promotion.

Zhangbei is an economically poor county with a per-capita yearly income just above half of the national average. County leader Li has been looking for ways to alleviate the poverty problem. He and his colleagues have tried to promote the county in various ways, but all ended up producing little effect.

One of Li's friends from Beijing then suggested he hold a music festival and brought him information and posters from foreign rock festivals. Li felt that such an event might work to create a brand out of his county.

Sun Xiaohan, one of Li's colleagues, went to study foreign experiences and found that some of the small towns hosting the events had made a name for themselves through the festivals. He decided music could be the vehicle through which the rest of the world would hear about little-known Zhangbei.

County leader Li was among the audience on the first day of the festival. He swung his body to the heavy beats and rhythms of the music. On May 26 in Beijing, the Zhangbei County Government and InMusic magazine signed a 10-year contract to jointly organize the music festival each of the next 10 years.

Also on the first day, Zhangbei farmers saw so many outsiders flocking to their village and they knew it would be a good opportunity to sell eggs, bottled water, snacks and fast noodles. In a small shop near a hotel where many band members and reporters stayed, the owner said he had kept his business open an unprecedented span through the weekend. His income over the three days was several times higher than what he makes in the average month.

Some local families also turned their homes into temporary hotels, where they treated guests to all they had.

For other residents, it was a rare experience to be exposed to a new kind of music. Local youngsters learned to enjoy music by clashing their bodies against each other to release energy and passion.

"The festival could be the unforgotten scene that is left in their memories forever. It might change the fate of some of the local participants. The local youth shouldn't be marginalized; they deserve the joy," said Zhang Fan, a veteran music event planner.