Hidden Agenda: Gloom

I don't know if I can stay up till 6 AM nowadays, considering that that's the time I wake up. Also, I kind of want to go to the Hangout and spy on the cute delinquents there instead at the HKUST show.

Live Stage:
Milkteeth
The David Bowie Knives
The Mooches

DUBSTEP & DNB:
N1D (Healthy Macao)
BloodDunza (Heavy Hong Kong)

Time: 9.30pm – 6am
Damage: $100

Hidden Agenda: Hedgehog Live in Hong Kong

I've been so busy that I haven't been able to keep up to date on the shows happening in March, and I regrettably missed out on a few, including a fundraising event on Sunday for victims of the Japanese tsunami.

Anyway, to make up for it, here's some information on an upcoming show at Hidden Agenda.

刺猬Hedgehog Live in Hong Kong

Date : 27 March 2011
Time : 8:30pm

Supporting : False Alarm

Ticket : 120(Hidden Club Member),150 (Advance), 180 (Walk-in)

-Hong Kong Ticket Outlet -(Start from 25 Feb)
Member Ticket Only Available From Hidden Shop

White Noise Record Tel : 2591 0499
香港銅鑼灣耀華街21號華耀商業大廈19樓1901室
Room 1901, 19/F, Workingview Commercial Building,21 Yiu Wa Street, Causeway Bay

Hidden Shop Tel : 96518567
香港觀塘大業街25號高良工業大廈6樓全層
6/F, Ko Leung Industrial Bldg, 25 Tai Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong


You can listen to Hedgehog via their MySpace page here or at their blog here.

It's a Sunday night, unfortunately, but I might still try to make it out there even though I have work on Monday.

Hidden Agenda: Newbie Agenda #1, Part 2

Sorry for the late entry! Some of you might suspect that a lot of these entries are actually scheduled, which is why they're so consistent in terms of publishing time, and you're right. However, rather than a schedule entry, I wanted to post this review of last night's show at Hidden Agenda up today, but I got home really late, and I have to do my part-time work on Saturday mornings.

Before I begin, I dropped by a friend's house after work (and before Hidden Agenda) and saw this doggie in the lobby with its owner. It was really mean and kept yapping at everyone. Here it is taking a rest. So cute!

Then I asked if I could take a picture, and the owner said to the dog, "It's picture time!"

As soon as it saw the camera, the dog did this! What a camera whore! I like how he's posing but pretending the camera isn't there. A true tabloid star!

Since I had to work before going to Hidden Agenda, I wore this. It's my homage to Snoopy. Vintage garrison hat, vintage suede jacket, my striped skirt and Marc Jacobs canvas boots. Oops, I'm revealing a bit more of my face than I should, but I think with my hair and all, I'm sort of recognizable on the street, anyway. By the way, yes, my legs are that pale. Crazy, huh? If I stepped out into the light, my whole body would be that zombie colour.

I was wearing this H&M blouse and a leopard-print belt from some random shop (I think it cost HKD30) underneath.

Anyway, this is the street where Hidden Agenda  is.

You have to enter through the back. This lift is so old, it's one of those ones that you have to shut the two doors properly or else it won't move. If someone is a jackass and doesn't do it, the people in the building will be trapped there (and have to take the stairs).

Inside Hidden Agenda before the show.

Stuff by Graffiti Airlines.

Also saw this in a parking lot by Start from Zero.

More Reverb were so great! They only played a couple of songs, though, so sad about that. Afterwards, I was asking them for their contact information so that I could pass it on to my friends in the music industry, and they were like, "Are you sure??"

My friend said, "Oh no, they don't  think they're any good!"

But they are! I tried to film a song, but my arm got tired too fast. Anyway, I hope you guys listened to the YouTube video. They are obviously inspired by Mono even during their performance, and I can't think of a better band to follow.

The drummer was so cute. After their performance, a couple of thrash bands played, and he was headbanging. I just thought it was so sweet because he plays such ambient music and then gets all wild.

I didn't think much of the other bands. The last one was particularly meh. They had a great drummer and a good bassist, but the singer was terrible, and he was really into himself and boring. Hate that combination.

Hidden Agenda has also opened up a shop selling band merchandise, vintage items and stuff Kimi made using recycled materials.

Here's Mui Mui, the resident doggie.

The lift from the inside.

I got this bag from Kimi. It was HKD120, not bad, huh? I think maybe people have noticed that I don't care for bags very much. I loathe carrying them around, so I don't have as many bags as I might shoes or other accessories. This is a good bag for work, though, carrying files and even my laptop.

ps. Oh my God! Do you ever have a moment where you see a picture and think, "That looks just like me!" I was going through the animal pictures on the Telegraph and saw these:

It's Ambam the gorilla, and he looks just like me! We have the same round head, the same short Bettie Page bangs/fringe, and the same posture. If I wore my Gucci coat, we'd be twins!

photos from the Telegraph

Hidden Agenda: Super Super Slow Down

All these marvelous shows! Super Super Slow Down is stopping by Hong Kong on the 23rd of January to perform at Hidden Agenda.

