bc magazine

Émilie Simon @ Grappa’s Cellar – 8pm, 26 March, 2015

With her unique mix of electronic, pop, and Bjork-like vocals, Émilie Simon has performed at sold-out shows across the world. Now, following on from her sold out show in Hong Kong in 2010, Emilie Simon is back this March.

Surrounded by music from an early age, Émilie Simon won critical plaudits as early as 2003, when she recorded a debut album largely written, composed and produced by herself. The self-titled record, Émilie Simon, won Album of the Year at Victoires de la Musique, France’s most prestigious music award ceremony.

Born in Montpellier in Southern France, Émilie grew up bathed in the Mediterranean sun and immersed in the sound of clarinets and electronic melodies. Wishing to imbue her second album with a more wintry and polar vibe, she began to record sounds that related to coldness.

Coincidentally, in the midst of her search for sounds for the album, she was contacted by film producer Luc Jacquet to compose the original soundtrack for his Oscar award-winning documentary film La Marche de l’empereur (March of the Penguins), concerning the annual migration of emperor penguins.

In 2009, Émilie started writing songs arranged for accompaniment on piano, rather than a computer. “I even forbade myself to go near a computer for a year and a half,” Emilie said, “I wanted to see what I was capable of without my usual comforts around me.” The result was a collection of sounds reflecting Émilie’s impression of New York City — an urban, black and white musical that became her most recent album, The Big Machine. On this album, Émilie’s experimental inclination involved the clever use of traditional Chinese instruments – together with keyboards – as a vestige of her long stay in the heart of Chinatown.

In 2011, the album Franky Night, (dedicated to her late fiancé) won her many more fans in France as most of the tracks were sung in French, as opposed to English. Her latest album, Mue, hit markets in 2014 and includes tracks like Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Games” cover, and other heartfelt songs featuring both English and French lyrics.

Émilie Simon
When:– 8pm, 26 March, 2015
Where: Grappa’s Cellar
Tickets: $420 (inc one drink) from Ticketflap
More info: www.emiliesimon.com

One Direction “On the Road Again Tour 2015” @ AsiaWorld Expo – 18 March, 2015

One Direction are Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. The band came together at the boot camp stage of The X Factor 2010 and made it all the way to the final before finishing 3^rd. For the last five years the band the been a marketing dream selling millions of banal bland records across the world and making their management company extremely rich. To call the show a concert when the ‘band’ only lip-syncs along to their studio produced tracks should amount to false advertising.

One Direction On the Road AgainTour 2015
When: 8pm, 18 March, 2015
Where: AsiaWorld Expo
Tickets: $3488, $2288, $1888, $1488, $988
More info: buy the DVD it’s alot cheaper

CityU Band Society Opening Show 2015: Neonates, Smile With AYe, Dreamer, Carry Lighter, Mechanix

The 20th Band Society of Students’ Union City University of Hong Kong boldly invite you… “No matter you’re into pop music or heavy metal, as long as you’re getting bored by what you’re given to hear from the mainstream media, don’t lose hope yet, the only way out is in – Come and let our five guest bands show you their unique facets of music.”

樂隊簡介 Bands:

Neonates (Hard Rock)
Neonates was founded on October 2014. All five of us have the same pure passion on band music, and this was how the name ‘Neonates’ came up.
www.facebook.com/neonateshk

Smile With AYe (Alternative Rock)
Smile With AYe 成立於2014年。其成員有John(主音)、阿 Mo(結他)、Matthew(結他)、Jerry(bass)、Marcus(鼓)。我們的歌曲風格主要是pop rock: 堅持使用粵語創作是我們的宗旨。
www.facebook.com/smilewithayehk

Dreamer (Melodic Hard Rock)
“We are dreamer. We dream big.”
Dreamer is a rock band from Hong Kong. Our music often contains hints of other kinds of music as we are influenced by so many different genres of music like 80’s Hard Rock, Jazz-Funk Fusion, Power Ballad, etc.

Why do we play band? To hopefully introduce new, different music styles to the public, thus encouraging everyone to be adventurous about listening to new music.
www.facebook.com/dreamerhkofficial

Carry Lighter (Pop-Rock)
人偶然也會有失去動力、死火的一刻，
希望我們的音樂，好比一個打火機，
把大家心中的燃料、能量再次燃燒起來。
www.facebook.com/carrylighterband

Mechanix (Metal)
Heavy Metal band from Hong Kong.
Brian Jericho Seto- Vocals, Guitar;
Oscar Chan- Vocals, Guitar;
Anson Leung- Bass;
Gary Tong- Drums.
www.facebook.com/1mechanix

CityU Band Society Opening Show 2015: Neonates, Smile With AYe, Dreamer, Carry Lighter, Mechanix
When: 7pm, 8th March, 2015
Where: Multi-functional Hall A, Student Residence, City University of Hong Kong, 22 Cornwall Street, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
How much: Free
More info: Underdog 5107 2300

Bane @ Hidden Agenda – 8 March, 2015

Legendary US hardcore band on their final Asian tour ever perform at Hidden Agenda supported by local bands King Ly Chee, Oh Nullah. Tickets are $180 (Advance), $220 (Door) from White Noise, Zoo Records, Star Crossed Tattoo, Daydream, 實現會社.

