Live review from The Underground Winter Festival (冬季音樂祭) Day 2 @ The Fringe Club:
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
