“Dame yo!”, the Japanese phrase which means, roughly, “No, you mustn’t.” Sometimes one can’t help but wish festival promoters here in Taiwan heard it more often. Why Japanese? I’m working fast and loose with a theme here. Bear with me.
It’s a phrase born of a shame culture that reverts the receiver to the mindset of the disobedient child caught behaving badly. Eager to please, the recipient then sets him or herself to immediately correcting whatever deviant act they’ve just been caught committing, never to do so again (at least when watchful eyes are upon them).
Take any large scale festival in Japan and look for snafus. Even if you do find some (it’s almost inevitable given the minefield of logistics involved), the errors are rarely of the glaring or unforgivable variety. In Taiwan, however, there is still a heavy dose of the Wild West here in our corner of the East when it comes to fests.
Photo courtesy of Mary Bites Kerry
An electronic music festival set to take place this past weekend in Taichung, with internationally-acclaimed artists Tiesto and Skrillex headlining, was left up in the air when the promoter, a semi-notorious figure in the scene known for his here-today-gone-tomorrow modus operandi, once again pulled a disappearing act at the last minute, leaving a stand-in to attempt to pick up the pieces.
Such is the way things can go during the spring/summer/fall festival season in Taiwan. It is a time when a collection of people at times long on passion (for music, fast money or some combination of the two) but short on technical knowledge of the ins and outs of worst-case scenario navigation hurtle themselves into the role of music magnate, thinking a bow in front of an empty stage, a few apologies and a “we’ll pull through” attitude will get them through.
And so, with all this in mind, we bid a reservedly hopeful welcome back to Taichung’s Unlimited Freedom Festival (無限自由音樂藝術節). On hiatus since 2009, this year the fest is bringing in over 100 bands from Taiwan, Japan, China, South Korea, Indonesia and Mexico (by way of Hong Kong), who will take to one of eight stages over the long weekend.
Photo courtesy of Shiwomi
Without further ado, let’s assuage our curiosity over the presence of a band from the country that got the short end of the North American Free Trade Agreement stick. Deer is a duo consisting of Adriana Martinez on keyboards and vocals and percussionist Miguel Bastida. The two of them have been based in Hong Kong since 2013, and they bring a Latin flair and a trip hop trippiness to their late 90s and early 2000s Radiohead meets PJ Harvey alt-rock sound.
Returning to Taiwan to celebrate their 15th anniversary at the fest on Sunday and at a performance in Taipei tomorrow night is Tokyo’s Head Phones President. The group has found a receptive audience here thanks to its ability to walk the line between hard rock and metal, and also due in no small part to the off-kilter flamboyance and on-stage dramatics of singer/actress Anza Ohyama. Perhaps nowhere in the world does the band get as warm a welcome as it does when it (frequently) returns to Taiwan’s shores, and deservedly so.
Speaking (once again) of Japan, the festival’s list of headliners definitely leans toward the Land of the Rising Sun, and toward the punk end of the musical spectrum. Closing out opening day tonight is power pop/punk outfit Orbit. Try to imagine what a Japanese version of latter-era Green Day might sound like and you’re pretty much there. Tomorrow, Saitama three-piece punk rock act Dustbox does the honors, and Sunday’s big name on the poster is Japanese pop-punk band Hawaiian6.
Of course, there are also plenty of homegrown bands worth checking out. Tonight will see ska band Mary Bites Kerry (瑪莉咬凱利) cart its massive eight-piece setup on stage to deliver some classic California skank. The opening evening will also host a performance by much-hyped Taipei post-rock outfit Constant & Change (康士坦的變化球).
Tomorrow’s notables on the local end of things include Taipei punk rockers The Roadside Inn, who may have set the record for most people on stage during their last performance in Taichung at August’s Heartown Festival (山海屯音樂節), know how to whip the crowd into a stage diving frenzy. Tainan-based noise rockers Mr. Dirty will bring a touch of danger and unpredictability. As for Sunday, irreverent synth/dance rockers, No Money No Honey, are the ones to watch.
We’ve already had a typhoon wreak havoc with one Taichung festival this season and a promoter throw shade on last weekend’s scuttled celebration of all things electronic. Here’s hoping this weekend’s event fares better on all fronts, for all our sakes.
■ Unlimited Freedom Festival takes place tonight to Sunday, at National Farmers’ Association Recreation Farm (中華民國農會休閒綜合農牧場), 700, Erkan Rd, Taichung City (台中市二崁路700號). One-day passes are available for NT$1,200, and three-day passes are NT$2,500. Free camping is available, but attendees must register online to receive a camping spot. For full details, check out unlimitedfreedomfes.com
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