Raw and Unplugged - The David Bowie Knives

Whether the David Bowie Knives are sexy or not is something you can find out at their first unplugged appearance at the Wanch. Clare Wong ‘The Sensational Sultry Soul Sister’ on bass is joined by Gabe Andre on drums and Shaun on guitar, the band promising “a mass explosion of sexual juices that’ll flow out of the pub”. Yeah, well, we will see. But this is what else they had to say...

This is an unplugged show – how will it be different from your usual show?
Claire: I think the main difference is that we’ll have to strap Gabe down so that he doesn’t start smashing the drums too hard. There might be a couple of new tunes. To be honest, we’ve never done an unplugged set but we’ll get together and thrash out something sexy for it. Should be easy.
Gabe: There won’t be as much foreplay but just enough nudity for you.

Can you name a favourite unplugged album?
Claire: To be honest, the only one I’ve owned is the Nirvana one. It was a pivotal moment for an angsty 15-year-old.
Gabe: I was inspired by The Eagles’ unplugged set in that I never want to do anything that sissy in my life!

How does Hong Kong change you?
Claire: Musically, we don’t get much new stuff in HK therefore I don’t feel any shame about what I like: from Britney to Aerosmith, I love them all!
Gabe: HK doesn’t change me musically. I am the change!
Shaun: I’ve been here for six years now and I love this place. I particularly like the fact that a can of lager is cheaper than water in a 7 Eleven.

If you could be another musician for one day, you would be…
Claire: Dolly Parton obviously! Wrote 2,000 songs and still has sex in her 60s.
Shaun: Probably Elvis. He could make women moist with a shake of his hips. I haven’t quite mastered that… yet!

Sex or rock music – which one?
Claire: The two aren’t mutually exclusive. They go well together, so both.
Gabe: One tends to lead to the other. Both.
Shaun: I don’t understand the question. Are they different?

Anything else you want to say about the show?
Shaun: Mine’s a Guinness.
Gabe: Bring tissues.

Clementine Is My Sunshine

Clementine is my Sunshine, aka Jon Wu, describes himself as ‘a poor imitation of Bob Dylan before he got the band’. Humble as he is, the singer-songwriter’s previous project, a duo called Natural City, won the Best Original Song and the Grand Prize at the SoundBase Festival 2005 with its original tune Needing You. The pair later released the studio album Suzanne before the other half went abroad to pursue his studies. Now working as a solo artist, Wu as Clementine is my Sunshine performs with a guitar and harmonica, his influences the likes of Elliot Smith, Sun Kil Moon and, of course, Bob Dylan. He was recently awarded the Best Performance award and the bronze prize for his new tune, To the Ones I Miss and Love, at the SoundBase Festival 2008. Did I tell you that having done all this, he’s just 18 years old? The world
is unfair.

David Colquhoun

Local live music veteran David Colquhoun has been active in the scene for years with both solo and band efforts, most noticeably the ripe rock’n’roll of Hat-Trick. Here is what to expect…

What makes this special for you?
I suppose doing an acoustic set there is a bit different for me. I might even sit.
Tell us about the set.
Song-wise, I’ll probably play some originals in keeping with the evening. Some I haven’t done in a while, so I’ll just bash them out and see what happens. I’m sure they’ll be okay. Anyway, if there’s the odd mistake, it proves it’s live!
Any favourite album?
I haven’t been listening to many albums lately, but I like guys like
Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, and Bonnie Raitt, unplugged or plugged in.

Natural Born Entertainer
Say you’re a jazz pianist, played in the legendary John Coltrane Quartet, released nearly 80 albums, won four Grammys and toured almost every corner of the world in the past 40-plus years. What do you imagine would be the most unconventional venue you could have played in? McCoy Tyner’s ticked all the above, and his answer is his mother’s Philadelphia hair salon. In fact, it was his mother who organized the music in her hair parlour when Tyner was 13. “When she bought me a piano that was the only place we could put it – in her salon,” he says. “So we would have jam sessions while there were people in getting their hair done, bopping along to the music.” Tyner later turned the salon into his own little Carnegie Hall and played requests from the shop’s clientele. “It was a great community in Philadelphia. Everyone embraced the music and just went with it,” laughs the now 69-year-old, who, with his quartet, will be making his SAR debut this month.

