Voices From The South 從南方來的聲音

The Mercury Bar

2009-07-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

Started up by Voices From The South director Don and Maho lead singer A-Chang, The Mercury is going to be Kaohsiung's best spot for eclectic live music shows. The premises features a pub on the first floor, where you can choose from a vast menu of beers, highballs and cocktails, including martinis. The menu also includes western pub snacks such as burgers, hot dogs, nachos, onion rings, fries and Mexican quesadillas. Weekly specials include $50 NT draft beer on Wednesdays, and on Friday/Saturday nights, buy 2 beers get one free!

In August, the second floor will be renovated to include a stage for live performances. There have already been negotiations with The Wall in Taipei and Womb Bloc in Kaohsiung to host shows here!

The Mercury is located at 46 Li Wen Road in San Min District, Kaohsiung. It is two blocks west of Bo Ai Road, and Li Wen road is between Yu Cheng and Ming Hua Roads.
Hours of operation: 9:00 PM-2:00 AM every day
地址:高雄市立文路46/48號 (富國路與立文路交叉口-慶聯有線電視旁邊)
電話: (07) 550-8617
(Don):0953336410
(阿昌)0916949017

U LOUD Music Birthday Bash

2009-06-08T00:03:00.000-07:00

To celebrate U Loud's anniversary, a special show will be held in Kaohsiung featuring every band on the label's roster. But, we are getting ahead of ourselves. First, it should be noted that Kaohsiung's finest punk/ska band Shy Kick Apple have recently been signed to the label after lengthy negotiations. Things are beginning to look up for Kaohsiung's scene, as the folks at the Taipei-based company are starting to show keen interest in the southern bands.

Anyhoo, on July 4th at the Pier 2 Arts District, come check out a lineup that will blow your mind: Shy Kick Apple, Fire Ex, KoOk, Orange Grass, Sugar Plum Ferry, as well as clione-index from Japan and international stars Cthonic!!

Check our previous post for Kaohsiung's Design Festival for the location and how to get there!! The Fourth Of July takes on a whole new meaning for Kaohsiung denizens this year!!

VFTS Screening In Tainan!!!

2009-05-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

On June 2nd, the Tainan premiere of Voices From The South will take place at Li De University in Tainan. 5 bands will be featured, including Fire Ex, The Hindsight, and three local bands. Admission is free, so bring as many people as you can!! See some kick-ass rock and roll, learn about the indie scene in southern Taiwan, and perhaps be inspired to start your own band!
More information is available at Li De University's Hot Rocks Club site!

Kaohsiung Design Festival Band Lineup

2009-04-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

This year's Kaohsiung Design Festival is being held at the Pier 2 District, and each and every day of the event will feature live shows from Taiwan's best bands!!! Included in the performances will be a rare show for Kaohsiung native 小倩, the leader of The Peppermints (薄荷葉), as well as heavy hitters Sugar Plum Ferry, Aphasia and Orange Grass. The cream of Taiwan's indie crop will all be at this event!

Each day of the festival has two bands, and show times start at 6:00PM. The Kaohsiung bands' times are:
May 1 (Friday) Shy Kick Apple
May 3 (Sunday) Orange Doll
May 8 (Friday) KoOk
May 10 (Sunday) Fire Ex

Tickets are $199 each day, and that allows you access to all of the other displays/events at the festival. More information is available at the official festival site.

Finally... The Official Website!

2009-04-09T09:52:00.001-07:00

Well, the movie festival circuit has run its course, Maho is on hiatus, and there's trouble brewing within one of the other bands, but we are undaunted. At long last, we have created an official website which will allow everyone to see the film in its entirety, absolutely FREE!! We figured it's the best way to let the maximum amount of people see it, rather than showing it a festival once every two months. So, come check it out at www.voices-from-the-south.com! Enjoy!!

Shy Kick Apple Live @.... Shi Hu Elementary School??!!

2009-04-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

For this semester's bake sale/fundraising day on April 1st at Shi Hu Elementary School in Kaohsiung, the morning's entertainment was none other than everybody's fave punk/ska act Shy Kick Apple. No, they didn't sing nursery rhymes or Sesame Street tunes, but performed their usual songs to an audience of students ranging from Grade 1-6, as well as parents and teachers. They started their set at about 10:30 AM, which is roughly about 12 or 13 hours earlier in the day than they are usually booked to play a show. However, they did sell some CDs, and spent a good 15 or 20 minutes after their show signing autographs for the students and posing for photos. Way to get those kids started on music at a young age!!

