Wooooohooo!! What an amazing first night of the Festival! Twelve great Hong Kong bands performing on two separate stages of the Fringe Club, to celebrate 21 years of our original music showcases. Plenty of diversity, genres, and great atmosphere. Thanks so much to Carlsberg beer for collaborating with us by supporting local culture!
Biggest shout out to the amazing audience who kept saying what great bands we have in Hong Kong!
Thanks to the twelve bands who were part of this memorable night.
Thanks to Aaron & Tim for all the great photos.
Thanks to Darwin for the cool video clips.
Thanks to Yan Yan for doing so fabulously on MC duty.
To all the wonderful people who make The Underground run so smoothly, I appreciate you guys so much: Shaun, Calvin, Bun, Prada, Victor, Raven & Sunny, and especially Cadence for all your hard work in the lead-up to the festival.
Total respect and love to Jarrod, Rob, Cain, 劉海亮, Rosie & Hazel-Rah, our reviewers who dedicate their time to writing reviews for each band.
Thanks to Dawn for the cool poster artwork.
Thanks to these companies for the giveaways: Tom Lee Music Company, Museek & TANGZU WANER SG 2.
Thanks to Shaun B for supporting everything I do.
Wooooohooo!! 第一晚Festival真係勁正！有十二隊香港本地好勁嘅樂隊喺Fringe Club嘅兩個舞台表演，齊齊慶祝我哋original music showcase 21周年！成晚都有超多唔同元素，唔同風格，氣氛一流！多謝Carlsberg啤酒同我哋合作，支持本地文化！
最大嘅shout out梗係要畀現場咁勁嘅觀眾啦，成日都話香港嘅band好正！
多謝參與呢個難忘之夜嘅十二隊band！
多謝Aaron同Tim影咗咁多靚相！
多謝Darwin拍咗啲咁型嘅video！
多謝Yan Yan做MC做得咁掂！
仲有一班令The Underground運作得咁順利嘅好朋友們：Shaun、Calvin、Bun、Victor、Prada、Raven、Sunny，特別要多謝Cadence，為咗festival前期咁落力幫手，辛苦晒！
Respect and Love 畀Jarrod、Rob、Cain、劉海亮、Rosie同Hazel-Rah，成日幫手寫review，支持每一隊band！
多謝Dawn設計咁型嘅poster！
多謝以下公司送出咁多禮物：Tom Lee Music Company、Museek同TANGZU WANER SG 2！
最後，多謝Shaun B一直咁支持我做嘅所有嘢！
❤️ Chris B xx
Paul Roth
1) Home
2) L.A.
3) Hevel
4) By The Pier
5) Tell Me
6) Try
Someone has to be the one who opens the festival, and upon this historic 21st Underground it’s Paul Roth, singer/songwriter originally from Sydney who has been in Hong Kong bands like Esimorp and Indigo Town, delivering his original blend of folk, country and pop with a modern upgrade.
It’s me and six others in the Fringe Dairy room, I’m tucked way back in the corner of the room and just as he starts to play a photographer who has shown an uncanny ability to stand between me and the artist I’m trying to watch in previous gigs walks across the room, stands in front of me, takes some shots, then starts checking his phone. Uncanny.
Roth starts his set with the kind of technique seen in the likes of Daniel Champagne and Ani De Franco; he taps and knocks on the body of his acoustic guitar, records it as a loop and begins to sing, with further use of pedals to harmonise with his own singing.
His next song L.A. is taken from his 2021 album, originally a mid-tempo country rock number with classic band set-up, now deconstructed into a thoughtful, heartfelt number that has a little bit of extra resonance for those of us wondering about our family and friends in Los Angeles.
He leads into his next song Hevel from his upcoming album and it’s an abundance of harmonies and guitar loops that build a warm feel around his voice, serving to enhance the cosiness of the vibe being set by the torrential downpour beating on the windows of the Fringe outside.
It’s always great to watch people walk into a set like this and see their reactions – are they bored? Are they instantly swept away? I watch as people saunter in and become transfixed by his playing, and Roth moves on to his song By the Pier.
His voice is strong, confident and the song itself is a lyrically enticing number that really should have received some lit cigarette lighters swaying in the air as he unpacks his story of the Girl He Met Who Left and there’s a level of nice guy energy in his tone that is Sheeran-like in its wholesomeness.
“I’m not yet famous so this song will never get you” is a lyric that unlocks level of acoustic guitar bard unrequited love that is quite special, and there’s now 12 of us in the room as he gets to the bit about the girl giving him her number and he closes with “sweet girl I met I wish you the best”… I’m pretty sure he won a couple of new fans in the room.
My last memory of his set is clouded by a bartender asked to pour a mixed drink who then poured half a pint of tequila into a glass with a bit of soda… suffice to say Roth brings it home nicely to begin the festival with a tune building loops with a shaker and guitar from his upcoming album. A quality opening act.
