Holy crap, Underground is staging their 100th show.

5 top local bands, Wu So Lui hosting and all sorts of prizes to be won.  Be there!

It all takes place this Saturday, 17 March, at 8 PM at Grappa’s Cellar in Central.

Oh, before I take off, just wanted to share with you some photos from a photo shoot I did this weekend with Chris B, the musician and tireless promoter of indie music in Hong Kong via Underground, GBOB and other great work.  Here’s a sample shot:

To see the full-sized version of this photo and many more, click on over to Spike’s Photos.

Saw this band last night performing at Xperience Live.  Very unusual and enjoyable.

Click on over to Spike’s Photos to see more (and larger) pictures and find out just what made them so unusual.

This is one of the events I look forward to all year long, the one that seems to consistently bring in top musicians who otherwise don’t seem to get here, as well as always having some interesting dance and theater events on the program.  You can see the full schedule here.  (BTW, some people get all excited about seeing the Kevin Spacey production of Richard III on the schedule but note the date – that’s already been and gone.)  This year I saw a wonderful performance given by Marianne Faithfull.  I had Elvis Costello tix but was sick and couldn’t go.  The year before I recall a great set from John McLaughlin, Chick Corea & the Five Peace Band.

I’ve already booked for Charlie Haden & Quartet West (Ernie Watts, Alan Broadbent, Rodney Green) and for Dr. John & the Lower 911.  Tickets for both shows top out at a very reasonable HK$600.  There are other shows I might consider going to as well.  Nigel Kennedy’s coming.  A couple of days ago I saw Tinariwen on the schedule but today they seem to have disappeared. Book now even though it’s 4 months in advance; many of these shows will sell out.  Take a look at the program – which shows do you want to see?

I think that I should have included in the previous piece the obvious connection that I left out – about having a glimmer of an understanding of what my mother must be feeling.  We’re alike in one way in that even when she was in her mid-sixties she had friends in their 30s who were constantly telling me they were amazed at her energy and youthful outlook (not a quote, just a phrase that comes to mind).  And although that “youthful outlook” seems to have shut down, especially in the almost-20-years since my father died, I think I’m starting to understand what it must feel like to still feel the same way inside that you did when you were 20 even though to the outside world you’re quite far away from that.

I had a hint of that tonight.  Inside I feel as alive as I did when I was 22.  Shit, I’m not gonna go on about this; it ain’t like I’m the first person this has ever happened to.

I’m much older than everyone else in my company.  I think I’m the only one there over 40, let alone 50.  These people never make me feel old, buddha bless ‘em.  Fridays are always a tough day for me because my first call each week is at 7 AM – at least I can do that from home and then I gotta head into the office and I’m always a little bit off on Friday’s because of that earlier start.  6 PM rolls around and there’s usually nothing I’d like better at that point than to drag myself home and sack out for a bit.

Tonight I didn’t have that option.  Someone tried to organize the first after-work-drinking-session since I’ve been there and there was no way I wasn’t going to be a part of it.  We were going to head to Nirvana, very close to our office, but it’s a tiny place and by 7 PM on a Friday night you couldn’t even squeeze inside.  Interestingly enough they put two tables outside for the overflow – and not on the sidewalk, which is very narrow there, they put the tables literally in the street.

Anyway, we walked down a block or two further to a place I’d never heard of, a bar and restaurant on Queens Road called Shore.  Foursquare informed me that it was my first lounge bar check-in ever.  It’s on the 3rd floor of an office building, it’s a very designed space, everyone else in there seemed under 30, looked like a lot of corporate types letting their hair down after work (though for some reason some guy there was wearing a Ronald McDonald costume, I shit you not, clown shoes, fright wig, the whole nine yards).  (And trust me, I may have once upon a time been a VP at an investment bank myself but no one will ever mistake me for a corporate type.  I’ve never managed to smooth out my rough edges and I don’t even try any more.)

