Battle of the bands is about to begin with on-line registration

The Ho-Hai-Yan Rock Festival, held every year on the beach at Fulung, Taipei County, is almost three months away, but preparations are already afoot to make this year the biggest in the event's six-year history.

The second "stage," which in the past several years has been located on a one-step rise of concrete near the entrance to the festival grounds, will be expanded this year so that bands will play on a real stage, with lights and walls of amplifiers, as on the main stage.

On-line registration has already begun for bands wishing to play on the second stage. Applicants should submit their computer file demos through the festival's Web site at www.hohaiyan.com.

This year's festival is tentatively set to take place over five days, from July 20 to July 24. Procedures are under way to invite a number of major foreign acts, the most prominent of which is Bob Dylan, though Liao Chih-chien (廖志堅) of the Taipei County information department has warned that the likelihood of him actually coming remains slim. Other major acts that may take the stage at Fulung are Cui Jian (崔健), the seminal Chinese rocker whose late-80s anthems provided the musical backdrop to the Tiananmen Square democracy movement in 1989, Sonic Youth, Foo Fighters and Fatboy Slim. All acts are currently unconfirmed, however.

This year's festival will also differ from previous years with the inclusion of a film festival, set to take place after the music ends at 10pm each night. Organizers are currently calling for submissions.

The Ho-Hao-Yan Indie Rock Award in years past has featured two sections, with a panel of judges from the domestic music industry issuing one award and a second award issued based on audience votes. This year, a third award will be decided by a panel of judges selected from local major media, including the Taipei Times.