Jarrod Watt
Phoenix Broderick
I don’t need to write a breakup song just to be successful
Never
Fake smile
You
Allergies
Danger and anger
OK LA
STARS
You need me I don’t need you – (Ed Sheeran cover)
We walk from one room to the next to see another variant of the species of Guitar Troubadour – Phoenix Broderick is on stage and the first impression is that someone has used ChatGPT to create the classic Expat Teenager Who Grew Up in Hong Kong.
Crisp plain white t-shirt, brand new denim shorts ironed by Mum, brand new cap worn backwards and when he announces he’s grown up this past decade in Discovery Bay and is hoping a gap year making music can help him avoid having to college and someday play Wembley… we can only wish him the best and hope his learning of the Bon Scott principle that it is indeed a Long Way to the Top isn’t too rough.
He is a precocious, sardonic lyricist in a song proclaiming “I Don’t Need To Write a Breakup Song To Be Successful”, with lines like “I’ll keep it short and simple just like you”. His quips are sharp but not aimed to injure; a tradition laid down for many years by fellow New Zealand born artists like Neil Finn and Martin Phillips, but his vocal style is most reminiscent of the legendary Chris Knox.
I’m sitting behind four young Hong Kong girls and get accidentally caught in his tractor beam smile and gaze as he turns it upon them; this guy does not struggle for attention. His call for people to join in his singalong for the tune Fake Smile gets many volunteers.
By now the crowd is a mix of old and hairy gweilos, chic Hong Kong rocknroll girls, black capped rock veterans and the ubiquitous cool kids hanging out down the back doing their thing. The half pint of tequila I got served 15 minutes ago appears to be elevating my experience of the music.
Broderick does another couple of songs from his debut album Let Them In (available on Spotify, he reminds us – and worth looking up to hear these songs with band arrangements) he then announces the next song he wrote was considered controversial by his school teachers and I lean forward expectantly… controversy in Disco Bay! What now?
It’s a gentle, infectiously upbeat pop song called OK LA with the chorus “You make me feel OK lah / You make me want to stay, lah”. Worse lyrical crimes have been committed in pursuit of loftier goals and the agave spirits tell me this is a catchy ear worm of a song that could just become a radio hit – I mean, what if Ed Sheeran got a hold of this?
As if to answer my internal monologue he announces his final song is a cover – Ed Sheeran’s “You Need Me I Don’t Need You”.
It was a real treat to see Phoenix Broderick at this stage of his career – before heartbreak, hangovers and income anxiety alter his cheery, incisive view of the world.
-Jarrod Watt
ELEKTRO MÜLL
CUCKOO
BELL-END
CLICKBAIT
ON YER BIKE
FREE-DUMB
WAR
WANT
The joy of wandering from one room to the next, seamlessly transitioning from one musical paradigm to another: we walk from Discovery Bay teenager with acoustic guitar back into the Dairy where the stage is now festooned with cables, keyboards and mixers with two gentlemen stand on stage. I am later told they almost didn’t make the gig because trying to bring a full size keyboard on the Lantau ferry elicits a big Cannot from the Man…
One of these guys might be responsible for some albums of magical, dreamy and transportive dub music inspired by Hong Kong locations and culture. The other might be one of the organisers of Clockenflap. Right now they are ELEKTRO MÜLL, and they set about blasting any lethargy out of the growing crowd as they file into the room.
It is a pumping melange of electro beats, washes of synth and the sound of angry British rapping laced with eyebrow-arched humour that comes across a little bit Ian Dury and a little bit Sleaford Mods.
The crowd shout their encouragement after the first tune and then it’s in to BELL-END, a song of simmering rage at billionaire space dweebs launching phalluses into space while the planet descends into oligarchy and chaos.
The simmering rage continues with the dub-infused CLICKBAIT, alternately pondering the direction of society and castigating those who profit from the algorithms destroying it, while there’s an energy in the tune ON YER BIKE that has people visibly nodding their heads and some early indications of dancing on the spot, including the classic lyric: “I’d rather be woke than a born again Nazi – on yer bike!”
The duo launch into the agit-prop anti-American gun culture rant of FREE-DUMB and I’m certain they’ve hacked the source code of New Order’s Blue Monday and remade it with TV news samples, gunfire and lyrics targeting those who think guns bring freedom. The pumping bassline is relentless, The room is comfortable full, the three girls next to me have stopped taking selfies, the energy is self-evident as people bop and groove.
After a dark venture into an apocalyptic sounding lyrical weather report on the state of the world in WAR, the band brings it home with the infectious dance beats of WANT, a reflection on self-interest and desires set to a pumping drum and bass style beat with old school synth riffs.
We are left with the lyric “I act like a child but I’m antique”, but the passion and energy of the music are ageless, nimbly dancing in the foundation sounds of electronic music from the 80s and 90s while lyrically lashing the latest era of end times here in 2025.
