Funky Coach drives teen crowd crazy

MTV got its band and the four members of Coach (教練) got NT$1 million to divvy up among themselves in the final round of Band Hunting II in Taipei last night. The group laid down a heavy, funky rhythm while working up a sweat in gym clothes and sweatbands, out pacing tough contenders such as XL, So What and Viva Lucky Star (無敵幸運星).

The event capped off a search that had been rocking the parking lot of Shinkong Mitsukoshi's Xinyi department store for the past several weeks. Last night's concert had more of the trappings of a rock concert than did the semifinal rounds, which took place in early afternoons and drew only small crowds.

A full display of rock concert lighting, fireworks and bubble and smoke machines made each of the bands look smooth even if they didn't all sound polished. Smirnoff gave away free bottles of its Ice vodka beverage all afternoon and evening and applied temporary tattoos on concertgoers. By the show's 9:30pm ending, the parking lot was littered with broken bottles and more than a few fans, who seemed to have enjoyed the liquor more than the bands.

There were other winners, too. Judges chose the best guitar and bass players from among the 10 finalist bands, as well as the best drummer and lead singer. Fans who visited MTV's Web site in the days before the event were able to choose their favorite band and the panel of judges also chose the band they thought displayed the most personality, if not the greatest talent for music.

Fans of Soda Green (蘇打綠) put their band on top in the online voting category, while judges awarded NT$100,000 to the members of So What, who charmed the crowd by dressing in matching shirts and ties.

Soda Green's lead singer, Wu Ching-feng (吳青峰) won the award for best lead vocalist, taking home an acoustic guitar that was more a ceremonial if not totally appropriate prize. He didn't seem to know how to play it.

The driving force behind the evening's big winner, Coach's Gao Zhi-ting (高至廷), earned accolades as the best among the drummers. He reminded everyone that drummers are musicians, too, as he accepted a pair of drumsticks tied with a ribbon. (He won a drum kit, as well, but no one was going to lug it onstage to give to him.)

Viva Lucky Star thought luck was on its side after winning both the awards for best guitar player and best bass player. Wu Xin-ze (吳欣澤) earned himself a new Fender guitar and Lin Hong-yi (林泓毅) a new Gibson bass. Lin thanked the judges when handed his bass and warned the crowd that the big prize was yet to come. But the band's lucky star didn't live that long.

The members of Coach went as hysterical as you'd imagine someone who just won a million NT might. They jumped up and down in an impromptu calisthenics session before dead-lifting a giant million-dollar check.

Their win upset bands like XL (特大號樂團) and Relax One (輕鬆玩), who have been on the band circuit for a few years now and were participants in the first Band Hunting, which coincided with last year's Ho-Hai-Yan beachside music festival. Other bands that also lost out were Jasmine Music Little Band (假死貓小便), 670 and Children Sucker (表兒). Still, the competition added significantly to Taiwan's pool of anti-Mando-pop musicians.

But to what end? The amount of space cordoned off for concertgoers was only half-filled throughout the night, despite heavy promoting on the part of MTV and radio station ICRT -- and despite free alcohol and a free concert of Taiwan's most talented and enthusiastic rock musicians. Following a 9pm performance by Singapore boy toy crooner Huang Yida (黃義達), the crowd was decimated as gaggles of teenage girls packed up their "Yida!" posters and headed for the turnstiles -- before any of the awards were announced.