Heavily influenced by Thelonious Monk and Art Tatum at a young age, Tyner is best known for his percussive left hand, sophisticated chords and blues-based style. He joined Coltrane’s group in 1960 and was involved in classic jazz recordings like My Favorite Things and A Love Supreme. Four decades, countless collaborations with other musicians, and numerous jazz ensembles later, he still says the John Coltrane Quartet was, for him, the perfect jazz group. “Well, I am always looking forward,” he says. “I think it’s important to live in the moment and to live each day. However, I am so thankful for the time that I spent playing with John.” The saxophonist was like a brother to him – “I feel blessed to have been a part of something so special.” Over the years, the pianist has formed his own septet, trio and quartet – in fact his latest recording, launched under his new label, McCoy Tyner Music, is simply entitled Quartet. “I do like playing with many different formats. Sometimes I’ll do a trio show, sometimes big band. I like to change it up and keep things new and exciting.”
The jazz master will be flying to Taipei and Tokyo after his Hong Kong concert. Though Tyner admits he has “not really heard anything about the Hong Kong jazz scene”, he is eager to see what happens in our city, especially since touring and travelling are a major part of his life. “I love travelling the world, meeting new people and being able to share my music with people,” he says. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” But as the pianist turns 70 this December, it is difficult not to wonder how long he will be able to continue playing and improvising at the explosive level for which he is famous. Or like good wine – will he improve with age? Tyner laughs. “I don’t know about that!” but then says that trying his best and knowing people enjoy his music are what make him happy. “I think my music has certainly evolved over the years, but I don’t know if I would say it has gotten better or worse. I just play how I’m feeling and the music for that period of my life.”
The McCoy Tyner Quartet - Tyner on piano, Gerald Cannon on bass, Eric Kamau Gravatt on drums and Christian Scott on trumpet - make their Hong Kong debut on September 4 at HK City Hall. The show commences at 8pm and tickets are $400, $300, $220 and $150 from URBTIX, 2734 9009.

FCC - Charity Ballin’
There are people in this world who believe that god never closes a door without opening a window. Not sure if this is true for god, but the 7th Foreign Correspondents’ Club Annual Charity Ball line-up is standing proof that it is true for rock ‘n’ roll.
According to Andy Chworowsky, co-chairman of the FCC Charity Fund, the club dropped its original plans for Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame to perform due to the musician’s prior commitments. Feeling somewhat responsible, Fleetwood offered to hook Chworowsky up with supergroup World Classic Rockers. So from the loss of one classic rock Brit came a slew of seven Americans, including Michael Monarch (lead guitarist of Steppenwolf), Greg Walker (Santana’s former lead singer), Aynsley Dunbar (formerly of Journey), Nick St. Nicholas (formerly of Steppenwolf), Fran Cosmo (formerly of Boston), Randall Hall (formerly of Lynyrd Skynyrd) and Fergie Fredericksen (formerly of Toto).
Songs slated for the ball include Born to be Wild, Black Magic Woman, Sweet Home Alabama, Hold the Line, Oye Como Va, Magic Carpet Ride, Separate Ways, and Rosanna, which will be interspersed amongst the evening’s other events, including a four-course dinner, a lucky draw raffle and a silent luxury good auction.
All proceeds from the event go toward the FCC Charity Fund’s two not-for-profit educational endeavours: the Po Leung Kuk Scholarship Fund and the JP Morgan/FCC/Po Leung Kuk Language Training Centre.
The scholarship program provides tuition and book funds to 10-15 graduates of the Po Leung Kuk school system – serving financially underprivileged children – every year to pursue a post-secondary degree. According to Chworowsky, each student receives an average of $30,000 per year for the two or three years it takes them to complete their studies, and there are currently 40 students studying in HK universities who are sponsored by the FCC Ball’s fundraising. This year, Henrik Nielsen has already donated $1,000,000 to the fund, already exceeding the $840,000 that went toward last year’s scholarships and alleviating the FCC’s pressure to raise the scholarship money during the ball itself.
The Language Training Centre uses the pedagogy of song, dance and storytelling to teach English to Po Leung Kuk students from kindergarten to primary six and provides English-language elective courses on anything from cooking, to creative writing, to job-hunting skills for teenage students. Funds from this year’s ball will also go toward building another Language Training Centre for the residents around Lei Muk Shue, Kowloon. Since 2002, the FCC Charity Fund, for which the Charity Ball is the main source of revenue, has raised over $17 million for the scholarship and language programs, with an average of $4,000,000 per ball in the past two years.
“We wanted to do something we could be involved in directly and not just financially – that’s why we wanted to stay local,” said Chworowsky.
The FCC Annual Charity Ball 2008 begins at 6:30pm on September 13 at the HKCEC. Tickets cost $1,998, including cocktails and a four-course dinner, and there is a black tie dress code. Phone 2521 1511 or email charityball@fcchk.org to book, visit www.fcchkcharityfund.com for more details.