– Jarrod Watt
Black Velvet Collective
1 Danny Ray- original
2 Singing Whiskey in the jar into whiskey in the jar – mostly original
3 Roisin was- original
4 Spancil Hill- traditional
5 Memory Lane- original
6 7 Shots- original
Black Velvet Collective are well known around Hong Kong and most likely to have been witnessed at a folk festival, Lamma island festival or Wanch gig after several pints. Their core duo singer/guitarists gets augmented with strings and tin whistles but upon this occasion it’s a trio.
After the danceable sonic onslaught of ELEKTRO MÜLL it’s a bit of a change of gear to get into their original Danny Ray, but they deliver and move one a reading of a 17th century traditional classic of a highwayman robbing a military officer before being betrayed by his lover – better known to fans of Thin Lizzy and Metallica as Whiskey in the Jar.
They do the song justice even if it’s a bit more up-tempo than the big rock sound of Phil Lynott or James Hetfield. And then we’re into an original called Roisin Was and the it’s a song you’d hope to her in a cosy pub on a Sunday afternoon, and its followup Spancillhill is a classic of lament of distance and unrequited love but there’s a sense this really needed a violin player to complete the arrangement.
The band moves into another original, this one with a more local reference than various locations in Ireland, called Memory Lane. It’s all about Hong Kong’s classic district for imbibery and negotiated affection, Wan Chai and there are enough sly references in the song to make it memorable.
The band seems to kick into top gear with their final song 7 Shots, dedicated to a gent who decides 7 shots of Jameson’s is the perfect precursor to calling his wife and telling her some opinions. However, if you’re going to name your song after specific drinks… you have to a) drink at least one of those drinks on stage or b) get people in the audience to drink.
I don’t make the rules.
It’s a suitably uproarious and energetic end to a set that moves the evening up one further gear to greatness.
-Jarrod Watt
Le Groupe Électrogène Fanfare Club
– Bella Ciao
– Femmes des années 80 – Michèle Sardou
– Barricadas – Valeriano Fernandez
– 99 Balloons – Nena
– take on me – A-ha
– Freed from Desire – Gala
– bad gay gay bar – Billie Eilish/Electric Six
– Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics
We walk back into the Dairy bar and the multi-headed beast that is Le Groupe Électrogène Fanfare Club are not so much on stage as on stage, side of stage, front of stage. There’s 17 members that I count but that may or may not include the clown who walks in later.
When I first saw them a couple of years back at Clockenflap I lost my shit at the sight of a sousaphone in the wild here in Hong Kong; a longtime fan of New Orleans brass, Balkan Beat and Romani brass bands it is a real treat to see and hear so many brass musicians gathered and having so much fun with music.
The change in energy in the room is palpable. The bands starts their slow introduction, the remaining space in the room is quickly being taken up by music fans filing in. It’s not often you get a French band kicking off their gig with a 19th century Italian folk song which got famous as an anthem in support of the Italian partisans fighting against the Nazis… but here we are. (It’s also been done by everyone from Anita Lane to Tom Waits to India’s BJP party and Celtic FC).
As the song builds in intensity and the crowd gets even more packed I can see a disturbance in the hallway and it’s a riot of colour and… balloons? The band is at full tilt and a clown enters the room, dispensing coloured tube shaped balloons and now everyone is waving them as the band pumps out Bella Ciao – ciao, CIAO!
And thus we plunge into a wildly diverse choice of songs from across Europe and across the decades, all with a band not content to stand still while they crank out the hits. There is a song based on the anarchist anthem from the Spanish Civil War, and an 80s French song from Michael Sardou on female identity – each has a certain joie de vivre that encourages the listener to drink that whole glass of wine and smash it in the fireplace and get dancing.
Call me a jilted 80s child but my one criticism would be that delivering a version of the song 99 Balloons – on a weekend when missiles were flying between nuclear powered countries in the Middle East – deserved a bit more respect than the singer not bothering to learn the words, not bothering to even sing them off a phone screen, and just “la-la-lah” through the chorus.
Because Hong Kong is awesome there is a Hongkonger standing next to me, and she’s doing the best she can to help by singing the original lyrics in flawless German.
Now the clown is prowling through the crowd with a handheld bubble cannon and the joyous uplifting melody to a song about a cataclysmic conflict being launched by blue-balled defence ministers hungry for war after some balloons are mistaken for UFOs is lost in anarchic chaos of Le Groupe Électrogène Fanfare Club.
The band swings into a cover of A-Ha’s classic Take On Me and no-one including the lead singer seems really keen on nailing the ascending vocal lines in the chorus, but everyone heroically has a crack at nailing the high note on “Take… Me… OOOOOOOONNNNN”
We switch out of 80s Nordic classics to a 90s Euro dancefloor classic – to hear a big brass band adapt and change a song like this is a joy to behold and testament to whoever made these arrangements. It’s catchy as hell and the band’s antics only increase the hip-shaking, balloon waving, foot stomping vibe in the crowd.
