Five Favourites
Jeremy Hiebert, guitarist of Comeback Kid

Who is your favourite artist?
This obviously changes all the time but currently I’d have to say Arcade Fire.

What is your favourite city in the world?
I think my favourite city in the world would be Montreal. It has a different feel from all the other cities outside of Quebec in Canada and I don’t need a passport to go there.

What is your favourite book of all time?
I’ve always been a big fan of The Chronicles of Narnia.

What is your favourite film of all time?
Fiddler on the Roof.

What is your most recent favourite album/song?
Funeral by Arcade Fire

Hardcore four-piece Comeback Kid – whose other members are vocalist Andrew Neufeld, bassist Kevin Call and drummer Kyle Profeta – headline a gig that kicks off at 7:30pm on April 27 at Pier Pressure (Lamma Island Ferry Pier #4, Central). Supporting bands are King Ly Chee, Shepherds the Weak and Embryo. Entry is $180 at door or $150 if you call 9528 5433 or 9343 0457 in advance.

Party Till You Die
Vancouver dance-punk five-piece You Say Party! We Say Die! will be rocking Hong Kong with their ‘New Wave of New Wave’ sound this month. Members of the band are Krista Loewen on keyboards, Derek Adam on guitar, bassist Stephen O’Shea and Devon Clifford on drums. Vocalist and front woman Becky Ninkovic talks to us about one of their old skool habits and why they are banned from venturing into the US…

What does the name of the band refer to actually? You guys don’t like partying?
No! We love to party. But everyone has his or her own idea or expectation as to what partying is. To me, the word ‘party’ means celebration. To others it may simply mean getting wasted. I think everyone deserves to decide what defines their happiness and try to live it. Each of us parties in a different style and way. Mutual respect is the ground needed to coexist peacefully together. Sometimes party and die collide.

You’re banned in the US. Do they think you are a threat to their national security or what?
Well, we were on a tour throughout Canada and the States. When it came time to cross the border, we were without the proper paperwork to enter. There has been a lot of change with security issues between the US and Canada. Because we grew up right near the border, we didn’t realize just how strict it is to cross now. The ban is only for five years and we are almost half way through it, so it isn’t forever. Keep the hope alive!

And there is a petition about that too. How’s it going?
The petition is going well, as far as I know. We still can’t enter the US so it isn’t going THAT well, obviously! (laughs)

You guys actually started the band because your bike gang Smokin’ Spokes could not ride during winter. Do you still keep the habit?
Smokin’ Spokes was quite a few years ago now… the good ol’ days. We would ride around and find places on rooftops or in other obscure places to hang out and be free. Since then our members have changed around some. We still get out on our bicycles when we can. The way the world is developing is not very conscientious about traffic other than cars. We need to remind people that there are other ways to get around and be good to our bodies and our earth at the same time!

You will be touring a few countries. Do you take any ‘on the road’ music with you while travelling?
We listen to a lot of variety. We have around 300 cassette tapes we have collected along the way. Everything from Salt n’Peppa and Ace of Base to Sonic Youth and Big Black. Lots of music between the early ’70s and mid ’90s.

Three hundred cassette tapes - very old school. Do any newer albums interest you?
I really love The Knife and have been listening to their self-titled album a lot. The new Radiohead album is incredible as well as Justice’s new album.

Make sure you’re party ready for You Say Party! We Say Die! and supporting band DP on April 25 at Grappa’s Cellar (Jardine House, 1 Connaught Road, Central). The show starts at 9:30pm and tickets cost $200 from White Noise Records (1/F, 4 Canal Road East, Causeway Bay).

Hungry Like A Wolf
Arguably the prettiest band during the New Romantic era, Duran Duran have sold over 70 million records and have 18 American hit singles and 30 UK Top 30 tunes under their belts. They returned with Red Carpet Massacre last year, which many critics saw as their best album of the last decade. Seeing the names Justin Timberlake, Timbaland and Nate ‘Danja’ Hills on the credits, you can sense that the legendary British band are not still living in the good old ’80s, even if some of their fans are. Face it, everyone wants to hear hits like Rio, Girls On film, Save A Prayer, and Hungry Like A Wolf on April 12 when they finally play in Hong Kong again. Band members are now Simon LeBon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor and Roger Taylor. Duran Duran will be presenting their new record in its entirety interspersed with some of their classics from 8pm on April 12 at POP TV Arena (Austin Rd, West, Kowloon). Tickets are $780, $580 and $380 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288.