They have this huge outdoor terrace and the place was pretty damned packed at 7:30 (and beyond) though they did manage to find a table for our group.  The bar menu was at least 12 pages long and we’re not talking Wanchai “sex on the beach” shooters; we’re talking extensive wine list, lots of high end distilled spirits, a page of various martinis and so on.  In other words, this ain’t the usual kind of place that I go to. And it was nice.  Really.  And I didn’t feel out of place there, maybe because I was with a large group.  Maybe if I’d walked in there alone I would have felt differently.  But we sat there drinking, joking, comparing tattoos, walking out to the terrace for the occasional smoke.  As tired as I was, as old as I felt in that place, it was energizing to be there.

Later, I went to a different sort of party, the relocation party for Beansbox.  I’ve known these people for years and it’s nice that I can finally use them in their professional capacity and even nicer that they’re doing a great fucking job and blowing away everyone else in my company with the quality of their work.  What they’ve done is they’ve rented what was a shop on a tiny little side street in Sheung Wan.  The downstairs has this huge blackboard and is filled with Macs, the upstairs has a great bookshelf filled with books actually worth reading and some comfortable nooks and crannies – the kind of office that doesn’t feel like an office and one that I suspect people actually enjoy going to every day.

But honestly, by 9 PM, I was feeling the burn.  I’d been up since 6, the day had been a whirlwind of activity, and it was all I could do to get myself home at that point.

Sorry, thought I knew where I wanted to go with this when I sat down to write it, kind of lost the plot I guess.  Maybe it’s just giving me something to do to force myself to stay up so that I don’t wake up at 6 AM tomorrow too.  If you found this post boring, no need to comment to let me know.

I’m not the world’s biggest fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers but they are a group I always wanted to see live.  Last night was their first time playing in Hong Kong, at Asiaworld.  If it wasn’t sold out, it was pretty damned close.  And first I have to mention that this was the best audience I’ve ever seen at a rock concert in Hong Kong – by that I mean charging the stage, pumping their fists, shouting, stomping their feet, it’s what a proper rock audience should be doing.

Of course RHCP has been around for almost 30 years and if they don’t know how to get an audience pumped, who does?  So they truly delivered the goods.  I knew they could rock and rock they did, from original members Anthony Kiedis and Flea to drummer Chad Smith and new-ish guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (plus an extra percussionist and an occasional keyboard guy).  The set was mostly greatest hits with a few tracks from their soon to be released album I’m With You.  Their set was just 90 minutes, including the obligatory break between the main set and the two song encore.  Under the Bridge was the standout song for me.

I was surprised by how genuinely humble they were on stage and how respectful of their audience.  Kiedis said, more than once, that it was an honor to play for us, said that Hong Kong was a beautiful city and dedicated a song to all the Filipinos in the audience.  Flea, at the age of 48 was practically a blur, moving non-stop, once walking around the stage standing on his hands, and is of course a monstrously good bassist when he’s unleashed.  Kiedis was sporting what I’d say was an unfortunate mustache, made him look more like Jason Schwartzman than a rock star.

I left feeling really happy and really happy that I finally saw them.  And if they come back to Hong Kong again within my lifetime I think I’ll definitely go see them again.

Opening for them was the Texas-based progressive-metal band Mars Volta; they go way back with the RHCP guys.  They’re a group I admire more than enjoy and I still felt that way after their 45 minute opening set.  I already knew that Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is an amazing guitarist so it was a pleasure to see him live; I didn’t realize what a great drummer Deantoni Parks is till last night.  I felt as if they were just warming up and that things really came together on their last extended piece – can’t tell you what the name of it was but in the middle I realized they’d worked in a healthy chunk of Marianne Faithfull’s Broken English (radically reworked, of course) and at that point I was wishing they could have played for quite a bit longer than they did.

I won’t say this was the best concert I’ve ever seen in Hong Kong – I still reserve that spot for Neil Young – but this was a damned good evening.

The sound at Asiaworld still sucks.  And last night the two projection screens flanking the stage were out of sync with the PA’s, lagging a split second or two behind the sound.  Argh!

Sorry, no pictures.  Another night I didn’t bring my DSLR only to get there and find out bags were not being checked and there were people all around me with long lens.  My pocket digital camera simply wasn’t capable of taking any pictures worth sharing.

