Summer’s here, and that means summer concerts. This year, Taiwan — which in terms of internationally touring bands generally means north Taiwan, i.e. Taipei — will see some big names like Radiohead, Jason Mraz, Megadeth and The Cardigans. These should satisfy indie rock fans, 30-something office ladies, aging metalheads and couples who got married at the end of the 1990s, respectively. When it comes to festivals, Formoz is unfortunately still dead. The organizers tried to bring it back last year with a mini-revival, but a weekend of freakish downpours squelched both that particular concert and the hope of truly bringing it back to life. For now. However, Hohaiyan (海洋音樂祭) will still happen at the beach (for free!), and there is talk of a second edition of Beastie Rock (巨獸搖滾音樂祭), which was fun last year, crappy sound systems and all. Live Wire will keep you updated, but for now, here is a quick summer calendar.
Tonight we have Crossfaith and New Breed, two hard-thrashing Japanese bands that will most likely dress in monochrome and get you feeling all hardcore and emo-y. Most people won’t be wearing black lipstick, but it certainly won’t be frowned upon.
■ 7pm tonight at The Wall, B1, 200, Roosevelt Rd, Sec 4, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路四段200號B1). Admission is NT$1,200 at the door
Photo Courtesy of Untitled Entertainment
On Sunday, Australian indie rockers The Jezabels return to Taipei for the second time in half a year, though this time playing a slightly more intimate venue — The Wall as opposed to Legacy Taipei. If you like haunting female vocals and hard-driving rock atmospherics, or maybe just Australian bands in general, this is definitely for you. The group has emerged as a huge hit on Australia’s answer to college rock radio, the government-run station Tripple-J, and it’s also been honing its delivery through non-stop touring in Europe and the US.
■ 7pm on Sunday at The Wall. Admission is NT$700 in advance, NT$900 at the door
On June 26, Jason Mraz will play Taipei Arena. He might be a pop sensation, and he might vanish from the media’s radar five years from now, but he’s at least something of a real singer-songwriter with a real band behind him. I might not be tempted to buy a ticket, but I’d still take him over Bruno Mars any day.
Photo Courtesy of the Wall
■ 7pm on June 26 at Taipei Arena (台北小巨蛋), 2, Nanjing East Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市南京東路四段2號). Admission is from NT$800 to NT$4,000. Tickets available at www.walkieticket.com
On July 1, the 1980s metal band Anvil will headline Celebration Canada, which is apparently what they’re now calling Canada Day. Back in 1984 or so, Anvil was touring with Bon Jovi and Whitesnake and on the cusp of hair-metal stardom. Twenty years later, they were playing for crowds that numbered in the dozens in local beer joints in their hometown of Toronto, Canada. Then a 2008 documentary portrayed them as a real-life Spinal Tap, and now — they’re coming to Taipei? This should at the very least be interesting. The gig happens at Legacy Taipei in the midst of Celebration Canada, and Urban Nomad Film Fest will screen their documentary with a question-and-answer session with the band.
■ 8pm on July 1 at Legacy Taipei, Huashan 1914 Creative Park (華山1914), Center Five Hall (中五館), 1, Bade Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市八德路一段1號). Admission is NT$1,200 advance, tickets available at www.walkieticket.com; film info at www.urbannomad.tw
The Hohaiyan Music Festival will run from July 11 to July 15 at Fulong Beach. The amazing seaside setting and free entrance is usually enough to attract a gazillion punters in blue-and-white slippers, and also to make up for the incredibly erratic music programming. Mando-pop stars Sandee Chan (陳珊妮), Faith Yang (楊乃文) and Chang Chen-yue (張震嶽) (who seems to play this festival pretty much every year) will be on hand. The best band this year may be Muma and Third Party (木瑪 and third party), a group that’s put out amazing albums in China’s indie scene. They have an enthralling combination of downer-gravity and propulsive songwriting — kind of like Joy Division, but coming out of a totally different time and place. It’s been rumored for years that they were coming to Taiwan, and now it’s finally going to happen. On Hohaiyan’s final day, there will be a power-punk lineup featuring Frontkick, a Berlin streetpunk band that’s been kicking around for over a decade, and Australia’s latest answer to Blink 182, The Dirt Radicals. More interesting will be the Japanese visual rock group D’Erlanger — if they don’t melt in the sunlight, they should be friggin’ awesome.
■ July 11 to July 15 at Fulong Beach (福隆海灘), New Taipei City. For more information, visit 2012hohaiyan.events.pixnet.net/
On July 25 is Radiohead. It’s sold out, and has been since two days after tickets went on sale. Try scalping on Facebook. Or put on your best Oxfordshire accent and pretend you’re a roadie. Good luck.
■ 7pm on July 25 at Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall (台北世界貿易中心南港展覽館), 1 Jingmao 2nd Rd, Taipei City (台北市經貿二路1號). Sold out
On Aug. 5, Megadeth returns to Taiwan for the first time in 11 years. The last time it played the Formoz Festival at 3am in the middle of a typhoon, but the show was jet-lagged and perfunctory. Let’s hope this is better, or, as Nathan Explosions would say, “totally brutal.”
■ 6pm on Aug. 5 at ATT Show Box, 12 Songshou Rd, Taipei City (台北市松壽路12號). Admission is from NT$1,800 to NT$3,600. Tickets available at www.walkieticket.com
On Aug. 16, it’s probably safe to say the Megadeth crowd will not be going to see The Cardigans. But that hardly answers the question: Why is Swedish pop music so catchy? The group stops in Taipei on its way to Summer Sonic in Japan. Love me, love me, say that you love me … I don’t care, it’s certainly music news.
■ 8pm on Aug. 16 at TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall. Admission is $1,400 to $3,800, tickets available at www.ticket.com.tw.
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