Wooooohooo!! What an amazing first night of the Festival! 🎉
Nine great Hong Kong bands performed across two stages at the Fringe Club to kick off our 22nd year of supporting original music. So much diversity, so many genres, and such a great atmosphere!
Huge thanks to the Fringe Club for collaborating with us on this, and shoutout to the sound engineers and crew on both stages — YOU GUYS ROCK!
Thanks to Carlsberg for the beer! 🍻
Biggest shoutout to the amazing audience who kept saying what great bands we have in Hong Kong!
Thanks to Aaron & Tim for the great photos, Darwin for the cool video clips, and Joana & Gordon for the awesome audience interviews!
Thanks to Kyle for doing such a fabulous job as MC!
Thanks to Marie for her delicious food and to Pete and the Neon Tiger team!
To all the wonderful people who make The Underground run so smoothly — I appreciate you guys so much: Shaun, Thom, Calvin, Raven, Matthew & Sunny, and especially Kiwi for all your hard work in the lead-up to the festival. ❤️
Total respect and love to 劉海亮, BRG Radio, Ashley & El Jay, our reviewers who dedicate their time to writing reviews for each band.
Thanks to Bay for the extremely cool poster artwork AND for displaying his fantastic paintings during the festival!
And finally, thanks to Shaun B for supporting everything I do. 🙏
Wooooohooo！！冬季音樂節 嘅第一晚真係勁正呀！🎉
有九隊超正嘅香港樂隊喺 Fringe Club 兩個舞台輪流演出，為我哋支持原創音樂嘅第 22 年拉開序幕！音樂風格超多樣，氣氛爆棚！🔥
多謝 Fringe Club 同我哋合作搞呢個活動，仲要大大聲 shout out 比兩個舞台嘅音響師同班 crew —— 你哋真係 ROCK！💪
多謝 Carlsberg 嘅啤酒！🍻
最大聲嘅多謝就係畀到場嘅觀眾，你哋不停咁話香港嘅 band 真係好正！😍
多謝 Aaron 同 Tim 影到咁多靚相，Darwin 嘅型爆 video clips，仲有 Joana 同 Gordon 幫我哋做咗咁多精彩嘅觀眾訪問！🎤
特別要多謝 Kyle，MC 做得超好！👏
仲要多謝 Marie 嘅美食，同 Pete ， Neon Tiger 團隊 嘅支持！
The Underground 可以運作得咁順利，全靠一班勁有心嘅人，我真係好感激你哋：Shaun, Thom, Calvin, Raven, Matthew 同 Sunny，尤其係 Kiwi，多謝你喺籌備期間咁辛苦咁幫忙！❤️
仲有 劉海亮, BRG Radio, Ashley 同 El Jay ，感謝你哋花時間幫每隊樂隊寫評論，超有 heart！🎶
多謝 Bay 設計咁型嘅作品，仲喺呢個音樂節展出佢嘅精彩畫作，超正！🎨
最後，感謝 Shaun B 一直支持我做嘅一切。🙏❤️
❤️ Chris B xx

Calliste

1. Dive – Olivia Dean (cover)
2. Fairytale
3. Freefall
4. Stepping stone
5. Camilla
6. Protecting my way
7. Loving to settle
8. Easier said than done – Thee Sacred Souls (cover)

Calliste opened the show with “Dive” (an Olivia Dean cover), just her and a guitar, and from the first line her crystal clear voice was utterly captivating. For “Fairytale” she switched to piano and took us on another journey; the room was so still and attentive that at one point I could feel goosebumps on my arms. By the third song, Calliste still had the crowd in the palm of her hand, holding the space with quiet confidence and emotional intensity.

Her writing already shows a strong sense of honesty and emotional connection, especially for someone who has only recently started sharing her own songs. The lyrics feel personal and vulnerable without ever becoming overwrought, and you get the sense of a young artist with a clear voice and point of view. Songs like “Freefall”, “Stepping Stone” and “Loving to Settle” explore themes of growth, doubt and learning to let go, delivered with a maturity that draws the listener in.

