bcunplugged

Kevin Kaho Tsui performs mostly by himself, his music much like ’60s British pop/rock. The Beatles are amongst his biggest influences so they can be heard in most of his music. Kevin’s idol is John Lennon; he listens to Lennon’s music more than anyone else’s on his playlist.

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Hong Kong and went to Scotland for secondary studies at a boarding school. Didn’t speak much English at the time – you could imagine it was a wee bit difficult to cope and learn under the Scottish accent situation. Besides the language challenge, which was a tough enough task, the social culture was the most difficult thing to face. Eventually I got used to it and it largely explains who I am at the moment. I then went to university in Manchester in England for 3 years, and returned back here to Hong Kong about a year ago. The UK is definitely my second home!

What are your goals in pursuing music? What message are you trying to get across?

Music has always been a huge part of my life; I would feel extremely uncomfortable if I forgot to take my iPod on my way out to work etc. As a student back in Manchester, I had the chance to see lots of British bands such as Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party playing live at the student unions; they really inspired me and it was always a dream for me to start a band or make band music. Growing up as a kid I always loved listening to The Beatles and Oasis, they are definitely my biggest influences. I would say the key moment was actually on October 10, 2008 – I’d just finished university at the time and was in London working part time in a cafe. On that day I managed to bump into Ronny Wood (from The Rolling Stones) and Matt Tong (the drummer from Bloc Party) on the streets and thought it was a sign that I should start making my own music. A bit random but that really was a special day for me! Around the same time, I remember I had lots of free time while searching for a job in the UK, so I used to spent ages on YouTube looking at videos. I came across an artist called David Choi – some of the videos he posted were cover versions of pop songs. I had discovered the wonder of sharing music on YouTube, and he really inspired me to develop the courage to showcase my sound to the rest of the world. I posted my first video on the internet mid-2009 and have been addicted since. Posting videos of covers and original songs on the net has got me into a whole new world, allowing me to meet some great friends and also enter music contests. YouTube has definitely helped me a lot in what I do and am trying to achieve right now. So far I’ve only been performing live for a few months so I hope there’s a lot more to come in the near future but, as I mentioned, my dream and goal is always to form a band.

Do you write your own music and lyrics?

I used to write songs when I was at school and university but none were ever finished and I never had the chance to showcase them because I wasn’t confident enough about my work. But since performing live I have been looking back at all those notes and lyrics I wrote so long ago and tried to make them sound more current. I enjoy writing my own songs a lot– I can only truly express myself through my own melodies. They are mostly about experiences I’ve had or am facing at the moment, largely based on love or life.

Which of the songs best shows who you are and why?

The song that is most meaningful to me is one I wrote not long ago called Dear Florence. Basically the song is about sometimes meeting someone and not knowing him/her too well, but there’s an immediate connection. It’s a feeling I know lots of people can relate to. It’s also about being shy to express to the other person what you truly feel and think. The chorus – ‘I may not have no cars or flowers, I may not give you kisses on the Eiffel Tower’ – is something I strongly believe in when it comes to real love: You can have all the money, fame, looks you want in the world, but it’s the inside that really counts.

What does making music mean to you?

Making music means I am free, it means I am alive. It means I am able to do what I love and feel passionate about.

Solomon Siah, a singer/guitarist/songwriter/composer, moved to HK from Los Angeles. Music is an outlet for him, a means by which he can escape, counsel and console himself. His songs explore the different emotions and scenarios he has experienced and so his personality comes out very strongly in the songs that he has written. A lot of his lyrics are sincere, sometimes embarrassing and angry, but always honest.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Inspirations are never predictable. They tend to happen randomly either when I experience or observe a feeling. Several of my songs are based on stories that recount a very special sensation/feeling that may be a combination of several small events put together. Things I find inspiring are often normal things seen in a different light. So I try to capture these feelings/thoughts lyrically by using unconventional but relatable descriptions.

What does making music mean to you?

Music is a gift. It always has been. To make music is to only capture a small highlight of its beautiful and enormous landscape. The potential is endless because there are so many forms and genres – some we subjectively appreciate more than others. But my intent, whenever I write a song, is simply to share a feeling and hope that others can relate to and appreciate it.

