You see some silly things at press conferences, but usually not a WWF-style smack down. Tuesday, though, at the media event for Formoz Festival 2007 (野台開唱), which starts today and is billing itself as the largest rock 'n' roll event of the year, two burly men grappled on stage. As a DJ spun hip-hop and breakbeats, there was a judo hold, some arm-twisting, and the good guy got kicked. Then the bad guy, a shirtless fellow with black and white paint on his face named Azrael, buried his opponent backwards with a pile-driver. Seated among print and television reporters in the audience, four similarly painted members of death metal band Anthelion (幻日) applauded, chains and buckles clanking against leather.
Organized by TRA Music, Formoz has long been known as having a bit of something for everyone, but this year it's upped the ante. There will be more than 100 bands - representing every genre from hip-hop and heavy metal to indie pop and techno - playing simultaneously on seven stages sprawled across the Taipei Municipal Children's Recreational Center, and, new this year, a Tao (道) Stage across the street at Zhongshan Soccer Stadium. Last year Formoz sold 10,000 tickets, and festival staff recorded more than 50,000 entries to the festival grounds.
This year there will be seven stages for music, one for movies, and one for wrestling. That's right, wrestling, between guys in funny masks with names like King Kong Wolf (金剛狼), Ghost Kick and the aforementioned Azrael. The action ends Sunday night in a Battle Royale (大亂鬥) on the Fight (炎) stage.
PHOTOS: TAIPEI TIMES AND COURTESY OF TRA
Although this might make Formoz 2007 seem like it's only a few elephants and a dancing bear short of a circus, the festival is actually a refreshing change of pace - Spring Scream being the other notable exception - from the mushrooming horde of copycat music festivals organized and funded by local governments that may showcase a foreign act or two but otherwise have the same local bands singing the same songs, the only changes being the festival's location and name.
The quality comes at a price. Last year, weekend passes at the gate were NT$1,800 and single-day tickets were NT$1,000. This year, door damage is NT$1,600 per day or NT$3,200 for the entire weekend. Purchase tickets at the Zhongshan Soccer Stadium, then proceed to the Youth Activity Center for an admission bracelet.
Before Formoz 2006, TRA Music head and Chthonic (閃靈樂團) frontman Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said he would ensure the 2007 lineup was as fresh as possible by only signing local acts who didn't perform at any of the other summer music festivals. While this did not exactly happen - Soda Green (蘇打綠), for example, played two weekends ago at Ho-hai-yan, and 1976 has been playing festivals like they're going out of style - the local lineup is more than solid. Added to this is an impressive roster of Japanese talent. The only disappointment - aside from skyrocketing ticket prices - is the lack of a Western band with the oomph of Super Furry Animals, the Welshmen who put on a psychedelic extravaganza last year, or as well-known as electonica superstar Moby, who rocked Formoz with an energetic set in blazing heat the previous year.
That is unless you count Yo La Tengo. The New Jersey indie-rock legends are returning for their second Formoz. When Yo La Tengo played Formoz seven years ago, Lin paired them with Megadeth. It was his way of sticking it to snobbish hipster music critics - they liked Yo La Tengo but wouldn't be caught dead at a heavy metal concert - but it also nearly bankrupted him.
The first gig came at the height of the band's popularity worldwide, especially in Taiwan, and just as the band was beginning to transition from its more energetic phase into something that sounded more akin to an indie-pop easy listening act. In 1995 seeing guitarist Ira Kaplan live on a small stage was a religious experience. Here's to hoping he's still got the energy and the band plays some of its 20th-century songs.
Freddy Lin's death metal band Chthonic is touring abroad, but metal heads can check out Anthelion, US band Testament and local acts Triple Six (666) and 13 (恕). Fans of punk should not miss Overdose or Kaohsiung's Fire Ex (滅火器).
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's symphonic electronica and Depeche Mode cover artist Sylvain Chauveau, whose 2001 album Nocturne Impalpable was named one of that year's best in its category by Les Inrockuptibles magazine, the French version of the Rolling Stone. For more information about these and other bands, log on at www.formoz.com/2007/artist.php.
One word of caution: Be sure to bring photo ID. In order to stamp out gatecrashers, IDs will be checked at the gates to ensure that ticket-bearers are who they say they are.
About the bands:
A selection of some of the best at Formoz Festival 2007. Top picks in bold
TODAY
Tao (道) Stage
Dean & Britta / US / 3:30pm
Wind (·) Stage
Sugar Plum Fairy (甜梅號) / Taiwan / 7pm
Woods (林) Stage
Kou Chou-ching (拷秋勤) / Taiwan / 7pm
Fire (火) Stage
Telephone Booth (電話亭) / Taiwan / 6:50pm
White Eyes (白目) / Taiwan / 8:50pm
Chang Jui-Chuan (張睿銓) and DJ Point / Taiwan / 10:50pm
Mountain (山) Stage
Space Cake / Taiwan / 6pm
Digihai / Taiwan / 6:50pm
The Shine &Shine & Shine & Shine / Taiwan / 7:40pm
The Aprils / Japan / 10:50pm
Electronic (電) Stage
DJ Noodles / Taiwan / 8pm
Rock (石) Stage
Overdose / Taiwan / 8pm
Tomorrow
Tao (道) Stage
Asobi Seksu / US / 5:30pm
Wind (·) Stage
Yum! Yum! Orange / Japan / 7pm
Buffalo Daughter / Japan / 10:30pm
Tizzy Bac / Taiwan / 9:10pm
Fire (火) Stage
Six O’minus / Japan / 10:50pm
Mountain (山) Stage
Sylvain Chauveau / France / 8:50pm
Electronic (電) Stage
DJ Mykal / Taiwan / 8pm
Sunday
Tao (道) Stage
Quruli / Japan / 6:20pm
Wind (·) Stage
Bear Babes (熊寶貝) / Taiwan / 6pm
OK Go / US / 9:20pm
Fire Ex (滅火器) / Taiwan / 10:50pm
Fire (火) Stage
Si Xing Wan (四幸丸) / Taiwan / 9:50pm
Full House / Taiwan / 10:50pm
Mountain (山) Stage
8mm Sky / Taiwan / 7pm
Yo La Tengo / US /10:30pm
Electronic (電) Stage
DJ Kaoru / Taiwan / 8:20pm
Steve Aoki / US / 9:50pm
Fight (炎) Stage
Battle Royale (大亂鬥) / wrestling / 10:50pm
The above times are for reference only and may be changed
by the festival organizers without notice
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