Spring time, nothing doing

2009-03-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

A very slow time of the year for bands. Three KHH acts (Orange Doll, KoOk and Shy Kick Apple) are confirmed to perform at Spring Scream this year. Maho were accepted, but have decided not to partake this year, as band guitarist A-Fang has been far too busy with his job to devote any time to rehearse.

The Tainan screening of VFTS originally slated for March 28 has been postponed until after Spring Scream. The Taichung show will also occur sometime in April. We are currently working on a website that will have the entire film streamed for free.

VFTS Screening at "PUTS SOUND 8"

2009-02-06T22:43:00.001-08:00

Dates have been confirmed for this month's screenings. Voices From The South will be screened in Taipei on Feb. 14, 7:00 PM, at 第十巷活影空間 , and Feb. 15, 2:00 PM in Kaohsiung at Womb Bloc. Both of these dates are part of the Puts Sound 8 Film Festival.

Puts Sound started out as a humble, one-day event deep in the basement of ATT in Kaohsiung many years ago. The idea was to showcase the best of Taiwan's underground/indie music, with a focus more on the post-rock/indie-guitar sound rather than the punk element. Now, Puts Sound 8 has morphed into a week-long, two-city event! Shows have been confirmed for Taipei at the Underworld (88 Balaz, others) and The Wall (Sugar Plum Ferry, Sorry Youth, others), and Kaohsiung at ATT (with Voices From The South-featured band Shy Kick Apple, as well as Sugar Plum Ferry and Taichung's Damn Kidz).

The organizers have also planned a week-long film festival featuring indie-rock-related documentaries from Taiwan, China and Malaysia! As well as Voices From The South, filmgoers will get to see the documentary about Taiwan's legendary band L.T.K. The best part is, all the films are FREE ADMISSION!!

Come get some culture, come learn about underground music in Asia!

Happy Lunar New Year!

2009-01-26T22:19:00.000-08:00

The month of February will bring with it a few shows of note. There are four screenings of "Voices From The South" confirmed, we will post information and band lineups once we have the exact details. One show will be in Tainan, one in Taichung, one in Taipei, and one here in Kaohsiung. In the meantime, check out some footage from Saturday's "Gathering" show from Womb Bloc. Two vids this time, one from Orange Doll and one from Shy Kick Apple. Happy Lunar New Year!

Orange Doll Unplugged at Womb Bloc!

Shy Kick Apple Unplugged at Womb Bloc!

Pre-Chinese New Year Show

2009-01-18T08:07:00.000-08:00

January has been a rather quiet month for the Kaohsiung music scene. The only gig worth noting is the pre-Chinese New Year show, "Gathering", which will be held at Womb Bloc on Saturday, January the 24th. As is the custom at this venue, all the bands will be doing unplugged sets. The lineup includes 橘娃娃 (Orange Doll),害羞踢蘋果 (Shy Kick Apple), 波力港 (Polygon), 角落 (The Angles), 榆鈞 (Yu Jun) and BRC. As Womb Bloc's person-in-charge Chloe says, "We want to have a special gathering of all our Kaohsiung friends to put on a show, 'cuz this is a very special time, right before Chinese New Year." This is one of the biggest and most diverse lineups Womb Bloc has ever presented, so if you're not going anywhere for the holidays, do come and check it out! Tickets are $250 at the door, and showtime is 6:30 PM.

Thanks, Taipei!!

2009-01-04T03:07:00.000-08:00

Well, everyone involved with last night's premiere at The Wall is very, very pleased with the turnout and the evening's events. A complete surprise, since there were only two advance tickets sold as of Dec. 27th! A crowd of over 70 people showed up to see the movie and these Kaohsiung bands. This may seem like a small number for a typical Taipei show at The Wall, but for a bunch of lesser-known bands from the south of Taiwan, this is a huge victory!! Perhaps this is the first step towards Kaohsiung bands breaking into the tough northern market.

The film was well-received by the Taipei crowd, who laughed at the right moments (unlike the Womb Bloc show, where all the jokes went right over the heads of the home-turf audience). Immediately after the last credit rolled, the curtains parted, allowing KoOk to play an absolutely deafening set. This was by far the loudest I've ever heard them. Shy Kick Apple were next and played a very inspired set, with singer OEJ joking with the crowd, making light fun of the differences between northern and southern audiences. He also made references to the film itself, volunteering to "Speak English" to the audience, and even copying lines he said in the film!! Super-funny shit! Orange Doll were third on the bill, and played very well despite sound problems that plagued their whole set (their afternoon soundcheck didn't really do them any good at all). The soundboard folks worked hard to keep the glitches to a minimum, but it was still very distracting, and very disappointing that a brilliant set was marred by technical problems.