Can you share with us your most interesting stage performance?

I’ve performed at Backstage Live many times, both with my own shows and for friends. I’ve also played at a few other live venues including Noah’s Ark on Ma Wan Island! Aside from HK, I performed in the US in Los Angeles and Chicago. Probably one of my most memorable (and nerve-racking) performances was when I sang at my brother’s wedding. It was something I’d wanted to do for a long time and a pleasant surprise for my family as several of them didn’t know I enjoyed singing and playing music!

What is playing unplugged like for you?

Playing unplugged probably comes most naturally to me, as most of the time I’ve spent playing has been unplugged. For some musicians it’s quite the opposite and perhaps it feels lonely, but my music has always been born out of unplugged environments. Arranging/producing my songs with more tracks has always been the hard part!

Which is the song that you feel represents you and your band the most and why?

At the moment, I think the song that represents me the most, is In My Dreams. I put a lot of myself, and who I was at the time, into that song. Although it has a fairly upbeat and happy tone, it tells a somewhat sad story about a boy who can’t but love a girl he believes is unreachable apart from ‘in [his] dreams’. For me, the dream girl is music. No matter what I’ve done, I can’t seem to shake something in me that wants to do it and live it, even though it often appears impossible.

When making/performing music, what do you hope to achieve?

Whenever I create a song my first goal is for the listener want to listen to it again. My second goal is for the listener to hear the song and relate to it, both musically and lyrically. I hope that people who listen to my songs won’t just hear them, but will really listen to what they’re about. If I could get that depth of response from a listener, I would feel like I’d succeeded.

Is there a particular message or idea that you are trying to spread or represent?

I like to spread a message of hope. Some of my songs are pure honest emotion (eg anger/confusion), but they don’t all end in a complete thought. I think that through everything we encounter in life we need to eventually find a purpose and a hope to keep going. I think it’s sad that the word “love” has become a cliché – it shouldn’t be. Love can change everything and it’s worth digging through all our other emotions to find out how important love really is.

Erik Piece (EP) has always loved gazing into the ocean so The Tranquil Summer Sea (TTSS) seemed an excellent name when he teamed up with Karmen Cheung to form an acoustic duo playing a couple of 12-string guitars. Karmen invites people into her stories and expresses genuine feelings with her voice while EP arranges and integrates melodies into her story with perfect harmonies and percussive guitar rhythms.

Why did you name yourself The Tranquil Summer Sea?

EP: It’s my version of the translated title of Takeshi Kitano’s movie of the early ’90s. It was also the title of a photo of Karmen sitting on the waterfront in Stanley.

When did you start becoming interested in music?

EP: What I remember is the Beatles’ Please Please Me album at home that I had picked. That’s how it started.

What inspired you to dedicate yourself to music?

EP: The fact that I cannot play the guitar or bass left-handed like Sir Paul triggers me to devote myself to music, right-handed.

Is there a particular on stage moment that you would like to share with us?

EP: No. Whenever there’s only me on the stage it is so uneventful.

Has Hong Kong played a big part in influencing your music and lyrics?

TTSS: No. If it had, I should have been 1) singing Cantonese and 2) seen on TV (being dragged off the stage by guards).

Which of your songs best portrays who you are? And why?

TTSS: Close and Apart. Before telling you why, we’ll convince you that human relationships are intimately alienated. After that, we won’t have to tell you why.

Do you write your own music and lyrics?

EP: All originals; at the same time we love practising covers. Where do I go for inspiration? A hot shower.

What does music mean to you and what message are you trying to spread?

TTSS: Music is our religion. Music doesn’t need a message to be music.

Unplugged music up close and personal, entry is free

Solomon Siah, Kevin, Kaho Tsui, The Tranquil Summer Sea

The Wanch, 54 Jaffe Road, Wanchai, Tel: 2861 1621

Fad
At a band competition in 2006, five musicians met and decided to form a group. Vocalist Sky, guitarist Sammy, bassist Carina, keyboardist Shireen and drummer Baller settled on the name Fad for their band. Ask them what kind of music they play and they’ll tell you that, although they are generally influenced by British music, they each have their own preferences so it is difficult to label the band’s output. Influences from Hong Kong indie, China, Taiwan, Japan, and UK, they say, bring special chemistry to their music.

