Spectrum Radio joined force with City Showcase Music Festival and Shorty Productions in June 2007 to present an evening of spectacular sound and creativity. The Chinese Showcase opens up opportunities for emerging musical talents from those of East Asian heritage and gives an insight into what they have to offer in today's ever musically aspired industry. Clara Tran was at the prestigious Embassy Club in Mayfair to witness their achievements.

A City Showcase gig, by its very own pioneering nature, has an element of surprise and raw energy that sets it apart from most music events in London.

This year's hotly anticipated Chinese Showcase did not disappoint, plucking new music talent seemingly out of the blue and delivering them to a pop-savvy audience used to swooning over the likes of Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng and other Hong Kong superstars.

First to grace the red-lit stage was Mayella Kwan who took the no-nonsense approach by leading straight into her 20-minute set with Summer Breeze, a jazzy soulful number she co-composed with Suki Mok.

Accompanied by Suki’s virtuoso guitar backing, Mayella was free to do what she does best – sing. And boy could the lady belt out a tune. Clear, powerful vocals gave added resonance to Your Words, while the sweetly melancholic Deep in the Sea was especially haunting with Mayella’s lilting melodies floating over the captivated crowd.

The reflective mood was quickly broken when fans erupted in rapturous cheers for the second act, Cherry Lee. Making her debut performance onstage – she had previously only ever sang in her bathroom, hence her alias the Bathroom Girl – Cherry made even more fans on the night with her acoustic folk-pop ballads that combined honesty, heart and humour.

It was a shame then, that she felt compelled to engage the audience with incessant nervous chatter between songs, effectively diminishing the quality of what was otherwise a superb performance. Had it not been for the rambling story behind Mr Cigarette Man, easily the strongest song in the set, the impact would have been more profound as her music and lyrics speak volumes on its own.

Watch this space: it won’t be long before Cherry steps out of the bathroom and into the limelight.

Kevin Quan, also known as DJ Phat, had the unenviable task of following on from Cherry Lee but at least the packed crowd was revved up and at its most appreciative. Pairing up with the ever-versatile Suki Mok, Kevin showed that he is not a one-trick-pony with the piano-composed In Your Box and the beautifully moody Drifting Away.

The duo dramatically changed gears when Kevin put on his DJ hat and, in the words of Suki, showed “some mad skills on the decks.” There were loud whoops and whistles from the audience as Kevin proved just why he is currently hot property on the DJ Entertainment circuit. It was also a chance for Suki to demonstrate his prodigious guitar skills by adding a unique acoustic twist to the frenetic mix.

A final cover of Stevie Wonder’s Lately gave Kevin a chance to display his considerable vocal talents without the tribute, thankfully, being reduced to glorified karaoke.

Will Tang, the most established artist in the Chinese Showcase line-up, was worth waiting for. Supported by Big Linda, a London-based band he has worked with many times in the past, Will started the set with his single Love Bites, an energetic blues rock epic that got the crowd tapping their feet and hilariously attempting to sing along.

The tempo slowed down with the exquisite Everything Changes, a rock ballad which showcases Will as a true blues man with not only depth but also a distinct pop sensibility.
Equally impressive were Will’s harmonica breaks during several of the songs, particularly in the closing track where his solo and other instrumental solos brought the set to a blistering climax.

With his multi-faceted skills as a musician and songwriter, it is easy to see why Will is regarded as one of the most exciting Chinese talents to emerge in music today.

 To find out more about the Cityshowcase Music Festival, check out their website:
http://www.cityshowcase.co.uk

Photography by Edward Lui © 2007

This entry was posted on Friday, June 29th, 2007 at 12:17 pm and is filed under Spectrum Radio Events 電台活動, 17th Anniversary 2007 台慶. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.