To me, Alive Not Dead are known for two things – operating a celebrity-filled social network and WILD parties. Throughout their existence, they’ve probably generated more hangovers than any other online brand. Even with all the high-profile actors, singers and models, their parties are never pretentious affairs but fun, jump up and down kind of nights.

After the success of Alive Not Dead’s Halloween party at Zuma (which was easily the best in town,) the social network is back again with a special New Year’s Eve extravaganza.

This time around the party features a strong line-up of prime-time d.j.s. including DJ Becareful, Miss Yellow, DJ Noodles from Taiwan and Enso from Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy. You want to go a little crazy? This is the gang you want playing. They all spin a party-rockin’ mixture that includes multiple genres of Electronic dance music fused with Rock and Hip Hop.

The headliner, DJ Becareful Lee (the actor Sam Lee,) plays like a car going down a hill with no brakes. His music gets more and more intense as his set goes on. If you’re looking for a dance floor for New Year’s Eve, this is the place!

Zuma is a great venue because it’s close to the action in Lan Kwai Fong, yet just outside the zone that gets annoyingly barricaded by the police. (Read the Halloween post for why that’s a hassle!)

When it’s set up for a party, Zuma is a spacious venue that includes a larger dance floor than most Hong Kong clubs. For smokers there’s a huge outdoor patio, so there’s no need to leave the party or furtively sneak a puff.

If you want to say goodbye to 2009 without the annoying table scene and stuffy attitudes (and just concentrate on having fun,) this is the party for you.

Get your tickets now!

Alive Not Dead’s Halloween party sold out of pre-sale tickets several days before the actual night, with a large crowd still trying to pay to get in. For New Year’s Eve it’s convenient (and cheaper!) to get your tickets ahead of time.

To attend the event you have several ticket options. Pre-sale tickets are going for $250 HKD and include one drink. Tickets at the door are selling for $300 HKD and also include one drink.

For those looking to make a full night at Zuma, there’s a dinner plus party package for $1500 HKD per person. The dinner begins at 7pm. Check out the menu here.

For latecomers, there’s a final option for $200 HKD that allows entrance after 1am and includes one drink.

To easily purchase your tickets online go here.

Recommended!

Alive Not Dead New Year’s Eve 2009
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Feat. DJ Becareful Lee, Miss Yellow, DJ Noodles, DJ Enso
Zuma
6/F, The Landmark
15 Queens Road Central
Central, Hong Kong

* Party starts at 10pm
* Dinner package starts at 7pm

What do top clubs, Dragon-i and Volar have in common? As both celebrated birthdays earlier this month, Hong Kong Hustle began to think back about their contributions to the city’s nightlife scene.

Dragon-i held their seventh anniversary last weekend, hosting major dance music talents, Axwell and Ron Carroll. Volar celebrated on December third, bringing well known group Digitalism.

Through their musical direction and dedication over the years, the two clubs have transformed Hong Kong from a c-list city into a primary destination on the international nightclub circuit.

Dragon-i’s seventh anniversary!

Dragon-i has shown a knack for creativity recently. The invitation sent out to members this year was as extravagant as it was unique. Each potential guest received a box that included a large wooden die with Dragon-i’s logo and sevens printed on each side. Also packed inside was a small flashlight that beamed the event details onto any surface it was pointed at!

On their anniversary, the club itself was modified for the night’s affair. The ambiance began as guests entered the outdoor patio area. The space was converted into a cozy lounge enclosed by white fabric with special seats and tables fashioned for the occasion. Arriving at the club, guests could see large number sevens dangling from the ceiling.

The night kicked off with a traditional lion dance performance followed by a short speech by owner Gilbert Yeung. After the customary spraying of the crowd with champagne, the night got underway.

D.j. / singer / producer Ron Carroll’s early set was top notch. Though I didn’t recognize a single song (that’s a good thing!,) each of the tracks he played was strong and got the crowd moving.

Towards the middle of his set he began playing more well-known cuts, including a few of his own! The capacity crowd responded by dancing on every surface available, including on top of the seats!

The turnout at Dragon-i was made up of familiar faces including several generations of nightlife personalities and models. The diverse-as-it-was-massive crowd once again showed why Dragon-i defines high-end clubbing in Hong Kong.

Volar’s fifth anniversary!

note the T-shirts with the ‘V’ near the bottom left

Volar celebrated their fifth anniversary with a neon theme. As guests arrived they were given special t-shirts with LED lights in the shape of a ‘V’. When a small box attached to the shirt was activated, the ‘V’ on the shirt began to emit a series of flashing patterns! Very cool!

