Live review from The Underground Summer Festival 夏季音樂節:
1. Sailing
2. Help Is On The Way
3. Whatcha Gonna Do?
4. Sun Shines Down
5. D.O.B
As rumours swirled about the identity of Chris B’s “surprise act”, it was unclear whether a truly famous artist would be unveiled at the last moment. No one should have doubted for a second The Underground’s power to pull a cracker out of the bag. Jun Kung entered the room to the fullest room of the night, as every other band on the bill assembled to catch the former Canto-pop star’s electric under-the-radar set.
Kung has long shaken off the squeaky-clean pop of his youth, favouring a whisky-soaked blues sound that worked beautifully in such an intimate venue. From opener Sailing, Kung’s gritty baritone melted into Rayvaughn Covington’s fudgy slap-bass sloop, before the singer battled personal demons in the soul-oozing, reggae-tinged Help Is On The Way.
In a break between songs, Kung thanked The Underground profusely, describing the experience as “a real privilege”. The whole band looked overjoyed to be there, and they earned a rapturous reception. Derrick Sepnio’s bluesy guitar licks squealed Hendrix attitude on Sun Shines Down, a sun-soaked, surf shack track. “Light me up another bowl”, sang Kung, echoed by Covington’s sonorous backing vocals. Drummer Padget Nanton was magnetic throughout; his stick twirls and funk flourishes gave his pristine time-keeping an effortlessly cool character.
Grimy blues closer D.O.B (Dirty Old Bastard) crowned an immaculately-executed rock show, with the elephantine stomp of pudgy bass waddling alongside twanging hobo guitar. Kung is a big name and formidable talent, who pulled off a tight performance with his dazzling band. But that doesn’t mean other festival acts were dwarfed. In a night full of high quality sets and exceptional stagecraft, all musicians stood shoulder-to-shoulder to deliver an unforgettable collective extravaganza.
– El Jay