(Please note – this is sort of a sponsored post.  These guys contacted me and asked if I’d give some coverage here.  After taking a look at their site and liking what I saw, I asked if they’d be willing to trade a post here in return for a display ad for PASM, my photo studio, and they agreed.  PASM is moving to a new location later this month so take a look on Gwanshee (or here) for details on our grand re-opening party.)

There are of course a lot of web sites and magazines covering Hong Kong events.  I used to write for one of those magazines.  These days I don’t have one single source for finding out about stuff.  Most it comes to me vaguely randomly, often via Facebook and Twitter.

I like what Gwanshee is doing because their focus is on free events.  Just looking at the events for today, I see listings for art and photo exhibitions, the Hell Hot! music festival, even a Shaolin Kung Fu workshop.  I think there’s some real potential here because I’m always looking for stuff to do that isn’t just another night in a bar and if I can do it free or cheap, so much the better.

You can log in to their site to post events of your own, via Facebook or Twitter if you’d like.  And you can subscribe to new event notices via RSS.  It looks to me as if they’re doing everything right.

Here’s what they have to say about their site:

GWANSHEE-HONG KONG’S FIRST FREE EVENTS PUBLISHER
A free service that allows Hong Kong residents to find events where they can experience
new things, meet new people and expand their networks
Gwanshee is Hong Kong’s first FREE events publisher, focusing on free academic,
professional, social and entertainment events in Hong Kong. Its name is derived from the
English pronunciation of the Chinese word ‘Guanxi’, which literally means
‘relationships’.
The site was started by Jim Coke, a British expatriate whose work as a financial advisor
required him to ‘network’ aggressively in the city. When he was first transferred here
from Singapore, he realized there was no forum dedicated completely to free events
where he could simply ‘pop in, have a look to see what was going on, as well as get to
meet some people’. He started creating his own diary of free events to attend, and was
subsequently encouraged by others to share his calendar. His natural reaction was to
create a site and share it with everybody.
Gwanshee is the first of its kind in Hong Kong, and the site’s popularity has been
increasing exponentially. The site has found a place in the hearts (and diaries) of expats
and locals alike, and aggregates a diverse range of events from art exhibitions to
networking happy hours to professional panels and pub quizzes. It thrives on social media
capabilities that allow users to add events that they know of, RSVP through the site, post
photos and participate in discussions. There is also an exclusive section that notifies users
of FREE tickets to paid events, and a comprehensive blog with reviews and photos of
past events.
Gwanshee has released its first Android application that instantly notifies users of
upcoming events, allows them to read blogs, browse events and use the forum. An
iPhone/iPad application is also set to come out at the end of July. Version 2.0 of the site is
in development and will include a price comparison engine that allows users to rank or
select events in HK based on price, location, type, dress code, time of day etc. Gwanshee
and its applications are FREE to all users. Advertising is also FREE as long as the
advertiser is offering a FREE event and/or FREE tickets.

So that’s Gwanshee.  Check it out!

I saw Rustic last year at the China final of Global Battle of the Bands and thought they were a really fun band.  From Beijing, they’re back in Hong Kong tonight along with two local favorites.  I’m thinking about going.  Here’s the hype from the Facebook event page:

UPDATE:  The image is rather small – if you have trouble reading it this is at Backstage and starts tonight (Saturday) at 10:30.

That crazy trio from Beijing “RUSTIC” are back in Hong Kong as part of their FIRST China tour. Rustic won the Global Battle of the Bands in 2009 in London and their stage antics and live performances which can be loosely described as phallic guitar thrashing, catchy songs and infectious showmanship are a MUST SEE.

Rustic are three twentysomethings from Hebei who go by the names of Li Fan (drums), Ricky Sixx (bass) and, of course, lead singer and guitarist Lucifer. Last month, the trio took another step forward on their impossible journey toward world domination when they released their debut album, City of Heartbreak ’n’ Horror.

San Mig Light selected The David Bowie Knives and Gong Wu to open the show and this threesome of bands is truly going to be a ROCK night to remember.

