https://www.scmp.com/rss/323316/feed Stories, photos and features from previous Clockenflap festivals en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival is set to begin on December 1 and last until December 3. The city’s second Clockenflap of 2023 will provide a deep dive into contemporary and alternative music. As we gear up for the festivities, here is a look back at 15 years of Clockenflap. https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3243197/15-years-clockenflap-visual-history-hong-kongs-festival-aap-rocky-and-arctic-monkeys-denise-ho-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3243197/15-years-clockenflap-visual-history-hong-kongs-festival-aap-rocky-and-arctic-monkeys-denise-ho-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Nov 2023 04:45:15 +0000 What I’m listening to: Benjamin Booker is my current obsession. His guitar sound, voice and overall style is truly eccentric – definitely my cup of tea. What I’m reading: Hotel K: The Shocking Inside Story of Bali’s Most Notorious Jail by Kathryn Bonella. As a non-fiction fan, this was a must-read. What I’m watching: The Ricky Gervais Show, because Karl Pilkington has saved my life. Whenever my head gets too full of practical stuff, I turn to Karl’s wisdom for therapy. What artists I’m... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1896745/music-clockenflap-producer-kinny-barlow-listens-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1896745/music-clockenflap-producer-kinny-barlow-listens-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Jan 2016 13:00:30 +0000 They came in their thousands; in their oldest and most treasured band t-shirts, in their finest glamour wear, in bunny suits, high heels, flip-flops and Doc Marten boots. They came to see the latest and greatest bands and musicians Hong Kong has to offer playing on a bill featuring the finest of British rock , Japanese psychedelia, Taiwanese death metal, Canadian turntablism, American hip-hop and Irish balladry. Friday Friday evening kicked off with Hong Kong acts ANWIYTCI and The Anello; the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1885270/clockenflap-2015-pictures-hong-kong-gets-its-groove?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1885270/clockenflap-2015-pictures-hong-kong-gets-its-groove?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2015 10:45:00 +0000 Hong Kong has feasted on a treat. New Order closed the weekend studded with the unique, the dark and the warm. The estimated 60,000 through the doors accessed the heavy psychedelic Bo Ningen, the subversive Madame Mincemeat, the food, the parlour games and the hip shaking Flying Lotus. READ MORE: Clockenflap2015 Saturday blog: The action, artists and party as it happened Our long list of highlights must also include the touching last act of Chic's set where a choir of about 40 domestic helpers,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1884906/clockenflap-2015-live-blog-sunday-people-performances-party-big-rock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1884906/clockenflap-2015-live-blog-sunday-people-performances-party-big-rock?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Nov 2015 04:30:15 +0000 Watch: Hong Kong record labels suck soul out of music? King Ly Chee frontman and Denise Ho weigh in Two musicians who will be making their debut at Clockenflap this year are Denise Ho Wan-see and Riz Farooqi of King Ly Chee. The straight-edge hardcore punk and the LGBT Canto-pop star:  at first they seem like two completely disparate people, but there are similarities. They both started their careers in the 1990s: Ho’s began in 1996 when she won the 15th New Talent Singing Awards, and was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1884125/clockenflap-first-timers-hong-kong-music-veterans-talking-politics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1884125/clockenflap-first-timers-hong-kong-music-veterans-talking-politics?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Nov 2015 06:30:15 +0000 Denise Ho (Saturday 8.30pm, Harbourflap Stage) Perhaps one of the better known artists is HOCC or Denise Ho Wan-see, who will be making her Clockenflap debut on the main stage on Saturday night. The openly gay singer was active during the umbrella movement protests last year and lost some gigs on the mainland because of her political stance and her record label East Asia dropped her from their roster. That hasn’t stopped her, though – she’s simply moved to an independent label and continued to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1883609/clockenflap-locals-insiders-tips-best-hong-kong-live-acts-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1883609/clockenflap-locals-insiders-tips-best-hong-kong-live-acts-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2015 11:00:00 +0000 Harbourflap Stage Shaolin Fez (1.45pm): joining Clockenflap for the second time are one of Hong Kong’s most impressive and steadfast local outfits. This 14-piece “mini-orchestra” is led by Hong Kong Philharmonic bassist Samuel Ferrer and features singer Jennifer Palor, HK Philharmonic concertmaster-violinist Jing Wang, and principal French horn player Russell Bonifede. Shaolin Fez are a great representation of Hong Kong at its best – eclectic, unique and energetic. SOAK (4.15pm): Irish... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1883157/clockenflap-best-things-catch-third-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1883157/clockenflap-best-things-catch-third-day?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Nov 2015 06:30:45 +0000 Harbourflap Stage Jing Wong (12.30pm): often found busking around Hong Kong, Jing Wong pens his own gentle, folksy ballads, reminiscent of Damien Rice (who plays on the same stage the night before). His most recent EP, How to Disappear, received local praise, and his set – accompanied by a full band – promises to be one of the best examples of Hong Kong’s home-grown talent. Jannine Weigel (1.30pm): with more than a million subscribers, 15-year-old Thai-German singer Jannine Weigel is a bona... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1882531/clockenflap-our-pick-best-festivals-second-day?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1882531/clockenflap-our-pick-best-festivals-second-day?