Event Review
It was a full house at the Theatre, Sheung Wan Civic Centre, when the Yamaha Asian Beat Band Competition 2008 Hong Kong Final returned with full live and zest. Since its inception in 1998, the competition is known as an annual, you-must-not-miss event that combines the best of rock with a longstanding tradition of being the premiere forum for discovering and showcasing the best of local amateur musicians.
This year, Summer Junkiez defeated 15 finalists with original tune "Shine a Light" to win the Champion of Hong Kong. Dynamically led by winner of the Best Vocalist Award, Anthony Yang Barry, Summer Junkies’s sound was a hybrid of American Rock & Roll, Ska, Reggae and some punk. Freshly formed in Summer 2008, the foursome is a tight-knit group of veteran and determined musicians who simply gel together, even though they come from varying musical backgrounds. Instead of keeping time, their drummer’s locomotive drumming propelled the music, while the bass and guitars were arranged to keep the accented rhythm up and alive. Without doubt, they have succeeded in establishing their own musical identity - it is their musical maturity that captured the judges’ hearts. Summer Junkiez were astounded and bursted into tears of joy when they heard their name closely followed the anxious drum-roll. "It was indescribable!" said Barry.
Also joining Summer Junkies in February's Asia Grand Final is our First Runner-up band Grin. With their witty and audacious Canton Pop-Rock number, they boldly commented on the sensationalized headlines appearing in the news. The band can’t wait to represent Hong Kong in the finals and all of them are especially proud of their teammate Barry Wong Kwok Wah, whose dedication and long hours spent in the rehearsal room were paid off with Best Drummer Award.
Steering away from mainstream subjects like love and hate, Rosy which came Second Runner-up in this year’s finals aims to express their hope for a better future through their Cantonese, radio-friendly work. Inspired the by the catastrophic earthquake in Mainland China, the tune starts with a quieter and peaceful piano passages, that contrasts with the grand anguish delivered by the heavily distorted guitar in later sections.
And let’s return to one of the hottest topic in the contest - Castle’s Guitarists Poon Kin Leung and Lee Cheuk Man aren’t no pseudo guitar heroes that live in family game consoles. Hand-picked by the judging panel, the teammates are sharing the glory of this year’s Best Guitarist Award title. The musical flare lit up by their highly motivating performance had impressed the judges. "Caution", an upbeat number written to discuss human and its impact on environmental ecology, inherits much characteristics of the incidental music that is common to Japanese Anime. The song structure provided a foundation for the guitarists to elaborate and to live up the true colors and unique tone that the instrument possesses. Upward moving chord progressions were energizing, triggering the audience’s craving for more from the guitarists. And they were strategically right - the modulation appeared in the reprise, topping up with the soaring double-lead solos took the atmosphere to a new height.
Emerging from the only progressive rock act of the evening, Donald Lam Pui Hong from Dreams Audible in Future (D.A.F.) took the Best Bassist Award home, while his teammate Wong Wai Kin was honored with Best Keyboard Player Award. Performances of both musicians were of a consistent quality, and Wong’s Baroque-infused playing blends the luxury and lavishness of classical music into the band’s ambitious and challenging music goal.
Based on statistics provided by the avalanche of demo tapes received in the first round of the selection process, it is clear that only one out of every four entries were admitted to play in the finals. Stylistically speaking, apart from the steady and sturdy alternative rock presented by guest band audiotraffic, there were supplies of Pop-Rock, Melodic Rock and Funk in the venue too. Relatively new to the contest’s history, Metal-core imported by Eve of Sin and Darkness Pool is worth mentioning, for their vocalists’ death growls are just as much an aesthetic and technically demanding to Metal-core as an instrument. Although such genre may not be as widely accepted, it is certain that the efforts paid by the vocalists would not be any less than those who shared the same stage in the evening.
Just browse through Yamaha’s official Asian Beat website and you will also agree that Hong Kong’s troop of musicians have never let us down in the Asia Grand Finals. First-ever in the contest’s ten-year history, Hong Kong will proudly host the Asia Grand Final and we will send Summer Junkies and Grin to compete for glory against representatives from eight countries, including Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Philippines, Mongolia and Mexico. Summer Junkies and Grin are all set for this ultimate music quest. It’s your turn now, to get the LED-studded banners and HKSAR flag ready because the Asia Grand Final is hitting Jockey Club Auditorium, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 28th February 2009. See you soon!
- Francis Fu -
Click for more information and photo gallery:
http://www.tomleemusic.com.hk/specialpage/event/ev250_AB08/gallery.html |