ADVANCE TICKETS: HK$100 (available at Backstage from Tuesday 3rd May onwards)
WALK-IN TICKETS: HK$120
All tickets include a San Mig Light

The David Bowie Knives
===============
The DBKs have been administering aural sex for a number of years in one guise or another and are in fact so sexy that they are even more sexier than Angelina Jolie in a wet t-shirt competition. We didn’t used to be…but now we are. FACT! We are influenced by all the good things in rock and roll, for example whisky and loud noises, and are really looking forward to playing at Backstage on 14 May 2011

Gong Wu
=======
Gong Wu brings back ultra heavy-ass “James Brown on crack, carrying a shotgun chasing his wife” metal!

With songs such as “Funk Everything”, “Funk Y’all” and “So Funking Funked Up”, you know these boys ain’t messin’ around.

Gong Wu are smooth criminals – Michael Jackson, MC Hammer and even Vanilla Ice ain’t got nothing on them…not nothin’.

Rustic
=====
Go to one of Rustic’s live shows and you will understand. While Lucifer, their front man, belts lyrics in his screwball yet stylish clothes, their bassist, Ricky Sixx, kills the chords 70’s style, with huge, blond hair and cut up, red leather pants. But Li Fan, their drummer, will not be ignored; he bangs out heart pumping rhythms while sweaty and shirtless (or, if you’re lucky, pant-less). Your first Rustic performance is one you can never forget. Having grown up in a small, rural town in the Hebei province of China, it was totally unconventional to choose the career path of rock stars. “I have dreamed of becoming a star like my idols, such as the Sex Pistols, Toy Dolls, and the Clash, since I was 11. I don’t want to repeat the life of my parents’ generation, which is dull in that small village,” Lucifer noted in an interview. Lucifer and Li Fan came together in the summer of 2006, and two years later, decided to head to Beijing and pursue their dreams. There they met Ricky, who joined after their original bassist had to quit to face legal implications. An ever-persistent Rustic kept going, finding a home and fan base in D-22, one of Beijing’s premiere underground rock clubs. Almost immediately, they pushed to the forefront of all the young bands vying for the spotlight in Beijing’s increasingly popular music scene. Conquering D-22 led to them playing at all the major clubs in Beijing and opening for the likes of PK 14, Carsick Cars, and AV Okubo.

Their hope is to bring more international attention to China’s rock scene, and carve their own niche in rock’ n’ roll history. With their first studio album debuting before the end of the summer and a 12-date mini tour in London this fall, it is quite clear that they are well on their way. .. .. ..

I’ve known the name Joe Bonamassa for a while but never bothered to check out his music.  So it comes as a big surprise to me that Dust Bowl (clicking this link gets you a free download of the title track if you pony up your email address), his 12th album (and the first one I’ve heard), is my favorite album of the past couple of months.

If I have to compare it to someone else, the first name that comes to mind is Gary Moore.  Big amped up modern blues rock.  If you play Bonamassa’s The Meaning of The Blues right after Gary Moore’s Story of the Blues, you’d be forgiven for thinking both songs come from the same guy.  And the entry on Wikipedia says he cites British and Irish blues bands ahead of classic American blues artists.  Yes he’s more into 70s British blues than 50s Chess.  But that’s just part of the story.  Tennessee Plates, a duet with John Hiatt with some guitar from Vince Gill, is the best Hiatt has sounded in years.  Glenn Hughes shows up elsewhere on the album.

Well, he’s managed to draw lots of name stars to his albums.  Gregg Allman, Leslie West, Rick Derringer, Jason Bonham, B.B. King.  And his covers range from classic blues to Jeff Beck to Leonard Cohen (he does a respectable version of Bird on a Wire on one of his older albums) to Tom Waits, so you know he’s got some taste.  And he has a side group called Black Country Communion that consists of Bonamassa, Hughes, Bonham and Derek Sherinian.

Anywho, he’s appearing live in Hong Kong tomorrow (Thursday) night.  I didn’t buy tickets because I was planning to be away this week.  And now I’m here.  And it’s really tempting ….