Out of nowhere we switch from a Billie Eilish tune into a version of the Electric Six’s Gay Bar, the crowd is loving the singalong and the horns are loving the riffery, and then it’s an interesting choice to finish – Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics?
My concerns are over-run as soon as the baritone sax starts cranking that classic bass/synth line and the band joins in.
And suddenly, it’s over. This astonishing collective of musicians disperse… with unfinished business. The crowd clearly have just warmed up.
-Jarrod Watt
Ewan Ho & Movement
1. Love is Love
2. 向前衝吧 (“Let’s Charge Forward!”)
3. 漢記書店 (“Hon Kee Bookstore”)
4. 聽阿嬤唱歌 (“Listen to Grandma Sing”)
Ewan Ho & The Movement might be listed as a city folk band, but what they delivered at the Underground 21st Anniversary Party was something far more chaotic, fun, and refreshingly unpredictable. Fronted by the charismatic Ewan Ho on vocals and acoustic guitar, the band was rounded out by Marco on electric guitar, Adoss holding down the low end on bass, and Big Eyes—fresh from a pre-show toilet break, his own kind of movement—bringing the energy on drums. Dressed like rogue surgeons and moving like they’d just crashed their own gig, they came on stage loud, loose, and completely in sync with the chaos to come.
They opened with “Love is Love,” a heartfelt stomper powered by a steady acoustic strum and a rhythm section that locked in tight from the get-go. The melody gave me major Sister Act vibes—like that “I love him, I love him, and where he goes I follow” kind of energy. It wasn’t the same tune, but it had that warm, uplifting spirit that makes you want to sway along with strangers. Ewan’s vocals were honest and raspy in all the right ways, and Marco’s subtle electric licks added just enough flavour without stepping on the groove.
Second up was “向前衝吧” (“Let’s Charge Forward!”), a wild ride of tempo changes, shouted lyrics, and joyful chaos. At one point, the song dropped to a hush before roaring back to life with full instrumentation—guitar, drums, and bass all racing ahead like they were trying to outrun each other. If it was about movement, the band embodied it. I still don’t know what half the lyrics meant, but I felt it—and so did everyone else around me.
“漢記書店” (“Hon Kee Bookstore”) took things to the next level. There was definitely a Joey Yung riff hiding in there somewhere, but they flipped it on its head and made it their own. Ewan shouted, “My friend, my friend, can you understand?” and the entire room screamed back. Then they doubled the speed just for fun. It was chaos—glorious, danceable chaos—and the audience went wild.
They closed with “聽阿嬤唱歌” (“Listen to Grandma Sing”), which slowed the pace down but didn’t lose the crowd. Ewan’s acoustic guitar opened gently, and the band joined in gradually. It was reflective, warm, and the melody had a quiet kind of strength. You could feel the nostalgia in every note. The song built slowly, like a memory unfolding, and wrapped things up with something simple and honest — the kind of ending that stays with you.
Ewan Ho & The Movement don’t just perform songs—they create moments. Their set was raw, messy, and heartfelt in all the right ways. Whether it was the humor, the heart, or the sheer unpredictability, they left the crowd buzzing. And honestly? I’d watch that chaos again any night of the week.
– Cain McInerney
Jing Wong (黃靖)
This is a love song for yourself
A spy in house of love
Drifters
You and me it’s a Tango
別走那麼快
Jing Wong, singer-songwriter, has been around for a while, having released his first album in 2012, opened for acts like Belle & Sebastian and Kings of Convenience, and graced the stages many cities and music festivals across Asia and the Antipodes. Having been away from the live scene for a few years, Jing made a “come back” performance at the Underground Festival.
On the night, Jing played a set with a peculiar acoustic guitar – one armed with a humbucker, as well as a more conventional acoustic mic pickup on board, plus a customised pickup mounted on the sound hole with a single coil pickup for the bottom 2 strings and piezo for the remaining strings. To the non-guitarists out there, the bottom line is that this gives the instrument maximum versatility of sounding like an acoustic, and electric, and a combination of both, something that Jing exploited to the max in his performance.
On to the music, Jing delivered a set which was an eclectic mix of folk, blues, rock, Latin and… Western (in a gunslinger sense), at least 2 of which were completely new, singing of life in general and his personal experience. Although soloing on the night, the music was well constructed and the sound rich thanked to the instrument he played (see para. 2). One song which I, and I am sure anyone listening to it, could relate to, was Drifters, a tune written in a form which reminded me of music from a Spaghetti Western in a gunfight scene, and talked about basically how we go through life as drifters in one way or another. In the second song, A Spy in the House of Love, about relationships, which Jing got everyone in the audience to sing along, had the effect of pulling the audience into his world. His fourth song, You and Me it’s a Tango, funnily enough, written in a tango style, is a testament to Jing’s versatility as a songwriter.