Digitalism, the headliners for the night were highly anticipated. Under the guidance of club co-founders and music fans, Benedict Ku, and his wife Jaime Ho Ku, Volar has brought a steady stream of new dance acts, particularly in the Electro realm. Digitalism personifies the musical direction that Volar has taken over the years as they span the space between new Rock and Electro.

On anniversary night, the attendees packed into the club to check out Digitalism. It was obvious by the crowd reaction that they were familiar with the music, throwing their hands in the air in unison.

Digitalism’s Jens “Jence” Moelle

Happy anniversary to Dragon-i and Volar – thanks for putting Hong Kong on the map and giving us access to the people who shape music around the world.

Lines! (Or ‘queues’, for you British English speakers.)

Here’s the scenario:

You get all dressed up and head out to Lan Kwai Fong (the epicenter of Hong Kong’s Halloween celebration,) but instead of being able to join the party, you have to walk slowly through check points for thirty minutes to an hour, with throngs of people not even in costume!

Do you know how we spell that at Hong Kong Hustle? L A M E!

Last year we talked about the long, long lines, this year, we’re talking about two parties that are outside of the lockdown area, so you can have a good time immediately, and completely avoid the circuitous march.

Alive Not Dead’s “Dead Not Alive” Halloween Party

How can you get in the proper Halloween mood with un-costumed people standing around? Forget about it! This is a costumes-mandatory party and that’s the way it should be.

The venue is Zuma, the swank Japanese restaurant located (above Gucci) in The Landmark shopping center.

The pluses: cool atmosphere, large space, two levels, and a big outdoor balcony for people who want to smoke. The entertainment for the night features three diverse d.j.s including Pimpin’ Ain’t Easy’s Kid Fresh, D.J. Re:Flex and New York’s N.K.S.. Last year’s party by the same gang (the celebrity-centric social network Alive Not Dead,) was a blast! Word on the street is that they already have over one hundred “artists” attending, and that there’s a chance the place may get completely filled!

This year they’re selling tickets to avoid the crush. We highly recommend buying tickets ahead of time to skip the hassle on Halloween night. You can purchase tickets online directly from alivenotdead using credit cards or PayPal.

Go here and scroll down until you see a small window that says ‘Buy Now’. Enter the number of tickets you want into the window and press the ‘Buy Now’ button. It will take you to a secure PayPal page where you can enter in your payment details.

Dead Not Alive by alivenotdead.com
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Zuma
Level 5 and 6, The Landmark
15 Queens Road Central
Central, Hong Kong

Tickets are $200 HKD and include one Belvedere IX drink
Party starts at 11pm.

Dragon-i, “Doctors & Nurses Halloween Party”

Dragon-i is winner of this year’s coolest invitation award!

Actually, no one else even came close. D.I.’s Halloween invitation to members is a perfect fit for their “Doctors & Nurses” theme. They sent out a first-aid box filled with medicine, including a packet of capsules with the party info printed on the back, a jar of prescription pills, and a bottle of cough syrup. (Jeez, I’m happy they left out the hypodermic needle!)

The pluses: located above the Lan Kwai Fong Halloween lockdown area, easy theme to get costumes for, sexy atmosphere, and a guaranteed large turnout.

Doctors & Nurses Halloween Party
Saturday, October 31st, 2009
Dragon-i
Upper ground floor, The Centrium, 60 Wyndham Street
Central, Hong Kong
$400 cover charge for non-members

Plan C: It’s possible to avoid the long lines of Lan Kwai Fong completely if you arrive later in the night.

After a certain time, the police will remove the blockades, or the number of people entering will dwindle. This means that places like Volar will remain a good late-night option. (They have also been known to have excellent Halloween decorations!)

Check out photos from Halloween 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005!

“Woof! Woof! Happy Halloween!”

What? Alive Not Dead is just two years old? No single entity has had as great an impact on Hong Kong’s art and entertainment landscape over the last two years. It’s almost hard to imagine the scene now without them.

Whether it’s actors, bands, designers or d.j.s, the site has thrown its full weight behind its members to help them meet one another and build off of their respective talents.

The key to the company’s success is that the founders truly practice what they preach. The Alive Not Dead social network has a grass-roots charm that’s contagious. You see the sites’ creators working hard (and sometimes partying hard!) at their events.

