Top HK DJs head for Shanghai Local DJs basically only have the Pioneer DJ Quest to serve as a springboard to regional exposure. The local finals were held at Club No9 in Central last Friday night after the hotly contested semi-finals, and saw three hip hop turntablists and three dance music DJs fight it out for the chance to represent their chosen disciplines at the Great China final next month. Judges, including overall 2007 winner DJ Forest of Hong Kong, gave the most marks to technical skills and stage presence, and held court before a crowd of 400 amped up by the irrepressible MC J-Bomb. First-place winner in the hip hop category was DJ J-Cue and the club winner was DJ Jeremy, who both won flights to Shanghai plus accommodation and entry to the finals in Shanghai in a couple of weeks, plus some nice Pioneer DJ gear. Keep an eye out for their names on flyers locally in the coming few months. Catch Witness singer's solo gig Missed the gig by British indie rockers Witness at Grappa's Cellar at the weekend? So did we, but a follow-up show this weekend could prove essential listening for anyone who's heard the band with releases on Island Records and who are contemporaries of the Verve. Lead singer/guitarist Gerard Starkie (right) has hung around town since and will be putting on a solo acoustic performance this Saturday night at Phonograph, located at G/F, 2 Austin Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui. He'll be supported by Don Alguire and Mikey Nashville and entry to the gig, which starts at 10pm, is HK$100 at the door. Clockenflap postponed Bad news for festival fans: the all-encompassing music/multimedia event Clockenflap, which was due for its second coming next month, has been put on hold until next year. Jason Forster, a founding member of Clockenflap organisers Robot, said they couldn't get hold of highly rated British rockers Jamie T and the Macabees as planned, so the now two-day festival was put on the back-burner, adding that 'at least we're not putting on a s*** festival'. Jazz greats coming to town The Hong Kong Arts Festival is still about six months away, but already many jazz/rock fans are getting excited about the only act announced so far that appeals to their demographic: Chick Corea and John McLaughlin. It's a history-making billing, with the pioneers of jazz-fusion (Corea on piano and McLaughlin on guitar). Both were members of Miles Davis' genre-destroying outfit of the late 1960s, responsible for the landmark albums On the Corner and Bitches Brew. And you better get in early for these shows scheduled for February 10 and 11.
