Global Battle of the Bands
Tomorrow, 10pm, Miusik
Last year Chris B was ready to give up. The long-time musician, organiser and head of Global Battle of the Bands for the China region had endured jibes about band competitions and spent many gruelling years supporting the indie scene.
But then something unexpected happened. Three guys from Beijing took their theatrical, big-haired guitar rock to the world finals in London and swept the floor with the competition. The band, Rustic, won a prize that included US$10,000 in cash, a week in a London recording studio and a 10-date British tour (which they're in the process of planning now).
For Chris B - who makes a point of never printing her last name - the significance of the win was 'huge'. 'One of my dreams is to see a Chinese band making its mark on the wider world,' she says, 'and I've had to endure talk of 'band competitions suck' and the like, and the naysayers.' So the victory was rich reward.
If unsigned bands in this part of the world needed any motivation to enter the competition, Rustic seem to have provided it. But for those who need the little extra push, the prize pool has been bumped up this year. As well as a US$100,000 band development package, the winner of the China competition will get an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2010 finals in Kuala Lumpur and a guaranteed slot at Chengdu's huge Zebra festival, a three-day music event that attracts tens of thousands of fans.
This year's competition has attracted about 50 bands so far - but that number's sure to increase as promoters up the ante in the lead-up to more heats around the region in October. Guangzhou has been added to the list of cities competing, alongside Hong Kong, Macau, Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
When heat one kicks off tomorrow night, featuring bands Operator, Of Moths & Stars (pictured), Bank Job and Purple Eye, all eyes will be on the next big thing to come out of China. Well, that, and whoever has the most ridiculous hair.
13/F, Ying Kong Mansion, 2 Yee Wo St, Causeway Bay, HK$100. Inquiries: 9486 4648