To be honest, I have never really listened to Jing’s music much before, considering him being another possible Canto/Mando pop artist. However, Jing’s set at the Underground made me look at him in a completely different light – there is much depth in his music, both from a music craftsmanship standpoint, as well as expression/meaning, so I have over a decade of his works to catch up. One little caveat, however – he has a very distinctive voice which may not be everyone’s cup of tea (I cannot describe/put my finger on it, but it is not in a negative way), so my suggestion is: give his music a try on those quiet evenings in. Whether you like it or not, at least you will have checked him out—which is a must here.
– Hazel-Rah
Andy Is Typing…
做自己
Take A Break
I Wish I Could Say Sorry
My Big Mistake
Let Go
Andy is Typing … know the drill. They’ve done this more times than they, or we, can count. They really don’t need a seventh Underground review to tell them that they’re slick, razor-sharp and … quite a lot of fun.
Within seconds of kicking into new single “做自己”, half a dozen diehard teens were bopping centre stage – by the tune’s close, this had doubled to a dozen, drawn in by the tight Canto-pop-rocking tune’s meaty power-chord riff, a welcoming pre-chorus that falls exactly where you’d expect it, and the first of many arm-waving singalongs. “Nobody knows how far I’ll go,” sings vocalist JKY, but we all know he’ll go as far as he can to win over this crowd. Virtuosic slap bass announces the assault of old favourite “Take a Break”, which moves worryingly close to thrash-y, trashy, nu-metal territory but is saved by the singer’s soaring, Matt Bellamy-esque vocals in the stadium-sized chorus,while the extended solo/bridge section serves more ideas than the rest of the song put together.
And then it all goes a bit cheesy with the widescreen, MV-ready double whammy of male regret: the (new?) Snow Patrol-aping “I Wish I Could Say Sorry” followed by 2024 single “My Big Mistake”, a big tear-jerking power ballad that owes as much to 90s boy bands as 70s classic rock. Shred-tastic guitarist Jing almost enjoys the ballads too much, dropping searing widdly solos, while the whole band locks in a closed-eyed blissful rock out. Yet it is precisely during these harmonically naked moments on the slower numbers that one imagines how much fuller the band might sound with the addition of keys.
The closer attempts to marry these two strands. Melding noughties polished rock with 90s sentimental yearning, “Let Go” kicks off with a generic two-chord stomp, before pivoting into a Britpop-style singalong chorus, and crescending into an emotional outro Aerosmith 2.0 would be proud of. Ten years and counting? Bassist Andy, just don’t stop typing …
– Rob Garratt
Tofu Kingdom (豆腐王國)
1. (Cover / The Sundays) Here’s Where the Story Ends 6:00
2. At the End of the Rocky Road 2:49
3. Demo 1 – 3:35
4. Demo 2 – 6mins
5. 石沉大海 5:40
6. Demo 3 – 6:00
We love that when a part of the backdrop fell on Tofu Kingdom during their soundcheck, they laughed.
We love that they apparently debuted three new unnamed songs as part of a six-song festival set list.
Hell, we love that the lead singer submits her name as “Rita Whatever”, and that the band’s official profile picture on streaming services looks like something a six-year-old drew on Microsoft Paint. And we kinda love the name Tofu Kingdom, whatever-TF it’s meant to mean.
So we want to love Tofu Kingdom, a lot. But of course expectation rarely meets reality, and setting your own high bar will only disappoint.
We definitely didn’t love the muddy mix. In typical shoegaze style, the vocals are intentionally mixed super low on the recordings, but live we couldn’t hear bassist Jill Jill Chung’s voice at all – an epic fail, because we also love that this band is basically built around the skill and charisma of the two women vocalists. Sam Yu and Justin Kong just do what awkward, socially anxious guitarists have done since grunge made it OK – stare at their shoes and make majestic walls of sound. It’s integral to the project, but Rita and Jill Jill are bringing the songs – and the latter’s basslines are the crucial musical grounding that stops this whole retro circus wheel from teetering over in a fireball of reverb and regret.
Opening with a cover of The Sundays’ “Here’s Where the Story Ends” probably made sense on paper, and Whatever’s vocals definitely occupy the same sonic range as Harriet Wheeler’s. But it fell a little flat – perhaps we can blame the shoddy staging – and the following, short, jangly “At the End of the Rocky Road” felt perhaps too obviously in debt to what came before. In this mix of aloof indie whimsy and studious soundscaping, I was reminded a little of scene legends Teenage Riot.
Then came two unreleased demos which suggest the kingdom is expanding, as its empress slowly cracks up, freaking out with haunting reflections and nervy paranoia, coupled with a growing sense of megalomania. The first was a thrilling post-punk vignette built around an eight-chord jam, the second a frantic six-minute wig out of thrashed chords and feedback that doesn’t even have words yet.
