YOU would be hard-pressed to find 35 bands playing across town in one week, let alone over one weekend. Two Wan Chai venues are attempting it, and are braced for potential glitches. 'The schedule is a bit of a nightmare because there're always a couple that don't like where they are. And then they come on late and want to stay on longer, so there's always an argument,' says Ben Wood, general manager of Carnegie's and the Wanch, the venues sponsoring this weekend's Wanchai Live, two days of live music. Now in its fourth year, Wanchai Live's organisers claim to have the process down to a science. Yet scheduling issues remain one of the more niggling aspects. 'It's an organisational nightmare,' said Peter Gilham, lead vocalist of rock band 9th State, playing at 11pm on Saturday night. 'A lot of bands use the same people . . . so you have to make sure none of those bands are playing at the same time.' Apart from wanting to break a local record with its 30-odd bands on the schedule, plus those hanging around hoping for a spot, the promoters are adamant about keeping the music on the bill diverse so they can 'get as many musicians involved as possible', says Mr Wood. They are also hoping to increase the amount raised from the event, 50 per cent of which goes to KELY Support Group, an outreach group for teenagers. This is the third year that Wanchai Live has supported the organisation. 'It's a good cause. In this industry, I think it's important to let people know that if they're going to be drinking, how to drink and when to stop, and that's what these people do,' he says. For the people at KELY, the event is crucial to their fundraising efforts. Last year, Wanchai Live donated $40,000 to the group and the event is looking for $50,000 this year. 'It's a key fundraiser,' says outreach worker David Simpson. 'It brings in money, but also allows our volunteers to get involved on a different level.' KELY staff and volunteers will be on hand from noon to 6pm with information about the organisation, and hope they can reach the teenagers coming to see the younger bands on the bill. KELY has also proved to be an important pipeline to teenage bands, which make up a significant portion of the line-up on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Green Partner, N.U.P.D.O.G.S, the Big Lewinsky and 18 Young, all performing hard, thrash rock will be in Carnegie's early in the day. 'We don't want to attract the younger people in the evening,' Mr Wood says. For Mr Simpson, the event is an ideal opportunity for younger bands, which have expressed a greater interest this year than in the past, to be able to play in a live music venue, as opposed to being relegated to school concerts. Gilham is excited to see some of these bands 'come out of the woodwork' for the event. 'You don't know their names, but it's good to know that they're around,' he says. The earlier performances at the Wanch are of a slightly different tone than the lot at Carnegie's. 'We get a lot of daytime drinkers,' says Mr Wood. On the bill here include the folksy Peter Calvert Duo, the Bob Dylan-inspired Easy 3CC and Irish folksters Gaelic Gall. Prime-time performances, from 7pm to midnight, feature some of the more recognisable faces on the live music circuit. Included are blues band Easy Does It, Larry Hammond Inc with funk, jazz and soul, the Regent's in-house band Cashmere, punk rockers the Bastards, and rockers 9th State. Financial motivation is not an issue for any of the musicians - all are doing it for free. For 9th State, which have been performing at Wanchai Live since the first event in 1996, the weekend is part of their broader effort to play at charity functions; in the recent past they have done events for the SPCA and for the Society for AIDS Care. And there is a rather basic reason: fun. 'You're not playing all day, so you get to see other bands. Most of the Hong Kong music community know each other,' says Gilham, whose band members have been together since 1996. Events of this size though are few and far between. Mr Wood believes this is because Hong Kong is business-orientated; Gilham attributes it to lack of effort. 'Who wants to put in the time to organise it?' he says. 'It's so hard in Hong Kong to get everyone in town at one time. You need lots of advance notice.' And then there are the issues that came out of the previous Wan Chai Festival, which, prior to 1996, was organised by various Wan Chai establishments and was held in Southorn Playground. 'There's no real outlet for free concerts. That one was well-managed, well-policed. But due to a couple of complaints they cancelled it. The guys that own bars round here were quite upset because every year they got involved. They would play music or have a stall. That's the main reason why we do it. It really got the community together,' says Mr Wood. Mr Wood hopes that the Carnegie's/Wanch event can be equally cohesive for rounding up local musicians, and hopefully have the longer term effect of improving the local music climate. Gilham notes that the live circuit has been dampened by the economic downturn. 'Overall crowds are down, it's a bit quieter. Bars have to look at the cost of band, equipment and space. Two years ago there was a heap of bands. Yes a lot of people have left, but you would think that the new people coming through would want to get involved. That hasn't happened,' he says. Mr Wood hopes that this event will lure some of those people into the scene. 'It promotes live music, and opens people's eyes towards the arts. I think Hong Kong ought to focus more on the arts, it's good for Hong Kong people to see things like this. And it does encourage younger people to get involved with their artistic side. I think Hong Kong is a bit of a stale place when it comes to that.' Wanchai Live at Carnegie's G/F 53-55 Lockhart Road, and at the Wanch, 54 Jaffe Road. Saturday April 24 and Sunday April 25, noon to midnight. Call 2866-6289 for further details