Mid set she was joined by Hailey for backing vocals on two songs, and the blend of their voices was excellent. Their harmonies complemented each other so well that it was hard to believe there weren’t more players on stage – the simple addition of a second vocal filled out the sound that much. Hailey’s lines never overshadowed Calliste; instead they wrapped gently around the lead, adding warmth and depth at just the right moments. It was a beautifully judged opening set: intimate, controlled and genuinely moving, and it left me excited to see where Calliste’s songs will take her next.
-Shaun @BRG

Goldsmiths

1. Drift
2. Passerby
3. A Runaway Heart
4. Haman the Agagite
5. The Crimson Sky
6. Bleeding
7. A Pathological Display
8. Pink Iilies

Members:
Wyn: flute
Keith: drums
Ben: electric guitar
Micah: electric bass
AJ: keys
Sien: acoustic guitar, vocals

Goldsmiths is a charming band with unique charm. Their set list started off strong with Drift, a catchy melody. Wyn on the flute shines in this song and the tune would not be nearly as captivating without them, as the flute works perfectly with singer Sien’s strong voice. The band seems tight knit and energetic, and it’s a great choice for an opening song. The next few songs Passerby and A Runaway Heart continue to display Goldsmiths style, but blend together a little too well as songs felt quite similar.

Whilst the band’s distinct style is showcased well in the first few songs, their talent shines most when they switch things up. Haman the Agagite showcases this well. Opening slowly with the slightly confusing appearance of another instrument, the shift in energy and sound is well appreciated by the audience. The combination of members Ben and Micah on electric guitar and bass with Keith on the drums are distinct and dynamic, and highlight further the strengths of the band.

The Crimson Sky opens with a reading of Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas, which then leads into haunting vocals that go from intense to mellow multiple times during the song. The set continues with high quality music, before ending on a personal favourite: Pink Lilies. Overall, Goldsmiths is definitely a band I would keep an eye out for. Undoubtedly they will do great things in the next few years and are sure to keep developing their talent. Well done!
-Ash B

Sapphire Yoshi

KK Cruisin
Butter Building
Song of Storms
Lonely Rolling Star
Driftveil City
Color Your Night
Snake Eater

Sapphire Yoshi kicked off their set by inviting an audience member onstage to play a video game live while they performed. Solid drumming and smooth bass laid the foundation while keys and an “electro sax” intertwined and played off each other, matching the game’s mood beat for beat and making it even more entertaining to watch our intrepid player in real time. The band leaned fully into the concept with gaming elements in their outfits, staying relaxed and clearly enjoying themselves as the audience grew increasingly intrigued. It was The Underground doing what it does best: delivering new experiences and creating an instant sense of community around something unexpected. When our player finally won a prize, the crowd roared their approval.

Before the next number, the band introduced a more up tempo piece from the much loved Kirby game, with gameplay running in the background and the contrast between on screen action and live performance pulling the audience further in. At some point it clicks: these guys are actually creating original music for video games, and the quality of the writing and performance, plus the band’s obvious joy, locks the crowd in. Watching the room, I was struck by how many people were smiling. The drummer’s flourishes around the kit, steady groove, off beat cymbal work and nimble rolls kept everything driving forward, while the electro sax style lead added a playful, futuristic edge. A later piece from the Zelda series – jokingly introduced with a warning it might trigger a T storm – sat in a tight funk groove that synced perfectly with the visuals, the infectious riff over bass and chords helping to transport the audience straight into the game world. By the end of their set, the band’s concept, musicianship and sheer fun had completely won the room over.
-Shaun @BRG

Ashia 廖嘉敏

私人風呂
幻痛
做個回憶作回憶
Movin’ On
Dream of Mine
給世上不可或缺的人

Ashia廖嘉敏—周五良藥
(POP)

禮拜五做嘢做到最後一刻，入場前仲send緊工作msg，未從返工mode抽離出嚟，便匆匆忙忙趕上Ashia演唱。

縱使這不是典型的「重金屬搖滾夜」，但Ashia輕柔的歌聲、溫和的曲風還是能好好讓人釋放壓力。某程度上，這位女歌手流露出的「soft」，力量不比重金屬歌手弱。

輕柔是質感，Ashia聲音其實偏沉，並透著一股堅毅，這與她歌曲選題有關——珍惜、回憶、美好、move on……亦正因唱腔沉穩，Ashia嘅歌聽起來不像是一個女孩涉世未深的幼嫩想像，而是一個直視過苦痛的人所選擇的輕柔和應。而歌與歌之間，Ashia分享到自己在醫院任職過心理學家，服務癌症人士的背景，這令我腦中浮現了「喜樂是良藥，音樂都一樣」的想法。

