Kula Shaker
Rock ‘n’ roll with sitars and tablas: Kula Shaker (www.kulashaker.co.uk) first burst onto the British pop scene in the late 1990s, and stood out at the time for its fascination with traditional Indian culture and mysticism. The group’s radio-friendly, psychedelia-laced music is an update on the Byrds, late Beatles and pretty much anything to do with the 1960s. At Kula Shaker’s Taipei show, expect to hear cuts from the band’s new album, Pilgrim’s Progress.
Massive Attack
Trip-hop fans in Taiwan are in for a treat. Last summer Tricky came and mingled with the crowd after his concert at the Music Terminals festival. This year, the legendary Massive Attack brings its stadium show to the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall. On Wednesday, expect to see Grant Marshall, aka Daddy G, and Robert del Naja, aka 3D, performing tunes from the group’s new release, Heligoland, its first recording in seven years.
Visual elements are a big part of Massive Attack’s concert, which include a light show and LED signboards that broadcast the band’s political concerns in a format similar to a cable TV news ticker.
Expect to see slogans criticizing capitalism and jabs at celebrity culture.
Another 1990s trip-hop icon, Martina Topley Bird, opens the show with a solo set.
Pet Shop Boys
Futuristic pop-cubist visuals, endless costume changes and classic electronic dance music — expect a theatrical spectacle when Pet Shop Boys make their first appearance in Taipei on Thursday with their stadium show, Pandemonium.
Singer Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe have thrived as pop gurus since the 1980s, when they scored breakout hits like the cool and breezy West End Girls and a cover of Elvis’ You Were Always on My Mind. Although they have since disappeared from the American pop charts, Pet Shop Boys have remained popular, especially in the UK, and over the years they have worked with a wide range of pop royalty, from David Bowie and Madonna to Kylie Minogue and Lady Gaga.
Judging from their recent live DVD of the same title, Pandemonium is an impressive presentation of the duo’s music. The stage set, designed by opera stage designer Es Devlin, looks like a futuristic giant art gallery made of cubes, which double as video screens.
Opening the show is Taiwanese electronica artist Li Yu-huan (李雨寰), aka DMDM.
Ian Brown
The chances of a reunion of Manchester rockers Stone Roses appear to be nil, but we get the next best thing with the band’s former front man, Ian Brown, who plays at Legacy Taipei on Friday.
As one of the godfathers of the “Madchester” sound, a combination of guitar rock, sampled beats and psychedelia that influenced bands like Oasis, Brown’s mere presence ought to be more than enough for Brit-pop fans. Expect to hear songs from Brown’s newest album, My Way (2009), which he says was inspired by Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
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