Return of the monsters
A decade ago the local underground music scene was ruled by heavy metal, and bands that played alternative rock felt ignored. This inspired leading indie musicians Henry Law Tang-lung, Pliable guitarist Joel Ng Sze-yip and electronic musician Alok Leung to hold the first Collected Monsters show.
This week the live show is back with a two-day event. Collected Monsters has a lineup of nine acts including Downer, My Little Airport, the Pancakes, Revolver, the Yours, 22 Cats, the Darlings, False Alarm and Innisfallen. Each band will play 30- to 45-minute sets at City Hall tomorrow and on Saturday.
'When we first organised Collected Monsters it was a time when most independent bands in Hong Kong were playing metal, hard rock and gothic,' recalls Law, a former member of Plastic Gap. 'There were few people playing Brit-pop or alternative rock. When we took part in shows, we felt like we didn't belong there, and that the shows could be more organised.'
The original lineup included bands such as Chaos, Pullover and Slow Tech Riddim. The shows were held again in 2000 and 2001. Many renowned local bands and musicians such as cutie-pop singer-songwriter the Pancakes and avant-pop duo Primary Shapes made their debuts in Collected Monsters.
Dejay Choi, who appeared as the Pancakes for the first time in the second set of gigs at the Sha Tin Town Hall, says the show pushed her to release her debut album Les Bonbons Sont Bons. 'At the time, I was working on my album, but I didn't have the determination to release it until I was confirmed to play in the show. Then, I decided to complete the album and release it on the show date,' she says.
Choi says the best part of these shows is the fact that all the bands are friends. 'I still remember being slightly drunk when I was on stage last time. People were drinking beer backstage. Although I seldom drink when I perform now, it feels good to play while you are a bit high,' says Choi, who will be performing on the first night.
With a real do-it-yourself spirit, the bands had to share the cost of staging the shows, Law says. But this year they have the luxury of a music producer, so the artists don't need to worry about the finances and can concentrate on their performance.
Revolver will play on both nights, showcasing songs from their self-titled album and their new release - due out later this year. Bassist-vocalist Lee Yiu-ki thinks Collected Monsters is one of the few well-organised music events in the city.
'There aren't many shows in Hong Kong that are organised in a good venue and with good facilities,' he says. 'The organisers arrange everything from the point of view of the bands. They only have limited resources but they try to meet our needs and care about the performers' feelings. They are people who really want to do something for the local indie scene.'
Law says Collected Monsters is a networking occasion for bands. 'We will have champagne backstage for a little party with all the bands,' he says. 'We hope everyone enjoys playing in the show. This is what we want to achieve.'
Collected Monsters! 08, July 4-5, 7.30pm, Hong Kong City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, HK$150, Urbtix. Inquiries: 9676 2208