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Nov 2015 06:30:00 +0000 From rock and pop to hip hop and dance, here are the acts you shouldn’t miss on the opening night of this year’s Clockenflap festival on November 27 Harbourflap Stage Sun Kil Moon (6.15pm): Clockenflap’s first big act is also one of its best. Mark Kozelek, who released his most recent album Benji under the stage name Sun Kil Moon, is one of the finest singer-songwriters around. In 2014, the Post wrote of Benji that “the simplicity and humility of [Kozalek’s songs] manage to make a moral... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1882009/clockenflap-our-pick-first-day-years-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1882009/clockenflap-our-pick-first-day-years-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 06:45:15 +0000 For some it’s all about that bass - for others, it’s all about putting that bass behind brass and backing a diva in full voice. Having made their debut there three years ago, Shaolin Fez will return to Clockenflap on Sunday, November 29 for a bigger and longer gig, this time with 14 musicians in tow playing a 45-minute set. Band leader Sam Ferrer says the annual music and arts festival has a policy of not repeating the same band year after year, so “we are actually quite lucky to be invited... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1882003/shaolin-fez-classical-musicians-who-made-mini-orchestra?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1882003/shaolin-fez-classical-musicians-who-made-mini-orchestra?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2015 05:15:45 +0000 When he ambles on stage with his raffish grin to headline Hong Kong's Clockenflap festival on November 28, Pete Doherty's hour in the limelight will - on the face of it - represent a remarkable story of redemption. A little more than a year ago, the 36-year-old British singer-songwriter was consuming enough heroin to kill himself. Then came a life-saving three-month stay at a coastal rehab clinic 160km outside Bangkok, Thailand. Pete Doherty during his rehab in Thailand Thanks to a mixture of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1879837/clockenflap-life-and-near-deaths-pete-doherty-frontman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1879837/clockenflap-life-and-near-deaths-pete-doherty-frontman?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2015 12:30:15 +0000 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1862590/new-order-top-bill-hong-kongs-clockenflap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1862590/new-order-top-bill-hong-kongs-clockenflap?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2015 23:00:30 +0000 This year’s Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival is shaping up to be the biggest yet, with the first round of artists announced, including notorious rockers The Libertines and singer-songwriter Damien Rice. Founding Libertines members Pete Doherty and Carl Barat will be a part of the line-up coming to Hong Kong for the festival, to be held on the West Kowloon waterfront from November 27-29, according to organisers. After forming in 1997, The Libertines saw huge success by spearheading the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1854663/biggest-clockenflap-yet-line-so-far-damien-rice-libertines-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/music/article/1854663/biggest-clockenflap-yet-line-so-far-damien-rice-libertines-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2015 05:30:00 +0000 A choir of Hong Kong domestic helpers who get together to sing about the anguish of leaving their children behind in their home countries could take their songs to the world, if a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign hits the right note. Those involved hope to raise US$80,000 from the online campaign, which launches on Monday. It will go towards the US$250,000 needed to produce The Helper, a feature-length film director Joanna Bowers and producer Tony Verb hope to have submitted to festivals such... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1848273/british-director-seeks-funding-film-about-choir?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education-community/article/1848273/british-director-seeks-funding-film-about-choir?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2015 16:00:30 +0000 Bastille are ready to storm Hong Kong again, two years after our home-grown rock festival launched the indie-pop band to international success. Clockenflap 2012 was the London-based rockers' first major festival appearance, and their debut gig outside Europe. Soon after, they shot to the top of the charts in Britain and the US before embarking on a sold-out tour of the States. Now the four members of Bastille are coming back for more, with a new album in the wings and a new sound. "We had a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48-hours/article/1661485/two-years-after-their-clockenflap-debut-bastille-go-strength?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48-hours/article/1661485/two-years-after-their-clockenflap-debut-bastille-go-strength?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2014 14:45:15 +0000 Clockenflap HK is in Sheung Wan and I basically need relatively unhealthy doses of rice in my life to maintain happiness levels. To that end, I (and my favourite Hungarian friend, Tony Verb) have a trio of local hotspots on weekly rotation: For Kee (200 Hollywood Road, tel: 2546 8947) for its curried beef brisket and signature pork chops, Yuk Kin (Po Wan Building, 6 Tai Ping Shan Street, tel: 2549 2505) for fried rice selections galore served in the open air, and Yat Lok (34-38 Stanley Street,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48-hours/article/1645481/i-know-place-justin-sweeting-clockenflap-music-director?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48-hours/article/1645481/i-know-place-justin-sweeting-clockenflap-music-director?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Nov 2014 14:15:00 +0000 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 Chthonic Taiwan has a thriving metal scene? Who knew that? Chthonic, meaning "relating to the underworld", was formed in Taipei in 1995. Their sound is distinguished from Western counterparts by the inclusion of the erhu, which they use to create a noise like a razor's edge, and classical Chinese influences. If the usual mash-up of indie-electro-pop feels flimsy, Chthonic may be for you.   