So it’s confirmed that my gf has chicken pox.  My mom, who looks for the cloud behind every silver lining, wrote to me guessing that the hospital stay would be expensive.  But this is Hong Kong. A night in the hospital plus a handful of tests came out to HK$100 (that’s US$13) – another reason to really love it here.

So yesterday morning the travel agent told me that the package I’d booked is nonrefundable and I can’t change the dates either but “maybe” given the “special circumstances” they can do something for me.  I scanned and emailed all the hospital documents and now I’m waiting to find out.

By yesterday afternoon, we’d agreed that if the trip was carved in stone I’d go alone rather than lose all the money.  She’s home from the hospital, chicken pox is fairly benign (though it does hit adults harder than children) and my helper could look after her.  Believe it or not, this was not my first choice because I wanted to make the trip with her, not alone.  Yes, I’m sure I would have found some way to have some fun down there on my own, but sitting on the beach alone and sitting in restaurants alone is not my idea of a good time.  But I was also concerned about not being here if she should take a turn for the worse for some reason.

Then at 5:30 I get an email from the travel agent saying that she still hasn’t heard back from whomever and probably won’t hear anything till Wednesday (since Tuesday is a holiday in HK).  And that in the meantime, she’s cancelled the flight.  WHAT?  So now the choice is taken out of my hands.  She told me that if one person is a no-show then the whole thing is cancelled.  It makes no sense to me.  I’ve paid for two people, yes, but if only one person shows up, what’s it to them?  Apparently them’s the rules.  Airlines love to do this.  They cower you into submission with a laundry list of nonsensical anti-consumer rules.

At any rate, should they not offer me an option to rebook, I will be taking my case, such as it is, loudly, to Twitter and Facebook and here and any other social media I can think of.

So, stuck in town, yesterday having been my final day at my old job, I had to get out and celebrate.  Seven hours in various bars, something I haven’t done in a very long time.  My apologies to one of my readers who turned up at a point when I was barely able to recognize my own reflection in the mirror let alone anyone else.  But no apologies to Shade, who turned up around 1 AM even more shit-faced than I, forcing me to switch from whiskey-soda to vodka-red bull and trying unsuccessfully to get me to do vodka shots.  I’m not sure if I should be grateful or angry at the taxi driver who made it from Wanchai to Sai Kung in well under 20 minutes – sir, the fact that I didn’t empty the contents of my stomach all over the back seat of your vehicle was a miracle.

I have six more nights until I start my new job and that means there could well be a few more nights out like that.  I’m also contemplating a quick Shenzhen or Macau run so at least I’ll feel like I got away although it won’t be quite the same as getting daily massages on the beach or having lobster for dinner every night.

In the meantime, I’m also amusing myself with stuff like this.  HuffPo excerpts a new piece by Fortune magazine humorist “Stanley Bing.”

The National Association for Serious Studies (NASS) — a research association dedicated to a variety of serious studies — today announced the results of a decades-long research effort that uncovers solid evidence that CEOs are just like babies.

This groundbreaking study, published today, is entitled Board Room Babies: A Scientific Investigation of Infantile Behavior In Ultra-Senior Officers, with Associated Analysis And Recommendations for Future Study . It is now available for consumption, digestion and review as a Kindle Single in the Amazon Kindle Store. (www.amazon.com/kindlesingles)

Some of the blockbuster findings detailed within the study include:

• The world revolves around babies and CEOs to the exclusion of all else;
• Neither babies nor senior executives have to worry about money;
• Their food is prepared specifically for them with great care and at great expense, and a variety of their bodily functions are often closely monitored;
• Everything babies and CEOs say is considered absolutely remarkable, no matter how nonsensical it may be. Even random babbling is often greeted with cries of delight, laughter and admiration;
• Both are conveyed everywhere in extremely comfortable vehicles dedicated exclusively to their service;
• Both babies and CEOs feel entitled to awaken people at their leisure, and have no compunction about ruining other peoples’ weekends and days off;
• Both entities have the ability to completely freak out or explode with rage and scare other people out of their wits.

Never having held a C-level title myself, I can only aspire to this for the future.