Big Smog

New plaza ahoy! Gone are the days of water-marked concrete and cramped dark spaces – after nine years of work, Stanley Plaza finally unveiled its fresh, newly revamped look on November 17, revealing a shiny new amphitheatre, a new kids’ pirate-ship-shaped outdoor playground and timber walkways with views of the shore and sky, allowing shoppers to enjoy the salty Stanley breeze whilst picking up the latest in-vogue handbag.

The new Stanley Plaza has put special attention into space and light. It sports an eco-friendly façade (with green roofs, wind-powered lamp posts an recycled materials) and natural lighting, a newly built timber and glass stairway linking the Village Square to the First Floor and a brand new observation deck boasting an unobstructed panoramic view of Stanley. Now hosting over thirty general retail shops, free Wi-Fi all around the mall and a range of culinary choices from French to Shanghainese, we’d say it hipper, airier and classier than it used to be.

To celebrate, they’re holding a series of events. Paws by the Sea kicks off beginning of December – emphasising their position as Hong Kong’s first dog-friendly shopping mall – as well as Sounds by the Sea on November 19-20 and World of Food and Music from November 26-27. For more info, check out their website.

Ysabelle Cheung

Stanley Plaza, 23 Carmel Rd, Stanley, 2813 4623, www.stanleyplaza.com.hk

Not many singer-songwriters ever make it to the Hong Kong Coliseum, but when Ivana Wong got her debut opportunity in late October, supported by an LED screen outlining the stage and an accompanying army of 20-strong strings, a rock band and two pianists, she made it her own.

Donning a series of stunning couture dresses, and Christian Louboutin heels, she ensnared us with her melodic tunes, bringing her unique, refreshing style of music – think of a bipolar pixie singing in an upside down fairyland.

As she sang Hope Hand, the audience was in an awe at the delicacy of Wong’s voice and drawn to the fragile and nostalgic mood set by the turning illuminating orb of light- absolutely hypnotizing. When she came in a floral inspired qi po dress and sang She Threw a Match, it sounded like a 1920’s throw back to pre-war Shanghai. Her voice sounded so warm like it was coming out of a gramophone. Completing the evening with this year’s big hit, Apocalypse was a smart and powerful choice. The instrumentals went full force on that number with an appropriate climax. And we cheered especially loud when Wong attempted to gyrate to The Low-Tech Song, a soft indie rock track where she uses her squeals to complement the electric guitar sequence.

As she wobbled around on five inched heels all night, fans yelled, “ Be careful Ivana,” to which she responded, “ I’m already being extremely cautious.” Not known for her movements or dancing abilities, Wong actually broke out in a charming tap dance to compliment her circus parade song, Songbird- full of chime, drums, horns, strings, and whimsy. We couldn’t help but smile.

Arthur Tam

KITEC, November 2

If there’s one thing that stands out after Lourdes Hernandez debut show in Hong Kong, it’s that she hasn’t quite been able to translate her captivating live persona to her recorded efforts. For large portions of her intimate gig at KITEC, flanked by her dapper-dressed band duo, the songerwriter with the stage name Russian Red created a mesmerizing and meandering atmosphere of psychedelic guitars, stripped back toms, and her impressive, haunting voice that transcended what she’s done on her debut album, I Love your Glasses, and her more recent outing Fuerteventura.

During these dreamy passages – particularly on Tarantino and Braver Soldier – she excelled. But when going upbeat, Hernandez never quite convinced. It may have been the fact that her three-piece band – which had left several members back in Spain, she said – wasn’t quite able to summon that fuller sound or confidence on pop ditties like January 14th or Mi Cancion 7. Not that the Hong Kong Red faithful minded – they lapped up everything, from her hit I Hate You But I Love You to an awkward cover of Cindy Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun. There was certainly promise there for a fully formed live act – especially in her impressive voice and smoky ambiance – and next time she comes back to her adoring HK fans, hopefully we’ll hear a more confident upbeatness and perhaps a bit of improvisatory adventure.

Setlist
Nice Thick Feathers
Walls Are Tired
The Memory Of Cruel
Nick Drake
Everyday Everynight
I Hate You But I Love You
The Sun The Trees
Fuerteventura
Tarantino
Cigarettes
Braver Soldier
Baby It’s You
Loving Strangers
They Don’t Believe
January 14th
Mi Canción 7
_____________
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Todas mis Palabras
 

Gimme a G, G! gimme an E,E!, gimme a M,M!,  G.E.M!!! And the crowd goes wild for Hong Kong’s starlit pop princess, who is quite the little precious gem in the Cantopop machine rough. “We support G.E.M Deng Zhi Kei ,” screams a group of overly eager teenyboppers ready for the G.E.M Get Everybody Moving Concert at the Macau Venetian. Just a little bit over 5ft tall, this bubbly cherub faced 20 yr old has a booming voice resonating throughout the arena.  Her slight lisp only adds to her girly charm. The girls relate to her and the boys find her to be girlfriend material-even though G.E.M claims, “ My relationship is with god right now.”

