Iconic UK metalcore band While She Sleeps brought their electrifying energy to Legacy Taipei for a sold-out concert last week hosted by Icon Promotions. With a fervent audience of 1,200, including members of prominent local bands like The Destroyers and Flesh Juicer in attendance, the atmosphere crackled with anticipation even before the first riff.
As the doors opened, a snaking line of eager fans awaited entry, setting the tone for an evening filled with high-octane metal mastery. Setting the stage for the evening’s energy were the Japanese all-female openers, electronicore band Hanabie. Their vibrant Harajuku-core sound resonated strongly, evident in the enthusiastic reception they received. Their bouncy and brutal melodies, along with their colorful stage presence, added an exciting prelude to the night’s events.
Led by vocalist Lawrence Taylor, While She Sleeps delivered a performance that encapsulated 15 years of musical synergy. Taylor’s magnetic presence dominated the stage while guitarists Sean Long and Mat Welsh anchored the show with their intense focus on intricate metal arrangements. Drummer Adam Savage’s tattooed arms blurred in a speed inherent to Metalcore, expertly keeping the beat. Bassist Aaran McKenzie’s animated maneuvers and Taylor’s crowd-surfing antics added an unpredictable yet enthralling dimension to the spectacle.
Photo: Steven Vigar
The band’s setlist, a parade of hits including fan-favorites Sleeps Society and Silence Speaks, resonated deeply with the dedicated audience. Notably, a lucky fan joined the band on stage for a rendition of Systemic, showcasing the band’s commitment to engaging their followers.
While the musical quality was impeccable, the band’s connection with the audience was the highlight. Taylor’s playful banter and moments of audience interaction, like reminiscing about their previous sold-out show in Taipei and shouting the memorable “Can I get a Hoya?” fostered a sense of camaraderie between performers and fans. Taylor screamed, jumped off speakers, crowd-surfed, jeered and high-fived the crowd, keeping the packed house fully engaged from the anticipated beginning to the sweat-soaked end.
The concert acted as a prelude to While She Sleeps’ forthcoming album, SELF HELL, teased with the enigmatic single of the same name. This evolution in sound seemed to both intrigue and puzzle some fans, illustrating the band’s bold inspirations and experimentation, a move that might polarize their fanbase but showcases their growth after over 15 years in the industry.
Photo: Steven Vigar
The night concluded in an explosive encore, fueled by the crowd chanting the band’s name, securing an indelible memory for their devoted Taiwan fans. While She Sleeps, once more, affirmed their reign as metalcore heavyweights, melding artist and audience in an unforgettably passionate and evolutionary musical journey.
Photo: Steven Vigar
Photo: Steven Vigar
Last week, Viola Zhou published a marvelous deep dive into the culture clash between Taiwanese boss mentality and American labor practices at the Taiwan Semiconductor (TSMC) plant in Arizona in Rest of World. “The American engineers complained of rigid, counterproductive hierarchies at the company,” while the Taiwanese said American workers aren’t dedicated. The article is a delight, but what it is depicting is the clash between a work culture that offers employee autonomy and at least nods at work-life balance, and one that runs on hierarchical discipline enforced by chickenshit. And it runs on chickenshit because chickenshit is a cultural
By far the most jarring of the new appointments for the incoming administration is that of Tseng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) to head the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). That is a huge demotion for one of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Tseng has one of the most impressive resumes in the party. He was very active during the Wild Lily Movement and his generation is now the one taking power. He has served in many of the requisite government, party and elected positions to build out a solid political profile. Elected as mayor of Taoyuan as part of the
Moritz Mieg, 22, lay face down in the rubble, the ground shaking violently beneath him. Boulders crashed down around him, some stones hitting his back. “I just hoped that it would be one big hit and over, because I did not want to be hit nearly to death and then have to slowly die,” the student from Germany tells Taipei Times. MORNING WALK Early on April 3, Mieg set out on a scenic hike through Taroko Gorge in Hualien County (花蓮). It was a fine day for it. Little did he know that the complex intersection of tectonic plates Taiwan sits
When picturing Tainan, what typically comes to mind is charming alleyways, Japanese architecture and world-class cuisine. But look beyond the fray, through stained glass windows and sliding bookcases, and there exists a thriving speakeasy subculture, where innovative mixologists ply their trade, serving exquisite concoctions and unique flavor profiles to rival any city in Taiwan. Speakeasies hail from the prohibition era of 1920s America. When alcohol was outlawed, people took their business to hidden establishments; requiring patrons to use hushed tones — speak easy — to conceal their illegal activities. Nowadays legal, speakeasy bars are simply hidden bars, often found behind bookcases