Jazz Overloaded
Norwegian trio Excess Luggage is on a mission: with their line-up of a Hammond B3 organ, a grand piano and a drum kit, they are out to fight the strict baggage policies of the world’s airlines. Hence the trio’s name. But really, can one possibly hope to change airlines’ luggage-handling practices? “Well, it’s kind of a joke. We use it more to obtain recognition from other travellers and fellow musicians,” explains organ player Steinar Nickelsen. “It’s always a mess to travel with musical instruments, because of the fragility, the size and weight.”

Nickelsen has two organs, a big B3 that weighs about 250kg, and a transportable one that comes in at 40kg. “When flying, it is impossible to bring the big one, the excess luggage fee is around €35 per kg from Europe to Asia, so bringing that organ would cost €8,750.” Actually, when all is said and done, the trio don’t usually travel with much excess luggage. They tend to use the resident piano and drum set at any performance venue and just take the small organ and the drummer’s cymbals and percussion.

But music-wise, the trio are heavyweights. Pianist Vigleik Storaas has won two Norwegian Grammys for releases with his own trio, and drummer Håkon Mjåset Johansen and Nickelsen were crowned Young Norwegian Jazz Musician of the Year with their trios Urban Connection and SOLID! in 1998 and 2002, respectively.

It could be said that the electric jazz organ defines Excess Luggage. The jazz organ’s sound differs substantially from that of the church organ most people would be used to and it enhances the harmonics and atmospherics of the piano. In fact the organ player describes Scandinavian jazz as lyrical and open, and the genre’s musicians not so hung up on the American jazz tradition. For their coming show at Fringe Club, the Norwegian threesome will play original material as well as covers of jazz standards, like an up-tempo swing version of Jobim’s One Note Samba and an arrangement of I Hear a Rhapsody which they call Where is the Rhapsody?

The trio are no strangers to China. They have played in Beijing, Shanghai and Kunming before – and in a recent Chinese gig they didn’t find out until arriving that the venue was more like a disco than a concert space. They quickly turned up the tempo and volume. “But that was quite a kick for us, because we had never played that kind of disco music, at least not in this group,” says Nickelsen. Of the China experience, he admits, though, the trio are sometimes expected to play with very bad sound systems and instruments, which makes it hard to communicate with audiences. “The people in the audiences in China are normally very curious and interested,” he says – but the trio are determined to stay positive. “It would be stupid to focus on the crappy sound system. Instead it feels great to give the audience an experience they never had before.”
Pick up Excess Luggage on September 12 at the Fringe Club. The show starts at 10:30pm and tickets are $100 from the Fringe Club box office. The price includes one standard drink.

Swing On
Keep swinging, Hong Kong - more jazz is on the way to
our city. Contemporary jazz queen Diana Krall will kick off her China Tour in Asia’s World City on October 7 at HKCEC Hall 7A. Tickets to see the Grammy award-winner are
priced at $1280, $980, $680 and $480 from HK Ticketing,
31 288 288.

Surround Sound
Go experimental at Videotage with a surround sound set performance from German sound artist Marc Behrens. Having started his career in experimental jazz and rock groups, he now has a series of music releases, acoustic feedback recordings and multimedia works. Behrens now makes electronic music in unexpected environments like building interiors and construction sites. Listen to the artist’s soundscape on September 10 at Videotage. Show starts at 8pm and tickets are $150 at the door.