We are just ordinary youth – we work like ants in the daytime and chase our dreams at night. Time flies, soon we won’t be young anymore, and we hope to do something we can be proud of when we look back as grandma and grandpa. We love to feel the music and feel life. Work hard and play hard.

Where do you get the inspiration for your music?

From our daily life. We like observing human beings around us; we pay attention to every detail to make our life become rich. For example, one of our songs, Sleep Out, is about the beggars we see every day, another Thoughts of Dying Liberal, a new song, is inspired by recent political events in Hong Kong.

Out of all the songs you have written, do you have a favourite?
Yes, sure, every band does. Our favourite song is Sleep Out. This was the first piece we were all satisfied with, and since then our song writing has advanced and improved to another level.

Would you buy a Volkswagen?
Probably we wouldn’t have enough money for that – we have spent so much on music already.

What was the last record you bought/downloaded/lagged?
Hong Kong indie band ToNick’s CD, brought at their CD release show a couple weeks ago. Support local bands!

What has been your proudest/most fun moment on stage? And the worst?
Our most fun moment was at the “You’d better look FIT!” Good Fellas T-shirt launch gig, together with our good friends Good Fellas at Fringe Club in April. Other than our own songs, we played a couple of cover songs with Good Fellas: Trash (Suede), Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin), Don’t Look Back in Anger (Oasis) and Disco 2000 (Pulp) which was really enjoyable! The audience was totally into the cover songs, they were singing along, clapping hands and jumping with us. The atmosphere was just amazing!

We use a lot of effect processors in our songs, and need a long time to set up before playing. That includes a very detailed check for sound balance on stage. This can cool the mood down a bit at a multi-band live show. The worst thing is taking all our heavy effect cases from the band room in Kwun Tong to where the show is and then setting them up on the stage (they are SO HEAVY!). Sometimes space is so limited on stage we can hardly move even though we enjoy being there. Anyway, we are waiting for a larger stage to perform on!

Could you please introduce a few songs from the coming set?
We are going to play five or six of our own songs, including a new tune if it’s finished. We’ve been working on different arrangements for this performance; also, we will probably play a few covers, with unplugged arrangements.

What is your favourite unplugged album?
Kings of Convenience – Riot on an Empty Street

If you Google your band, what is the weirdest thing that shows up?
When we Google “Fad”, we come across something biochemical related to metabolism. But we named our band Fad because we hope to lead the latest trend in the music of Hong Kong: We hope someday http://myspace.com/fadhk will appear in Google’s top search. Hopefully we will have become a symbol of Hong Kong local Brit/90’s style alternative rock by then, local bands will be more popular and watching a live music gig will be normal entertainment like watching movies and shopping! All of us, including many bands in Hong Kong, are waiting for that day to come.

LIVE FAST DIE!

Ross S Seizure runs Star Crossed Tattoo studio with his wife Julia and sings in punk band LIVE FAST DIE! Originally the band was named Kill the Chairman (KTC) but they decided that would be too risky if they wanted to tour the Mainland. So it became LIVE FAST DIE!

Our first proper gig (technically our second as we played two songs for my birthday last year before I drunkenly collapsed) was the at the first heat of Global Battle of The Bands. I was so drunk I wandered off with a bottle of Jim Beam and someone had to come pick me up out of the gutter and put me on stage. Somehow we managed to get through to the HK final! Around this time the band consisted of me on vocals, Arthur and Joe on guitar, Steve on drums and Steve K playing bass. We lost Steve K a few months ago when he moved back to New York, but are now back to our original (KTC) line-up, with Simon (Violent Jokes/Sushi Robot) on bass. Steve originally replaced Simon who was very busy with work and other band commitments but now Simon has retired he can fit us in!

Where do you get the inspiration for your music?

Joe has written most of the songs so far. I guess the inspiration is old punk, hardcore and general Hong Kong life.

Out of all the songs you have written, do you have a favourite?
My favourite (probably everyone’s except Arthur’s!) is Not Tonight, which was one of our first, or the latest ones we are working on, which are really sweet!