有賴樂手的rearrange，整體演出更為輕快，Ashia也為歌曲賦予了厚實的情感
，但一些高音位置略嫌生硬，展現不到遞進的層次感。也許是口音問題，英文歌像更適合Ashia發揮，帶些千禧感的福音向曲風在Ashia演繹下是生動的——使你打開手機亮光燈跟著歌曲輕搖那種。

Ashia有著獨特的舞台魅力：充滿感染力的笑容、正面而不陳腔濫調的歌曲主題，不難說出觀眾與樂手都喜歡她，而這份喜歡當中，音樂性佔比確實較少。期待這位女歌手的發揮，也多謝她為周五晚帶來「良藥」，以不那麼hardcore的形式讓我們抒發情感。好奇Ashia的歌曲由遠大的善拉近至個人情愛，會否為觀眾以及她本人都帶來驚喜。

Ashia – Vocal
Falcon – keyboard
Kin – Bassist
Edwin – Drummer
-劉海亮

Murphy & the Lawyers

1. RED LIGHT
2. RAGGAFIRE
3. BOOMERANG
4. 6K MILES AWAY
5. SUPER SAIYAN
6. KATHMANDU
7. WAY OUT
8. ANTIDOTE
9. QUEEN OF CHESS

The crowd was clearly excited for Murphy and the Lawyers from the moment they stepped onstage. Murphy opened with a lilting vocal before dropping into a rich baritone on “Red Light”, while Alay on drums and Edgar on timba style percussion locked in with the horn section (Dan on saxophone and Ewan on trombone) and immediately got people dancing. I’m a big fan of brass sections, and these players bounced off each other beautifully, with Jai on keys wandering over the main riff to carve out an instantly catchy melody. The crowd arrived in the mood to move, and the band absolutely delivered.

“Raggafire” is a particular favourite of mine, and it’s obvious Alay, Edgar and Ambroise on bass feel the same – they’re clearly having a great time locking in together. Jai’s keys fill out the sound, while Piero on lead guitar shows real taste, dropping in and out with a deft touch rather than crowding the mix. The horn section is excellent throughout, and when Dan steps forward for a sax solo, it’s a joy to watch the rest of the band turn to look and visibly appreciate their bandmate.

Rhythm really drives this band: Alay and Edgar seem to be in conversation, answering each other with interlocking beats. The band is tight, the vocals are strong, and they play as a genuine unit, leaving space for each member to shine without ever losing the groove. Across the set, the tracks move from relaxed reggae riffs to more driving beats, with the crowd invited to join vocal refrains on songs like “Kathmandu” and “Queen of Chess” – and they happily sing back whenever they’re called on. Murphy knows exactly how to work a room, engaging the audience with obvious enthusiasm. From the first song, it’s clear Murphy and the Lawyers came to play and entertain, and the Winterfest crowd is very glad they did. This was my first time seeing them, and I’ll definitely be back for more.
-Shaun @BRG

Band members:
• Murphy – Vocals and Guitar
• Ambroise – Bass and Vocals
• Piero – Electric Guitar
• Jai – Keys
• Dan – Saxophone
• Ewan – Trombone
• Alay – Drums
• Edgar – Percussions

norio

Intro
find you
day n night
be the same
end of the story
a part of me died
fall
Hide
Outro

norio: vocalist/main act
tommar: guitar
Wing Hong: drummer

With slower paced, melodic tunes, and a great stage presence, norio is undeniably charming to the audience. Delivering relaxing and smooth tunes, his style is reminiscent of American singer Keshi. In “Be the Same” guitarist Tommar shines especially. Wing Hong on drums shines the most to me in the next song, end of the story, working well with norio’s smooth vocals. A more personal moment in the set, norio delivers a song of grief for his mother as he sits on stage, before rapidly switching this up to go to the next song. After a few pleasant, enjoyable but similar sounding songs, the set ended with my personal favourite. norio’s captivating voice as he sings “where are you hiding” leaves the audience and myself wanting another song. It’s a nice change of pace from the last few calmer songs and concludes a strong set.
-Ash B

