JUICE, a store we’ve covered before here and here has recently moved to a new location in Causeway Bay. The shop is the retail arm of Edison Chen’s CLOT brand, and is a Mecca for streetwear lovers due to its exclusive, limited-edition merchandise.

The store opening also coincided with CLOT’s six-year anniversary, which drew a a large amount of fashion industry insiders and press.

Though Hong Kong is already well known for fashion, CLOT helped put the city on the map for high-end streetwear. Over the years, CLOT has launched their own signature line along with a truly impressive number of collaborations. In addition to familiar names such as Nike, Levis, and Reebok, they have worked with a who’s who of sought after Japanese labels. Their latest collection continues in this vein with iconic partners including Stussy and Disney!

Which famous names in street fashion turned up for the opening?

In order to celebrate the occasion, there was a traditional lion dance performance held in front of the new ground-floor location. Major fashion figures and celebrities participated in the ceremony.

from left: Edison, Andre, Gildas, and Hiroshi Fujiwara

In addition to CLOT front-men Edison Chen and Kevin Poon, I also spotted Hiroshi Fujiwara, Kazuki Kuraishi, Andre (the French graffiti artist,) Gildas (from record label / lifestyle brand Kitsune,) and Nike’s Fraser Cooke in attendance.

I shot a short video of the scene as the ceremony took place. On one hand I wanted to capture the celebrities assembled, on the other hand, the lion dance was really out of the ordinary, so I had a tough time deciding what to focus on! The result is a somewhat schizophrenic video. Note the height of the lion dancer on the pole – it’s rare to see the lions climb that high in Hong Kong.

The new Juice store

The new Juice is just one block away from the previous store. The main difference here is that the new address is a ground-floor location with lots of windows facing the street. The previous shop was on the second floor of a mostly residential building and the security guard was always lazy to let people in!

The new shop makes good sense from a foot-traffic perspective. It’s situated directly across from the large, multi-brand i.t store, which does a steady amount of business with nearly the same demographic.

The interior of the new shop reminds me of the original design of JUICE, which contained lots of wood. It’s warmer, and less slick than the previous iteration.

Kevin Poon from CLOT (at center in white) at the opening

Congratulations to the CLOT / JUICE gang. Wishing you continued success in the new year!

Juice
Shop A, G/F, 9-11 Cleveland Street, Fashion Walk
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

a few days before the new JUICE store opened…

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.

Aside from throwing some of my favorite parties around town, the CLOT crew have a very successful clothing store called JUICE in Causeway Bay. It’s here that they sell top designers from all over the world as well as showcase their own CLOT clothing line which has been a big hit on the international street wear scene. Most of the clothing they carry at JUICE is extremely limited edition and represents a who’s who of contemporary street fashion.

In order to make room for all the new gear they’re going to be debuting in 2009, the gang is holding a major sale to free up some space.

The sale actually began on Friday, but it will be going on until 10pm on Monday night. The sale venue is not at Juice, but at another nearby location in Causeway Bay. See the map below!

JUICE Garage Sale
It’s not at the Juice store
From Friday, December 12th, until Monday, December 15th
12 noon until 10:00 pm
3/F, 487-489 Lockhart Road
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

It used to be that international-level events in this town were few and far between. Years ago you would wait for months just for something to take place. And when it finally arrived, often the draw would be a famous name on the decline, not someone at the top of their game. Hong Kong just wasn’t on the map for international talent. But that’s simply no longer the case. What’s behind the city’s turnaround?

Take a second to think who’s been to Hong Kong just over the last year. It’s both pioneers and people on the edge of music, art and fashion. The Kitsune crew, Terry Richardson, Kanye West, Zaha Hadid, Nigo, Karl Lagerfeld, 2 Many DJs, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Justice, Pharrell Williams, Busy P, Louie Vega, DJ Premier, Danny Krivit, DJ Nu-Mark, Bob Sinclair, Krump Kings, Tittsworth, and even Banksy’s art have all been recent visitors.

