MTV sets off in a hunt for some Mando-pop scalps

MTV's second annual Band Hunting sounds like open season on pop stars: Feeding the horses and loading rifles while giving any one of Taiwan's boy bands a running start.

Band Hunting II will have the competition's 10 finalist bands rumbling in the parking lot of Shinkong Mitsukoshi's Xinyi department store tomorrow night. The winner will take home an NT$1 million prize and the joy of being the next big thing in an industry of next big things.

The competition puts a cymbal-crash on a rocking summer of concerts and festivals. Taiwan has spent the summer partying at the beach, in the park and on the street.

MTV, for its part, is returning to the same part of town where it hosted Taipei Pop Music Festival last month, with Avril Lavigne as the headliner. An estimated 60,000 people attended that show despite rain.

The folks at MTV are hoping that the recent rains won't keep anyone away from this weekend's competition, either.

That NT$1 million must surely stick in the craw for the members of last year's winning band, Monkey Insane (潑猴). They earned a measly NT$100,000 and a short boost of publicity.

In addition to the prize money, this year's winner will also play at an unspecified "big concert" to be sponsored by MTV, or have the opportunity to host their own mini-show on the music channel introducing other people's videos.

Just how will the bands go about pocketing the prize?

Each will be given about 10 minutes on stage to do their thing for a panel of judges.

MTV picked the panel from the cream of Taiwan's rockers and includes figures from the Taiwan Rock Alliance, music critics, composers and musicians.

Sandee Chen (陳珊妮) will be one of the judges and will have a few words of advice for the runners-up. The criteria, according to MTV organizers, is only the bands' musical ability.

That may not leave room for any bands whose greatest assets are their hairstyles. For them, MTV is hosting an online poll for fans to vote for their own favorites. A separate "popularity" award will also be presented tomorrow evening.

The finals of the MTV and Smirnoff Ice Band Hunting II are tomorrow night, Sept. 18, from 5pm until 7:30pm between buildings A8 and A11 of Shinkong Mitsukoshi Department Store's Xinyi branch, across the street from Warner Village. Admission is free.

For more information, check out MTV's Web site at http://www.mtvchinese.com/Channel/Event/Smirnoff2004.