A few days at any Taiwan-based music festival reveals a disconcerting absence on the scene. While there are plenty of male-fronted bands, both Taiwanese and expatriate, and a thriving Taiwanese girl band ethos, finding a foreign band with a female lead is like finding a four-leaf clover — a rare instance of luck.
When New Hong Kong Hair City appeared in 2006, lead vocalist and keyboardist Danielle Sanger’s raw lyrics, powerful yet shaky vocals, and female presence (hidden though it was behind a curtain of flaming red locks) were a welcome change from the standard boys in bands fare.
Add to that the unexpected appearance of a saxophone taking the place of a lead guitar with Macgregor Wooley blowing out rocking riffs and adding his own lyrics and vocals, original bassist Tom McCann, and the final original member, Kyle Bajcer, pounding out funky beats on drums, and New Hong Kong Hair City was born.
When McCann had to leave Taiwan unexpectedly, the band teamed up with talented bassist Mike Tennant and added guitarist Tristan Newman, from Wooley’s other band, Doublewide. This, combined with Sanger’s coming into her own as both a vocalist and a performer, has amped up the band from a funky fun time outfit to a force to be reckoned with.
“I cringe when I think of myself performing back when we started.” said Sanger. “I would shake until my fingers couldn’t hit the right keys. I hated performing and being the singer.” Though she credits her “professional improvement” over the years to the guys in the band, she also shows a rare candor in admitting that though she always loved music and singing it took her until recently to “really find my voice and a niche.”
WHAT: New Hong Kong Hair City
WHEN: Nov. 28 at 9:30pm
WHERE: Roxy Roots, 90 Songren Rd, Taipei City (台北市松仁路90號)
ADMISSION: Free
“Practicing regularly has let me get to know my abilities and the limits that they have,” she said, while “performing lets me know whether or not I can do it under pressure.”
She has gone from a shy, sometimes strident singer to a powerful, smoky vocalist with a gritty edginess to her sound that can transform into a smooth and sexy growling reminiscent of a young PJ Harvey. She may be the best female vocalist in the Taiwan expat scene, and could hold her own anywhere. On stage she can range from humble to absolutely electrifying.
When the group performs, the audience’s reaction speaks for itself. The crowd dances and cheers along to the music, irresistibly drawn to bust a move, while fans of the band sing along to the choruses of their favorite songs.
“My two favorite parts of playing in NHKHC are writing new songs with the boys and jumping about on stage watching all the people in the audience do the same,” said Sanger. “I feel like it is a dream to be able to walk onto a stage and instead of dreading the possibility of failing, I get to have a huge grin on my face exchanged between myself and four awesome musicians and performers.”
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