Ministry of Sound celebrates its third anniversary this weekend, which is something of a milestone for a club which has been bedeviled by legal battles, closures, re-openings, more closures, refurbishments, gangster-related mischief and, if that wasn't enough, has had to contend with being situated in the most rubbish out-of-the-way backwater of the city.
But despite the club's striking, if unfortunate, similarities with the late Anna Nicole Smith, management remain confident about the venue's future. "Business is pretty good, but yes, people still think it's far away so next month we're launching a shuttle bus from downtown out to the club," said manager Jonny Lin by phone this week. "Over the coming year we're going to concentrate more on the dance music scene and book producers as well as DJs."
Elsewehere, Victor Cheng and Eric Huang warm up for next week's GayDays festival — more next week on that — at Club Jump which is the new manifestation of AXD. Parties are on both tonight and tomorrow. At Shadow Bar, on the fourth floor of the Living Mall, F-Bomb present Shady Nights, with free shots for those donning their sunnies and music from Junior and Megan, Fratzuki, Sona and TrackSwiss.
PHOTO: TAIPEI TIMES
Spring has apparently sprung upon us and that can mean only one thing: next weekend legions of pasty northern-dwelling souls will migrate south to the beaches in and around Kenting in search of several days of sunshine and music-related hedonism. Taiwan's best attempt at a riviera lacks the swank of St. Tropez or Miami, and even the charm of the Gulf of Thailand. This is explained partly because the island's tourist market spectacularly failed to take off, as no-one in Taiwan's tourism ministry has ever fathomed that, unlike their Japanese and Chinese counterparts, the majority of Western tourists will not countenance a holiday which involves endless hours of sitting on buses, staying in chintzy hotels, and eating naff buffet food, and partly because the Chinese Nationalist Party for many years banned everyone from the beaches.
To cater for the mainstream festival-goers, Spring Scream has become justly famous for delivering a bands-based music festival over the April weekend. However, off the beaten track, a cluster of parties cater to those who like their music a more electronica-tinged flavor, and most are called Spring something-or-other (though no-one, it seems, has yet seized upon the comic potential of Spring Roll. Maybe next year.) But please note: the local police don't dig house music or drugs. These satellite raves are frequently shut down or raided. Sensitive community outreach policing techniques are not high on the list of "Things We Excel At" taped to the nicotine-stained wall of the average Pingtung County cop shop, but, whooey, those boys in blue can swing a baton. Rumor has it that they will be cracking down particularly hard this year.
Spring Wave
Where: This one's over two venues, so it might be tricky, but they're both in Kenting. Venue one is at: Maobitou (貓鼻頭). Venue two is at Lungluantan (龍鑾潭).
Tickets: See www.friendlydog.com.tw/index.html. One-day tickets are NT$1,000 in advance and two-day tickets are NT$1,500. More on the door, and, note: they are only valid for one venue. Boo!
Who's Playing: Venue one: DJ Krush is on Thursday. Yes, Krush. Noodle, Machi, and MC Hotdog. Then rock 'n' roll and hip-hop over the following two days. Venue two hosts Spain's Digital Analog Band live and New York's Serge Devant on both Friday and Saturday, with Joe Ho, JonB, Kay and SL tearing it up on Friday and Andy Moor, AJ Gibson, Blueman, Buff Wise and Victor Cheng the following night.
Why Go? Did you not just see the bit about DJ Krush playing? Aside from that, there'll be 15,000 people going mental over two venues featuring trance, house and hip-hop from both local and international artists, and with both DJs and live acts. Looks like a humungous one.
Spring Love
Where: Leofoo Beach Resort, 6-5 Haikou Rd, Haikou Village, Checheng Township, Pingtung County (屏東縣車城鄉海口村海口路6-5號). Tel: (08) 882-5765. The Leofoo Resort (Kenting) is located at the end of Pingtung's "Blue Highway" — Haikou Harbor, Checheng. It is very close to Hengchun Airport, and only 5 minutes' drive away from Checheng town.