The final band was Fire Ex, who rocked the place in usual fashion. Sam admitted to the crowd that he was actually nervous about this show, because of the documentary screening, and also because that this was a big, big show for Kaohsiung bands. Here was a golden chance to prove their mettle to the Taipei audience.

A link to some absolutely stunning photos from the show:
David On Formosa's Flickr Sets

Post-show, kind words came from everywhere: The Wall's manager Orbis, White Wabbit Records' owner KK, Fire Ex's manager Mango, the actress/musician Enno, the president of Dreamosa Films Cheng Wen-Tan, and of course from the musicians themselves. Things are happening with the film, and are also happening because of the film. The Chinese paper Liberty Times wants to do a story about the film and the bands. Folks from other cities are inquiring about where and how to see the documentary. I would never be so audacious as to even attempt to predict what changes or opportunities this film might create, but after last night's show, it seems that my original (and only) motive to get these Kaohsiung bands more recognition is on the right course indeed!

Anyways, here's some video from the show, Orange Doll with a song from their self-titled EP, "逃到墾丁去".

Voices From The South Goes North! 在台北放映！

2008-12-22T08:49:00.000-08:00

中文板: 從南方來的聲音

"Voices From The South: Kaohsiung's Independent Music Scene" will be shown on January 3rd, 2009 in Taipei at The Wall!! Also, four of the five bands featured in the film will also be performing live!! Fire Ex, KoOk, Shy Kick Apple and Orange Doll will rock the place after the screening of the film. Tickets are $400 NT, and includes a free drink, and as an added bonus, TO THE FIRST 50 PEOPLE WHO BUY TICKETS, WE WILL BE GIVING AWAY A FREE DVD containing live performances from all five bands (Maho, Fire Ex, KoOk, Orange Doll, Shy Kick Apple) and outtakes/scenes that were not included in the film!! Four bands, a free drink, a movie, and a free DVD! Not a bad deal for $400 NT! Advance tickets are available through The Wall's website. Come celebrate the first weekend of the New Year in a really fun way!!

The Coolest Thing I Ever Saw...

2008-12-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

...was at the park tonight. Shy Kick Apple, in preparation for their first-ever unplugged show at Womb Bloc December 19th (see the previous post), rehearsed in the park on Ming Cheng Road Thursday night, December 18th, with nothing more than acoustic instruments and a bag of Taiwan beer. There was not another living soul in the vast expanses of the park at this hour, other than the band and me.

In the whole year I've spent filming all these Kaohsiung bands, I've never seen anything cooler than seven guys sitting under a tree in the middle of the night rehearsing. Even their flute player, who's now in the army, came back from Taipei to take part in the Womb Bloc show. Wen-Han played a melodica, PiPi played an acoustic guitar instead of bass, and Popo played his drum parts on a cajon borrowed from Fire Ex's drummer Indoa. There was a bit of a chill in the winter air, so everyone was bundled up in heavy coats and hoodies as they worked out the unplugged arrangements of their songs. At precisely 12:35 AM, a policeman came by and told everyone to shut it down, as the neighbors (who were hardly within earshot, as the nearest building was at least 200 yards away) decided to be tight-ass bitches and phoned in a complaint. The band complied with the cop's order, and trekked off to the nearby steak house for a late-night meal, lugging all their gear with them.

Those who will be at the Womb Bloc show are in for a real treat, as the unplugged versions of their songs are just as cool as the electric ones!!

VFTS @ Womb Bloc!!! 在子宮藝文放映！！

2008-12-03T09:12:00.000-08:00

Only the second public screening to date! If you missed it the first time, here's another chance! On December 19th, Womb Bloc Arts will be screening Voices From The South after live acoustic shows from three of the five bands from the film! Fire Ex, Shy Kick Apple, and the FIRST-EVER ACOUSTIC SHOW from KoOk will take place on this evening, and the screening of the film will follow!!!

Location: Womb Bloc Arts 2F, #18, Lin Nan Street, Ling Ya District 高雄市苓雅區林南街18號2樓
Date: December 19th, 2008
Time: 8:30 PM- 12:00 AM
Bands: Fire Ex, Shy Kick Apple, KoOk
Tickets: $200 NT

It will likely be the last chance to see the film for awhile in Kaohsiung, as we will be doing a mini-tour of the island, with shows in Taipei, Taichung and Tainan in the works.

