Live review from FWD Mellow Yellow Music Festival
1. 示威
2. 看不清
3. 我不去想
4. 零瑕疵
5. Play Tonight
Mellow Yellow’s penultimate act, Another Kitchen brought the kind of set that showed they are not just another band. Opener 示威 used 90s indies guitar, which carried over to 看不清. Kimi on vocals was fun to watch as she bopped around her three bandmates on stage. 我不去想 was a more soulful song, featuring a fast guitar solo from Charles, bringing a flavour of classic grunge into the mix.
零瑕疵 changed things up with funky guitar and a neat slap bass laid down by Kit, echoing the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. As proof of the band’s danceability, a toddler wearing a superhero cape began dancing at the foot of the stage to the cool sounds oozing from the speakers. Final song Play Tonight brought a touch of ska combined with soaring vocals, which were a little hard to make out in the mix. Another Kitchen are one of those bands who make playing music look like fun, and these four friends sparked joy throughout the Harbourfront.
– El Jay
Live review from The Underground Summer Festival 夏季音樂節:
1. 示威
2. 每一天
3. That’s why I go away
4. 看不清
5. Play tonight
Someone has to kick the night off and we’re all grateful to Another Kitchen for jumping in. And they’re perfect for a summer evening in Ngau Tau Kok – jazzy, summery, fun and light industrial. Sorry I just mean light. But not in a superficial way – these guys are super professional: guitarist Charles’ PRS sounds fat and funky, Kit’s bass is slinky and cultured and wow, can petite singer Kimi sing. (That’s a rhetoric question, clearly she can). In fact she can more than sing, she really has a great voice, going from purr to scream in the space of a line.
Musically the band moves effortlessly between jazz-funk, fusion, rock and pop, with a smattering of blues and R&B thrown in for good measure. First track “示威” is a funky workout which ends with a gorgeous guitar/bass duet, with lines entwining like dancing pythons. If pythons danced that is. (Maybe they do, just not when David Attenborough’s watching?).
“That’s Why I Go Away” is another great number with more of a ballad feel, while “Play Tonight”, the last song of their set, is arguably their strongest – jazzy and energetic with lovely funky guitars and a bass solo which demonstrates Kit’s sublime skills.
The musicians are super talented, the songs are great and the overall vibe is fun. If we have to be critical we’d say that maybe they need to take a few more risks – after all there’s no shortage of talented bands mining pretty similar musical territory. But this kind of jazz/funk/pop AOR sound has always been popular in HK and I guess there’s a fairly unlimited market for it. Especially when it’s performed with the panache these guys exhibit, at least.
Dan Creffield
Live review from The Underground “Back to its Roots” Festival Part 1:
1. 示威
2. 每一天
3. 無常
4. That’s why I go away
5. Play tonight
Another Kitchen, a band featuring influences of Jazz, Cantopop, Math-rock, alt-rock and folk, started their set with the upbeat song 示威, a lot of the members were dancing on the stage, with the bassist showcasing an amazing talent and the jazz providing a warm, jazzy backing to the song. Fast licks and soulful hooks were included in a very J-rock sounding solo, with the petite singer waving to the multitude of kids appearing in front of the band. Second song 每一天 had a slow, sparkling dreamy start, a nice chill beat giving the song a very positive feel with an amazing bridge and a washy bassline, the song had an interesting song structure coupled with dancy guitar parts and dreamy vocals. The third song, 無常 was another ballad-like slower song, with passionate rich vocals and an awesome bass solo. Using intimate quiet sections and mixing the melodies of the vocals and synth well, it created a very moving vibe for the audience, giving the festival some composure.
Keeping with the slow but swinging theme, another ballad song “That’s why I go away” comes in, with a bit of soul influence and enticing a crowd of people to gather up on the side, featuring an intense crescendo that keeps the crowd anticipating for the last song “Play Tonight”, an upbeat song that has a jazzy feel. Funky guitar work with jazzy chords litter the song, seemingly conjuring a gathering of children to play in front of them whilst the talented bass player melts the stage with his funky bass solo, the band chose a very strong song to end on. Another Kitchen has a lot of talented members, and really gave it their all to showcase what they were made of at the festival.
– Sherman Leung