Who’s responsible for the increase? It’s individuals and private companies, not the government or institutions that have fueled the change. The city’s capitalistic drive has actually aided the cultural push. Competition between fashion brands, trendy retailers, nightclubs and the city’s style impresarios has led to a steady string of events and a rise in both quality and quantity.

Luxury brands looking to capture market share and enhance their image fund major soirées every season featuring international talent. Fashion king Karl Lagerfeld took a slightly different approach this year. Chanel Mobile Art, Lagerfeld’s collaboration with architect Zaha Hadid, brought not only an ultra-contemporary structure to the middle of the city, it also contained a traveling art exhibition inside. Hong Kong was the opening destination of Chanel Mobile Art, and one of only six cities throughout the world to play host.

Over the last year Diesel (under the local leadership of Federico Tan,) created a series of events that brought top artistic talent to Hong Kong. The highlight was an exhibition where sought after photographer Terry Richardson was teamed with local artist Michael Lau.

Apart from international guests, Hong Kong’s local art scene has also been flourishing. The city now features a series of art walks, conventions and auctions, in addition to a plethora of gallery shows. A new art magazine has also been launched with a collective approach to promoting art and culture in H.K..

Galleri magazine, which focuses on exposing new artists, has brought creative talent out of the darkness. By their second issue they were already a new force in town, since the first issue led to numerous opportunities for their contributors.

In the nightlife arena, Hong Kong has experienced a similar growth. The two top clubs, Dragon-i and Volar, have continued to define themselves through their choice of big name d.j.s. Both clubs include resident music-lover / owners who have brought pivotal d.j.s to the city for the first time. Gilbert Yeung at Dragon-i and Ben Ku at Volar have packed their clubs and provided Hong Kong with a diverse line up that would make any city jealous.

Competition between fashion retailers has also brought an increase in events to the city. I.T and Lane Crawford, two of the big fashion retailers, have promoted hot new designers through a series of happenings. Along with personal appearances by the designers, the parties often include top musical talent in genres outside of the norm. For example at the launch of the Visvim brand in Hong Kong, Japanese fashion pioneer Hiroshi Fujiwara played an acoustic set.

Two other entities that deserve special mention include CLOT and Silly Thing. The two conglomerates have developed extensive relationships with foreign brands and collaborated with artists to bring their work to the city.

All of these factors have contributed to Hong Kong’s new position as a first-tier destination for international talent.

But will it last?

One danger that Hong Kong faces is getting out bid by others in the region. Already H.K. is losing out on concerts to Macau whose casinos can afford to spend more to attract gamblers to their tables. As the China market matures, Hong Kong may face stronger competition from Mainland cities such as Shanghai and Beijing who can promise numbers of people that Hong Kong simply can’t match. Marketing budgets, the source of financing for these events, are much larger for Mainland China than they are for Hong Kong.

I took a quick trip up to Shanghai to celebrate New Year’s 2008. As the former most international city in China, Shanghai is eager to reclaim its title. The city has been booming for a decade with foreign companies flocking there to open operations and brands seeking to establish a foothold with consumers in Shanghai’s relatively affluent market. Foreign concepts are pouring into the city making it more international all the time. The dual barriers to entry – high rent and staffing costs that make Hong Kong difficult to do business in, are lesser issues in Shanghai.

While Hong Kong is considered the “Manhattan of Asia,” Shanghai is often sighted as Hong Kong’s biggest threat. Instead of viewing Shanghai as a threat, smart Hong Kong companies have already embraced the city as a new market, leveraging their expertise and proximity to create spin-offs suited for China. The pace of these role-outs is getting faster and faster.

My brief trip allowed me to check out several new world-class additions to the city that have close ties to Hong Kong.

Jia Hotel Shanghai

An outgrowth of the successful Hong Kong Jia boutique hotel located in Causeway Bay, I had the opportunity to stay in Jia Shanghai, one of the high profile new editions to Shanghai’s lodging landscape.

