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| live music |
 Being There
Before Ko Shan Theatre was overtaken by Chinese opera, it was a sanctuary for ‘underground music’ – or indie music as we now call it – from the late ’80s to early ’90s. Some would like to recapture the atmosphere of that vibrating live scene – BSFH, the mastermind behind 89268, is one of them.
The latest project of indie label 89268 is the Lab Yellow Session series, in which four live session recordings held in Lab Yellow, the venue, will be released throughout the year. The recording of the first – a mash-up performance of rock four-piece The Darlings and hip-hop guru Ghost Style – is already on record store shelves. “A lot of bands have released their own album even though the market isn’t doing well right now,” BSFH says. “It seems putting out an album is a must-do for bands, but I think that’s not necessary.” To the label owner, local bands may have lost their direction – for him live music culture is what really matters and so the series is trying to capture the spontaneous excitement of live gigs.
But spontaneity can also mean cringable moments like going off key or forgetting lyrics. Pong, vocalist and guitarist of The Darlings was, like most artists would be, not satisfied with the band’s performance. He says the recorded performance was quite stressful, and several adjustments had to be made in the studio during the mastering process. Which raises a question often debated in the local pop scene – when is too much ‘mastering’ made on a live album? Some artists, it is rumoured, record a ‘live version’ in the studio for their concert albums – so how much ‘adjustment’ is enough when the whole point of making a live recording is to capture each and every unique moment? “I am not opposed to what others do, we just have different goals,” BSFH says. “To big record companies, a live album is a product, with all the packaging and stuff. But we are just trying to make live albums.” Meanwhile, Pong is positive: “I want audiences to have greater enjoyment when they listen to recordings,” he says, implying that for him too, live music is better. |
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Aural Anime
Anime is a visual medium but boasts its share of aural delights as well. Which you can hear in Anime Japan Fes in Hong Kong 2007 over May 18 and 19 when five well-known Japanese animation songsters will be performing at the Hongkong International Trade & Exhibition Centre (HITEC) Hall B in Kowloon Bay. Anime Japan Fes is headlined by Ichirou Mizuki of Robocon fame while Mitsuko Horie, Hironobu Kageyama, Masaaki Endoh and MIQ will be also on hand to belt out classic animation tunes from the 1970s up to the present.
The May 18 Super Ani-Song Spirits (SAS) show will feature songs from action-packed anime like Captain Herlock (aka Space Pirate Captain Harlock), Babel II, Candy Candy, Hananoko Run Run, Dragonball Z, Saint Seiya (aka Knights of the Zodiac), Masked Rider Stronger (aka Kamen Rider Stronger), Light Squadron Maskman and Birdman Squadron Jetman.
The next night’s concert will focus exclusively on Super Robot songs. Super Robot Spirits will include tunes from Mazinger Z (the first anime to use the phrase ‘Super Robot’), Combattler V, Mazinkaiser, Choudenji Machine Voltes V, Gundam ZZ and Gundam 0083.
Both concerts start at 8 pm and have scheduled running times of 2 hours and 30 minutes (without intervals). Tickets are available for $350 and $580 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288. Each evening five lucky-draw winners will be selected from among the $580 ticket holders along with five members of the audience who buy concert-related commemorative merchandise. |
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Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
 Listen Up! More specifically, the 12th edition of the Listen Up! series of concerts will showcase three bands at the Fringe Gallery on May 18.
Empty Tomb, once a three-man band now a quintet (Neo, the guitarist, has been replaced by Tat), will rev things up with their particular brand of alternative and rock sounds. The second featured band, Papa Jack, aspired at first to be all funk but got universal and now prides itself on its versatility. This merry group will play some of their own pieces along with cover songs whose musical styles run the gamut from funk to reggae, jazz, contemporary pop, oldies, disco and rock. Dull Figure completes the show’s line-up. With a personal style drawing inspiration from alternative, hardcore, metal, punk and pop, this band seeks to strike a balance between ‘chilled out’ and perfection in both their lives and their music.
The show starts at 10:30pm. Fringe Club members will get in free while $90 gets non-members a standard drink with the ticket for admission. Further details are available at www.mark-1music.com.hk |
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Back to Basics – Not!
Pop diva Christina Aguilera will make her Hong Kong debut as part of her Back to Basics concert tour through Asia this summer. The name of the tour notwithstanding, the Hong Kong show will be an extravagant event complete with fire twirlers and other three-ring circus staples, with 200 tons of stage equipment and sundry devices imported from the USA. Nonetheless, there is little doubt the 90-minute concert’s star attraction will be the multiple Grammy Award winner and her soaring vocals. The July 3 show at the AsiaWorld-Arena starts at 8pm. Tickets are $380, $680, $880 and $1,280 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288. |
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Back in Hong Kong again
 Mark your calendars: Avril Lavigne will return to Hong Kong for a concert at the AsiaWorld-Arena on August 18. This time around, the punk pop princess will treat her fans to a selection of songs from her third and latest album, The Best Damn Thing, along with favourites from the earlier Let Go and Under My Skin. So get ready for the chart-topping Girlfriend (she recorded the chorus in eight different languages, including Mandarin, to maximise worldwide sales) as well as older pieces like Complicated, Sk8er Boi, Don’t Tell Me and Together.
Show time is 8pm on August 18. Tickets priced from $480 to $880 are already available from Tom Lee Music Stores and HK Ticketing, 31 288 288. To enjoy early-bird ticket discounts of HK$100 per ticket, be sure to make your purchases before June 1. |
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Five Favourites (x 2)
Pei-Jee Ng
What is your favourite classical musical piece?
Interestingly enough,‑the Schumann‑Cello Concerto has been my favourite work since I was a young boy. It is a work of great sensitivity and internal‑struggle.
Who is your favourite music composer?
This would have to be JS Bach. Playing his suites is a very personal experience and somehow makes you feel much more pure and spiritual.
What is your favourite pop song?
Don’t Panic by Coldplay.
Who is your favourite singer or group?
Michael‑Jackson.
What is your favourite film?
Grave of the Fireflies (by Isao Takahata).‑
Pei-Sîan Ng
What is your favourite classical musical piece?
I have always loved the Bach’s Cello Suites. Every element of the works starting with harmony speaks to me and I have a wonderful time exploring them.
Who is your favourite music composer?
Pei-Sîan Ng: I love many different types of music and I couldn’t really say who my favourite composer is. However, I have to admit that the music of John Williams, whether it be his fantastic scores to Star Wars or his‑works for cello and orchestra, is always in my CD player.
What is your favourite pop song?
Should I Go by Brandy.
Who is your favourite singer or group?
I have no single favourite.
What is your favourite film?
Dances with Wolves.
Twin cellists Pei-Jee and Pei-Sîan Ng have garnered individual acclaim in solo performances with major orchestras. On May 18 and 19, they will both feature in  the Soundfest 3: Cello World concert with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Showtime is at 8 pm at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Tickets are $100 to $300 from URBTIX, 2734 9009 |
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