Opportunity rocks

When your three-decade-long music career has established you as an influential artist with a remarkable body of work, you can feel free to choose your next project according to whatever takes your fancy.

For Neil Halstead, the main man behind British folk rockers Mojave 3 and 1990s psychedelic pioneers Slowdive, that means playing a gig in Hong Kong. After a couple of concerts in the city during the past few years, the 42- year-old is keen to return for more.

And local fans are obviously keen – tickets to the band’s August 29 show at Backstage Live in Central sold out in days, leading to the announcement of a second show on August 30.

“It was mind-blowing, really,” Halstead recalls of the first show he performed here, in 2010. “I’d played a decent run of shows in China and Hong Kong was the last one. I really enjoyed the cultural aspect of it – the craziness of it all.”

That was a solo gig, but this time around Halstead will be in the city with Mojave 3, the on-off band he formed from the ashes of shoegaze favourites Slowdive in 1995. The show is the latest of Mojave 3’s occasional spurts of activity that have punctuated the band’s career since last releasing an album seven years ago.

With Slowdive bassist Rachel Goswell and drummer Ian McCutcheon, Mojave 3 began as a three-piece playing laid-back indie folk. Over its five albums, the band took on another two members, melding country and psychedelia into its sound.