G.E.M opened with a pop dance number I Want to Tell You, dressed in a pseudo Lady Gaga black-white structured mini dress, with what looked like a candy coloured harness.  The crowd cheered as expected, but dance numbers do not suit G.E.M. Her movements were awkward and the knee high boots made her body look disproportional on stage. Thigh knee boots on girl that’s 5ft tall? The stylist needs to go to the whipping board. G.E.M just needs to put the pop dance, sexy image away. It’s uncomfortable when a 20yr old that looks like 14yr old moves in a suggestive manner.

Behind the piano, G.E.M drops the marketable façade and embraces her true artistry. My Secret was a light-hearted bouncy piano piece with cheerful electric guitar chords followed by 18- an intimate piece that opened up G.E.M’s vulnerability. Afterward G.E.M started to tear up, reminiscing about her grandmother. “I know she is watching and listening to me right now”, says G.E.M as she transitioned into a cover of Josh Groban’s You Rise Me Up that was both heartfelt and sincere.  We almost cried a little.

But our personal favourites were G.E.M’s performances of A.I.N.Y, Twinkle II, and The Lonely Planet’s Rose. The raw emotions, theatrics, and presence that G.E.M showed on stage were well beyond her years. The intensity of her visceral explosive yells shrills, and screams sent chills down our spines and G.E.M herself says that these are her favourite performance pieces because of “ the release.” If she keeps heading done this path she will go from pop princess to pop queen in no time.

The overall production of the show was well put together with complimentary graphic displays and experienced back up dancers. A nod to her male back up dancers for doing a light up binocular robotic dance intermission that was hot as hell.  The two ballet dancers also captured the delicate yet haunting nature of G.E.M’s Twinkle II. Also a crowd pleaser was the acapella quartet, METRO who sang covers of Love is Suspicion and My Pride. When a group of white guys sing Chinese songs, it usually gets a few extra credit points. 

G.E.M is now going to rest for a week before preparing the last leg of her tour in Vancouver. We wish her a hasty recovery, and hope that this gem will sparkle even more brightly in the future.

Arthur Tam

Before Sander van Doorn hit the decks at the W Hong Kong, Arthur Tam chatted with DJ Mag’s 12th-ranked DJ in the world to find out how he’s settling into the fame and notoriety

How did you get into DJing and when did you discover your passion for trance?
When I was about 16 and was going out, I knew that was the career for me. I think of music in a more general term, not specifically trance. So going out, I knew I loved the music – I didn't care what it was called.

Out of all the places you’ve toured, which was your favorite venue?
Hard one… I love to play anyplace that has amazing energy. The US is great for me right now and this tour to HK – I’m really looking forward to it.

Has all the fame and notoriety of having such a high ranking on DJ Mag’s list settled in?
Not really. I love my job, but you can't get used to the craziness. I'm getting better with it though!

What is the craziest story you have regarding a fan?
Fans can be fun and interesting some are stalkers, but in general, they're all amazing. One was in my dressing room acting like the promoter, which I knew wasn't the case. I let it go until the real promoter came in and took her out.

Is there anyone you are looking forward to do collaboration with?
I would like to work with Moby.

What can we expect from Sander Van Doorn in the future?

My new album Eleve11 just came out on Doorn Records, so hope everyone will check it out.

It was 2 AM when Dutch DJ Sander van Doorn got up on stage and behind the decks. At this point the entire crowd was already drenched in sweat from dancing in anticipation, but all were still eager to see Sander's set. Opening with tracks from his new album Eleve11 such as Koko was a good way to get the crowd moving. Moving his hands to each beat like a conductor, Sander danced with the entirety of the crowd. The charismatic DJ didn’t have a single moment where a giant smile wasn’t plastered on his face and it was the same for everyone else on the dance floor of W's Living room on September 24.

A fun and glitzy beauty pageant, Mr Gay Hong Kong is graced with local celebrities and community leaders ready to crown the next representative to be sent to the international competition, Mr. Gay World, in South Africa. For its third year, the charity event was held in Bisous in the LKF Tower. Despite a few props falling to the stage, the show went off without a hitch. The evening was absolutely packed full with friends and supporters yelling and cheering for their favourite contestant. A few fans even wore tiaras with a picture of whom they wanted to win. Straight girls were gushing and wishing that they could convert a few of the handsome studs. Sorry ladies…

The show began with the four contestants dressed in a schoolboy outfits with the words Legalize Gay running across their T-Shirts. The order was Edmund Lee, Jonathan Bridge Hudson, Jimmy Wong, then Ricky Chau. The second round was the sexy, skimpy, and almost see-through swimsuit portion, which clearly received the loudest ‘WOHOOS’ from the audience. The final round had the boys walking in their polished suits. It was chance for the contestants to show their sophisticated gentlemen side. Each contestant was then asked a question by one of the judges. The clear winner of the round was Jimmy Wong, when he was asked, “ What do you see when you look into your pants?”(probably the toughest question in the competition). Wong calmly answered with a grin: “my Asian heritage and that I am a proud Hong Kong gay man”, which caused a booming cheer throughout crowd.