This big risk was repaid with the relative safety of new single “石沉大海”, a slow, yearning shoegaze burner, before The Cranberries-esque future singalong “Demo III”, which we would have liked a lot more with a closer attention to melody.
– Rob Garratt
Bitez and the Archangels
1. 出走東京 Tokyo boy
2. 小魔怪 Little demon
3. 風花 wind flower
4. 指尖 fingertip
5. 死心不息 don’t know when to quit
6. 寅時無鬼 no ghost at 3am
Bitez and the Archangels hit the stage with a burst of energy, immediately drawing the crowd into their wild, theatrical world. Their bold metal-samurai outfits—apparently inspired by a tip from Chris B—were a playful touch that set the tone for a night of pure musical fun.
From the first song, Bitez had everyone involved, getting the audience to join in with his cheeky, rebellious vibe. Sometimes I wasn’t quite sure what we were rebelling against, but it was impossible not to get swept up in the fun. The set was packed with punchy tempos and those catchy, two-word choruses—think “Tokyo Boy” and “Wind Flower”—that are perfect for shouting along, and I definitely found myself shouting very loudly. Ron and Matt’s twin guitar attack kept things lively, with riffs and solos that added plenty of colour. This band really brought a celebration of rock’s over-the-top side to the festival.
Even when they veered into more experimental territory, the crowd (and I!) stayed with them, and the closer “寅時無鬼 no ghost at 3am” finished things off with real impact. I found out later they’ve only been together for seven months! I’m genuinely curious to see where Bitez and the Archangels go from here as they get more gigs under their belt.
–Rosie Chan
極美樂團 GIMAG
1. 密友
2. 惡果
3. 信箱
4. 羊咩
5. 派對
Gimag welcomed us with a warm intro—and from what I could understand with my very limited Cantonese, they mentioned that much of their music comes from just jamming together. That explained a lot. The band had that kind of raw chemistry on stage that felt honest and unfiltered. Leading the charge was 蔡紫晴（小菌）, whose voice carried both power and intimacy. On bass, Joel laid down thick, groove-heavy lines. Kim and 平 kept the twin guitars crunchy and melodic, while Vincent Po held everything together behind the kit with tight, controlled beats.
The first song started softly with vocals and gentle accompaniment. The volume didn’t jump—it just slowly filled the room. A trill from the drums between verses. A little crescendo into the chorus. Her voice was soft and delicate, and then she hit us with these full, long notes that gave me flashbacks to Cantopop ballads with serious spark. I didn’t expect that from her, but there it was.
Second song kicked off with an RHCP-style intro that showed off the whole band. It softened again to let the vocals take centre stage, but the energy returned quickly. The chorus crept in, and it reminded me of an anime theme—yep, that kind of soaring, emotional feel. There was this chunky rhythm from the guitarist that came in just before the final chorus. Then the vocals dropped out. For a moment, we just got the band, and it worked. She came back in and finished strong. That chunky rhythm returned—double time—and the song snapped shut.
The third track started simple. Chill beat, catchy melody. I wasn’t expecting it to suddenly speed up—but it did—and the vocals kept up perfectly. The energy shifted immediately. People couldn’t stop dancing. “Jump! Jump! Jump!” she shouted, and no one needed asking twice. The drums drove the whole thing forward. Even people at the back were bouncing in time.
Fourth song began with guitar that sounded like Oasis, but then her vocals came in and completely changed the feel. Clear, emotional, and unfiltered. I didn’t know what the lyrics meant, but the emotion hit anyway. It got me. Not gonna lie—a tear of happiness actually rolled down my cheek. Then the solo—short and clean—followed by a return to those emotional lyrics. It felt like she was calling out for help. No over-singing. Just honest.
Then came the last one: 派對. She said her thanks, then asked the crowd to join in. Whatever she said, we all repeated it. No hesitation. The music slowed, tension built, then the chorus exploded. Big release. It wasn’t just loud—it had that lift. The song kept shifting through stages, picking up speed and intensity. The vocalist had everyone waving side to side by the end. Total connection.
Right at the end, someone near me shouted:
“This is by far the best band I’ve seen tonight!”
Hard to argue with that.