Mr. Koo

 1.⁠ ⁠Breathe
 2.⁠ ⁠Time & Space
 3.⁠ ⁠Typhoon Grooves
 4.⁠ ⁠3 Day Hangover
 5.⁠ ⁠The Real World
 6.⁠ ⁠Funk Jam
 7.⁠ ⁠On Hold
 8.⁠ ⁠Confused
9.⁠ ⁠Big Wave Bay

Drifting between dreamy indie haze and tight blues-rock, Mr Koo’s set is anchored by technically assured songwriting. The cinematic Breathe opens with downtempo textures, a languid solo and a sax passage as frontman Ollie Andrew Koo Rodgers beckons the crowd closer. Time & Space follows with Japanese jazz‑pop richness, wah pedal-distorted strumming and exuberant saxophone lines woven throughout the composition.

For Typhoon Grooves, Rodgers greets the audience in Cantonese before rolling into Hendrix‑esque wah solos and waves of sound that crest with sax and drums. Then, things are pared back on 3 Day Hangover, with clean guitar and folky vocals, Kevin Cheng’s drums ticking like a clock as wistful lyrics carry country inflections: “just trying to get back the world I live in”. The Real World slows further, Wilco‑like in tone, Tom Chan’s bass runs nudging Andrew McBain’s marimba-esque keys while Jun Ho’s sax notes rise like smoke, every phrase carefully shaped. “I’m going offline but I’ll never get away,” the highly workmanlike Rodgers sings – a relatably melancholic sentiment for the modern era.

Funk Jam rolls in like storm clouds from the ocean with dissonant guitar over spacey keys, Moon Duo’s desert‑rock textures, piano solos and a spine‑tingling crescendo where phased guitar notes bloom and sax screeches with emotion. On Hold lightens the mood with surf‑pop bounce, caramel vocals and playful keyboard effects that flirt with dissonance. McBain is great to watch – his playing really brings the band’s vibe to life, employing different effects that are always surprising and fun. Rodgers’ vocal tone flits between a slightly grizzled Cobain-style affectation but smooths into more John Mayer territory on songs like Confused, whose teenage simplicity – “I’m so confuuuused, I don’t know what to doooo” – is elevated by lush instrumentation. It’s a track that’s as sweet as a summer’s breeze.

On Big Wave Bay, a bright, catchy closer evokes summer drives and screen‑free escapes in its jangly indie pop, Rodgers gives a shoutout to following band Qi and mentions how the two acts debuted together six years earlier. Anyone who saw Rodgers in those days will remember him as a shy soloist, an old soul in a youthful form, with a suitcase of sincere original tunes. To see the band now, fleshed out as a five-piece, is like seeing a nice sketch become a multidimensional diorama. Across the set, the band balances virtuosity with warmth, shifting from haze to groove with ease – it’s a performance that’s both technically assured and joyfully human. A few of the Koo crew keep things rolling afterwards underground jazz venue Chez Trente, where lucky punters get to witness them see out the night with improvisation in a more intimate setting. But at the Fringe, they knock their too-short set out of the park and are the clear highlight of The Underground’s Winter Festival bill.
-El Jay

Yusobeit

celebration
蕪鳴
怪物
56k
無大礙
正好

UDG WINTER FES 2026
Yusobeit – 望見台下
(CANTO ROCK)

當連阿ROSS都High到「舉高隻手」，你就知Yusobeit唔係講笑，so as ROSS嘅搖滾精神！

Who is ROSS？一個七十三歲仲會入場聽Underground音樂嘅優雅伯伯！
How do I know ROSS? 因為主音阿YU(Elvis)走落台Shout Out佢，搖滾而不失禮貌地問呢位伯伯幾歲，令我哋知道同場有阿ROSS一齊Rock！