What was the last record you bought/downloaded/lagged?

The last records I downloaded (I haven’t bought a record for a while!) were Loveless by My Bloody Valentine and Farm by Dinosaur Jr.

What has been your proudest/most fun moment on stage? And the worst?

Most fun moment? Probably playing Hidden Agenda’s final gig at their original venue (they have moved) in front of local kids who had no idea who we were but went nuts. It was an amazing gig, the crowd surfing and moshing a-plenty. Or the Cavern a few weeks ago. The sound was great and the whole gig went really well (I was sober!). The worst was me breaking a rib at Rock School half way through a set, or me puking on Steve’s bass, again at Rock School (best we don’t talk about Rock School!).

A hardcore/punk band going unplugged? Tell us more.

A hardcore/punk band playing unplugged… Well, we have done it once before on Radio DaDa, which was cool. We had played the night before and were really hungover (Steve never even turned up!). We had never practised acoustic but it kinda worked! We are all into very varied music – Arthur and I are into a lot of country music and Joe does a lot of acoustic stuff so it’s not that weird for us. We still haven’t practised acoustically.

Can you introduce a few songs from the coming set?

Nation of Retards is about HK parents and schools, Not Tonight is about how terrible most HK’s bars are, and how many yuppies there are! Extra Life is on paediatric cancer and You’re a Dick on awkward neighbours, to name a few!

What is your favourite unplugged album?

Hmm, that’s a hard one. Right now I’d say Live @ CBGB’s by J Mascis (the singer from Dinosaur Jr) or Live @ the NVA by TV Smith (the singer from ’70s UK punk band The Adverts) – a really awesome guy and a great singer/songwriter.

If you Google the band, what is the weirdest thing that shows up?

Nothing, just stuff about other bands or James Dean. We got our name from Rat Alley, a song by my, Arthur and Joe’s previous band (‘rat alley’ were the only words!). It was inspired by G G Allin who had a tombstone tattooed on his chest with ‘live fast die’ next to it. It was terrible, worse than most of HK’s local tattoo artists, which is saying something!

Pale Boy is singer/songwriter Jay Panini. He has been making music since he bought his first guitar at the age of 16. Immersing noisy guitars and dreamy melodies into electro grooves, Pale Boy’s music is described as “colour in the dark”.

Where do you get the inspiration for your music?

Inspiration for my music is everywhere. Movies, dreams, books, people… sometimes it just pops up in my mind and I don’t know where it comes from. For the songs on my debut album due to be released this year, stories of my friends were the most important material. Recently, I’ve been writing songs about politics – I guess the news must be inspiring me.

Why do you adopt so many personas to release your music?

Yeah, I have many names. It’s just for fun. I call myself Pale Boy when I play music. When I make movies I use the name SK:NY. When I go DJing I use another name. So if you watch the video of the song You’re Mine on Youtube and see that it’s directed by SK:NY, you know what it means.

Do you have a favourite out of all the songs you have written?

I’ve no idea.

What was the last record you bought/downloaded/lagged?

The last record I bought was Living Through The Low by Solar Powered People. I love it very much. It has my favourite noisy guitar sound, catchy melodies and meaningful lyrics.

What has been your proudest/most fun moment on stage? And the worst?

Nothing special… sorry.

Could you introduce what you will be playing in your upcoming set?

I will mainly play songs from my debut album. It will be interesting because it is an electronic, guitar-noise album – to perform those songs unplugged is like being naked. I will also play some new songs that were originally acoustic oriented. Yeah, I’ve been changing from electronic to acoustic.

What is your favourite unplugged album?

My favourite, The Spinning Top by Graham Coxon, is also the album that made me go acoustic. Blur has been my favourite band and Graham is my guitar hero. In this album, his brilliant guitar work expresses very deep emotion and I have been truly touched.

If you Google yourself as a musician, what is the weirdest thing that shows up?

Never tried.

A whitish guy with many names, a band that wants to beat the trends and a group living on the edge between life and death – they are all going non-electric with bc unplugged on June 17. Read about them here and then go to hear them 9pm, 17 June @ The Wanch – entry is free.