I’m not really into the hype about boutique hotels, I view them with the same skepticism I do restaurants that focus on design. In this case, my feelings were totally unfounded. Staying at the Jia Shanghai I found the location, facilities, and hospitality all excellent.

Occupying a renovated old building right on the main stretch of Nanjing Lu near the major shopping centers, the staff was helpful and friendly. The bell-boy even told me that he’s into Heavy Metal music – when was the last time you met someone in a hotel with a little personality? The comfortable room had everything I could think of, including moisturizer, which I desperately needed in the cold, dry winter weather. Even though I was in a studio, I found the room spacious. Each unit is decorated in an individual style, so that guests don’t get that gloomy feeling of staying in a sterile box.

The lobby has a living room feel to it with art books scattered around and a staff that makes you tea and snacks. One particularly thoughtful gesture – on the 31st, I came back to my room and discovered a pair of sunglasses and a special aspirin packet – just in case I needed help for a New Year’s hangover. Thoughtful indeed!

Check out the website here for more information.

Jia Shanghai address:
931 West Nanjing Road
Shanghai, 200041

Racks Shanghai Billiards Club

Less than a year old, Racks MDB, Hong Kong’s casual billiards club with a cool crowd has expanded to Shanghai’s famed Xintiandi complex. For those of you unfamiliar with Shanghai, Xintiandi is a dining and entertainment area based around two blocks of old low-rise architecturally significant buildings converted into restaurants, shops and bars. It’s roughly equivalent to Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong. Racks Shanghai is located on the fifth floor of the new shopping center that anchors Xintiandi and shares the level with the UME cinema and a club called G Plus.

On New Year’s Eve I was upstairs at the new Racks Shanghai for the celebration. Racks regulars from Hong Kong will be blown away by the large scale of the new branch. The Shanghai billiards club occupies a whopping 16,000 square feet and includes multiple rows of pool tables, a separate lounge area, VIP rooms, a large balcony and several bars.

At midnight, club-goers filed out to the balcony to watch the impressive fireworks display nearby.

Racks Shanghai address:
5/F Block 7, Xintiandi South Block
Xin Ye Road, near Ma Dang Road

ACU
The last time I was in Shanghai, ACU, the sister store to Juice, operated by the Hong Kong based CLOT crew, had yet to open. During this trip I took the subway over to Hua Hai Road and then walked a block to Changle Lu, a tree-lined street I’ve always been attracted to, looking for the ACU shop.

Changle Lu is an interesting shopping area filled with quirky stores. It runs parallel to Huahai Road, a block away, which is a popular mainstream shopping avenue.

The large two-story ACU shop is impressive. Not only did they have a tasteful interior in keeping with the theme, they had a good amount of merchandise including a large selection of Visvim shoes and bags. The rest of the inventory, which included everything from hard to find street-wear companies, to big brands such as Nike, was featured on interestingly designed displays. Worth a look!

ACU store address:
Shop#15, 139 Changle Road,
Shanghai, 200020

One sad note is that Rendezvous Cafe, near the main strip on Nanjing Lu, home to the best cheeseburger in Shanghai (or perhaps even greater China for that matter,) is now closed! I’m hoping they just relocated elsewhere in the city.

Perhaps due to the new CEPA agreement, walking around the streets I noticed a huge increase in branches of Hong Kong based banks. Hang Seng bank, Bank of East Asia (BEA) and HSBC were far more prevalent than in my previous trips to Shanghai. For Hong Kong account holders this offers far more convenience than on earlier trips to the city.

Shanghai I’ll be back!

Tuesday night I headed over to the Hong Kong Exhibition Center to check out a special Nokia event. Titled, Nokia Music Playground, the line up for the night included Edison Chen, Rainie Yang from Taiwan, and FAMA, as well as D.J. Kulu’s Ultra Lounge crew.