Dammit, why does it have to be on a Sunday night? I really have to consider this carefully as Manique is having a small launch party on Saturday, which means I won't be able to get to bed till late. I don't want to stay up on consecutive nights because my temper won't be able to handle it, and I'll probably end up yelling at another stupid bitch talking on her iPhone while walking retardedly and blocking my way.

Part of the reason I don't really write about bars and clubs is that I don't like to go out at night. I wake up at six in the morning on most days, which means I have to be in bed by midnight, or else I'll be very cranky the next day. Isn't it amazing? Just a few of years ago, I would roll out of bed at noon, light up a cigarette and reach for a bottle of vodka. I don't smoke anymore (I can't help anyone trying to quit because it was really easy for me. I just decided that I didn't want to smoke, and I just stopped. Never missed it or had withdrawal. In fact, I only ever had withdrawal once from some serious pill abuse, but even then, I got over it in about 24 hours. I'm super lucky to have this healing ability and a non-addictive body/personality), and if I wake up past nine in the morning, I get very anxious and grumpy. Even my drinking is very disciplined and regimented.

Anyway, I'm rambling on about stuff you don't care about, so here's the information about Super Super Slow Down's show: it's at Hidden Agenda and starts at 8:30 in the evening. Tickets are HKD100 and are available at the door.

Super Super Slow Down are inspired by Joy Division and early Radiohead. Despite having worked in the music industry for a couple of years, I still have problems with assigning genres (I just don't see the point), so I can't say what type of music they play. However, you can check out a few songs on their MySpace page here.

顛覆M Review

I almost didn't make it to the 顛覆M show at Hidden Agenda last night because I got my period. I was feeling sulky and gross, but you know, what's a little blood at a heavy metal show, right?

In the end, I took my ass over to Kwun Tong in time to see the last couple of songs by the opening act, Innercore. I used to work in the music industry -- which I know doesn't necessarily mean that I have good taste in music -- but my standards for live acts are quite strict. (Yes, I'm that person standing in the centre-back with their arms crossed and no expression, although for heavy metal shows, I tend to dance around a bit once I've warmed up.) I've seen how much work ought to go into a performance, and I've seen really fantastic ones given in the worst locations with an audience of five. I know it takes a lot of balls to get up onstage, but if musicians really want to make a living out of performing, they have to do their damnedest to put on a good show.

Innercore didn't really do it for me. I could see the skill and talent, but the energy wasn't there. In fact, I thought the band had more energy afterwards crowdsurfing and moshing during 顛覆M's set. What was really lacking, I thought, was conviction. Musicians really need to have conviction when they're onstage: that they're the embodiment of metal, of hip hop, of rock, of pop, whatever. Otherwise, you can't command the crowd.

Fortunately, 顛覆M put on a really fantastic show. Here's a picture of them setting up. It's been a long time since the music biz, but I still get a little flutter of nerves whenever I see this.

I took a video of the beginning of the set -- yes, the stage is dark for a reason and the lights come up later, don't worry. I really like how they combined folk elements -- the throat singing and traditional Mongolian instruments -- really seamlessly with metal. Some of the songs had an almost-cheerful folk beat and rhythm but overlaid with really dark, heavy guitar. The set was really vibrant and full of energy, the band really worked together to get the crowd pumped up. A ffew improvements could be made here and there with regards to movement onstage, but generally, the band did well.

I stood next to the band's manager the whole time, and I noticed that the band would occasionally look at him for reassurance or to see if they were doing okay. I thought that was rather sweet and a good sign for this band. I chatted with the manager a little bit afterwards, and he seems like a guy with a lot of common sense.

Anyway, please enjoy the video and do support this band, I think they're just marvelous.

In defiance of menstrual fashion, I decided to wear a white shirt dress. I thought it would be funny to dress like this for a metal show but some possibly-lost expat showed up in a suit, of all things, so I wasn't the most incongruously-dressed person there, after all.

Yes, the newspapers have returned! Sorry I had to do this type of mirror picture, but I had the damnedest time setting up the camera.

I'd planned to wear the leopard print faux fur cropped coat that I got at DNA Galleria, but the weather turned out to be too warm. Isn't this coat just divine? It's got a rather 1940s cut, with wide, three-quarter length sleeves and a swing back.

*edited to add: the coat cost HKD260, which is around USD30. A fair price, wouldn't you say? On the cheap side, even.

I'm also wearing a silver rosary that I made. It took me almost a month to finish it since I made everything by hand, tsk.

顛覆M

顛覆M, a metal band from Inner Mongolia, are performing at Hidden Agenda on the 29th of October. You can check their music out here.

This is the third metal band from Mongolia that I've listened to, and I'm still impressed by how these bands combine throat singing and \m/ HEAVY FUCKING METAL \m/ ! Tickets are only HKD100, and Hidden Agenda has airconditioning now, so I urge you to go and have a good time.

To get to Hidden Agenda, take the MTR all the way to Ngau Tau Kok. Exit B6 and walk along Lai Yip until you get to Wai Yip. Turn right and follow the road until Tai Yip (yes, they're not very creative with the names in Kwun Tong).

Find number 25 on the left, that'll be the back entrance to 高良工業大廈 (Ko Leung Industrial Building). Hidden Agenda is on the sixth floor, I suggest taking the lift rather than climbing up the stairs where you will find a lot of young bucks doing things you should avert your eyes from.