Outtakes

World party

The climax of the silly season is fast approaching and regardless of what kind of music floats your boat, there's pretty much a gig for everyone on New Year's Eve.

Pop kids are in for a treat, with British girl group Atomic Kitten flying out to headline the Nokia New Year's Eve event at Ocean Terminal in Tsim Sha Tsui. Subtitled Five Cities, One Party, related events are being held in Mumbai, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro and New York, and the whole shebang is being co-ordinated by Harvey Goldsmith, producer of Live Aid and Live8.

Apart from the Kittens, the Hong Kong leg will also present local stars Eason Chan Yik-shun, Joey Yung Cho-yee, Hacken Lee Hak-kan, Josie Ho Chiu-yee, Grasshopper, Soler's Dino and Julio Acconci (both below) and Twins. Up-and-coming Beijing DJ Jamaster A will also be on the decks. For details, log on to http://nokianewyearseve.msn.com and keep an eye out for our ticket giveaway next week.

Spandex at Skitz

Clubbers will be well catered for by the Clockenflap New Year's Eve party organised by the Robot collective. Taking over Skitz in Wan Chai for the night with Robot's trademark swathes of spandex, Clockenflap will showcase DJs from the city's main electronic music collectives spread over three areas: house/electro in the main room, breakbeat/drum'n'bass in the back and the obligatory chill-out room.

Promising two huge sound systems and eye-popping visuals, Clockenflap starts at 10pm with tickets at the door costing HK$150.

Dinner with a diva

Post 97 in Lan Kwai Fong is offering a sophisticated way to see in 2007 with West End singer Hayley Birbeck entertaining diners with an array of tunes from musicals including Chicago and Les Miserables, along with numbers by Elton John and Dusty Springfield. For HK$700, diners get a glass of bubbly, a three-course meal and three sets by Birbeck, starting from 8.30pm until late.

Pick a winner

The last music competition of 2006 - the Yamaha Asian Band Beat Band Competition - wound up on December 11 with rockers Pick Pak Zhai emerging victorious.

Pick Pak Zhai came ahead of fellow local acts 1st of Trecember and ToNick, and will represent Hong Kong in the Asia grand final in Kuala Lumpur on March 10.

Rocky Chan of Killer Soap was named best vocalist, Kelvin Lee of 1st of Trecember was best guitarist, Kinane Tam of Trio Reality was best bassist, best drummer was Wu Kwok-pan of Eccentric while Nick Wong of Pick Pak Zhai was named best keyboard player.