They graced the catwalk with all the sassiness, confidence, and fun that any good gay representative for Hong Kong should− but at the end there can only be one winner of the coveted title, ‘Mr Gay Hong Kong’. And the winner goes to dancer and linguistics major, Jimmy Wong. He worked his fierce Mohawk and wowed audiences with his flawless physique and witty responses. All the contestants deserve a shout out for being so brave and putting themselves out there for our entertainment. We hope that next year’s Mr Gay Hong Kong, will be even bigger and better with even more hot men to gawk at. The charity event sends a portion of proceeds toward anti-gay bullying, so you don’t have to feel guilty giving a prolonged stare.

Arthur Tam
 

KITEC, October 13

We do like a bit of the Human League, those early pioneers of the synthpop sound, battlers through the grunge period, and influential artists to many electro-popsters today. But we do have to say that their gigs are a little awkward. Awkward in the way that Phil Oakey is the only person allowed to move around the stage, often dressed like the villain from a slasher flick; in the way that Joanna Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley dance a little like new-age therapists; in the tacit understanding among 90 percent of the crowd that they are really only there for one song.

The Sheffield trio (turn six-piece for their live show) make up for this in other ways: cheeky projections – like the kissing nuns – an overwhelming presence of keytars and a faithfulness to their nostalgia-inducing hits. That tune, Don’t You Want Me, was one of the highs of the night, up there with Mirror Man and Human. But it was evening closer Together in Electric Dreams that was perhaps the highlight.
Awkward? Perhaps a tad. A triumph in synthpop nostalgia? Definitely.

Setlist
Never Let Me Go
Open Your Heart
Sound Of The Crowd
Heart Like A Wheel
The Lebanon
Egomaniac
Empire State Human
Night People
Human
Love Action (I Believe In Love)
All I Ever Wanted
Tell Me When
Mirror Man
(Keep Feeling) Fascination
Don’t You Want Me
________________

Being Boiled
Together In Electric Dreams 

Gliding down on devil wings, the 43-year-old Ekin Cheng channelled his inner rocker to gather cheers from the audience. From the way he moved and looked on stage, he seemed to have the vitality of someone half his age, but with a charm obtainable only by someone with his maturity. The actor/Cantopop singer has maintained his good looks throughout the years, despite being in Hong Kong's harsh entertainment industry.

Cheng's show on Saturday night at The Venetian in Macau - the last of the Ekin Cheng Beautiful Day Tour 2011, which played at venues in Hong Kong and Macau - was visually stunning. The costumes were well-designed, bold, fitted and flashy - anything but gaudy. The costume designer went monochrome with each of Cheng's looks. The blue suit, which he wore with a glittery cummerbund, and the black leather glitter cape with distressed grey jeans and black boots, were just a few of our favourite looks. The performer's stature and proportions would make any outfit look good.

Cheng's physique and appearance have never been in question, but in terms of singing ability, there are still places where he can improve. The beginning of the concert seemed vocally challenging for him, with apparent pitch problems throughout most of the rock pieces. However, towards the later portions of the show, he became more steady and comfortable singing his staple ballads. He sang favorites like Willing to Replace You and Loved Intensely. He also did a cover version of My Pride with composer Chan Gong Wing at the piano. It was a classy number that really showcased Cheng's voice.

The spectacular Kay Tse graced the stage with Cheng and performed a few duets, then sang her own new hit single Their Happiness. After Kay's number, model/singer songwriter Pak Ho Chau, ascended from the stage in a stunning studded leather trench and leather tights, ripped a few chords and rocked it out with Cheng.

Backstage we chatted with Tse and Chau. Tse was sweet and friendly. She spoke in a way that would make most people feel very comfortable and at ease. Chau was also quite fun, laughing and making a few smiles in between his cool and collected responses. And finally the man of the hour joked around, remained poised and took a few pictures with us. We were truly starstruck. The show and backstage frivolities made it a night we won't forget in a long time.

Arthur Tam

We like Leica and we wish there was more Leica in all our lives. But given that these iconic cameras are priced in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, they’re not exactly the everyman’s plaything.

However, at Gurus Pop-Up Store in the Landmark, we were given the chance to check out (and have a play with) the complete Leica digital range. The new top of the range 37.5 megapixel behemoth digital S2 SLR, valued at a touch over $200,000 (body only), was there. So was the mighty M9 digital rangefinder, worth a lazy $61,500. And we were also treated to a camera surgery, where a technician/surgeon meticulously disassembled the M9, its individual ‘organs’ laid out for all to see. Apparently it was the first time this particularly procedure was ever carried out in Asia. Essentially, it was the kind of thing camera buffs have long, steamy dreams about.

Establishing themselves as big boys toys market leaders, Gurus will next week team up with Amalgam to bring auto aficionados the opportunity to see how a fine model car gets made. The photo-aficionados have had their turn – it’s onto motorheads now.

The Amalgam workshop
September 29
6:30pm to 8:30pm.
Gurus Pop-Up Store
Shop B23, The Landmark, Central

Photos: Brett Elmer