Five Favourites
Peter Scherr is the leader of Headache and musical director of Creative Music in China
Who is your favourite musical artist at the moment?
It’s impossible to pick just one. I need the complete set. If Apple were to offer a terabyte iPod, I would immediately ditch my new 160-gig model and buy one. And I would fill it with music currently unknown to me. My favourite listening is to music that I have never heard before. I guess my favourite musical artist of the moment is ‘shuffle mode’.‑
Who is your favourite musical artist of all time?
Well, that’s a different question entirely. I would have to choose my brother Tony. He moves me in ways that no one else does. He is an extraordinary musical artist.‑
What is your favourite piece of music to listen to?
Let’s put it this way: I hope that I am lucid enough to make a final song request when the time comes for me to shuffle off this mortal coil. At such a moment, I imagine that I would most like to hear the 3rd movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, followed by my brother Tony’s Boxcar if I make it through the Mahler.‑
What is your favourite movie?
This is ‘five favourites’, right? I’ll pick five: My Dinner with Andre, The Man Without a Past, Wonderboy, Opening Night, Deconstructing Harry…‑
What is your favourite city in the world?
Hong Kong. It is a marvellously smelly cupcake, conjured from the detritus of a deafening popular culture, ancient tradition, culinary marvels, surprisingly passable traffic and various and sundry extras, of course. I am always happy when I return here.
Peter is the bassist and songwriter for Headache, along with his brother Tony Scherr on guitar, Jim Black and Briggan Krauss. They will be playing at Le Rideau from December 21-22. Show time is 9:30pm, tickets are $150 (show), $350 (dinner and show) available on 2850 8833.
ME?… WE!
It is the last Friday of the month so here comes The ME?...WE! Movement to the Fringe Club once again. Three bands are on the cards: Beebop, Wu Liao Qi and Transnoodle. The already well established Wu Liao Qi hail from Guangzhou and won the Best Instrumental Performance Award at the Pepsi Competition in 2000 with their song Infinity. And local ska heroes Transnoodle have quite a distinguished fan base as it is, with their laid back, reggae/Caribbean style and heavily HK based lyrics. The three groups will take to the Fringe Gallery on December 28 from 10:30pm onwards. Admission is $100 for others, which includes one Beck’s. Tickets are available from the Fringe Club box office (2521 7251) from 9:30pm on the night with free seating going on a first-come, first-served basis.
CZECH PLEASE
Right when we’re in the mood on December 20 and 21, the Czech Boys Choir will serenade us with a host of seasonal favourites. Both of the Cheers!: Boni Pueri concerts kick off at 8pm, with European classics such as the captivating Gregorian chant Crux Fidelis, Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. The boys will also share a few folksongs from their area of the world, such as You Look Beautiful to Me and Let the Devil Take You, Boys, from neighbouring Slovakia. There will be a few worldly merry-making selections such as England’s Ding Dong Merrily on High and Poland’s Sleepin’ Little Jesus. The Czech Boys Choir will be in the Yuen Long Theatre Auditorium on December 20, tickets are $160, $130 and $100. On December 21, they will be at the Tsuen Wan Town Hall, tickets are $180, $150 and $100, available from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
PUPPET PERFORMANCE
The Asian Puppet Series and Cheers! continues with Iron Scarecrow 2: The Last Leaf in which the Wizard of Darkness works against the Tree of Hope and it is up to Iron Scarecrow and his little dog to save the day. The Cantonese puppet musical is being put on by Make Friends with Puppets at the Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre from December 21-23. Tickets are $160 and $120. Showtime is 8pm on all days, with an additional performance on December 23 at 3pm. Although it is not in English, a puppet is a puppet, a musical a musical and, whatever the language, a puppet musical is heaps of fun: just ask some kids if you don’t believe us. Tickets are available from URBTIX 2734 9009.
 A MENDELSSOHN CHRISTMAS
Conductor Dr Angela Yeung will be at the head of the HK Oratorio Society’s presentation of A Christmas with Mendelssohn: Hymns of Praise on Sunday, December 16. She conducts the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore International School Choir and St Paul’s Co-educational College Alumni Choir. Soloists will be sopranos Rao Lan and Phoebe Tam and tenor Sam Kan and, also part of the concert, look out for the Hand Chimes Team, HKFYG Lee Shau Kee Primary School and organist Wong Kin-yu. Showtime is 8pm and tickets are $180, $140, $100 and $70 and are available from URBTIX at 2734 9009.