Hairy Trio
Poubelle International are obsessed with the number three.On their MySpace page they readily admit that as a finely bearded trio, their songs are three minutes long,they cover three subjects andpractise on three instruments three times a week on the third floor of a warehouse. And they can’t forget a pretty girl selling flowers three blocks from their rehearsal space.
What does Poubelle International mean?
Poubelle means ‘trashcan’ in French. We’re international trash!! Ha... It’s dirty rock from the bin! Plus none of us speak French other then ‘Bonjour mon ami’, so we thought it would be good for an international band in Hong Kong to have an incomprehensible (sic) name in order to make new friends. Don’t worry, you’re not supposed to understand it, that’s what makes it international.
Your songs have interesting titles like The School Reunion, The Red Light and The Battle of Trafalgar Square – is there a story in every song?
Yes, they all represent stories of some kind, either true or imaginative. The Red Light tells a story about a crazy night we had here, a true one, ha… The Battle of Trafalgar at first got its name after the bombastic battle but later the name served as inspiration to us when writing the lyrics in a new twisted context, which moved the location of the battle to central London. We enjoy pushing ourselves with lyrical content, and aspire to write more than ‘boy meets girl’ type stories.
The band’s sings about three different subjects: true lust, broken trust and plain wishful thinking – why’s that?
Lust is everything. It’s what drives us forward. However, in this journey you need someone to trust. That’s what makes it hard. If you disregard this fact of life, you’re just not living real.
Is ‘fine beard’ trademarked?
Well, I think that serves as a metaphor for Johan and David’s admiration for my ‘full coverage’. But yes… facial hair is important.
Three is the magic number for Poubelle International - what could the trio do, apart from playing music?
Well, the possibilities are unlimited! Three is a crowd! It’s hard to have good party in a duo. You need at least three. Three strikes and you’re out!
Poubelle International are Ben McCarthy on guitar and vocals, Johan Persson on drums and David Ericsson on bass. Catch the three-piece at Underground 67 on September 5 at Club Cixi. Also playing are Manila-based The Dorques, Wonder Garl, LauBak, Never N and Link Up. The show starts at 9pm and entry

U-Plan
We have also talked to Chris B, the wonder woman behind the Underground and Global Battle of the Bands (GBOB). Discover what it is like to be the ‘Godmother of Hong Kong indie scene’ (as coined by some) in our next issue but we have some juicy bits about what's coming up for you first. Two launch parties will celebrate the release of the first Underground compilation, which will be a 2-CD box set with 22 tracks from 11 of some of the best local bands in our city. On September 20, 22Cats, LazySusans, ChoChukMo, The Sinister Left and Tai Tai Alibi will kick off the celebration at The Cavern; and on September 26, Sea Monsters, Forgot, Violent Jokes, Velvette Vendetta, F.B.I. and Born To Hula will play at Club Cixi. There is a lucky draw on both nights where you could win two Cathay Pacific business class tickets to Taipei, or one night in a suite at JIA Boutique Hotel in Causeway Bay. Even more bizzare, we can now listen to the compilation album in the Second Life virtual world: the DJs there love Hong Kong’s original sound so much that they’ve request to play tracks from the coming CD. And don’t forget the Hong Kong leg of GBOB - more than a dozen bands have already signed up according to Chris B. The first night of the qualifying heat will be on September 19 at Club Cixi. The National Final will be held between the winners of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai on October 25 at The Cavern. The winner of this Chinese battle royale will fly to London for the World Final in December, where they’ll face bands from around the world for the US$100,000 prize.

Five Favourites: Samantha James
Samantha James is a dance/electronic/soul singer-songwriter heavily influenced by the likes of Sade, Bebel Gilberto and Morcheeba. Her album Rise is out now and the single of the same title has topped the Billboard dance chart.

Who is your favourite pop artist of all time?
I guess if I could only choose one, I would have to say Sade.

What is your favourite film?
I moved to a small town a few months ago – so small in fact that it doesn’t even have a movie theatre. When I think of the all the movies that I like, the one that stands out the most is The Neverending Story. I appreciate all different kinds of films: dramas, thrillers, mysteries, romantic love stories, etc. Well, everything except for musicals. I’ve never really been into them. Maybe it’s because my grandmother took me to see The Phantom of the Opera and Cats dozens of times when I was a little girl.

What is your favourite city?
Without a doubt, it’s Rio de Janeiro. I think that I was probably Brazilian in a past life. I love everything about the culture: the food, the language, everything. Some of the most beautiful moments in my life were in Rio.

