WHILE CHINA HUMS along to the slow demise of Mando-pop, the capital, like London and Washington DC, remains essentially a rock'n'roll town. At the forefront are punk rockers Reflector, who headline Hong Kong's inaugural Punk-Hardcore-Metal Festival on Sunday. Corrupted by a love of Guns N' Roses and stadium-sized hair, childhood friends Li Peng (lead vocals, guitar), Tian Jianhua 'TJ' (bass, vocals) and Ye Jingying (drums, background vocals) formed in 1996. Inhabiting the storied Scream Club, the band swiftly became strong live favourites - and the centre of much of the media frenzy that surrounded Beijing's fledgling punk scene at that time. Everyone from CNN to Sky and Newsweek wanted a piece of the band. Having toured the US (the first Chinese punk band to do so), Reflector have been creating fierce, thrashed-up waves far beyond the South China Sea. Armed with an arsenal of razor sharp, melodic ska-punk anthems, the band take their musical cues from Green Day and NOFX. Singing principally in Putonghua, they have forged a sound and style of their own and given it a skate-punk edge. Contextually, this is punk music constructed by people who actually have something to rebel against. It's questionable how political the fashionable Beijing punk bands were, amid the hype. 'We don't really stand for anything except self-expression of where we are at in musical development and life, in general,' says Tian. 'We're not a political band, but we try to keep our own opinions and express them as often as possible. 'We have a constantly growing fan base of Chinese youth, who we really identify with and want to communicate punk rock, spirit and unity to.' First-time visitors to Hong Kong, the band are optimistic that this is just the beginning for a symbiotic flowering of shared musical experience. 'We see Hong Kong as the kingdom of Asian pop, and that indie rock'n'rock in general has suffered as a result,' Tian says. 'We hope to build stronger bridges of indie rock culture between Hong Kong and Beijing, and are confident that will happen.' Notching up more than 300 live shows to date, the band have developed a consistency and sharpness on stage. Moreover, with countless releases already on the mainland (along with a Japanese record deal), a visit to the SAR has been a long time coming. The band's self-titled mini-album will be available at the show. Reflector, with a line-up change with Wu Dongwei filling in for Li Peng, are one of highlights of Hong Kong's first Punk-Hardcore-Metal Festival. Set to join them in Aberdeen on Sunday are 10 of the city's finest. More than 500 fans of frantic punk and metal are expected. The festival, organised by Riz Farooqi (head screamer of hardcore heroes King Ly Chee), is the first of its kind in the city. 'The aim is to hand this music and culture to the youth of Hong Kong,' he says. 'We want to present a positive alternative to the stresses and negatives of life. It's important to show the youth a different road through something that interests them.' Frustrated by genre-defined infighting, Farooqi is hoping for an all-embracing atmosphere. 'What I wanted to do was create a united vibe between kids that listen to punk, metal and hardcore,' he says. 'Since our underground scene is already so small, further separation doesn't make any sense. Together we could become a force to be reckoned with.' There'll be plenty more than just the music at the all-day event with a skate park, basketball court and barbecue area. Basketball challenges will be held and an all-day barbecue will feed the hordes. 'Band members and the audience can just hang out, eat and get to know each other,' says Farooqi. Punk-Hardcore-Metal Festival, Sunday, from noon, Warehouse, 116 Aberdeen Main Rd, Aberdeen, $50. No alcohol permitted, BYO barbecue food. For more details, go to www.kinglychee.com
