Top of the flops

A member of the production crew hired by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) to stage a handover anniversary rock concert is dismayed by the government department's attempt at event promotion. It has secured a motley crew (no, they're not coming) of B-grade acts including Hei Bao from Beijing, XYZ-?A from Japan, Taiwan's Boxx, ex-Beyond drummer Yip Sai-wing, local band DSC and Australian outfit INXS.

INXS? But Michael Hutchence, former KGV student, is no longer with us. 'It's the Government's choice to bring INXS,' says the production crew member, who wishes to remain anonymous. 'I wanted to object but it was too late. The decision was already made.'

As was the decision to hold the concert at the pokey Queen Elizabeth Stadium and to stage it on July 11 and 12 because the LCSD didn't want too many events on or around the anniversary on July 1. Scheduled events directly related to the handover celebration are a flag-raising ceremony and fireworks on July 1, a Music Of The Dragon concert on July 2 at the Coliseum, and a PLA band performance on July 6 at the Coliseum. Whoopee!

The department would have been better off getting behind the two-day Rock On 2002 on July 5 and 6 at the Ko Shan Theatre which features a more impressive line-up of 17 bands including, from Hong Kong, Zen, Seasons Lee and Sensation, and Japan's Jolly Pickles, Spark Sparks and Tokyo Yankees.