The music world was shocked to learn of the forthcoming demise of the Sisters of Sharon (above), Hong Kong's own, inimitable, hell-raising rock chicks. After 11 years of out-rocking Spinal Tap (the tours, the leather, the endless replacement drummers - although thankfully none exploded), the sweet Sisters have decided to hang up their bodices.
'Actually, we decided to call it a day because our drummer, Emma Featherstone, is leaving town and we didn't want to have to find another . . . we've had eight and she's irreplaceable anyway - a high-calibre musician and a great personality,' says singer and guitarist Chris Bowers. 'We're quitting while we're ahead. The first batch of our third album, Underground Recipes, has sold out, so when we play our last gig at the Fringe Club on Saturday (June 23) we'll be going out with a bang, not a fizzle.' Bowers insists the Sisters really will be doing it for themselves after the Fringe, but could they ever be tempted out of retirement? 'We'll reform for the new Wembley,' she says. 'If the money's right.'
Fellow musical giant Yngwie Malmsteen will be rocking, rather than swinging, the house when he hits the Baptist University for a one-off show on Wednesday (June 27). Malmsteen is a genuine guitar hero of the sort seldom seen these days, with a talent sizeable enough to match his cascading, curly 'big hair' perm.