Arriving just before the event started, the large open hall was very crowded.

Displays and installations featuring the new Nokia models were plentiful.

Though Hong Kong’s main party crowd was noticeably absent, there was an impressive turnout for a normal week night. The area inside the venue was divided into three sections, VIP, guest, and press. I opted for VIP, but all three areas had equally good views of the stage. The guest section appeared to be reserved for fans of the singers, who brought along lighted placards and occasionally swooned during moments on stage.

I hadn’t heard the first local band that included Terence Tsui perform before. It was interesting to see an actual band with singers, a drummer, a bass player and a guitar, as Hong Kong isn’t exactly a live band town anymore.

After a few songs they were joined on stage by the M.C.s for the night, the radio personalities I Luv U Boyz. Next up was Rainie Yang, Taiwan’s queen of cute.

Movie fans may know her from her role in Spider Lilies, as the girl who had a crush on actress Isabella Leong. Rainie did several song and dance numbers with a video backdrop that featured impressive visuals. She had dancers that performed in unison with her as well. It’s not my type of music, but it’s typical of Pop in Asia. In between sets, Rainie was presented with a special ‘Rainie’ Nokia phone.

The local group FAMA, came up afterwards. They joked around in Cantonese, and even performed a few Nokia freestyle raps in between their songs.

Actor, Pop star, and CLOT founder Edison Chen joined them on stage and then performed a few songs on his own with D.J. Tommy lending support. Edison’s routine included songs from both his Mandarin and Cantonese albums.

C-L-O-T!

The Nokia Music Playground promotional event was centered around the launch of three new products: the Nokia N81 multimedia computer; the Nokia 5610, and the 5310 XpressMusic models. These phones are branded as entertainment devices. Hong Kong is an excellent market for this type of product. Why? Because many people have long commutes and they desire entertainment while on the train or bus. These devices, which serve equally as communication tools, gaming platforms, and movie or music players, fulfill their needs. With big screens, good audio, and interactive controls, commuters can comfortably take their entertainment with them on the go. The next time you board a train or bus, take a glance at the other passengers – you will notice that a large percentage of them are engaged in some sort of activity utilizing their phones.

After the performances there was a lucky draw contest, where Edison and Rainie pulled names out of a box and awarded the winners the new Nokia models. Following the contest, D.J. Kulu’s Ultra Lounge began to play. The group consisted of several d.j.s, an M.C., and a saxophone player. Despite the rapidly thinning crowd, the music was excellent.

Previous CLOT anniversary parties have been my pick for best party of the year, so I attended Friday’s event with great anticipation. A combination of factors make their events consistently excellent: the venues they choose are always interesting; the crowd is a diverse mixture (though heavy on the entertainment side;) the music is provided by top international d.j.s.; and the champagne is plentiful. As far as parties go, their formula is a good one!

This year the CLOT anniversary was held in tandem with the tenth anniversary of the APAX GROUP, one of the premier event production companies in Hong Kong and China. I’ve worked with Apax on several major events in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong and they’re extremely professional.

The venue for the night was the same former warehouse space as the Stella McCartney party I attended a month ago. Located in Aberdeen, it’s a two-level venue occupying the sixteenth floor and rooftop of an industrial building. Each level is further divided into two sections.

Although having a party on a rooftop or high floor with a great view is a big plus, any venue where guests need to take an elevator represents a potential bottleneck. The problem arises when guests all arrive at the same time, creating a traffic jam. I’ve witnessed this at other venues, and it also occurred here on Friday night. Thankfully, the crowd was orderly and the elevators were industrial-sized, which helped to speed up the process.

Arriving on the sixteenth floor, the party was just starting to fill up at around eleven. People in the know were there early. A quick walk around the sixteenth floor revealed two installations by sponsors: one by the watchmaker Jacob & Co. in the main room, and another by Adidas in the smaller room. A d.j. booth was also set up in one corner of the smaller room.