Alive Not Dead has grown exponentially in two years time. Members include talented individuals from around the world, as well as some of Asia’s biggest stars. But Alive Not Dead isn’t content with a roster of famous names. Their strength lies in their support for little known and up-and-coming people.

Alive Not Dead provides a platform for talented individuals to connect and collaborate with other artists, gain exposure, and grow fans. Looking towards the future, I can tell you that they’ve only just begun! Happy second anniversary Alive Not Dead!

This Saturday, May 9th, the Alive Not Dead crew along with some of the site’s top artists will be celebrating the anniversary with a band show to benefit a local charity. For a meager donation of $100 HKD, guests will be treated to performances by Hardpack, 24 Herbs, Josie Ho, Ryan Hui, FBI, Gong Wu, Eccentric, Killer-Soap, and Li Tong.

The donation also gets you a gift bag including the new 24 Herbs remix-single and a special safe-sex pack.

The last concert I attended at this venue (with this same gang) was one of the most memorable parties I’ve ever been to. You can read about that event here.

For a look at cool photos from Alive Not Dead’s first anniversary party go here!

Alive Not Dead 2nd anniversary party
Saturday, May 9th, 8pm – 2am
Grappa’s Cellar
Basement, Jardine House
1 Connaught Place
Central, Hong Kong

Free admission with $100HKD donation to the Aids Concern charity
(All profits go to the charity)

Thursday I ran into six different friends who each asked me the same question: “Are you going to the Adidas party tonight?”

With that level of interest, I made plans to arrive unfashionably early. What made the Adidas 60th anniversary such a major happening?

To be honest, the root of the occasion, the anniversary, wasn’t the main draw. The average person has no clue how old Adidas is, nor do they actually care. But birthdays provide a great excuse for a celebration, and if handled correctly, a major anniversary can provide an excellent marketing opportunity.

A combination of factors lead to the surge of interest in the Adidas event. First of all, there hasn’t been a big blow-out party in a long, long time. (And given the current economic climate, there may be fewer mega-events this year.)

To generate the biggest buzz, Adidas smartly combined forces for their anniversary. They hired the right PR companies as well as enlisted friends and associates to collaborate on the night.

Hong Kong based fashion and entertainment company CLOT was one of the major organizers of the bash. This was their first big party since the massive Coach launch last year. Several of their past events have been my pick for party of the year, so many people had high expectations.

Adidas also included Hong Kong retailer D-mop in their alliance. D-mop has both an extensive network and a cool crowd at their disposal. The retailer hosted a special J-01 branded VIP room at the party. Combining guests from CLOT, D-mop, Occasions and Alive Not Dead made for a diverse and substantial turnout.

The location of the event also contributed to the anticipation. The venue was an industrial building in Wong Chuk Hang, a sort of a barren area between residential neighborhoods on the South West side of the island. Attending a party in a non-traditional, multi-level setting adds a sense of adventure to the night. I’ve been to the same location before for a Hennessey Artistry event. With a little creativity and vision, it’s possible to convert the large, empty factory into a special branded world, which is exactly what Adidas did!

Adidas – marketing ninjas?

The “Adidas 60th anniversary house party” was a masterful experiment in creating covert brand awareness. The exterior of the venue featured giant Adidas logos projected onto neighboring buildings and an Adidas branded ice-cream truck was parked out front giving away free ice-cream!

The interior of the space was a sea of props including various logos, an Adidas scooter, and a tennis room.

People in the industry have caught on. Filling an event with logo-bearing props does magic that you couldn’t possibly pay for. There were photo opportunities galore, and instead of having to push people to take photos in front of various logo settings, the guests were doing it on their own!

The end result of this strategy is that Facebook is now awash in Adidas imagery that gets broadcast throughout people’s social networks around the world. Adidas isn’t paying to put an ad on the page, it’s getting something far better – a near personal endorsement, as it is placed there by the individual. The branding effects of the party linger far after the free alcohol wears off! Advertising campaigns just don’t get much more effective than that!

The Party
Sure enough, arriving a little before nine, there was already a line of people waiting to get in. After taking a few photos, I headed inside.

The venue, which consisted of two floors and an enormous rooftop space was accessible by taking an Adidas-painted freight elevator up several stories.

When the doors to the industrial elevator opened, they revealed an Adidas-themed playground. There were sneakers, lollipops, tables, chairs, balloons, and even bathrooms emblazoned with the classic Adidas logo.

