Everything You Need to Know About Clockenflap 2013

For Arts and Crafts Lovers

There’s already food, a gorgeous skyline, sunny skies and 20,000 people—why not let local artists (those of the non-musical variety) get in on the fun? The fine craft purveyors over at Handmade Hong Kong will curate the Clockenflap Market this year, which runs from noon-7pm on Saturday and Sunday and boasts 80 stalls full of locally made fare. And for those who want to look but not buy, the Art Village will feature installation-, digital-, graffiti- and live art from a dozen local and international artists, all working with the theme “evolution.”

For the Kids

While mention of music festivals can bring to mind images of drugged-out crowds, near-naked bands and out-of-control stage fires (okay, maybe that was just Woodstock ’99), Clockenflap is a family-friendly event. Kids have their own area this year, which includes a bouncy castle, storytelling, face painting, stilt walkers, balloon animals, and games like ring and bean bag toss. As a bonus, a circus skills workshop will be held by London’s The Circus Space, where kids can learn skills like juggling and plate-spinning.

For Film Lovers

For those that want to get out of the sun, the Film Tent will be running non-stop through the weekend, with a diverse line-up that includes a wealth of short-film collections and “Ghosts of Piramida”—a documentary about the Danish band Efterklang’s visit to a Russian mining town. Outside the confines of the tent, Clockenflap has also teamed up with the British Council to show a restored version of “Blackmail”—a 1929 Hitchcock silent film to be screened on Sunday night at the Replay stage, with live musical accompaniment from pianist Stephen Horne.

And Now For

Something Completely Different… Those bespoke tailors over at Moustache are curating The Bearded Lady Side Show: a tent that will rotate between yoga sessions, dance performances, Cantonese opera, DJ sets, karaoke, acoustic jammers, a storytelling event from Liars’ League and many more. And if that’s not enough, the silent disco will return this year—and for the first time ever, there will be a dinosaur enclosure. Did you hear that? FREAKING DINOSAURS.

For the Too-Lazy-To-Buy-Tickets Crowd

You’re shit out of luck, I’m afraid. All the aforementioned goodies are only available to ticket holders, so visit ticketflap.com to secure your single day, weekend or three-day passes. Student tickets are offered at a discount, and 12-and-under kids get in free with an adult. See you there!
 

HK Magazine’s Clocken-Playlists

There’s just a week remaining before crowds rush the stages to catch their favorite bands, but with a veritable United Nations of acts in the line-up this year, the chances are good that some unfamiliar faces are among them. Regardless of how long you’re there, HK Magazine’s got your back—we’ve compiled YouTube playlists for each day of the festival to catch you up to speed on the latest and biggest from each featured band. So load ‘em up on your smartphone, play them in the office, and dance along on the MTR—the biggest weekend on HK’s music calendar is nearly here. Happy listening!

Friday Night

Saturday

Sunday

Clockenpreview: The Bands

The 1975

Manchester-based rockers The 1975 watched as their self-titled album debuted at the top of the UK charts this September. Kate Springer talks with lead singer Matthew Healy.

HK Magazine: I read that you met in high school. Tell us about the early days.
Matthew Healy: We started out about 10 years ago. I suppose it was just a form of expressing ourselves by making as much noise as possible. It became this natural thing of realizing that we could have as much fun as possible spending time together, but also have it be a genuine form of creative expression. We realized that we were doing something of value. Music for us isn’t a social thing; it’s not there to make us look cool. It’s there because the pursuit of creating music is what inspires and indulges us more than anything.

HK: You’ve gone through loads of band names over the years. Why is that?
MH: The whole idea of a band name is just a bit silly, and I know that because I’ve had about 10. Everyone’s really interested in all those different names, but at the time, no one gave a fuck about our band at all. We just changed the name because we got bored—we did one tour where we changed our name every single night. Everyone wants some kind of poetic analysis about how the names were a representation of the way that we evolved, but they weren’t! Our first name as a group was “Me & You Vs. Them.” We were a very angsty punk kind of band. Very Rise Against.

HK: What were you rising against?
MH: Fucking nothing. There was nothing to rise against, because we all had really good relationships with our parents. We were all really popular, and we weren’t rich, but we certainly weren’t poor. That’s why our music is so inspired by situations and conversation. It’s the glorification of the mundane. I’ve found inspiration and I’ve found depths of meaning in things that maybe you wouldn’t, because we’ve come from such a normal place.

HK: How do you write your lyrics?
MH: I think they are like stand-up comedy. If you can convey an idea in as few words as possible, that’s the way to do it. If you can convey a beautiful idea wrapped in so many different suggestions from a minimalist perspective, then the space in between leaves the listeners to fill it in themselves. That’s where the beauty lies. I don’t necessarily utilize my vocabulary in the songs. I’d rather use simple words in order to convey a nice idea.

HK: What ought we know about the show?
MH: We’re very inspired by cinema, especially cinema of the 80s, and that idea is really explored in our album. It’s the same in the live show, so if that sounds like something you would enjoy—which I can pretty much guarantee you will—then you should come and check us out.

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