Classy entertainment is lined up

Bobby Chen. PHOTOS: TAIPEI TIMES

Fans of Taiwanese pop should find something to scream about this weekend when two dozen artists take to stages for two events that will have Taipei rocking, rolling, rapping and singing.

The first of the weekend's musical bashes is the Taike Rock Concert (台客搖滾演唱會), which will take place at the Taipei International Conference Center tonight and tomorrow evening at 7:30pm -- tickets for the shows cost from NT$800 to NT$2,500 and are available from ERA Ticketing Outlets.

Taking its name from the once derogatory term used to refer Taiwanese culture and its people's habits and behavior, the gig will see some of the top names in contemporary mainstream Taiwanese music trying their utmost to prove that the term "taike" (台客) is no longer synonymous with kitsch but instead refers to all things "cool" about the nation and its people.

The show features a cross section of well-known Taiwanese language rockers, rappers and will cater to taike oriented music fans of all ages.

Nanquan Ma Ma

For older audience members Taiwan's favorite rocker Wu Bai and China Blue (佰 and China Blue) will be performing material from their recently released Taiwanese-language release and Bobby Chen (陳昇) will (if he's sober enough) be wowing the females in the audience with a mixed bag of his lounge/pop crossover material.

Performances by Taiwan's leading rapper MC Hotdog and foul mouthed rebel rocker Chang Chen-yue (張震嶽) and his band Free Night, along with ex-LA Boys members Jeff and Machi, should appease younger

audience members, while one-time MTV host Joy Topper (豬頭皮) will be waxing lyrical and adding large doses of humor to the occasion with his offbeat and often satirical material.

While more independent minded local rockers will be going through the motions in celebration of taike a whole enchilada of Mando-pop acts will be wowing the crowds at the 2005 Taipei City Music Festival (2005年台北流行音樂節) in the Taipei City Square adjacent to City Hall tomorrow

evening.

Highly choreographed dance routines, guest VJs and DJs and, dare we say it, possible lip-sinking (sic) will all be part and parcel of the event, which is now in its fifth year.

Jointly organized by Channel V and the Taipei City Government the event might be a wee bit dubious in regards genuine "live" performance value, but there's certainly nothing suspect about the evening's lineup, which reads like a venerable who's who of the Mando-pop circuit.

Included are boy bands 5566, Nanquan Ma Ma (南拳媽媽), Golden Melody award winning singer Stanley Huang (黃立行), bubble voiced local star Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), teenybopper duet Sweety, Hong Kong's ever-popular Cindy Wang (王心凌), soap-opera star cum pop idol Will (潘瑋柏) and long-serving songstress Vivian Hsu (徐若瑄), among others.

Last year's Taipei Music Festival, which was sponsored by rival music channel MTV, was attended by an estimated 60,000 people. And if you choose to believe the organizers this year then it's going to be bigger than ever. It is predicted that somewhere in the region of 100,000 will, weather permitting, attend.

Standing/seating room in the "central zone" is only available to those who arrive well before 6pm and who purchase two bottles of le-Tea soft drink either at the venue or from any nearby convenience store. Those who don't wish to buy two of the sugary beverages will be able to attend the gig but views will be restricted as you'll have to stand with the masses in what is known as the "outside audience zone."

The show starts at 7pm.