Homeless Alien

U_KLN_126.jpgLive Review from Underground Kowloon #1

 

 

 

Setlist:

  1. Jam I
  2. Standing at the Edge
  3. Cold and Dry
  4. Stop Your Misery
  5. Jam II
  6. Hedonism
  7. Jam III

Before anything is said about their performance that night, it must be made clear that HA were missing a guitarist that night. One will usually see their reviews peppered with Radiohead and Pink Floyd references – these influences were not evident that night. It’s unclear whether this is because they have moved on in terms of musical direction, or whether the lack of one axeman made the quite ferment and brooding nature of these bands’ music difficult to achieve. Indeed, it seemed that the lone guitarist was stretched to his limits while trying to condense two fully developed guitar parts into one, making the result sound underdeveloped. However, they do deserve the benefit of the doubt, as despite all the odds, they still displayed their adroitness at leisurely creating drama using sound. With the sensible use of keyboards to accent the guitars and solid bass, their sound that night was a good indicator of the depth that they usually achieve in their sets. That said, the vocals need some work, as there were many moments at which the note attempted exceeded the singer’s range, and this is more jarring than stark (which is what I’m guessing he was going for).

The guitar-ral assault of Jam I greeted the audience, and though they clearly intended well, the melody was somewhat hackneyed and bloated. The hauntingStanding at the Edge was an improvement, with its cool keyboard riff, followed by the haunting Cold and Dry. It was obvious that in a place with better sound, it could easily create a lump in the throat. Hedonism was more punk-funk in form, but still had those slow, very deliberate moments, when the contrasting styles of bass and guitar started messing with your head a bit. The set-ender was the sonic exorcism of Jam III’s menacing spectre being suddenly dispelled, as the song ended on a cliff-hanger. For all that night’s flaws, they still managed to make an impression, and make their skill clear. And on this note, the night was ended, and a good one it had been too – methinks there be more visits to Kowloon in the Underground’s future yet.

– Shashwati

U88_112.JPGLive Review from Underground 88:

Another 5 piece that you can tell listen to a lot of Radiohead and Pink Floyd. Then again I guess everyone sort of does. Although here in HK , a lot of musicians seem to feel very connected to the works of Thom Yorke and co. whether it can clearly be heard in the music or if songs are straight up dedicated to the man (as earlier band FAD did). Homeless Alien are a bit of a fan favourite, as everyone seemed very happy to be there listening to them to play their songs. Homeless Alien who of course were on one of the UG compilation CD’s. I KNEW I had heard them before! Very tight instrumentation with a guitarist who has great control over his sound, choosing and tuning his effects wisely. Some of the tunes are dreamy with flanged guitar lines, and some are funky with a leading bass line that makes you want to get down. They play a song which was very similar sounding to Becks ‘Loser’ when it came to the chorus. This to me was their best song. Sadly though, there are times when the tight musicianship is let down by a lack of performance and a pitch finding vocalist. Nevertheless an Encore was being asked for, so job done.

Tim – Hong Kong Independent Music Blog

cd2partyA063.JPG Message from Homeless Alien about CD 2 Launch Party A:

“The audience was so great. They enjoyed the show all the time. Gong Wu is bravo!! Yeah!! I have become their fan!!

I felt that the audience paid much attention to listen to Homeless Alien too. Hope that they really enjoyed our music!!”

Guy

 

homelessalien1.jpgLive Review from Underground 41:

This band cites Radiohead as an influence and true to their words Radiohead is a guiding hand in their song craftmenship as well as their vocals. The musicians are very competent and the songs get your feet tapping. Guy (both singer and bassist) has a gentle confidence that is endearing to the audience – his falsetto is quite amazing and sung well. Homeless Alien are a good band to watch and I think possibly an album by Homeless Alien would be a very enjoyable experience too.

Mark Emerson

homelessalien.jpgLive Review from Underground 28:

Newcomers Homeless Alien are an emo-pop band with obvious Radiohead ambitions, with perhaps a twist of Suede. Frontman Guy’s enthusiasm throughout their show was infectious and he obviously loves making music and being on stage. The band should use this earnestness to keep writing, rehearsing and performing as often as possible to boost their experience and confidence. Their vocals need particular attention, so with some hard work, Homeless Alien can reach their full potential. Their mid-tempo melodies, while still embryonic, have definite promise. Good effort, keep working at it, lads.

Brendan Delfino

We also want to say Thank you to u. We had a great night at the Underground. We r also looking forward performing at the Underground in the future because the venue is one of the best that we have ever performed. The audiences are so great!! And we hope that we can perform better next time – Homeless Alien

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