Tickets: Two-day tickets are NT$1,000 in advance and $1,500 on the door. Tickets can be purchased from Luxy or Xaga. For more information visit www.springlove.com.tw.
Who's Playing: Friday: DMC Taiwan DJs Afro, Potato, Bigg'z, Rino, Simon, Stanley. Saturday: Housey housey with Cookie, Daryl, Reason, J-Six, Hooker, Saucey and SL.
Why Go? The Luxy crew will embrace the equinox by donning metaphorical Speedos and rigging up a kicking sound system on the beach in a posh resort with accomodation, so forget trying to desperately erect a tent in the mud after too many beers. Beats Zhongxiao East Road on a rainy Friday night. Full marks for an easy-to-navigate Web site, and it has the added bonus of being the only party "approved" by Pingtung County authorities, which may mean less hassle from the 5-0.
Spring Mix 'n' Match
Where: South Coast Farm (南海岸農場), Kenting
Tickets: One-day tickets are NT$600 for Friday and NT$700 for Saturday or for both nights entry is NT$1,000 with two drinks. Tickets are available from various venues in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. Visit spring-mixmatch.blogspot.com for more details and a list of outlets.
Who's Playing: Friday, stage one kicks off at 8pm with: Tony, Mr. Ching (精), Ahter and Fireg, Mango and Will, Nakata Tomohiko (Japan), Paul Energy (UK), Joy and infoLedge VJs. Stage two features: Kenji, Darren, Koala, Pacha Mama, Bye So and Goa Wei and VJ Kelsey (D.E.A Studio.) On Saturday, DJ Black, MC Tachih (大支) and Noodle, Beatek Ferrock, Sam, Vertigo, Q-Hey (Japan) and PolaBear do their various things on stage one, while DJ Paula, Fireg, Ahter, Spike and F*Daniel psyche things up on the second stage.
Why Go? This one has an interesting line up, with both nights offering techie electro house and techno and even a smattering of hip-hop on stage one and, on the other, psycho-trance for anyone who's ever waved a glowstick in a Taoyuan warehouse, or, indeed, anyone who has ever wanted to but somehow missed the chance.
Moonlight Kandi
Where: Mt. Tachien Wilderness Park (大尖山原野樂園)
Tickets: On the door: NT$700 (Thursday); NT$900 (Friday); NT$1,500 (Saturday)
Who's Playing: As of press time, the schedule hasn't been finalized, but you can expect Jim Reese, Paul Wilkins, Dave Webb, Andy Warburton, Ziki and Jazzy M on the international team, while Jimmy Chen, Marcy, Vertigo, Lef, Travis, Will, Mango and Victor Cheng step up to bat for the locals.
Why Go? A bevy of mainly British house DJs gives Spring Wave a run for its money on the international artists front and the inherent sexiness of Hed Kandi might — but only might — rival Spring Love's posh resort bash. And organizers didn't call the do Spring-something.
Spring Color
Where: Opposite the Kenting Holiday Hotel (墾丁假期飯店斜對面)
Tickets: From Club Cor NT$1,200/NT$1,800 for one/two-day tickets on the door (discounts are available if bought in advance).
Who's Playing: Everyone's favorite after-hours DJ Fratzuki plays Saturday on the small stage with Eddie, as well as DJs WooFan, Sandoz, Alt and KJK, VJ KokuSho and Stan, VJ Iouxuan and C 7 and hip-hop on the main stage from MC Virtue (德), DJ Leaf (葉子), TTM, Mosquito (蚊子), DJ Terrisa Babe and the Hip Hop Bunch. On Friday, DJs Mika, Dakar, Lange and Satan take the main stage while MC Virtue (德), DJ Bald (光頭), MC Chang Chao-chi (張兆志), BMC, DJ Maoshu (毛叔) and a bunch of Saturday's hip-hop guys jive the main stage.
Why Go? Club Cor. On a beach. Shudder. But if you can forget that horrible image for a second, there is a seriously strong DJ line-up, with KJK, Fratzuki, Lange and Satan being worthy of note.
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