After a few minutes of checking out the layout, saying hi to friends, and grabbing my first drink, I decided to venture up to the rooftop. The roof was initially intended to be the V.I.P. area, restricted to pass holders and stickered guests, but after a few hours it opened up.

Three quarters of the rooftop were covered by a huge tent that resembled an airplane hangar. The rest of the uncovered portion of the roof was filled with benches and chaise lounges overlooking the Jumbo floating restaurant, a somewhat kitschy Hong Kong landmark. At the opposite end inside the tent was the main stage where Hong Kong’s d.j. Tommy was on the decks.

It wasn’t crowded when I entered, but I knew it was only a matter of time before it would get filled. Sure enough after a quick thirty minutes the place was thickly packed.

One interesting novelty – there were several mechanical crane machines set up that offered players the chance to win prizes. The prizes were no joke! They included limited edition CLOT gear in addition to Black Berrys, Adidas sneakers, Jacob & Co. watches and other high-end goodies.

By the time guest d.j. of the night Just Blaze got on the turntables, the place was jumping. Just Blaze blasted through several of the party-rocking classics he’s produced and topped it off with a heavy dose of scratching. People were dancing from one end of the roof to the other.

Check out the videos of Just Blaze on the wheels and cutting it up!

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The crowd was packed with movie stars, singers, models, TV personalities, clothing industry people and scenesters. Nearly all the members of the CLOT crew were in attendance including Edison who just got back into town after traveling to promote his new album – ALLOW ME TO RE-INTRODUCE MYSELF. His first Mandarin-language album in years, it’s in the number one position on charts in both China and Taiwan. Last year I heard several of the tracks and they were all peak-time party cuts! Just Blaze played the track from the album that he produced while he was djing. The fact that Edison has enlisted prime international talent to produce his album aimed at the China market is extremely significant.

Just when it seemed like things in the tent couldn’t get any hotter, suddenly a huge downpour began, the rain driving everyone from the uncovered part of the rooftop into the tent. Small streams of rain were soon dripping down.

Do you know what happens to a tent in the rain? Pockets of water collect at certain points forming massive puddles, in effect ruining the structural integrity of the tent. This eventually will cause it to burst! In a quick move, some staffers began to poke holes at key points in the tent, allowing it to drain. However, the rain began to threaten the area of the d.j. booth! Just Blaze got on the mic and helped move the crowd downstairs to continue the party. Everyone was still having fun, including the Hong Kong police who stopped by. Check out the video of Just Blaze making the announcement as Poon from CLOT looks on!

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The party continued downstairs with most guests packing into the smaller room on the sixteenth floor.

Just Blaze and Poon from CLOT pose together at the height of the party, right before the rain storm!

Although there were no beer bongs this year, no one taken away in a straight-jacket, and no celebrity car crash outside the venue, the party did include things getting broken, crazy waterfalls in the tent, and of course the Hong Kong police! Another wild anniversary night, fully enjoyed, but only partially remembered by those who attended (and drank too much champagne!)

The CLOT third anniversary is swiftly approaching! Rumor has it that the special guest d.j. is one of the hottest global d.j. / producers around. If the info is indeed true, I’m extremely excited since this will be his first time performing in Hong Kong. CLOT’s previous events have historically been my favorite parties of the year, and I expect the third anniversary to be equally amazing!

The past year for CLOT has been a milestone with several huge achievements. In addition to tens of high profile collaborations (such as LEVIS, and EA,) there’s been the Kanye West concert, the wildly successful launch of the CLOT Nike sneakers, and the CLOT clothing line – Alienegra, not to mention all of the action with Soleciety in Shanghai.

Congratulations Edison, Kevin, Pavlos and Billy – here’s to another year of taking giant steps forward! (p.s. I’ll leave the beer-bong home this year!)

Stay tuned for coverage!

