New Order top the bill at Hong Kong’s Clockenflap festival
Legendary British dance-rock band New Order and 1970s disco icon Nile Rodgers are the latest big-name artists added to the three-day Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival being held next month.
The annual live music event, which also provides an outlet for many local bands to perform on the big stage, will be held at West Kowloon Cultural District from November 27 to 29. It incorporates international, regional and local live music, films, art installations and a children’s area.
Now in its eighth year, Clockenflap has evolved from humble beginnings into Hong Kong’s biggest annual celebration of music and the arts, last year attracting a record 45,000 people.
New Order formed in 1980 from the ashes of the post-punk band Joy Division after that group’s vocalist, Ian Curtis, committed suicide. After recording the 1983 club track Blue Monday – which remains the biggest-selling 12-inch single of all time – New Order helped introduce dance music to the pop charts, and have appeared at the world’s largest music festivals including Glastonbury and Fuji Rock.
Meanwhile, Rodgers – who will be returning after an appearance on the main Clockenflap stage in 2013 – was a member of seminal 1970s disco outfit Chic (of Le Freak fame) and went on to become a super-producer for stars such as David Bowie, Duran Duran and Madonna. He became one of the musical stars of 2013 after he was “rediscovered” by French dance music duo Daft Punk and contributed his distinctive funky guitar sound to their summer smash Get Lucky.
Other acts added in the latest announcement include American alt-rock giants Mercury Rev, New York experimental outfit Battles, ironic French bossa-nova collective Nouvelle Vague, and 1960s Jamaican ska pioneers The Skatallites
They will join the previously announced artists including British garage rockers The Libertines – including founding members Pete Doherty and Carl Barat – Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice, Al Mckay from 1970s funk band Earth Wind & Fire, and British electronic band Clean Bandit.
Regional music is so far represented by Taiwanese indie singer-songwriter Crowd Lu and Japanese retro-rock act Love Psychedelico. The main Hong Kong performers announced so far include outspoken Canto-pop singer and Occupy supporter Denise Ho Wan-see, folk singer Jing Wong, rocker Subyub Lee and hardcore band King Ly Chee.
For fans of dance music, the latest acts added are Canadian turntablist Kid Koala, Brazilian house/techno producer Gui Boratto and Canadian house DJ Jacques Greene, who will be joining experimental Los Angeles producer Flying Lotus, New York outfit Ratatat, British trip-hop DJ Mr Skruff, and Irish indie-dance duo Bicep.
