Although the best male and female vocalists have traditionally been the highlights of the Golden Melody Awards, the group category has gradually been winning prominence, especially with the band Luantan (亂彈) winning in the Best Singing Group category in the two previous events. Unfortunately this recognition did little for their sales and undermined their "indie" credentials.
This year, the Golden Melody Awards have introduced a division in this category, splitting it between Best Singing Group and Best Band, which avoids the pitting of a band like Sticky Rice (糯米團) against a singing group like China Dolls.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Winning two Golden Melodies, however, may not have been the best thing that could have happened to Luantan. The industry award did not give the group a badly needed boost in record sales, as it often does for other artists. In fact, it did just the opposite by creating pressure for the group that was twice recognized as "Taiwan's Best Singing Group," to increase sales. Rather than do so, they eventually just broke up.
Luantan, however, is still respected by many non-mainstream performers for breaking ground in Taiwan's music industry. They likely paved the way for the creation of the Best Band category.
Two of the favorite groups going into this category yesterday were Mayday (五月天) and Sticky Rice, which both started out as garage bands. Ultimately, Mayday won the award. People found out about both bands through the odd gig and at the annual Spring Scream music festival, Taiwan's biggest live music event despite the fact it has absolutely no music industry connections or sponsorships.
Sticky Rice was a goofy power funk band and perennial crowd favorite at these underground concerts. Mayday was a bunch of smiley-faced headbangers, kids who definitely had their own following as well.
Predictably, since becoming engulfed by the music industry, both bands have changed. Mayday signed a contract a little over two years ago with Taiwan's biggest rock label, Rock Records (滾石). Sticky Rice signed a year ago with a Rock Records sub-label, Magic Stone (魔岩). Now, both bands have slick production CDs and videos on MTV.
Mayday has left its garage band days far behind, selling as well or better than the nominees for Best Male Vocalist. "Mayday sells as well as Leehom Wang (王力宏) and definitely better than any of the other nominees for best band," said Perry Ko (柯佩鈴) of Tower Records.
It also abandoned its original musical flavor somewhere along the way. Now they're more like idols than punk rockers. Once upon a time, they belted out songs over jagged guitar riffs and sang about highly unmarketable topics like gay rights -- something they supported quite vocally, then.
Since signing with Rock Records, the group's songs have gotten a bit longer, more melodious and easier to sing. "Sure, they're better for karaoke now," said Ko. And the gay rights thing, well, they haven't talked about that in a long time.
By comparison, Sticky Rice has done a much better job of maintaining its integrity. They still have the respect of the Taiwan Rock Alliance (TRA), for example. The TRA serves as a central organization for many of Taiwan's independent rock bands.
Last week TRA's head, Freddy (佛來敵), was trying to get them to play at a July concert involving Megadeth and several other big name bands from overseas.
"They're a little harder to get in touch with, but that's about the only difference," said Freddy, who later admits that it's actually not the only difference. "They don't play clubs anymore. Their label won't let them, I guess."
"Now they play mainstream gigs," he continues, explaining that mainstream often means big venues and big sponsorship, often from the government or large corporations. "What that means is that the people who listen to rock and live music aren't seeing them much anymore."
At least, however, Sticky Rice made it back to Spring Scream last April, where they played for free as do all the other bands. Mayday, however, didn't show.
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