"Everyone split from [Clippers] on very bitter terms. So, whether they'll all show up to play is an open question," Zhang said. So fingers are crossed.
The big day of the festival will be Sunday, when three Taiwanese bands -- Chairman (
The first of these will be Mach Pelican, a Japanese punk band that lives and plays in Australia pretty much full time, followed by the 5,6,7,8's, the all-girl Japanese retro band featured in the climactic fight scene of Kill Bill Vol. 1.
Next up will be Dirty Three, an Australian three-person instrumental band with a huge following in Taiwan thanks to two brilliant live appearances in the past two years.
Contacted in Paris where he lives, Dirty Three's violinist Warren Ellis said "it seems like we're becoming quite a fixture over there, which is cool, I guess. In any case, I'm looking forward to it." So is, undoubtedly, most of Taiwan's indie-rock scene.
Closing the show will be the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, whose name effectively sums up the music the band plays and Andrew W.K., known for his hard-riffing metal anthems.
With the third day's lineup, the festival has taken a huge step toward trying to put itself on the map as a regional festival worth the attention of people beyond Taiwan. "We can't say now what next year's show will be like. But it's a good bet it will be even bigger," Zhang said.
Event information
What: Gungliao Ho-Hai-Yan Rock Festival
Where: Fulung beach, Taipei County
When: Tonight, tomorrow and Sunday
Admission to the festival is free
How to get there: Trains will be travelling in both directions between Taipei and Fulung at the rate of about one train every hour throughout the weekend. The last train back to Taipei on all three days leaves at 11:02pm.
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