阿YU流住「表演者」嘅血，Entertainer獨有嘅癲狂式Hustle精神支撐佢澎湃輸出！裡面當然有著唱功、台風等「技巧」，而更多嘅係「個性」，以及個性使然下嘅自然發揮，其中一樣就係令佢留意並回應台下嘅「洞察力」！呢樣天賦令阿YU喺人群中睇得見阿Ross，令觀眾渴望自己成為表演一部份！（同埋令到觀眾定大會人士請佢哋飲啤酒，哈！)

Yusobeit四子有一段時間無齊整夾Band（因為結他手KIT小朋友出世，Congratulation!），默契依然喺度，但就多啲蝦碌嘢！第一首歌KIT爸支結他斷弦，縱使佢好冷靜咁處理，首歌唱完都趕唔切，正！ 阿YU冇放過呢個炒熱氣氛嘅機會，幽隊友一默後令大家喺下首歌更留意結他表現aka Rising a guitar monster——何況佢嘅嘶吼＆鼓手嘅Rap已成功帶觀眾入Rock Mode！或者係我企得前過喇叭，又或者係器材問題，聽阿YU把聲有啲細，未100%感受到佢scream嘅威力，可惜！本身今次Yusobeit選歌前Rock後抒情，有啲反差，而YU把厚聲唱Live絕對Carry到兩種曲風&唱腔，同時又Keep觀眾Entertaining，夠氣又夠戲！今次嗌得唔夠，期待 Yusobeit四子器材全Ready下嘅表演，亦期待佢哋點玩大場！

如果你搵緊一隊表演力爆登嘅Rock Band，嗌得唱得，表演充滿驚喜嘅，係Yusobeit㗎啦！

P.S. 網上其中一個對Yusobeit嘅Comment係佢哋「冇自己把聲」，因為唱法太似Supper Moment，DAMN that’s not true，睇一次佢哋嘅Live，佢哋絕對擁有自己嘅聲音，仲愈聽愈上癮！YU同SUNNY相似嘅係眼神入面嗰種狂熱，下秒隨時為表演唔知做啲咩出嚟嘅不可預知性；呢樣係同樣流住「表演者」血液，心入面有Entertainer使命嘅人嘅共同語言，鳴就明！

Yusobeit UDG WINTER FES 歌單：
Celebration
蕪鳴
怪物
56k
無大礙
正好
加唱：秋分

Elvis : Vocal
Kit: Guitar
Andy: Bass
MC : Drums
-劉海亮

Qi

1. 飛 / intro
2. Today Is Another Day
3. 动起来
4. Forever Guy
5. Starmeow Rock
6. Mona Lisa (unplugged version)
7. Make Love Song
8. Racing For Your Life

Five distinct members make up Qi, and they ease into their set with Titanic Jack’s vocals and Ant Man’s guitar on the intro “飛” before Mighty Maduro’s bass and Thanx Manx’s drums build the track, finally joined by Rob Glee on second guitar to create a big, well blended sound. The opening number sets out their stall: melodic rock with a touch of drama, built on a strong backbone from the rhythm section. As the set progresses into songs like “Today Is Another Day” and “动起来 (Dong Qi Lai)”, the band leans into punchy grooves and hooky guitar lines that give the material real lift.

On stage, Qi’s real strengths lie in their playing and arrangements. Thanx Manx does a particularly solid job of holding everything together so the guitars and bass can weave in and out, and there are plenty of moments where the twin guitar interplay between Ant Man and Rob Glee really shines. You can hear that the songs are well thought out, with dynamic shifts, stops and builds that show a lot of care has gone into the writing.

Occasionally it felt like the band were still settling into a shared stage presence, and at times the overall energy didn’t quite match the quality of the songs themselves. That said, the crowd stayed with them, and there were clear flashes where everything locked in and the room responded. It gives the impression of a group mid journey rather than the finished article – a band with good material and musicianship who are still discovering how best to present it live together. I’ll be interested to see Qi again in a few months; there’s plenty here to build on, and the potential for a really compelling live show is already visible.
-Shaun @BRG

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​ ​​​Bay Leung​.
海報由​​​Bay Leung.

22nd Anniversary logo designed by Angus Leung. 22周年紀念logo由Angus Leung設計