Illustrious Hip Hop producer Just Blaze was back in Hong Kong recently to play an event for Diesel. The party took place on a Thursday at Volar. During his set, it was cool to hear Just depart from the commercial Pop / Hip Hop standards, and play some older Hip Hop, as well as some classic House music from the 90′s. His scratching was solid and matched his choice of beats.

One of the top producers in Hip Hop and R&B today, Just Blaze has created several tracks for local Pop star Edison Chen’s upcoming album. I’ve heard a sneak preview and the beats are strong – with Edison rapping in Mandarin. This is a very significant trend – a Pop star focusing on the China market, looking beyond the region to enlist a top international producer. Look for more of these combos in the future. Apart from Japan, utilizing the talents of a top American producer rarely happens in H.K. and China, and we are sure to see more of this in the near future. Props to Edison and the CLOT crew for again thinking ahead of the curve and putting their assets to good use.

Was out the other night and I ran into Pav with a couple of foreigners. I started talking to them and one of them turned out to be the human beatbox Killa Kela. He told me he was performing at a Hip Hop concert the following Monday. This was news to me, since I hadn’t heard anything about it, or seen any promotion. It turns out that Edison was doing a big concert, and he brought Killa Kela, as well as the dancers the Clowns from the film RIZE to perform.

I’ve wanted to check out Edison’s music for a while, since I missed his last concert. I’ve seen a music video or two, but I still don’t have a feel for what type of sound he has.

I like what he’s doing as far as elevating the scene here in Hong Kong. He’s been leveraging his pop star status to get sponsors to put on interesting events. Edison along with Kevin and Pavlos have a company called CLOT. They’ve opened up JUICE, a shop in Causeway Bay to distribute new Japanese streetwear brands and accessories like Bearbricks etc. They’ve put on several exhibitions and brought over contemporary street artists. They seem committed to exposing people to new sounds and culture – and I appreciate that.

The night of the concert I met up with Min who gave me a backstage pass and a ticket. I wandered around checking out the venue. It was at the Wanchai convention center (that was built for the 1997 Handover ceremony) and the concert hall was huge! When I walked in the first thing I admired were the backdrops that I was told had been done by Phase 2, the legendary New York graffiti artist. I have to give props to the CLOT crew for getting him involved. The backdrops had interesting iconography including an image of Angela Mao from an old H.K. film.

There was a military theme to the concert, and the performers all had nicknames. It started off with Anthony Wong Chau Sang (the H.K. actor and sometime music performer,) giving a speech as “The General”. I guess the main point was that the entertainment industry here is screwed up, and they’re going to war against it.

The highlight of the concert for me was Maria Cordero’s performance of a new version of one of her old songs (she was a popular singer in the 80′s). I believe the song was “Sai Hei,” which I think is from the H.K. film, City On Fire starring Chow Yun Fat. Maria Cordero is sort of like the Aretha Franklin or Tina Turner of Hong Kong. She had a huge stage presence and totally commanded the audience as she performed. Her voice was clear and just boomed. It’s hard for modern singers to follow up after a strong vocalist like that. Most new acts just don’t have the vocal power of someone who is seasoned from working in clubs for a few decades. The one person who performed who does have a strong voice – Hanjin chose two slow songs to perform that showed off his vocal eloquence, but did not fit the bill or the audience. With a different song selection he could have rocked it.

Edison and M.C. Yan both performed well, but they were held back by the beats. The songs were over-produced, and didn’t allow their voices to stand out. The instrumentals were just not catchy enough. You don’t need much to rock a concert, a basic beat and some sort of hook will do. It’s all about how you use your voice, and what type of rhythm you can get going.

Which brings us to Killa Kela, who was the audience favorite. He makes incredible noises and beats with his mouth – no instruments or anything. The crowd was awed and captivated by his performance. I was into it, but was actually expecting a little more from him.

Overall the concert was impressive – it also featured the singer Steph, the krumping Clowns dancing and a good turntablist set from D.J. Tommy.