Down a set of spiral staircases on either side was the main stage where the fashion show would take place. The set-up here was different from what I’ve seen before. Ringed by the runway was a large faux swimming pool filled with plastic balls colored in Adidas hues.

The d.j. booth at the center was built to resemble an Adidas shoe box!

In one corner there was a bathtub filled with bottles of beer. On the other side was the J-01 VIP area with a separate bar and bathrooms. (The bathrooms here were unisex, which made it democratic, but a much longer wait for the guys than usual!)

The first act to come on for the night was 24 Herbs, followed by a cake cutting ceremony with Hsu Chi, Jan Lamb and Stan Smith (yes, the guy who the sneaker is named after!)

The party-goers snapped away!

The fashion show took place next with the models dancing around the pool, and finally jumping inside.

There was a larger than normal amount of press taking up the space directly in front of the stage.

After the fashion show, Steve Aoki came on and slowly all the security barriers came down. People began to play in the bubble pool and gather around the d.j. booth.

I’ve never seen people crowd around the d.j. as much as they did for Steve Aoki. The models and guests showed their support and Steve Aoki obliged by pumping up the audience with some bopping and hands thrown in the air.

Two stories above the main stage, the rooftop was a whole universe unto itself. Different tribes of Hong Kong’s nightlife took up spots in opposite corners of the enormous space. The whole area was packed.

I spent my time (as I usually do,) walking through the crowd, checking out the scene and running into friends. Massive events bring out people you haven’t seen in a while, and I was curious who I would bump into. The rooftop had a second d.j. booth set up and featured several d.j.s including Gilbert Yeung from Dragon-i. (Gilbert’s a well known Adidas aficionado!)

Alcohol was flowing everywhere, with people walking around holding bottles of vodka towards the end of the night. The mood was great and the crowd was buzzing with energy (and perhaps Redbull!) The multiple bars were crowded, but never too long a wait to grab a drink.

Towards the end of the event, I took one of the last elevators down from the middle floor of the party space. The rooftop was closed and the bottom level was being dismantled as I left.

The unique spectacle of the converted factory, combined with the huge turnout made the Adidas anniversary another legendary mega-party.

Let’s say you’ve just had a great night at the casinos and you want to celebrate with your friends by going out to a club and partying like a Rock star, or better yet, a Hip Hop star. Before you can pop open the bottles, you need a place to go.

The Moet champagne bar that I wrote about on my last visit, was a temporary affair. Your other choices are limited to the bars at the hotel / casinos, and a handful of mass-market spots with unpredictable crowds. You’re looking for a place with music, dancing and partying, not a quiet lounge with people sipping drinks. You also want to avoid the seediness that often taints Macau’s nightlife.

Welcome to Cubic!

For starters, Cubic couldn’t be more centrally located. It’s inside the AIA Tower at the very end of Macau’s main strip.

Not only is it conveniently near the Wynn, MGM, Emperor, and Lisboa casinos, it’s also just a short taxi ride away from the Cotai strip, which is home to the Venetian and other new attractions.

Situated on the second floor, Cubic is a two-story space with high ceilings. The first level includes a dance floor, circular booths, a small stage for dancers, a secondary room, and a VIP area next to the d.j..

The space is a good size – not a mega-club, which would always require a large crowd, but big enough that it won’t get packed right away.

The main room has several slightly elevated booths that give off a sense of privacy and create a party-within-a-party vibe.

The club uses an advanced lighting system with different color lasers shooting down from the ceiling.

The layout is good and the lights add an additional element to the environment. The decor of the club is understated, with interesting touches.

The second room, off to the side, is dark and cozy.

(the room is much darker during club hours!)

I spent a short time here and it seems like a fun, intimate place to drink with a table of friends. Each of the areas has its own personality, which makes the club all the more interesting to patrons. The karaoke rooms upstairs, which can be accessed by a separate staircase, are lush, and much nicer than Hong Kong’s. The rooms vary in size, but are equally well appointed.

Club Cubic’s grand opening

Opening night began with the celebrity guests (top model Ana R., TVB personality Bosco, and Emperor Entertainment Group artist Sherman,) chatting with reporters about nightlife. Over the course of the event, many more Hong Kong entertainment figures and celebrities came to party.

Because Cubic’s owners are veterans of Hong Kong’s nightlife scene, the opening brought forth many familiar faces. In addition to the Hong Kong contingent, Macau club goers had obviously heard about the opening and turned up to give the place a look. As the night wore on, more and more people kept showing up.

