There was a moment for me in the mid-afternoon in Kenting on Saturday when the town and the mayhem surrounding the music and dance festivals taking place this weekend became almost overwhelming.
Prices for everyday items in local restaurants and stores were outrageously jacked, tickets for the various events going on in town had Manhattan prices on them and the little charm that the town has was erased by the annoying traffic and the hideous strip mall that is the main drag.
The town, the crowds and the overall cacophony are, of course, a large part of the draw to the spring-break festivities, but the question "Am I having fun yet?" seemed drawn across people's foreheads, especially after some poorly attended events Friday night.
At least that's what I was asking myself.
Until I went to Spring Scream, that is.
The rock festival, which earned the dubious credit of starting the entire Kenting Spring break phenomenon, has a fun vibe this year and tighter organization than in any previous year.
The size and layout of the stalls and stages at Liou-fu Ranch, where it takes place, was well-suited to the event with plenty of space to move around and catch the bands playing on the four stages.
The night's highlight acts Dynamite Club, Milk, Clippers and LTK all put on explosive sets, with LTK taking that description to its literal extreme by launching fireworks into the roof of the tent over the stage and into the crowd and then inviting a gang of about 20 people on stage to mutilate a mannequin. Kentaro from Dynamite Club was shown endlessly on national TV exposing his groin to an unimpressed
audience.
Dog G and his 15-strong posse of rappers from Tainan lit up the last show of the evening with their localized version of gangster rap.
MC Hotdog, who's back on the scene after completing his military service, was there too playing to the crowd with some of his hilarious and characteristically catchy new songs like Wo ai tai-mei (I love Taiwan chicks).
But the biggest event by far was Moonlight Gathering, the outdoor rave that you could hear clear across town all night.
The sound system was flawless, though the parallel set-up of the two stages created some dissonant, shoes-in-the-dryer clashes in some parts of the dance areas.
Nonetheless, there were thousands of people who halfway through Saturday night seemed to be having a bona fide good time, despite the chilly stiff winds and occasional blowing mist.
Headline DJ Marco V displayed how he earned his top rankings in DJ magazines by throwing down a set of driving trance and progressive house music that, while familiar to anyone who frequents Taiwn's nightclubs, was made all the more special in the outdoor setting and the massive crowd clearly loved it.
Taipei's clique of DJs on the smaller stage held their own against the big-name act on the other side of the field, with DJ SL providing the climax of the night by playing his own track that samples gongs and lyrics from Chinese opera.
So while Kenting is a seedy tourist trap during the Spring break weekend, the general unpleasantness of the town isn't so intolerable that it detracts from the great variety of music that can be enjoyed at the different venues. But it comes pretty close.
The music was set to continue last night while Spring Scream carries on through tomorrow.
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