Gao Qi (musician)

Gao Qi (高旗), the lead vocalist and songwriter of the Chinese rock band Overload,[1] was born in a family with generations' classical music background in Beijing on February 26, 1968.

After withdrawing from the university, Gao, as guitarist and songwriter, joined the Chinese rock band Breath, and performed on the first-ever rock festival in China, the Beijing Modern Music Concert, in February 1990.

Fascinated by heavy metal, Gao then quit Breath and set up his own band, Overload, with guitarist Han Hongbin, Li Yanliang, bassist Wang Xueke and drummer Zhao Muyang, who were said to be the finest rock musicians in China at that time.

The songs Gao wrote combine western rock and Chinese literature and his performance burst the enthusiasm of both audience and musicians.

The band built up a thrash metal style which began to attract a large number of fans in a short time.