D.J. Ulysses, one of the regular d.j.s at Dragon-i, had the dancefloor rocking from midnight until 4am.

Occasionally an M.C. got on the microphone and gave live shouts to the crowd. By the time I left it was around 5 am. The vibe was great and people were still having fun dancing.

O.K. sharp-eyed Hong Kong Hustle readers, what’s wrong with this picture? (Hint, I hope she bought the shirt on sale!)

My only problem occurred when leaving… no Tsui Wah restaurant for a late night snack!

Luckily we managed to find a good substitute!

Club Cubic address:
Room 202, 2/F, AIA Tower, Nos. 251A-301 Avendia Commercial De Macau
Macau
853-2828-6696

High, high ceilings!

Dancers on the stage

Launch parties and anniversaries can be quite serious affairs in Hong Kong. Of particular importance is finding the right entertainment to match your brand and convey your message. So when you’re in a field that typically uses adjectives like ‘cool’ and ‘fresh’, who do you turn to?

Saturday night’s one-year anniversary for Rio Mints featured a memorable freestyle performance by American-born Chinese rapper, M.C. Jin. His verbal dexterity and on-the-spot wordplay had the typically tough crowd laughing and smiling (even before the alcohol kicked in!)

Rio, the mint company with an attitude (and exotic flavors,) launched their business last year with a splashy event at Dragon-i. The two parties both boasted a large turnout of top Hong Kong celebrities.

Jin’s performance was the clear highlight of the evening. For a seasoned battle M.C., well known in the U.S. for cutting his opponents down, he came across more like a gifted class clown with a quick wit and keen sense of humor.

Here are some photos from the Rio X Extravaganza X Guess party!

“Throw your hands in the air…”

As the turmoil in the financial markets began to spread to Hong Kong, someone put up a large wheat-paste graphic with the message “Game Over” on Pottinger Street (the old stone steps between Wellington Street and Hollywood Road) in Central. The image features the logo from the board-game Monopoly (a man in tuxedo and top hat,) with the words ‘Game Over’ below it. The rather wry graffiti attempts to announce the end of an era, but walking around this weekend, the city’s bars and clubs appeared to be bustling. In fact, the crowds spilling out onto Wyndham Street over the last few nights were much deeper than usual.

This isn’t the first time the city’s nightlife has been threatened.

During the Asian financial crisis in 1997; the dot-com bust in 2001 (anyone remember JAH or BLUSH?;) and most recently in late 2003, during the S.A.R.S. outbreak, the city’s party scene has taken a hit. Like Hong Kong’s property market, nightlife in this town appears to be cyclical.

Friday night on Wyndham Street

Talking over the last week with local club owners, the general opinion seems to be that people spend more during a downturn, if only to drown their anxiety.

Saturday night on Wyndham Street

Certain clubs may fare better than others. For the last year there have been many new additions to the nightlife, with few being able to carry anything but weekend traffic. Considering that rents have been high for the last few years, if people do stop spending, you can expect these clubs to change hands, or become a different type of business.

Facing S.A.R.S., during the last downturn, Dragon-i, then a new club, tried to do something to bring people out of hiding and back into the night. They held an “I Love H.K.” party which helped to raise people’s mood and get them to return to the clubs during the nadir of the epidemic. (I still have my T-shirt that guests were given to wear for the night!)

It’s too early to tell how much the recent tumult will effect partying in Hong Kong. Slashed promotional budgets could potentially slow the lavish events that have become a regular part of the city’s nightlife. Perhaps this will lead to smaller, more exclusive events, a recipe that would only further stoke Hong Kong’s obsession with status!

Stay tuned for an update!

Hong Kong’s top event company, Occasions PR & Marketing, honored their twentieth anniversary with a celebration in the atrium of The Landmark on Tuesday. Twenty years is a long time to maintain any business, let alone remain number one in the event production field. Started by well connected players in Hong Kong’s social scene, Occasions holds the lion’s share of major events in the city.

As guests milled around the atrium and socialized, Occasions top three executives: Pansy Ho, Yvette Yuen and Michelle Cheng, took to the stage to mark the birthday. The trio were later joined by co-founder Andrew Yuen and the ever charismatic Stanley Ho. Dr. Ho was a clear audience favorite and had the crowd laughing along at his celebratory remarks.

After the commemoration, a video played on the centerpiece installation recounting highlights from their past twenty years in business.