– Cain McInerney
UDG21｜極美樂團｜Switch！知性靈魂切換Hyper mode！
文字音符：微醺Jamming感、鼓惑的鼓、慵懶而穿透的女聲，她的髮髻隨曲風轉換而散落、蓄力至最後大合唱的Bass手、浪漫酒吧裡頭的驚喜樂隊
先入場的是鼓手阿布，少少靦腆，穿西裝外套的他有著當晚其他樂手少見的成熟沉穩，但內裡也是跳脫的Boy，只是演出時才顯露出來。然後長髮Bass手Joel 、剛參與完Andyistyping演出的結他手阿平相繼上台，雖然都是西裝外套或恤衫，但同台的他們卻給人一種風格迂迴的感覺，還有另一位T-shirt短褲，明顯飲醉的可愛結他哥哥Kim，四位男士台風各異——直至女Vocal小菌進場將大家串聯起來。
小菌有種親和力，令人感覺她對舞台上下的事都遊刃有餘。配上黑西裝褸，散發自信知性美，以及些許慵懶感；表演前她與bandmate在台上chitchat了幾句，內容是關於jet lag和今日瞓到幾點之類，這麼幾句閒聊竟就展現到極美樂團的Vocal對她的bandmate和接下來的演出有著充份信心，甚至令台下的我都漸漸期待起來，這是表演者的魅力。第一首歌《密友》，抒情慢歌，Jamming感重，小菌初時在某些高音位置有點偏差，但無阻她在歌曲中傾注厚厚情感，隨後也逐漸找回狀態。這首慢歌確立了極美樂隊的優雅情調，就似漫漫長夜隨意走入一間酒吧，遇上了一隊撫慰心靈的live band（誰不知愁思盡處他們又可以轉換Hyper mode帶動你的情緒高漲起來）。
中間有幾件得意事：阿平的結他斷了弦，即場換了第二隊band樂手的結他上陣、阿布在演出時玩嘢，在慢歌中突然打了段風格不一的快鼓，令小菌Switch了去Rock mode，鼓惑得很、Kim人愈來愈醉，臉愈來愈紅⋯⋯這些都是隨興Jamming、Underground舞台可以見到的lovely little things！
所以，如他們編排的，極美樂團漸進地以慢歌Connect觀眾，然後曲調一轉，Switch到Hyper模式，最好的證明就是小菌頭上的髮髻隨演唱到後段而散落、觀眾從慢慢搖晃，到行近台前用力跟節奏擺動；而最有力的，是整場演出一直低調的Bass佬Joel在最後大合唱時共同吶喊，呢種反差，就好似書面語突然轉咗口語一樣舒暢爽快！極美樂團優雅地駕馭了舞台，也懂得以不同的音樂風格Connect觀眾，演出特色是Jamming感重，看台上樂手在演奏和吹水都令人更易投入。事後聽到Vocal小菌在演出前一日先從外地回港，隨即就搵咗bandmate夾band練習，呢把穿透而帶點慵懶感嘅女聲、以致知性自信背後，都是苦功。
*極美樂團UDG 21演出曲目： 《密友》、《惡果》、《信箱》、《羊咩》、《派對》
*極美樂團UDG 21演出樂手：
Vocal ：蔡紫晴（ 小菌）
Bass ：Joel
Guitar ：平
Guitar ：Kim
Drum ：Vincent Po
-劉海亮
MIS
我就是哈比
Medley: 芳華絕代/大熱
痛的顏色
再見再見
木偶再遇記
We will meet someday
MIS are fresh on the scene, but they hit the stage like they’ve been doing this for years. They only just made their first appearance at Shazza Music Showcase—Chris B’s other event—and already, they’re making waves. Fronted by Warren on vocals and Terrance, who bounced between keytar, rhythm guitar and vocals, the band also featured Bee shredding on lead guitar, Harry leading the charge on bass (and clearly the band’s anchor), 祥仔 covering both keyboard and flute, and 馬仔 holding it all together behind the drums. For a band that’s only a few months old, they already knew how to put on a show—and more importantly, how to connect with a crowd.
They opened with “我就是哈比”, which started with a jiving tune and a confident, almost cheeky stage presence. The main vocalist had command, but what made the moment really addictive was how the crowd joined in instantly. There was a moment where people actually made a circle around him while he sang—that’s how much energy he gave off. The chorus was super catchy, especially with the three vocalists layering together. It stopped as abruptly as it started. Boom. Statement made.
“芳華絕代/大熱” followed and was one of the most unique moments of the night. Think Mission Impossible meets Cantopop. The groove was tight, but it was the synths that stole the show—giving the sound an eerie, almost magical atmosphere. I swear there were spooky elements fit for Halloween. The solo by the synth/keyboard was so sharp it cut through the room like a haunted whistle. The crowd couldn’t stop bouncing. Even when the vocals were slightly drowned out, the vibe stayed strong.
With “痛的顏色”, we shifted gears. This one started with a piano/keyboard duet, which gave it a really theatrical, almost cinematic feel. The vocals entered with warmth, and the rest of the band joined in piece by piece. The whole thing reminded me of a Bryan Adams-style soft rock ballad—but twisted through MIS’s quirky, genre-bending lens. There was a rising swell in the chorus that really stuck with me. A great change of pace.
Then came “再見再見”, and wow. This one leaned into the softer side of the set. A slow build, relying heavily on piano to carry the emotion. The vocals here were crystal clear—so sweet and clean that I stopped taking notes just to listen. When the guitar, bass and drums crept in, they didn’t overpower; they lifted it. The sway in the room was real. I wrote, this is like the final goodbye. They closed it out with a gentle repeated line of “再見… goodbye,” then let the guitar trail off. It felt like the perfect place to end. Honestly, it should have ended there.
