Some of the country’s most popular indie rock bands are playing this weekend at the Megaport Music Festival.
The annual festival, which is being held at Pier 2 Art District (高雄駁二藝術特區) in Kaohsiung and begins tomorrow, also features a few big-name headliners: Taiwan’s top rocker Wu Bai (伍佰) and his band China Blue perform on Sunday, and pop singer Jeannie Hsieh (謝金燕) takes to the stage tomorrow night.
Other notable performers include Japanese garage rockers Chelsea, which appear tomorrow, and British post-rock/electro band 65daysofstatic, which takes to the stage on Sunday.
Photos courtesy of The Megaport Music Festival/The Wall
Megaport, started by Taipei live music venue The Wall (這牆) in 2006, is being held in an area of Kaohsiung Port that has been converted into a public space for the arts. The festival is part of an ongoing effort by The Wall and its associated record label, Uloud (有料音樂), to encourage and develop the indie music scene in southern Taiwan.
Last year, the festival concerts drew 5,000 attendees, said spokeswoman Vivian Lu (呂欣如), and a total of 20,000 people visited the festival, which also held free activities and hosted an arts and crafts market. Festival organizers expect visitor numbers to increase this year.
Festival-goers from last year can expect a few changes, said Lu. The stages are being positioned so concert-goers will have better views of the ocean. And a skateboarding contest has been added to the mix of non-musical activities that will be held at Pier 2, along with the market and food stalls.
Photo courtesy of The Megaport Music Festival/The Wall
More than 40 bands are scheduled to perform on two outdoor stages and one indoor stage. Read on for the Taipei Times’ shortlist of bands to catch at Megaport.
For a full schedule, visit the event’s Web site at www.megaport.com.tw.
Touming Magazine (透明雜誌)
Photo courtesy of The Megaport Music Festival/The Wall
This four-piece group’s sound is full of party atmosphere and draws inspiration from 1990s alternative rock, punk and, occasionally, hip-hop and soul.
■ Tomorrow, 2:50pm, Dragon Goddess Stage (女神龍舞台)
The White Eyes (白目樂隊)
Photo courtesy of The Megaport Music Festival/The Wall
Taiwan’s hottest garage band is getting ready for a show later this month at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas.
■ Tomorrow, 5:20pm, Dragon Goddess Stage (女神龍舞台)
Chthonic (閃靈)
Photo courtesy of The Megaport Music Festival/The Wall
Taiwan’s most renowned metal band, led by vocalist and Formoz founder Freddy Lim (林昶佐), never fails to attract a devoted crowd of headbangers.
■ Tomorrow, 6:40pm, Dragon Goddess Stage (女神龍舞台)
Jeannie Hsieh (謝金燕)
Photo courtesy of The Megaport Music Festival/The Wall
This taimei (台妹) archetype is likely to draw a crowd, but not just for her looks or sexy dance routines. Her brand of techno-pop, often sung in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), is pretty catchy, too.
■ Tomorrow, 8:20pm, Dragon Goddess Stage (女神龍舞台)
Echo (回聲樂團)
This band of university classmates, which formed over a decade ago, produces stylish electro-rock.
■ Tomorrow, 7:20pm, Waves Stage (海波浪舞台)
Fire Ex (滅火器)
This pop-punk group, formed in 2000, is among the handful of bands representing Taiwan’s indie scene at South by Southwest next month.
■ Tomorrow, 7:20pm, Waves Stage (海波浪舞台)
Chelsea
Don’t let their pretty-boy looks fool you. This four-piece band plays loud and blistering garage rock.
■ Tomorrow, 4:30pm, Kamomai Stage (卡魔麥舞台)
MUCC and Jealkb
Fans of J-rock won’t want to miss MUCC’s mix of metal, alternative rock and glam. Joining it is a group in a similar vein, the flamboyant visual kei band Jealkb.
■ Tomorrow, 6pm, Kamomai Stage (卡魔麥舞台)
Tizzy Bac
This trio’s brand of playful and clever indie-pop continues to win new fans. Megaport is a good opportunity to catch Tizzy Bac as the band’s shows often sell out.
■ Tomorrow, 8pm, Kamomai Stage (卡魔麥舞台)
Aphasia (阿飛西雅)
One of Taiwan’s best-known post-rock bands is also getting ready to perform at South by Southwest next month.
■ Sunday, 4pm, Kamomai Stage (卡魔麥舞台)
Loh Tsui Kweh Commune (濁水溪公社)
A one-of-a-kind band, Loh Tsui Kweh Commune, or LTK, rarely fails to rouse the crowd with its mix of punk, working-class Taiwanese folk music and outrageous satire.
■ Sunday, 6pm, Dragon Goddess Stage (女神龍舞台)
Wu Bai (伍佰)
Get back to basics with one of the pioneers of rock in the Chinese-speaking world, who will be backed by his band China Blue.
■ Sunday, 8:30pm, Kamomai Stage (卡魔麥舞台)
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