In addition to the invited guests who swarmed around the atrium, the event drew onlookers who peered down at the proceedings from the two stories of balconies above.

Occasions raised the bar

Whether you realize it or not, Occasions has consistently set the mark for Hong Kong parties and made this city’s fashion shows legendary. Occasions’ success is derived in part from understanding Hong Kong’s triple obsession with status, brands and celebrity. Among other feats, they’ve managed to successfully navigate putting on massive promotional events while maintaining exclusivity. Without the Occasions footprint, Hong Kong’s scene would not be on the sophisticated, world-class level that it is today.

Happy Birthday Occasions! (If it wasn’t for you, I still would spell ‘occasion’ with two ‘s’s!)

San Francisco nouveau-nerd Mike Relm rocked the Think Silly party at the Watermark on Thursday night. His audio / video mix-and-scratch was interestingly complimented by The Sideshow, two guys with large (slightly scary) clown masks who commandeered the turntables and kept the momentum high between his performances.

What else was on the menu?

The night also featured a solid set by Hardpack, the local band who give one of the best live shows in town.

Hardpack’s energy and up-tempo party-Punk got people bouncing early.

What was the event all about?

The Think Silly event served a dual purpose. It commemorated the launch of the new web-magazine www.think-silly.com and also announced the redesign of the Silly Thing store in Chai Wan.

The online magazine, which currently requires registration, looks slick, and leverages the parent company’s entertainment and media expertise. Headed by Hong Kong impresario T.K., the company has its hands in retail, music, fashion, media, and now new media. Silly Thing’s web presence was previously lagging behind the rest of the organization. With already strong relationships with advertisers gleamed from their magazine holdings, and an abundance of ties to brands via a plethora of crossover projects, the company should find an easy route to being profitable online.

The newly redesigned Think Silly store (was it previously known as the Silly Thing store?) uses a variety of ultra-contemporary techniques combined with warm materials to create an interesting look.

I’m a sucker for wood interiors. The original design of JUICE in Causeway Bay was one of my favorite shops precisely because it featured a warm wooden interior and steered away from the soul-less techno cool that dominated the city for too many years.

The party on Thursday night was held at the Watermark restaurant at the Star Ferry Pier in Central. I’ve been there way too much recently. Last weekend’s Chivas events were at the same spot and there was an FCUK event at the Watermark on Friday.

The glass panes that enclose the main room were open for part of the night and the space was very humid due to the current muggy weather in Hong Kong. The heat didn’t stop the crowd from getting into the music though!

Mike Relm, video d.j. or video turntablist?

As a performer, Mike Relm occupies an interesting new niche. During his shows he simultaneously manipulates both audio and video in unison. Watching his act, he exemplifies the difference between being simply a d.j. or a turntablist. Where d.j.s, mix music together, turntablists often completely chop up music to form totally new creations. Similarly, there were once V.J.s (video-d.j.s) who mixed videos together, but Mike Relm, a San Francisco native, goes one step further. He’s taken aspects of the West Coast turntablist scene and applied them to v.j.ing.

During his two sets, he brilliantly paired clips from films and cartoons and worked them into his routine.

The video clips are tied to the same records he is manipulating on the turntables. Watching his shows, I could see he also has good music sense (an ingredient often lacking in turntablists and v.j.s!) The result is a performance that stimulates the crowd on several different levels. The video portion of his performance, captured on two large video screens, was nearly as exciting as the audio portion of the show.

In one mix he blended a Bjork a cappella over a Run D.M.C. Hip Hop beat. So, for example, when he scratched the vocal of Bjork, the video of her singing was equally effected.

Mike has obviously honed his skills for dramatic visual climaxes. In one clip he tied the music to a scene from wrestling-comedy Nacho Libre and had a drop-kick being performed over and over in sync with his scratching. (In this case the video moves back and forth just like the record he is manipulating.) It’s no wonder Mike Relm has been a major draw at alternative events including performing with with the Blue Man Group and at the Coachella music festival. For more on Mike and The Sideshow, check out his blog.

Due to recent d.j. equipment advances, we should be seeing more of this type of act in the near future. Finally, the big screens often found in clubs will have some use other than just giving off too much ambient light and providing a way of zoning out. The way Mike Relm utilized the technology is truly integrated with the music, and makes for a richer performance.

The Sideshow… bring on the clowns!

Think Silly store address:
Unit 8, G/F, Block B, Ka Yip Street
Chai Wan, Hong Kong
www.think-silly.com