|
Underground 60
Saturday 31st May 2008
The Honeys (Shanghai), Red Rain (New Zealand),
So What & Born to Hula.
@ Club Cixi
Shop A, G/F, On Hing Bldg., 1 On Hing Terrace, Central
map
8:00pm - 11:30pm
 The Honeys (Shanghai) The Honeys are one of Shanghai’s oldest and most popular alternative music groups. They formed in 1997 after lead singer Yu Tian had moved to Hangzhou to attend the prestigious China Art Academy. There, he met drummer He Lao and bassist Zheng Yu, and the band was born. Fellow Lunar Eclipse alumnus Wu Qingyong joined the band in 1998. The Honeys returned to Shanghai after graduation, and cut their debut album “On the Street” in 2002. It was the second-ever album released by a Shanghainese rock band, and the first on a Shanghai-based label. The eleven original tracks range from heavy riffs to crooning ballads, and their catchy pop-rock buzz and Yu Tian’s irresistible charisma have made them integral to the Shanghai soundtrack. The band’s line-up has changed, though, with Wang Zhe now on guitar and Dai Zhe on bass. Famous guzheng player Zhang Jie now also plays with The Honeys for a lot of their live shows. Beside gigs in China, The Honeys also played abroad in the US, Germany and France. They also performed at a showcase during Musexpo in Los Angeles in May 2007. For this event every year more than 10,000 bands apply, but only 30 get an invitation – and The Honeys were one of them, the first Asian band ever to be part of Musexpo. Their showcase at “Keyclub” on Sunset Strip not only marked The Honeys’ first international concert, but also the first-ever concert by a Shanghai-based alternative act in the United States. While in the U.S. the band also got a chance to perform at the legendary “Whisky a Go Go”. Besides the live shows songs of The Honeys recently have been licensed for the Mel-Gibson-production “Another Day in Paradise” and for the soundtrack compilation of the German movie "Kein Bund für’s Leben". Also the TV station ARTE has used their music in a documentary about Yang Fudong's latest work. In December 2007 the first song of the new album, “Yi Jiang Nan” was released and promoted all over China – reaching #2 on China Music Radio‘s and #1 on East Radio’s charts. The long-anticipated album followed in January 2008, with gigs in several big cities in China. The international release of the album, including a tour in Europe, is planned for summer 2008. http://www.the-honeys.com/ http://www.myspace.com/tianmidehaizi |
Red Rain (New Zealand)
red rain 06 With the cohesiveness formed in the band by having a constant Unwavering team, red rain was able to look to record a second studio album. On the 2nd of February 2006 the boys shut the door on the world and locked themselves away again at Longview studios. They would be there for the next 3 months. With so much time spent together on the road they had developed the ability to create music together in a very efficient manner, songwriting was quick and easy. As the guys collaborated on the new tunes a fresh new sound for the band began to emerge. This new album contained a wider range of sounds and emotions than their previous work. Heart tugging ballads and bold, charging rock tunes the result, an album that takes the listener on a definite journey. The following 06 tour was an action packed 8 months, filled with 150 shows throughout 21 countries across Asia,Europe and then the final leg in the United States. red rain 07 With the success of the 06 shows and the crowds responding so well to the new material, the 07 tour was always going to be a long one. The result was a tour spanning 9 and a half months through out Europe, Asia, and the States, this time containing more than 160 booked shows. It was about June when the band started to write again whilst on the road, looking toward yet another album within the next 2 years. red rain 08 At present red rain is refining tunes written over 07 and until now preparing a set full of new material for the crowds of the 08 tour.This years tour will cover many of the same countries previously played in with the addition of a few more.New spots on the tour will include Hong Kong, Estonia, and Italy! http://www.redrain.org |
 Born To Hula Born To Hula tumbled onto the scene at the end of 2007, surprising Hong Kong audiences with their blend of fresh perspective and exciting sounds. A double bass, and some affectionate jazz sensibilities are thrown against strong beats, hooky guitars and prowling vocals. The Hulas are influenced by an eclectic mix of alternative to poppy indie acts, giving rise to music that's edgy, but above all catchy and refreshing, what the band describe as 'the darker side of colour'. For a band that's been around less than a year the noisy Hulas have been a busy gang, having already put together over ten original songs, recorded four of them, and played a number of hit shows around the island, including the Underground, HK Live, and on the waterfront with Tom Lee. They played their first international gig at the Spring Scream festival in April, and are lining up to head to Beijing later this year. The Hulas also have their sights set on bringing out an EP this Autumn—definitely something to look out for from one of Hong Kong's most exciting acts. http://www.myspace.com/borntohula
|
So What
So What was born in the fall of 2005. So What features Shirley on bass and keyboard. Jan is the lead singer, and Rani: She bangs the gong. Each band member has been in several other local Hong Kong bands beforehand. In forming So What we wanted to create a new style of Hong Kong band: an indie band that plays western-chinese inspired pop rock and yet sings in Putonghua.... http://www.sowhat-music.com |
Join our free Newsletter mailing list!
For Email Marketing you can trust
© Copyright 2008 Underground HK Ltd. All rights reserved.