It’s nearly 2100 and The Wanch is almost empty as I stroll past towards the nearby 7-11. Have I got the right date? Yes, it’s Thursday, 20/8/09 and the blackboard outside is advertising the latest bc Magazine Unplugged Session. I’m here to see Reign Lee and Sue Shearman (a fellow Lamma-ite) in concert. They’re supported by Jing Wong and Monday Faded. Reign and Sue’s previous appearance last summer was exhilirating and I’ve been trying to see them perform since then. Without much success. Mostly due to conflicting schedules. But “Tonight’s The Night” as Neil Young would put it.

Refreshed, I’ve left the 7-11 and toddle back to The Wanch. Going in, I’m greeted: “Hello, Nick. I’m Rachel”. She’s a senior staff writer for bc and tells me that Simon will be along soon. Actually, he’s across the road at the Arts Centre watching In The Nursery perform the live soundtrack to “Man with a Movie Camera”, a 1929 silent movie, depicting life in Moscow. I thank Rachel and bc Magazine for tipping me off about tonight’s show. Considering they’re a bi-weekly  publication, they’re better informed than the SCMP Thursday gig guide. I add that I’ve got a ticket for In The Nursery’s show tomorrow night when they’ll play an original score to the 1928 French film “The Passion of Joan of Arc”.  I found out about this performance through bc Magazine as well. Keep up the good work.

Aside from Rachel, there’s a teenage girl sitting at the adjacent shelf-cum-table. Performer or true-fan? She’s facing the stage and the huge bc Unplugged banner tacked up over it. Simon arrives about 2115 and a small crowd gathers outside. Jing Wong is the opening act. He’s wearing a Tom Waits style pork pie hat, glasses, a small jazzsters chinwig and is carrying an accoustic guitar. There’s also a tiny box, called “the machine” with which he hopes to accompany himself by sampling, looping and replaying his strummings. Jing say’s he’s going to play “…original songs, See the reaction. Maybe do some covers”. Opening number “Little Girl” starts with a sturdy strum of chords and some fine fey singing. By that I mean his singing voice is nore delicate and higher pitched than his speaking voice and pleasant to listen to. Rather like listening to old Irish folk duo, Tir Na Nog who once headlined the now  tragically discontinued Hong Kong Folk Festival in the early nineties.”The machine” refuses to co-operate. Some click-click-click sounds before machine malfunction occurs. Jing takes it all in his stride, making a joke out of it this electrical insubordination.

The second tune, possibly called “The Stranger”, accompanies an inrush of lovely young ladies and a giant talent. Top local singer Ant(h)ony Wong is in the house to see Jing. Mr. Wong is not apparently the type of man to spend evenings carousing in The Wanch, but he’s here tonight. bc magazine’s description of Jing Wong as “Indie’s next big thing’ has merit it seems. The next two songs deal with a relationship breakup from two different perspectives. Hints of Al Stewart, Roy Harper and John Sebastian flicker and trammel through my brain. Local accoustic acts like My Little Airport and Clementine Is My Sunshine are also alluded to in regard to the confessional lyrics.

Jing plays for about 30 minutes. The later tunes are more robust. “Nrs. Nightingale” features a Roger Daltrey scream which doesn’t quite get there, but is passionate anyway. More practise on that one. Another song “Icarus” was inspired by “a Victorian dressed man outside the Tate Gallery in London. I thought he was like Peter Sutcliffe” (the Yorkshire Ripper) and is accompanied by a jolting attenpt to do the “Psycho” strings. The song ends abruptly as Jing says he”s a “bit unprepared”. The final song is a cover of “Lucille” which sounds like Leo Kottke crossed with The Honeydrippers. At least that’s what my notes say, but they weren’t keeping up with my thoughts so  well. Anyway, I enjoyed the opening act a lot. He’s confident, not phased by any electrical tantrums, has an erudite mind and a confessional approach to his singing. He’ll get better and I’d love to hear him jamming against himself with a fully functioning machine”.

