Indie music finds its voice

The Huashan Cultural and Creative Industry Center (華山創意文化園區) is set to go under the spotlight this weekend, when 50 of the nation's leading independent acts and a handful of mainstream musicians take to the stage of the center's Silian Building (四連棟大樓) for the UBU 2004 Taipei: First Indie Music Festival (硬地音樂展都會嘉年華).

Co-sponsored by six government bodies, including the Council for Cultural Affairs (文建會) and the Government Information Office (新聞局) and organized by the Taiwan Music Culture International Alternation Association (TMCIAA,台灣音樂文化國際交流協會), UBU 2004 is the largest indie music event to be held at Huashan for almost two years and is a major boost for the financially strapped music association.

Established last year, the TMCIAA was the brainchild of local folk legend Chen Ming-chang (陳明章). Originally based out of Huashan, the association now shares rent-free office space with the administrative department of a well-known dance club, but remains a non-profit organization run by local musicians for the benefit and promotion of local music.

"As a group of musicians not associated with the mainstream record industry, we figured that we would have a more powerful voice if we worked together to promote live music," said James Chu (朱劍輝), Chairman of the TMCIAA and bassist for China Blue. "We have had some success and gained government support for smaller gigs in the past, but this weekend's concert is the largest. If it's successful, then the chances are we will be given credence and financial backing to organize more concerts in the future."

Along with being a venture that could make or break the TMCIAA's relationship with government bodies, the three-day concert also marks the long-awaited return of live music to Huashan after a series of headline making events forced authorities to revoke the venue's music license.

The venue's history as a site for large-scale music events began three years ago, when the Taiwan Rock Alliance (全國搖滾聯盟) was forced to call an early end to proceedings at the Formoz Festival due to complaints from nearby residents concerned about excessive noise. Problems continued to plague live music events but finally came to a head two years ago, after allegations of drug abuse during a dance party made headline news.

Coinciding with the revocation of the site's license to hold large-scale music festivals was the forced closure of Huashan's popular venue/bar the Music House (華山音樂館).

"We decided to put the dance music segment on in the early afternoon so the authorities wouldn't get the impression that we were holding an Ecstasy party," Chu said. "The music must stop by 10pm. If it doesn't, we will get complaints from nearby residential areas and we'd like to avoid this as we want to be able to hold concerts at Huashan] in the future."

While numerous government bodies have been happy to back the event and have their names plastered all over promotional material, financial assistance has been minimal. Financial backing from both government departments and the private sector has been impossible to secure. Much of the capital needed to rent sound equipment and to pay the performers has come out of the association's small coffers.

"After the flurry of summer festivals big name companies didn't have any funds left to sponsor us. Taiwan Beer had used all its money and 7-11 was the same," Chu said.