- Time Out Worldwide
- Travel
- Subscribe
- Register
- Search:
(click to vote)
Your guide to gigs, concerts and music festivals in Hong Kong
Headliners: Yeah Yeah Yeahs (US), Mono (Japan), BMX Bandits (UK), The Parlotones (South Africa), Andy Tielman
But you really wanna see: Indonesian disco-rockers The Upstairs
Unique selling point: Indonesia’s biggest-ever rock festival.
Near Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia, July 11-13
www.rainforestmusic-borneo.com
‘World’ musicians (perhaps the most indefinite genre ever to grace the arts) from all over the, uh, world, converge on a rainforest in Borneo for workshops, lectures, jam sessions, and concerts with Mount Santubong as a backdrop. Food, drinks, and crafts stalls will lend the gathering a country fair feel.
Headliners: Ross Daly Quartet (Greece), Kasai Masai (Congo/UK), Hiroshi Motofuji (Japan), Oikyataan (India)
But you really wanna see: Portugal’s Fadomorse, a high-energy seven-piece that mixes Frank Zappa with African rhythms and medieval Iberian folk.
USP: Jungle music in its truest form.
Headliners: Caribou (Canada), 10-Feet (Japan), 4 Bonjour’s Parties (Japan), Algae (Taiwan)
But you really wanna see: American indie-tronic artist Her Space Holiday (Marc Bianchi), who does a fruity cover of Wolf Parade’s cool-defining I’ll Believe In Anything.
USP: Eclectic mix of international acts with a representation of Taiwan’s finest.
English: www.smash-uk.com/frf08. Japanese: www.fujirockfestival.com
Headliners: My Bloody Valentine, Underworld, Kasabian, Primal Scream, Bloc Party
But you really wanna see: Just close your eyes and point at a random tent – you’ll end up in a happy place regardless. In case you need more help, try The Breeders, Stephen Malkmus, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, The Go! Team, The Cribs…
USP: An alpine resort holiday that happens to be endowed with a kick-ass three-day rock fest.
Singfest
Singapore, August 2 & 3
www.singfest.sg
Not as cool as the more locally-oriented indie fest Baybeats (www.baybeats.com.sg), but certainly more headline-grabbing. A big-ass celebration in a park over two days with all those cheesy big-name acts (see below) that Singaporeans just love.
Headliners: Alicia Keys, Travis, Simple Plan, Lost Prophets, Jason Mraz
But you really wanna see: Rick Astley. Yeah, we’re not fucking kidding – he of ’80s cringe-anthem Never Gonna Give You Up. Consider yourself Rick Rolled.
USP: All the hedonism of an outdoor music festival with all the benefits of police-state discipline.
A bit of a stretch to call this one a festival, but, come on, it’s Hong Kong – we’ve got to cut them some slack. Finally someone twigged to the bright idea of grabbing some bands on their way to or from the major festivals in Japan. This isn’t the most inspired line-up, but it should guarantee a good turn-out. There’ll also be some sideshows – including graffiti games and tattooing – to keep you interested while Jamie Scott is on stage.
Headliners: Simple Plan, Lost Prophets, OneRepublic, New Found Glory, Jamie Scott and The Town
But you really wanna see: 5,000 screaming teens high on Red Bull.
USP: Five hours of live music in a row! In Hong Kong!
Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, August 9 & 10
A two-day mega-fest that splits itself between Tokyo and Osaka, and boasts a line-up that mixes the world’s biggest bands with a hot indie line-up. This year is looking particularly huge, with Coldplay and Alicia Keys flying the mainstream banner, and the likes of MGMT, Hot Chip, and Santogold keeping it real on the indie end. This year, in terms of line-ups, Summer Sonic beats Fuji Rock.
Headliners: Coldplay, The Verve, The Prodigy, Alicia Keys, Sex Pistols, Fatboy Slim, The Jesus and Mary Chain
But you really wanna see: Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Hot Chip, Santogold, Yelle, and Crystal Castles
USP: The biggest big-name festival in Asia.