Bane
support: King Ly Chee, Oh Nullah
When: 8pm, 8 March, 2015
Where: Hidden Agenda
How much: $180 (Advance), $220 (Door)
More info: Tickets from White Noise, Zoo Records, Star Crossed Tattoo, Daydream, 實現會社

The Bollands Farewell Hong Kong @ Backstage – 28 February, 2015

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903419497&k=PFsfXBp

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http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903494060&k=vPvjVBs

The Bollands bid adieu to Hong Kong at a packed Backstage supported by The Privateers & Rich Phipson. A great evening’s music
Click on any photo to see more images and videos

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903439227&k=2NTfpjf

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http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903422612&k=D5S2GqV

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903396504&k=tCFSpdc

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903397719&k=rWBh8BK

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903431961&k=jJ327Fd

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903392591&k=DV5JktK

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2015/The-Bollands-Farewell-HongKong/47755523_GPSKQV#!i=3903421120&k=nLWWgNR

The Bollands – Farewell Hong Kong @ Backstage Live – 10pm, 28 February, 2015

The Bollands wish Hong Kong adieu with a final gig at Backstage Live. The New Zealand folk duo, who have gained a well earned reputation for their passion filled live shows, have been performing together since 2011 when Joyce, a classically trained pianist, met Christian, a hairy folk singer, at a campfire jam on a remote beach in their home country. They clicked instantly. Since that fate filled night, they have been playing their passion filled and heartfelt songs across the globe.

The Bollands – Farewell Hong Kong
Special Guests: The Privateers, Rich Phipson
When: 10pm, 28 February, 2015
Where: Backstage Live Restaurant
How Much: $100
More info: www.thebollands.com

Belle and Sebastian Concert Review

Belle and Sebastian’s concert at Asia-Expo was so much better than my previous experience at this dreadful venue. For starters, there were real musicians on stage. Lots of them! The six band members were joined by what I assume were locally-hired musicians. I counted 13 people on stage at one time. This was no simple promotional exercise. The band was out to have fun. From the off, they engaged with the enthusiastic audience, an eclectic mix of young and old, local and expat.

The band started with Nobody’s Empire, quickly followed by I’m a Cuckoo and Expectations. The sound was good and the visuals were fun, light-hearted and entertaining. The Boy with the Arab Strap and Legal Man were my personal highlights of the evening. During these songs, members of the audience were invited up on stage to dance along with Stuart Murdoch and co. Being Hong Kong; plenty of selfies were taken by the dancers on stage.

During Piazza, New York Catcher a yellow umbrella appeared much to the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd. The tents maybe mostly gone, but the world remembers and continues it’s support.

For the well-deserved encore, Belle and Sebastian played a truncated version of There’s Too Much Love in response to an audience member’s request and ended the evening with a superb rendition of Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying, which left the crowd wanting more.

I went to this concert with low expectations simply because it was being held at Asia-Expo. I left on a high, ready to dust off and play my old Belle and Sebastian CDs. A great night’s entertainment.

Belle and Sebastian
When: 8pm, 10 February, 2015
Where: AsiaWorld Expo
How much: $760 from HKTicketing

Made in Hong Kong Music Festival @ The AIA Great European Carnival – 7-8 February, 2015

7th February:
Hey Rachel (Acoustic/Pop/SongWriter)
Tonyi Ng (Pop)
Gravity Alterstra (Electronic)
Rain in Time及時雨 (Post-Hardcore)
Shandy Gan 顏培珊(Bossa Nova)

8th February:
ChintungTse 謝芊彤 (Acoustic/Pop/SongWriter)
Sil Hung Mo 小紅帽 (Indie pop)
Jabin Law (Folk/Blues/Alternative/Rock)
大人之音樂 (Brainiac of Electronic & Looping Music Unit)
Tri-deuce (Jazz funk/Acid Jazz/Soul)
Lil’ Ashes小塵埃 (Acoustic)

Made in Hong Kong Music Festival
When: 7-8 February, 2015
Where: The AIA Great European Carnival
How much: $125
More info: