Wooooohooo!! What an amazing second night of the Festival! 🎉
Fourteen 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 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, Ash, Cyril, Lauren & Hazel-Rah, 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 嘅第二晚真係勁正呀！🎉
有十四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 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, Ash, Lauren, Cyril 同 Hazel-Rah ，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
Le Groupe Electrogène Fanfare Club
51
bella ciao
take on me
bambino
freed from desire
suzette
banana
pussy
(femmes 80 if we have time)
From start to finish, Le Groupe Electrogène Fanfare Club delivered a set overflowing with infectious energy, every song played with huge smiles and maximum enthusiasm. The minute they start playing I have a huge smile on my face, and it stays there as I dance for the whole set.
Tonight it was the full Fanfare line‑up: the core guitar, bass, drums and percussion band surrounded by a small army of horns. Rather than picking out individual parts, what really hits you is the sheer size of the sound – a rolling, joyful blast of brass and rhythm that feels like a travelling street party spilling into the venue. At the centre of it all is the lead singer, very much the circus master, who brings everything together with enthusiasm and sheer joy at being there.
“Bella Ciao” is always one of my favourites, and here it worked exactly as it should: the crowd jumped in immediately, singing along and beginning to dance with the band as they wove through the melody. They rolled straight into “Take On Me”, a classic that the audience recognised instantly and clearly couldn’t wait to hit the chorus on. Hearing it played by such a large ensemble is a real thrill – those familiar lines become bright, punchy horn riffs and the choruses land like waves. Elsewhere in the set, “Bambine” and “Freed From Desire” kept the party atmosphere high, while deeper cuts like “Suzette” and “Pussy” showed just how much fun the band has digging into groove and repetition, pushing the audience to dance harder each time.
Without a doubt I would recommend catching this massive band whenever possible, as long as you are prepared to dance. Excellent set!
-Shaun @BRG
KASA
1. Clocks
2. She’s The Best
3. When We Were Young
4. Wherever You Are
5. Winters like Summers
6. Hong Kong Typhoons
7. Starwalkin’
Members:
KASA – Vocal/Bass
Nok – Guitar
Daniel – Drums
As a fan of Seasons for Change who discovered the band at the 21st Anniversary Festival, I was personally very excited to see lead singer Kasa’s solo work, and I was not disappointed. With the only major flaw in the performance being the energy of the crowd, perhaps as it was still early in the day, Kasa gave a great set with strong vocals and catchy tunes. Starting strong with his song “Clocks”, the setlist continued with many strong tracks, with my personal favorite of the next few songs being the one full of lines from iconic emo tunes, aptly described in the song with the line “ill keep singing these emo tunes”. It takes a skill to take so many references to great songs and combine them in a way that still shows individuality, and Kasa absolutely has this, with his distinct flair shining through the song. Another highlight of his set was “Wherever You Are”, with a memorable melody sung bilingually in English and Japanese. Kasa’s voice is perfect for the style of this song, with the strength of his voice and just the right amount of rasp to bring edge to the vocals. Winters like Summers paired clear albeit repetitive lyrics expressing a relatable complaint with a catchy, upbeat tune upheld by Nok on Guitar and Daniel on Drums. Hong Kong Typhoons had a nice rap break which helped make the song feel more dynamic. Starwalkin was a great song to end off on, showcasing the talents of everyone on stage. The set left me impressed by Kasa’s lung capacity and excited for more of his work, both independently and with his band.
-Ash B
Cyrill Lotion
1. ai ai
2. 邱比特偷偷寫好劇|Written by Cupid
3. 迷失北京| Lost in Beijing
4. Good morning
5. 3am Road Trip
6. let go
Cyrill Lotion(vocal/ Guitar）
daizy(pianist/vocal)
Jonathan(Bassist)
Brian (drummer)
Though billed as Cyrill Lotion, from what I could gather, it seems the
performance was made up of works between Cyrill and a new collaboration
Daizy Kayan called Cyanist, As Cyrill specifically pointed out a couple
of tracks being from his solo project, which is… Cyrill Lotion.
Anyway, regardless, branding their music as Lo-Fi hip hop, the entire
set was quite a dreamy and pleasant affair – the Cyanist songs seemed to
be more melodic while Cyrill’s ones tend to be more hip-hop oriented,
but both bore the hallmark of being “dreamy and pleasant” – one of the
tracks that particularly stood out for me was “Lost in Beijing“, a song
that was inspired by the movie “Lost in Translation”, which, for want of
a better description, is a masterpiece about… nothing. Those familiar
with the movie could probably get a feel for the set’s feel…
atmospheric and beautifully shot (I guess in a musical context that
would be “composed”). Another track which did it for me was “Good
Morning“, a track about cats, towards which I am quite partial…
visions of my cat jumping on my chest at 5am every morning came to mind
when the song title was announced and what it was about. Overall the
songs were very well crafted, with good arrangements that just work,
particularly the keyboard, which added a lot of electro fills to the
songs, something that I think distinguishes their music from simple
Cantopop music (no death threats please), as well as thoughtful lyrics.
Despite being a blues/rock person, I thoroughly enjoyed Cyrill Lotion’s
set, their music is perfect for a quiet evening in.
–Hazel-Rah
Funkaphones
Trina
Rhythm is Freedom
Summer Vibes
Twisted
She’s Such a Pain
Look Up
Highway 1
Hipster
Kyle Wagner: Keys and Vocals
Baw Summerset: Drums
Ryan Winter: Guitar and backing vocals
Anthony Brophy: Saxaphone
Davy Lam: Bass
Funkaphones deliver a set that swings between tight funk grooves and indulgent jam sessions, with Kyle Wagner’s vocals and keys at the centre. Opening with Trina, the slap‑bass shuffle and brass flourishes set a big‑band tone, Wagner pointing out faces in the crowd while Ryan Winter’s guitar flickers between disco nuggets and airy arpeggios. Rhythm is Freedom leans heavily on James Brown stylings, its tornado‑like build punctuated by Anthony Brophy’s sax solos, one soaring, another faltering. Wagner’s aside about quarantine gives the track unexpected poignancy.
Summer Vibes shifts into pop‑rock territory, its foggy guitar intro and smooth sax solo evoking an 80s teen film soundtrack. Wagner’s voice strains at the top end but the song carries a breezy charm. Twisted brings gospel energy, organ drones and stomping bass underpinning Wagner’s plea to “release me” before collapsing abruptly. Look Up attempts crowd participation, urging phones away and arms raised, though the message feels heavy‑handed and the reggae‑tinged guitar licks divide opinion.
The sharpest moment comes with She’s Such a Pain, a blues‑rock workout with wah‑wah guitar and spiralling sax lines, its groove irresistible despite the lyrical grumble. Closing number Hipster is pure dancefloor bait, basslines running wild, marimba fills adding sparkle, Wagner snarling with warmth as the band lock into disco‑funk abandon.
Throughout, Baw Summerset’s drumming is muscular yet playful, Davy Lam’s bass alternates between subtle backbone and berserk runs, and Brophy’s sax adds colour even when power wanes. Funkaphones may not always balance substance with style, but their live energy is undeniable – a band that thrives on sweat, swagger and the joy of improvisation.
–El Jay
Giraffe Eat Fish
般若
blood moon
uisto
miracle
AOI
drummer – Chandler Chan
guitarist & backing vo. – Karthis March
vocal – Kinki Kwan
keyboardist – JJ Wu
bassist – Gell
Giraffe Eat Fish’s set is as strange as its name. Lead singer Kinki Kwan cuts a striking figure in a black dress and blue hair, immediately rescuing the show from a clumsy MC intro. Pre‑recorded tracks and distant, angelic vocals set a melancholic tone before the band launch into 般若. The piece shifts restlessly between chugged chords, piano sonata interludes and jazz‑tinged passages, edging into proggy pop‑punk. The mix of Cantonese and English adds texture and personality, though Kwan’s voice strains at the top end.
Blood Moon opens atmospherically with synth stabs and cymbal flutters before crashing into heavy guitar not unlike the kind of cacophony you’ll hear walking through any Tom Lee megastore on a Saturday afternoon – it’s very YouTube “guitar solo compilation”. A spoken‑word backing track heightens the drama, though the song feels disjointed, veering towards over-indulgent. Kwan’s vocal is flat but carries charisma. Uisto begins a cappella then surges into phonk‑like synth lines and fretwork, cinematic in scope. The chorus thumps like a heartbeat, with 80s‑style guitar driving towards stadium rock, and clever use of a backing track creates breathy call‑and‑response moments.
Miracle falters at the start but settles into wistful romantic tones. Kwan’s husky lower register recalls Hayley Williams or Natalie Imbruglia, though higher notes prove painful. The shifting moods give the track fragility. AOI closes with Chandler Chan’s tight drumming and a cool guitar solo from Karthis March, though vocals waver.
Despite uneven execution, the band’s ambition is clear. JJ Wu’s keyboards and the absence of a bassist on some tracks leave space for experimentation, while the blend of genres – prog, pop‑punk, synth rock – keeps punters guessing. Giraffe Eat Fish may not yet have found a consistent sound, but their willingness to push boundaries and Kwan’s commanding presence suggest a group with staying power.
–El Jay
Revery
Mario
聽說你手機丟了
空想の歌
靈魂奇遇記
門前雪
Louis Ho ( Vocal )
King Tai ( Bass)
Him Li ( Guitar)
Enoch Law ( Drums)
REVERY 年輕得碰著誰
未開始搖滾，第一行已企滿Fans輪流合照；再望向台上樂手——後生，靚仔，時髦，似乎係一隊偶像向嘅樂隊喎！REVERY四子介乎於青澀與成熟之間，歌曲同台風都有著濃濃男孩空想嘅味道，感受到佢哋正落力演繹心目中嚮往嘅樂手形象，處於摸索階段又不失活力。
主唱Louis感冒在身，把聲應該比平時更沉，唱得更吃力，但仍然完成到Vocal本份；從佢拎咪姿勢同高音位嘅處理，睇得出基本功紮實嘅！至於互動性方面，年青活力係加分，有感染力但整體略為fans向，如果可以兼及到第一次睇佢哋表演嘅觀眾會更好，咁我哋聽首本團曲＜空想の歌＞先會更入魂嘛！
REVERY有兩首歌feature咗Giraffe eat fish結他手Karthis，5個男仔喺台夾得盡興，台下亦感受到佢哋pure嘅開心，尤其上round Revery結他手Him又去咗Giraffe eat fish客串，化學反應唔錯，結他對碰肩撞肩夠激情，I人E人特質都有所發揮。Bass手King rap到兩嘴，節奏感唔錯，亦都識得捉時機同fans互動；而鼓手Enoch喺<靈魂奇遇記>上嘅drummer face有feel，感覺佢係團中成熟擔當(?)。
睇返＜空想の歌＞MV，REVERY Bonding厚，夠團魂，呢點係佢哋表演以外嘅互動都感受到，但表演中就有啲「各做各」(或者係因為夠默契)；主觀覺得細台更要玩盡啲，Vocal多啲走嚟走去，表演與否都可以去搞下隊友，激發更多火花，最重要係——唔好咁快有偶包！比起經營形象，呈現pure情感會一齊行得更遠，盡情釋放心中嗰位Boy，年輕得碰著誰亦能像威化般乾脆，REVERY係有成為top tier主流樂隊嘅本錢！
-劉海亮
What They Do
Soundcheck with buttdial
1. See you in hell
2. Amazing
3. Climb
4. Nothing
5. Melancholic fantasy
6. Its fine
Guitarist – Bay Leung
Vocalist – Lauren Frances
Drummer – Ferdie Ramos
Bassist – Jon Tang
What They Do hit the stage in boiler suits and made it clear from the first notes that they’d come to deliver. They opened hard with “Buttdial Is Not a Booty Call”, the energy shining through immediately, and that sense of them enjoying themselves never let up for the entire set. This is a band genuinely feeding off the audience, and the audience feeding it straight back.
A standout for me was a song about Jeff Bezos, delivered with bite and humour. Bay Leung’s guitar work drives the sound while Ferdie Ramos holds down a relentless beat on drums. Jon Tang’s bass underpins everything with a solid groove, and the dynamic of Lauren Frances’ vocals adds genuine bite and intensity to their performance. Lauren is a dynamo on vocals, but crucially also knows when to pull back at just the right moment so the dynamics never get monotonous. There’s a sense of theatre to What They Do – sharp looks, big choruses, cheeky lyrics – but it’s backed up by solid playing and tight arrangements. The band’s energy is infectious, the beats drive hard, and their set is over far too quickly – the kind of performance that leaves you wishing they had time for just one more song.
–Shaun @BRG
Note: Jon Tang graciously lent his bass to The Boogie Playboys when their instrument broke during their opening song.
The Boogie Playboys
Zombie Night
親親你面頰
人情做八舊
Pin Up Girl
傷心鄉謠
牧場裏的羊
積遜往日夢
臭格
勁正
去玩去癲
飛車歌舞樂與怒
The Boogie Playboys are
Felix, vocals, acoustic guitar
YKM, electric guitar
Bluesman, double bass
Barry, drums
When a band can handle one of their instruments breaking in their first song without losing their cool, I know we are in for something good. The spirit of The Underground, which prides itself on community, shone through as another bassist stepped in to lend a spare instrument so the show could go on, and the coolness and professionalism of the band was on full display. Not only do the band play the part – they look the part – and the whole look and feel was lapped up by the audience.
Song after song, The Boogie Playboys kept the pace up and the audience dancing through their all original Canto rockabilly setlist. Felix’s vocals brought authentic rockabilly swagger while his acoustic guitar provided rhythmic drive. YKM’s electric guitar added the classic twang and lead lines that define the genre, while Bluesman’s bass provided that essential walking bassline that makes rockabilly come alive. The band looks very comfortable together, and it shows in their performance. Barry holds a rock solid up tempo beat, rolling around the kit, while the rhythm and lead guitars know when to shine and when to let the other fill out the sound – all underpinned by that driving bass that makes it impossible to stay still. The set showcased their original material in Cantonese, blending traditional rockabilly sensibilities with Hong Kong’s musical identity. Once again, I’m struck by how good the bands in Hong Kong are and the level of musicianship on display. This was my first time seeing The Boogie Playboys, and they had me up and dancing the whole set.
–Shaun @ BRG
Good Funk Shui
Butterfly
Melatonin Instead
Bass Moves the Beat
MTR
Taxi Driver
Wiseman Said
Nate Wong – Drums
Christie Lynn – Vocal
Him Wong – Keyboard
Julz Bernales – Bass
Ken Ling – Guitar
GOOD FUNK SHUI – The FUNK is in the air!
冇辜負到主持人嘅Hyper介紹——GOOD FUNK SHUI呢隊爵士組合好快就以佢哋獨有嘅「Funk式」帶動全場氣氛！由開場白到散場wrap up，The FUNK is always in the air，呢班爵士樂手冇錯過任何一個將觀眾帶入節拍嘅機會，連結尾講拜拜都好似JAM歌咁啊！
5位樂手個性鮮明，喺佢哋生動嘅演繹下Jazz變得更易入口！主唱Christie活潑得嚟又文雅，帶大家打住拍子入歌，令觀眾自然融入演奏，同時反映樂手間嘅默契，將呢30分鐘變成真正由音樂串連嘅演出，而非只由5、6首表演曲目堆砌嘅「歌單串燒」。
結他手Ken同鼓手Nate舞台經驗相對豐富，身兼Nowhere Boys樂手嘅佢哋彈得打得仲講得笑得！阿Ken彈住結他繞場一周炒熱氣氛不在話下，阿Nate仲帶領觀眾揀樂手solo助慶，至於揀中邊個——答案當晚觀眾限定！
講開又講，大家對Jazz樂手嘅印象又嚟自邊度——電影？酒吧？近期某套日本漫畫？或者係偏好曲風所致，我自己對Jazz樂手以至Jazz本身多少有種距離感，呢種印象放喺「香港Jazz樂手」上就更加模糊。而GOOD FUNK SHUI當晚嘅表演成功消融咗呢種難以言喻嘅隔閡，身體喺當下全然享受跟充滿生命力嘅節拍搖擺，細場+題材亦有加成，雖然歌詞係英文，但又有幾何會聽到主題係「的士司機」嘅JazzZ演奏～
表演中段Nate放低鼓棍拎起咪克風，同觀眾描述Jazz喺自己心中令人嚮往嘅地方。呢段冇音樂真「齋講」，但對我嚟講絕對搖滾——願意向他人傅遞自己嘅感動並邀請對方進入其中，真係夠熱愛先做到，所以觀眾反應咁熱情，MC＆攝影哥哥嘅舞姿咁出彩！GOOD FUNK SHUI絕對係值得入場睇嘅香港Jazz組合，佢哋音樂性、娛樂性豐富，同觀眾距離夠近，以獨有「Funk式」為所屬圈子注入活力，期待下次佢哋全員演出！
P.S. 聽完Jazz，緊接就係Hardcore Punk Band SNAIL演出，好彩有熱身！
（呢樣都係UDG event嘅有趣體驗！）
-劉海亮
Snails
1. Intro
2. Explosion
3. Foff
4. 300
5. Break yourself
6. Shout
7. Happy fun song
8. What we defend
9. SxxxR
Vox: Wai
Drum: Terrence
Bass: To
Guitars: Pac, Brian
Snails are supposed to be slow and smooth, protected, perhaps, by a large circular shell covering them. When a snail is threatened or shocked, they retreat into said shell because they are otherwise incredibly soft and fragile.
Not these snails.
Snails, the band, are demonic, dangerous and deceptive – for who could have ever thought that lead singer (Wai) could pack so much destructive energy in such a small body? As soon as the guitars (Pac, Brian) started blazing, bass (To) began booming and drums (Terrence) dared to crash, the Underground Stage filled up so quickly that within seconds I had no line of sight from my little corner on the side of the doorway, to Wai’s mesmerising evil eye.
“Dance! Dance! Dance!”, she commanded her crowd of mosh pitting minions. She was screaming, and so was the music; the audience was hyped and moving; something in the air was breaking. Maybe it was schizophrenia because Wai’s performance style was definitely something out of a mental asylum – one second she’d be screaming and thrashing like a thing possessed, and the next she’d suddenly swap her voice into a cutesy, pouty kong-girl, (flowers, rainbows and hello kitties). This crazy, schizophrenic, split-personality was definitely the highlight of the show; you never quite knew what was going to happen in the next minute, maybe a little smirk, or a thousand yard stare, or satan’s own scream manifesting in the mosh pit, but whatever happened, you knew it’d be wild.
Many musical elements that other bands might consider important seem to be more suggestions to Snails. Things such as: separating songs from one another; letting audiences know when a piece starts or ends; generally health and safety; song names that made sense (Explosion seemed more like a description than a title, and Foff, well … I’m not sure what a Foff is even now). They didn’t so much have songs per say but a continuous calamity of noise and energy that kept audiences moving, and moving, and moving. As for lyrics? Usually I’d write about word painting but there’s no point because words are optional. Meaning is optional Clarity is optional. Feeling is paramount. And the feelings never stopped.
Some songs did stand out. Break Yourself had some of the most audible lyrics all night, which succinctly went “find your fucking self”. Perhaps not the most astute or poetic but powerful, direct and maybe much needed on a cold winter night.
I came into the hall exhausted and depressed; now I’m feeling like I have the energy to punch straight through the Fringe’s brick walls.
– Cyril Ma
Houseplants
Alive
Goths on the Beaches
Melons
Working Man
Disco Brawl
S.W.E.A.T
Jazz Band
Alexander Poole – Vocals
Keelan Green – Drums
George Silver – String section
Did you know? The most important member of any band is not the singer. It’s not the guitarist or the rhythm section either. It’s not the producer, or the composer, or the sound mixing guy, or the marketing guy. It’s actually….
…the houseplant.
Or at least that’s what the band’s ‘string section’ (George Silver) said anyway. And to their credit, the googly-eyed houseplant sitting on the right hand corner of the stage had an incredibly magnetic presence.
The plant had been growing for a while. Just last year, Houseplants won the 2025 Battle Of The Bands at the Aftermath, and they continue to photosynthesize on stages across Hong Kong.
And growing seems to be a theme with the fancy four fauna. Fully dressed in nice colourful suits when they first walk on stage, the plant members take off pieces of clothing with every song, becoming more organic, more au naturale (though they never quite go birthday suit, which might be a blessing). George ended up with a tie around his head, lead singer Alexander Pool had sweat shining like he ran through a forest, and drummer Keelan Green was definitely hiding something as hard and rhythmic as his drumming behind his kit.
While their performance was…something…their music was something else. Clearly Britpunk inspired, their tunes were funny, lively and relatable. Working Man, all about the eternal work grind was relatable to 99% of the audience; Melons, about a “70 year old friend of my dad living in Thailand” going to the market and commenting on the melons, was maybe relatable to a large number of the audience who aren’t willing to admit it. Disco Brawl, meanwhile, was a very fun interactive piece with lots of call and response, and Alexander being carried around by the audience. All in all, lots of good old fashioned pub fun!
A final shout out must be given to their last number Jazz Band which was dedicated to Mark Swinkels (who ran Creative Mornings HK) who tragically lost his life in a recent accident; “If you’re going to move to any song tonight, move to this song. Let’s light up this room thank you”.
And so I moved. And so did everybody else in the Dairy.
-Cyril Ma
Whitt’s End
Corner of my eye
Times We Spent Together
Impending Doom
Save It For Another Day
Swore to Myself
Ode to Music (It Doesn’t Matter)
Is This a Reality?
Saxon Whittaker – Bass and vocals
Jarvis Whittaker – Guitar and backing vocals
Ferdie Ramos – Drums
Having never seen Whitt’s End before, I was blown away by their talent, and I expect to see them selling out stadiums soon enough. It’s hard to pick a favourite from their set, but if I had to it would be Impending Doom, described by the band as “White Boy Rap”. That being said, Jarvis absolutely killed it on the guitar in Times We Spent Together, and Swore to Myself was incredibly catchy. I enjoyed every moment of this set, and there is nothing I could say in this review that would convert a reader to a fan any more efficiently than by simply seeing them perform. So, I will end my review on that note: Go see Whitt’s End.
-Ash B
Rubicube
Scene city
Colors
Shame
Shut it down
All my life – foo fighters (Cover)
IRIS guitar/ vocals
Mark valiente- bass / vocals
Ferdie ramos – drums
Bryant vallejo – guitar
A great band for guitar lovers, Rubicube brought good energy to sustain the crowd without being overwhelming. Despite being slightly delirious from the long day, it would be impossible not to at least bop along to Rubicube’s set. Scene city, a song with a fun story behind the name, was the opening song of their set, and my favourite, as I found it the most memorable. After joking about playing Wonderwall, the band moves on to the next song Colors, which features some insane instrumental work. Next up is Shame, an excellent song in which it is unfortunately slightly difficult to hear vocals from Iris on occasion. Nevertheless, it’s highly enjoyable, which I’m sure the Whitt’s End members can attest to given how hard they were rocking out. Their last original song of the set, Shut it down is a song that demonstrates well how the members’ individual talents complement each other excellently, bringing out the best of each other. Ending with a fun choice for a cover song, it was a great set overall.
-Ash B
Misty Blue Banana
Mario
Misty blue
Rainman
Gps
Tanya
Bumbumbum
Bossanova
Thirteen
Marvin- Vocal
Issah- Guitar
Kit- Bass
Ben- Drums
Leo – tambourinist/backup vocal
Misty Blue Banana is an excellent band. Even if they had not been concluding a festival full of fantastic bands, it would still have been worth staying past 1 to see them. Despite the late slot, their energy was phenomenal, with a special shoutout to Leo, who very effectively kept up the energy of the set by terrorising the crowd. Frontman Marvin is immensely talented, as are the rest of the band, but together they create an intense blend of high energy rap with funky instrumentation.
There’s hardly moment to rest during their set, the band pushing themselves and sustaining the energy despite how hard they’re sweating. At some point during the set I blinked and drummer Ben was shirtless. Good for him. He’s certainly earned it as he is clearly incredibly talented, as without him, several songs would not have built momentum so efficiently. Within a set full of songs that deliver lines to us at rapid pace, GPS is a song with an impressively fast, almost relentlessly paced spare some moments for the band to catch their breaths. Kit on Bass and Issah on Guitar shine especially in this song. Another highlight was Bumbumbum, imprinted in my head as “the sex song”. Their final track Thirteen was by far my favourite, an excellently written song, which is a real testament to the quality of this song considering how strong the rest of their set was. Not only are they talented, but the band is clearly dedicated to improving themselves, and I highly recommend everyone to start listening to them now, as they’re only going to get better. I look forward to their future tours.
-Ash B
Photos by angweilo_saxon 由angweilo_saxon、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