STOP POLICE!
Its all very much hearsay at the moment, but some very believable rumours are flying around that The Police Reunion Tour could be making a stop at The Venetian Macau in the next month. The reunion, which celebrates 30 years of Sting and co, has been extensively touring North America, Europe and most recently, Latin America. If rumours are true, this would mean that The Police will be coming over in between their December 11 gig Puerto Rico and January 17 show in New Zealand. Hmm, we imagine if this is true, the 15,000 tickets are going to go fast – so stay on your toes.
PCD
See in your New Year with beautiful women and questionable music. Yes, The Pussycat Dolls are performing at The Arena, The Venetian Macau as 07 turns into 08. The burlesque ensemble re-imagined themselves as a music group in 2003 then shot to international stardom with the release of Don’t Cha in 2004. The single eventually went on to win Best Dance Music Single of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards. Showtime is at 10pm and they’ll perform Don’t Cha along with all their other greatest hits like Stickwitu and Beep at The Venetian. Lead singer Nicole Scherzinger will also be giving a special solo appearance in light of her upcoming solo album. Tickets went on sale December 3 and they’re limited to 10 per person, so be quick if you want in on this sure to be memorable New Year’s party. They cost MOP$1000, MOP$600 and can be got by visiting www.venetianmacaotickets.com or by calling +853 2882 8818.
BIG DRUMS
Celebrating the 5th anniversary of the HK Drum Festival, the HK Chinese Orchestra will stage Majestic Drums X in the HK Cultural Centre Concert Hall on December 14. They will be joined by a handful of special guest percussionists including Via Nova, an Austrian percussion group, to play traditional and folk-dance Bulgarian pieces, and Lung Heung-wing, long-time principal percussionist with the HK Philharmonic Orchestra and winner of the HK Junior Chamber’s Instrumentalist of the Year. Chau Chin-tung, acting principal percussionist with the HK Sinfonietta, will also feature. Showtime is at 8pm and tickets are $250, $200, $150 and $100 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
THE FUTURE OF OPERA
The District Cantonese Opera Parade is aimed at developing the next generation in Cantonese opera. With 18 shows across HK in venues such as the Tai Po Civic Centre, North District Town Hall and Ngau Chi Wan Civic Centre, the parade will run from December 29-March 8 of next year. Three operas at the Sheung Wan Civic Centre start it all off: Roaring of the Ferocious Wife will be performed by Yvonne and Sabrinas’ Cantonese Opera Troupe on December 29, War and Never Ending Love by the New Star Cantonese Opera Troupe stages on December 30, and Rendezvous at River Luo in a Dream by the Kam Chi King Chinese Opera greets the new year on January 1. For all shows, tickets are $80, $60 and $40 and showtime is at 7:30pm. Tickets are available from URBTIX, 2734 9009.
 A STAR IN OUR EYES
If you follow British TV, you’ll know that long before imitation talent show X Factor or even Popstars hit the screen, there was Stars in Your Eyes. Recent winner Kevin Keeler comes from the show to Post 97 in Lan Kwai Fong for a New Year’s Eve special night of music. From 8:30pm-late he’ll be singing a range of classics like Mack the Knife and Daydream Believer, to more modern favourites such as U2’s Vertigo and Wham!’s I’m Your Man. Tickets for the all inclusive night are $888 and include a welcome glass of champagne, a 3-course dinner, and three 25 minute performances by Mr. Keeler. Reserve your tickets with Post 97 on 2186 1817.
A NOBLE CONCEPT
Adrian Tsing certainly isn’t your average money hungry artist. In fact, that’s because he appears to have no interest in it at all. He released his third album in the new fashion that Radiohead also seem to be adhering to. He has started a weblog, at http://adriantsing.blogspot.com/, where, if interested in his music – listeners are invited to donate money – be it $1 or $1000 – to his cause. The disc can be picked up for free. His cause is to give the money away in a sense. From December 14-16 he will be running the Unlocked Concert, which has cost him $80,000 – 9 times more than the production cost of his album! He’s doing it all for those that love music but might not necessarily have the money to go out and enjoy it. So head to No. 7, Cattle Depot Artist Village, 63 Ma Tau Kok Rd. To Kwa Wan, Kowloon at 8pm Friday-Saturday, and 3pm Sunday to enjoy a completely free day of music. It will feature artists Barry Chung, Anthony Sun, Gloria Tang as well professional musicians and designers. And maybe you can take a look at his website after.
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