But nope. “木偶再遇記” came next. The opening was interesting, but then—BOOM!—the band came in too loud, and it took a few moments before things settled so we could actually hear the lyrics. That said, once they found their groove, this song hit hard. Big energy. The chorus felt like something built for an encore… so I laughed when they actually kept going. People were jumping all around me. MIS had the room by the throat.
It was already after midnight when they launched into the encore—but no one was leaving.
They came back with “We will meet someday”. Ooh wow woah—the moment they started, the energy shifted. The vocals were beautifully executed, but what really stood out was the way they sang: using staggered vocals, where one singer would begin a line just as the other finished theirs. This was a celebration, connection, and the perfect way to say goodbye.
MIS might be new to the Underground stage, but they played like veterans. Charisma, chaos, sweetness, and synths? Yes. More of this.
Did you feel that too, or were you just too busy dancing?
– Cain McInerney
UDG21｜MIS｜年輕Boy Band的狂野warm remind
文字音符：Boy sound power、愛講大道理的年輕主唱，是世代令他有感而發、樂器音色與樂手髮色一樣豐富、密語藏在熱血歌詞與意外老派的曲風中
睇完香港樂隊MIS 嘅live，觀眾嘅精神面貌應該年輕咗幾歲；呢隊Boy嘅energy…..好純！
先入為主，最初望到台上6位Boy的造型，腦中彈起「MK」兩隻字，以Boy band嚟講其實算係難得——所以當MIS一表演，佢哋個種Boy Sweet、強勁編曲嘅反差對我更具吸引力。
所謂「不可叫人小看你年輕」，呢隊後生Band仔嘅觀賞性絕對夠強，而且夠薑；開場其中一首歌就翻唱梅姐《芳華絕代》，可以話係未x死過，翻唱此曲者，多被梅姐風姿隔代籠罩，難有驚喜詮釋，至於由Band仔重新編曲翻唱又會如何呢？Umm，結論嚟講無可奈何地難同原唱睇齊，但佢哋亦無需追求呢樣嘢；《芳華絕代》喺MIS身上成為咗同觀眾拉緊距離嘅表演，Vocal Warren模仿梅姐撩人台姿，扮嘴Band mate，更重要嘅係佢選擇行落台，（扮）嘴埋觀眾一份，一嘢定調樂隊Fun個性。Band仔要如何演繹此級數的經典名曲，MIS某程度係 get到的。
6位Boy同台，難免逼啲，尤其仲有長笛、Keyboard同Keytar樂器同場（這也是MIS觀賞性高的原因），可能都因為咁樣Warren多咗行落台同觀眾互動，而佢確實有兩招辣㷫全場嘅招數，作為表演者嚟講係Nice的！去到MIS原創歌曲，有驚喜，驚喜在於無諗到佢哋係呢種路線同曲風，《我就是哈比》、《木偶再遇記》，有自嘲有熱血，有搖滾有希望，歌詞亦好係一個年青BOY角度出發，直率有力，尤其《木偶再遇記》有種往昔「動畫主題曲」嘅感覺，編曲豐富，令人感覺熟悉又新奇；而呢種音樂風格亦發揮到MIS獨有嘅年青energy，Nice！
Warren每首歌完咗都會講吓經，從內容上feel到佢係好真摯同溫柔嘅人，成隊Band嘅energy都好pure，最後收尾嘅慢歌《再見再見》、《We will meet someday》亦係對呢座城市、對香港人、對成長嘅寄語，Damn，又pure又true的年青人啊，希望呢種溫柔會隨音樂陪你哋到老，你多次強調到的「香港樂隊」身份能夠一直令你哋自豪。
不過呢，從整體演出而言，雙Vocal（Warren & Terrance）嘅聲線辨識度都唔算太高，加上樂器底聲豐富，人聲易被蓋過，想令觀眾留低印象就要從唱腔下手，相信隨住演出經驗增加會逐漸捉摸到的～加油！
*MIS UDG 21演出曲目：
Cover Song：《芳華絕代》、《大熱》
Original：《我就是哈比》、《木偶再遇記》、《痛的顏色》、《再見再見》、《We will meet someday》
*MIS UDG 21演出樂手：
Vocal：Warren
Vocal + Keytar + R.Guitar：Terrance
Lead Guitar：Bee
Bass (Band Leader)：Harry
Keyboard + Flute：祥仔
Drum：馬仔
-劉海亮
The photos with our Underground watermark on the bottom left were taken by angweilo_saxon.
浮水印喺左下角嘅相係由angweilo_saxon攝影。
The photos with our Underground watermark on the bottom right were taken by Aaron Michelson
浮水印喺右下角嘅相係由Aaron Michelson攝影。
Poster by Dawn.
海報由Dawn.
21st Anniversary logo designed by Angus Leung. 21周年紀念logo由Angus Leung設計