OR from Shy Kick Apple/Fire Ex talks about VFTS

2008-11-16T09:05:00.000-08:00

This article originally appeared in Chinese on the Megaport Association website.

Voices From The South: S.K.A./Fire Ex Guitarist OR

Two years ago I got an unexpected phone call from a Chinese-Canadian guy who said in unclear Chinese, “Hi, I’m Don from FYI South, I want to interview Shy Kick Apple for the magazine.” During the course of the interview, we drank a lot of beer. In addition to discussing Shy Kick Apple, we told him about other bands and the underground scene in Kaohsiung. Don’s reaction was one of amazement; he rightly believed that the indie scene should not be like this. Afterwards, whenever S.K.A. had a show, he would almost always be there. Each time I would see him his first words to me would always be “Hey OR! Beer?” Over time, everyone got to know more and more about this new friend with whom we could practice English and drink beer.

One day I got a phone call saying Don wanted to make a documentary about Kaohsiung’s bands. This news made me feel both nervous and excited. Finally, more people could get to understand Kaohsiung’s music scene. Even if just a little, that would be just fine. Our surroundings are not like that of the north, so it’s easy for us to become idle. Because of this, we all know we must work a little harder.

Once, Don came from Kaohsiung to Dan Shui to film Fire Ex. It was only a minor thing, he needed a sound recording to use in the film. When we finished our show, I saw him sitting alone at the side of the stage looking dejected and angry, smoking a cigarette. I asked him what was wrong, he said the sound recording was corrupted and it couldn’t be used. He blamed himself over this little thing, and he felt that he made a mistake. I also blamed myself for not paying attention to this matter and helping to avert the mistake. After I consoled him, he immediately threw all his equipment bags on his back and walked off into the sunset to return to Kaohsiung. Watching him walking away, I almost cried. But of course, in his hand was a bag of beer…

This documentary not only shows Kaohsiung’s bands, it also shows his care and love for us. I often think that maybe we’re not important people, but we definitely make up a page in Kaohsiung’s history. Thanks to this documentary for capturing these bands for posterity. So, see you at MegA on the 18th. I hope everyone can have some drinks, enjoy the bands and the movie. If you happen to run into Don and have a drink in your hand, don’t be shy and say to him “Thanks and Cheers!”

Sam from Fire Ex talks about VFTS

2008-11-16T08:19:00.000-08:00

This article originally appeared in Chinese on the Megaport Association website.

Voices From The South: Sam Yang, lead singer for Fire Ex

Never before has there been a person who possesses such an earnest attitude towards Kaohsiung’s music scene. We all love Kaohsiung and love our bands as a matter of course. However, there’s a guy from Canada, a guy who at all times can produce a bag of beer, who picks up a digital video camera and with great conviction tells us that he too loves Kaohsiung and its bands. Furthermore, he tells us he wants to carefully document the scene, and let the whole world see it.

At first, we all thought this wouldn't be such a difficult task. But after watching him and a couple of friends working hard filming every single performance, and arranging and filming band interviews, we slowly started to think that is not so easy after all.

One day, Don called me up and said “Join Us lost all the sound recording files, can I come film your show in Dan Shui?” I told him that this was only a small-scale performance, and it was not too convenient to get to the location of the show. Nevertheless, he still decided to come. Below the setting sun in Dan Shui came the man carrying two bags of equipment and a bag of beer. He came all the way from Kaohsiung. Immediately, my esteem for him went off the charts. The degree of importance he attached to this project far, far exceeded my imagination.

Folks in Kaohsiung haven’t really said thanks to him, so I want to tell you, Don, you’ve done an excellent job. We all admire you and want to thank you. On the 18th, let’s party! We wanna get you drunk!

As for what changes or influence this documentary will bring about, I don’t even want to take a wild guess. After all, I’m not a professional movie critic. I do hope that we can look back at this precious movie again and again when we’re old. I also hope it can let more and more people know about Kaohsiung rock music. Of course, if Don can make a bit of money from the movie, that would be good. At the same time, I hope the film will carry the sounds of all of our bands’ laughter throughout all of Taiwan.

Video of the Trimester!

2008-11-08T23:09:00.001-08:00

Given the languorous frequency at which we post videos, the title is more or less accurate! Here's Fire Ex from June 28, 2008 at Join Us. Tell all your friends!!