Who is your favourite writer of all time?
Osho [Indian guru/philosopher]. His work and teachings are so eloquent that I would call them poetry, and his words are filled with wisdom. He’s truly an inspiration.
What is your favourite fashion brand?
Hmmmm – I like to shop at thrift stores and I love vintage clothing. I love walking into or finding a fantastic thrift store and playing dress up. I also do love, however, the designers Marc Jacobs and Free People.

Catch Samantha James live at MO Bar (15 Queen’s Road Central, The Landmark, 2132 0077) on September 11 and 12. Performances start at 10pm and admission is $198 with one cocktail.

Stars Macau
Linkin Park will be playing at the Cotai Strip CotaiArena at 8:30pm on October 21, and tickets are MOP$880, $680, $580 and $380.

Meanwhile, tickets for Avril Lavigne’s The Best Damn Tour are also on sale now for MOP$880, $680 and $380. The performance begins at 8pm on September 26. Book tickets online at www.cotaiticketing.com, by phone at (853) 2882 8818, (852) 6333 6660 or in person at Sands Macao Lobby and the Cotai Strip CotaiArena Box Office.
Misia Lands
Since releasing her debut Mother Father Brother Sister, which sold over two million copies in 1998, Misia has released 15 albums and sold a total of 12 million copies. Yet she has never been on an Asian tour – until now. To celebrate her splendid decade, The Tour of Misia Discotheque Asia 2008 will feature favourite tunes from her previous releases – newly mixed by her tour DJ – and new hits from the latest album Eighth World. Catch her live in Hong Kong for the first time at 8pm on October 4 at AsiaWorld-Arena. Tickets are now on sale from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288, for $790, $490 and $290.

Speaking of Japanese divas, don’t forget the Ayumi Hamasaki Asia Tour 2008 at 8pm on September 20 and 21 at AsiaWorld-Arena. Tickets are $780, $480 and $280 also from HK Ticketing.
Witness Reunion
What do The Verve, JJB Stadium and the World Pie Eating Championship have in common? If you said Wigan, you would be on the money. Also hailing from this North English town, indie/alt-country five-piece Witness released two albums, Before the
Calm in 1999 and Under a Sun in 2001, both receiving acclaimed
reviews from the likes of NME, Uncut and Q. The band split in 2004 but guitarist Ray Chan and lead vocals/guitarist Gerard Starkey have decided to throw a reunion gig – right here in Hong Kong where Chan is now based. The two plus guest musicians will play at Grappa’s Cellar on September 13. Doors open at 9:30pm, and Hungry Ghosts will be opening act. Tickets are $190 in advance, or $220 on the door.
Tenor Attack
Before Paul Potts opens his mouth you may think he is another William Hung but after his jaw-dropping performance of the tenor aria Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot on Britain’s Got Talent, Potts was transformed from a mobile phone salesman to a household name for angelic voices. His debut album, One Chance, features classics such as You Raise Me Up (Por Ti Serè), My Way and REM’s Everybody Hurts and has already sold two millions copies worldwide. The Briton will stage a one-night-only concert, Paul Potts Live in Hong Kong 2008, at 8pm on October 6 at AsiaWorld-Arena. Tickets priced at $880, $680 and $480 are now available from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288.
3-4-2
It is not buy-two-get-one free, but for Zip Zap Saturday Nights: El Destroyo & Born To Hula you could look at it that way. With two headline bands, you will be getting three sets of toe-curling, sweat-dropping original music in one night. Harry ‘Hula’ Thompson, vocalist and guitarist of Born to Hula, will open the night with a solo set, followed by a series of original sounds with band mates drummer June Ng and double bassist Angus Leung. Come midnight and get kicking with El Destroyo and their rockabilly-surf-country madness. The gig on September 13 at Backstage starts at 10:30pm. Entry is $130 and includes one drink.
Piano Man
One more box to check on your ‘100 things to do before I die’ list: listening to Billy Joel singing Piano Man live – in Hong Kong. The ultimate storyteller will stage his debut show (in his 40-plus years of career) in our city on November 12 at AsiaWorld-Arena and fans can expect him to perform all the favourite classics from his 33 US Top 40 hits and 23 Grammy nominations. Tickets priced at $1,280, $880 and $480 are now available from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288.