Jazz Up
Having graduated from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in 1976, Ted Lo moved to New York as a freelance jazz pianist and since then has worked with many musical greats like Herbie Hancock and Astrud Gilberto. Now residing in Hong Kong, Ted is one of the jazz masters of the local scene and is also known by pop fans for his work with artists like Eason Chan and Justin Lo. He will be teaming up with another jazz giant, Eugene Pao, this month for gigs at Peel Fresco and Backstage Restaurant. He takes some time out to share his tastes in music.

What are your favourite albums of all time?
One of my favourites is Secret Stories by guitarist Pat Metheny; I love the songs and also his beautiful arrangements for this particular ensemble. Light As A Feather by pianist Chick Corea is another favourite. I love the merging of Brazilian jazz with his music – it made a tremendous impact on the jazz scene in the ’70s. Two of my all-time favourite pop songs are Michael Jackson’s I’ll Be There and Betcha By Golly Wow by The Stylistics.

What are you listening to these days?
Recently I’ve been listening to Beat by pianist Kenny Werner. I’m fascinated by his rhythmic concept.

If you could pick anyone to form your dream team, who will you choose?
Well, probably Antonio Sanchez on drums, Pat Metheny on guitar, Joe Lovano on saxophone and John Patitucci on bass.

Ted will be on drums with Eugene Pao on guitar and A-Hong on bass at Peel Fresco (49 Peel St, Central) on April 12. The show starts at 9:30pm and entry costs $100 with a drink. On April 19, Ted will return to the keyboards for Zip Zap Saturday Nights: Meet the Legend – Eugene Pao at Backstage Restaurant (1/F, Somptueux Central, 52-54 Wellington Street, Central). Also playing will be Sylvain Gagnon on bass and Anthony Fernandes on drums. The show starts at 10:30pm and admission is $200.

Girls Talk
Think of a few female artists and they are usually vocalists. But Anima: The Feminine Underground finds the female perspective throughout all aspects of music and its production. The line-up includes the experimental post-rock duo 10 (Japanese laptop noise artist Marqido and itta from Korea, an experimenter with voice, toys, melodica andaccordion) and Vavabond, probably the only female noise artist on the Mainland to use a laptop to produce really high volume sound. Also look out for ioioi from Italy and local artist Magdalen Wong.

The event will take place at Videotage (Unit 13, Cattle Depot Artist Village, 63 Ma Tau Kok Road, To Kwa Wan) on April 25. Doors open 7:30pm, tickets are $120 details from 2573 1869.

Get Bastardised
If there is ever a time to shout “You guys are the bastards but I love you!” loudly and proudly, it is now. Some may remember rock/punk band The Bastards, whose name originates from ex-Wanch manager Rhodie’s comment when she looked around the bar, saw band member Pike skulking drunkenly in a corner with some mates and thought, “What a crowd of bastards!” The band having gone quiet for years, members are flying in from England, Beijing, the Philippines, Thailand and, um, Lamma Island for a ‘super reunion’. A new album, Scheming in the Back Room, will be launched with Mark Harrison and Jim Shorthose on guitars, Dave Green on bass and vocals, drummer Tony Greenwood and Dan James on vocals but expect more people to play during the gig. The Bastards will be at The Wanch (54 Jaffe Road, Wanchai) from 9:30pm till late on April 25. Entry is free, so make sure you order enough drinks to make new owner John happy and rock the night away. Our apologies for the poor quality of the photo, this was the Bastards when they were young, well younger.

Heinz 57
57 varieties and still growing, the latest Underground gig on April 19 – features is fusion pop/punk Cantonese band Senseless, The Train (whom we all know), energetic rap/rock group F.B.I. and Hong Kong’s blues master Henry Chung & The HK Blues Allstars. They will all share the stage on April 19 at The Cavern (33 Wyndham Street, Central). The show starts at 8pm and entry costs $100.