It takes about 15 minutes or so for Reign and Sue to get set up. It’s a twin accoustic guitar assault tonight with Sue providing the more lysergic licks to counterpoint Reign’s passionate vocals. The bar is filling up fast, about 65% – 35%, ladies to men. Steve Cray has popped in to see Reign’s set and is promptly overseeing the sound checks. He knows what levers to slide and buttons to push, being a veteran of numerous nights of performance in The Wanch. Steve says he can only stay briefly as he’s off to see famed, yet unknown, blues rock guitarist Jimmy Gregory who’s playing a special gig above Joe Bananas.  And now the girls are up. up and away.

It’s an eight song set, mostly from Reign’s excellent “Broken Skylines” cd release of last year. The cd is now being remixed and remastered, partly because she felt it was a bit rushed and partly to have a heavier version available for her upcoming short American tour. The first song is newer. Entitled “Built to Last” (a nice Grateful Dead reference there) it was her most recent free download on myspace. A good tune, it kicks off like a slower introduction version of “Another Girl, Another Planet” by The Only Ones. Reign is right up to the mike, eyes closed, singing in lovelorn abandon. Sue is quite minimal in her solos. A few FX occur, but overall her playing reminds me a bit of Miles Davis and his “less is more” technique. Some plucking, some blip-blip style solos. Now and then, the guitar sounds like a clavinet or harmonium. A bit reminiscent of “The Park” by Uriah Heep.

The songs are broken up by witty badinage between Reign and Sue. Reign claiming “I’m your meal ticket” and Sue responding with frequent calls for “my free drink”. The evening is turning into a mix of a concert and a standup comedy night. Now and then, the gremlins cause minor havoc, but these little mishaps are greeted with gaiety. Everyone is relaxed and having fun. Including Reign’s parents, Debbie and Simon, who are sitting just behind me as the place fills up.

(Hang on a minute. Who’s that over there? It’s CeeBee, the Dark Mistress of SubTerranea. I know Reign played a recent set at her long running revue, but that was an electric showcase. Has she come to check out the unplugged session? And there’s Manek, the hip young photo-chronicler of Hong Kong’s groovy late night party scene, sitting next to her. No, they’re leaving halfway through the set. Manek and I geeted each other when he came in, but there’s no farewell from them as they leave. Probably because I’ve got my head down, scribbling notes. Or maybe she’s too pompous these days to bother slumming with the hacks. I used to write reviews for her revue, but it didn’t work out and rumour has it that I’ve been “Stalinized”. Not part of the official history anymore).

The highlights of the set include a horripilatory (hair-raising as in goosepimples) version of “Summer Faded”, “In Your Arms” and “Don’t Close Your Eyes”. There’s another new song called “Weaker States” which is how I feel after hearing it. I can feel a shit-eating grin growing inside me.I’ve enjoyed this set as much as I did last time. I hope you both have a great tour of America and I can’t wait to see a full electric gig. Until then….

The last intermission is over and Monday Faded takes the stage. Remember the young girl at the beginning  of the story? Well, she is Monday Faded and it’s her bc Unplugged debut. Maybe her public debut as well. The comedy/gremlin interchanges that are strewn throughout this evening show no sign of ending soon. She’s a little bit nervous. A couple of false starts. Nothing to worry about. It’s a charitable crowd tonight and bravo to you for having the “balls” to stand up there and sing. Public speaking and performance is one of the toughest phobias to overcome.

Monday Faded (I’m sorry I didn’t chat with you and get your real name, but bc didn’t publish it either and so we’ll respect your privacy) opens with a cover of “Lady Madonna” and the other songs appear to be originals. The third tune has the chorus “…his back’s against the wall, he’d better learn to crawl” Accompanied with some more robust strumming and plucking. The fourth number has not title and Monday asks the audience for their input. Someone shouts out “Kangaroo” and it’s accepted on the spot. Job done. Miss Faded also sings right up the mike in an engaging mixture of timidity and defiance. The final tune about a one-handed monkey is the quirkiest number she performs. A fine little tale with a hint of eastern promise in the melody. Overall, another great night. Jing Wong and Monday Faded have nice tunes and lyrics (those that I could hear, but that’s me being a bit deaf) The rhymes are a couple of levels above “moon, June, swoon” etc. I’ll be happy to spend a night listening to you all again. Thanks for another excellently entertaining evening. I’ll try not to let another year go by before checking in again.    nick the bookman