Mogwai Over the past 17 years, Scottish post-rock veterans Mogwai (left) have... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48-hours/article/1634354/sounds-and-fury-guide-clockenflap-2014?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48-hours/article/1634354/sounds-and-fury-guide-clockenflap-2014?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2014 08:45:00 +0000 Hong Kong’s premier music festival Clockenflap has beefed up its band line-up, announcing new additions The Flaming Lips, Mogwai and Kool & The Gang. Expected to be the largest edition since it started seven years ago, next month’s Clockenflap will feature a diverse mix of musical styles. According to its latest billing, American alt-rock group The Lemonheads, seven-piece Latin hip-hop/rock band Ozomatli and Danish indie rock duo The Raveonettes will also put in appearances. Taiwan’s answer to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1617983/flaming-lips-kool-gang-and-mogwai-added-clockenflap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1617983/flaming-lips-kool-gang-and-mogwai-added-clockenflap?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2014 15:15:15 +0000 Indifference to society is what distinguishes today's young generation of Chinese from his own, Cui Jian, the musician whose song Nothing To My Name became the anthem of the 1989 Tiananmen democracy protests, said in an interview with the South China Morning Post. "Most of the young people forget about politics," said the man often called the godfather of Chinese rock. The 52-year-old rocker performed to an adoring crowd at the Clockenflap music festival in Hong Kong last night, after a six-year... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1370299/chinas-youth-has-forgotten-about-politics-laments-cui-jian-he-plays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1370299/chinas-youth-has-forgotten-about-politics-laments-cui-jian-he-plays?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2013 20:30:30 +0000 The main day of the Clockenflap music and arts festival reached an early climax yesterday afternoon when disco band Chic delivered a note-perfect performance on the main stage. Despite a few sound problems at the start, the packed crowd "freaked out" to the band's one-and-a-half-hour set on the Harbourflap stage, which faces the city's skyline. Chic's frontman - the legendary songwriter, producer and guitarist Nile Rodgers - had stated his mission was to "take Hong Kong back to the days of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1369920/disco-band-chic-stir-big-crowd-west-kowloons-clockenflap-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1369920/disco-band-chic-stir-big-crowd-west-kowloons-clockenflap-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Nov 2013 22:15:30 +0000 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29 Two-Door Cinema Club Since they came together in 2007, this trio from Northern Ireland has won over critics and music followers alike with a far-reaching sound that meanders through electronica, indie rock, post-punk and new wave. The labels and bands that Two-Door Cinema Club have collaborated with say it all: an EP released on hip electronica label Kitsune and remixes for French synth-pop giants Phoenix. With their catchy blend of electronics and guitar hooks, TDCC will be... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48-hours/article/1356817/sounds-unlimited-our-essential-guide-clockenflap-music-and-arts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48-hours/article/1356817/sounds-unlimited-our-essential-guide-clockenflap-music-and-arts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:30:45 +0000 Franz Ferdinand have been away for a while. Amazingly, it’s been nearly eight years since the Glaswegian art-rock quartet first played in Hong Kong. After spending part of the last decade as one of the hottest musical properties on the planet, the band make their return to the city this month to headline the Clockenflap festival at the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade. Their recently released fourth album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, was the band’s first in four years and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1361000/franz-ferdinand-headline-clockenflap-return-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1361000/franz-ferdinand-headline-clockenflap-return-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2013 03:24:10 +0000 "You know, none of this makes any sense. A freak show, a giant cuckoo clock, none of it makes any sense." That's Jay Forster, one of the founders of Clockenflap, Hong Kong's only international music festival, going over the new additions to this year's event. Fellow founders Mike Hill and Justin Sweeting share Forster's sense of giddy wonder. That giant cuckoo clock is as good a symbol as any of just how far Clockenflap has come. Clockenflap is the product of three creative friends and their... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1078713/clockenflap-festival-music-fans-big-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/article/1078713/clockenflap-festival-music-fans-big-ticket?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:00:00 +0000 What I'm listening to: Grimes, Jack White's Blunderbuss, Chromatics' Kill for Love, Teengirl Fantasy, my usual backdrop of XLR8 mix sets and a large collection of bleeps and squeaks from the Warp stable. What I'm reading: I've just finished my master's thesis, so I've been reading endless papers on information security and micro payments. I need a novel. What I'm watching: watching TV is a luxury I don't get to indulge in much, but I was recently fascinated by the freak show called the Olympics.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1017117/clockenflap-festival-co-founder-mike-hills-favourite-things?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/1017117/clockenflap-festival-co-founder-mike-hills-favourite-things?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Aug 2012 16:00:00 +0000