All's Quiet on the Inner-City Front

2008-11-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Slow month for activity, November is. Fire Ex will not be touring/performing for most of the month, as they have dedicated this time to songwriting and songwriting only. KoOk will be performing at Join Us on the 15th along with several other bands, but other than that, Kaohsiung will be pretty quiet. We are currently arranging further showings of "Voices From The South" for the month of December, both in Kaohsiung and around the island. There are tentative plans for a screening at Shu De University, and also Womb Bloc has contacted us about arranging a screening/live show featuring some of the bands from the film. A college in Taichung has also inquired about arranging a showing there, so we have a busy month ahead!

Live from MegA, It's... Maho!

2008-10-24T15:29:00.000-07:00

Finally some live footage from the premiere of "Voices From The South", October 18 at MegA in Kaohsiung. Here's Maho with a brief clip of their song "Unwilling". This footage was shot by Alex Williams, who also did some camera work for the documentary. Thanks, Alex!

Thanks, Kaohsiung!

2008-10-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

The screening at MegA on Saturday went off without a hitch, with a very sizable crowd in attendance. All 5 bands played brief but inspired sets, and the film seemed to be well-received. Taiwan's cable news channel, SET, was on hand to film the event, and ran a story Saturday night on their newscast about it. We will hopefully have some photos to post here from the day's proceedings, but in the meantime, we are busy arranging further screenings of the film. A few universities in Kaohsiung, and one in Taichung, have already expressed interest in on-campus showings of the movie, but we are holding out to make sure that live band performances will be included. After all, the whole point of the film is to publicize Kaohsiung's awesome bands!

Thanks to all the folks who came to the show, and made it a success. The bands really do appreciate your support!!

Megaport Website-More Info Here!

2008-10-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

The Megaport Independent Music Association marks their second year of co-operating with The Kaohsiung Film Festival by co-sponsoring the premiere screening of our film. Here's more detailed information from Megaport's site , albeit in Chinese, about the day's events and the film itself.

It's Official!!

2008-10-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

The premiere screening of "Voices From The South: Kaohsiung's Independent Music Scene" will take place October 18th at Mega Department Store, in the outdoor plaza. All 5 bands (KoOk, Maho, Fire Ex, Shy Kick Apple and Orange Doll) will perform LIVE, and then the screening will take place immediately after. In addition, there will be all kinds of promotional activities/trailers for the Kaohsiung Film Festival at this event, which promises to be rockin' good fun!! The best part is, it's absolutely FREE!! Come check out Kaohsiung's best bands, and see the film which shows the side of the bands that you won't get to see when they're on stage!

North Comes South!!

2008-09-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

Likely the most esteemed independent record label in Taiwan and champion of all things underground, White Wabbit Records, has picked up the torch for southern indie music! A nice fella named Simon recently interviewed us about the upcoming documentary, and posted an article on their label's blog. In addition to our film, they mention other goings-on in Kaohsiung's music scene, including Zhen Shan Mei Music and WombBloc. The label is also presenting a free show this Sunday, "城市擴大機 City Amplifier" (mentioned in an earlier post) that features Orange Doll, KoOk and Shy Kick Apple. This event will take place at the new Hanshen department store on Boai Road (providing Typhoon Jangmi doesn't come and ruin everything). Come support indie music, dammit!

Change of Date

2008-09-24T13:08:00.000-07:00

There has been a change of date concerning the pre-film festival show at Mega. The date has been moved up one day to October 18th (Saturday). This change is due to concerns that any kind of loud activity (ie. rock bands) playing on a Sunday might disturb the neighbors, who have to go to bed at 7 pm in order to get up at 5:30am to send their kids to school etc. Subsequently, Saturday is a more suitable day for an event such as this one. Dig!

This Just In... All 5 Bands Confirmed!!!

2008-09-20T07:25:00.001-07:00

Happiest of days!! KoOk singer/guitarist Leslie confirmed with us that his band will indeed be participating in the screening of "Voices From The South" October 18th at Mega Department Store. This show is a pre-Film Festival event that will be the coolest thing happening in Kaohsiung that weekend.

In the meantime, KoOk will be playing live at the new Hanshen Department Store (aka. Huge Egg,高雄漢神巨蛋廣場) on September 28 at 4:00. Also on the bill are Orange Doll and Shy Kick Apple , as well as several bands from Taipei including Aphasia.

Orange Doll will also be on the bill for the "Girl Power" show at ATT September 27, sponsored by Womb Bloc , along with Polygon from Kaohsiung, Nekojam from Taichung and Space Cake from Taipei. Lotsa great shows this month still!!!!

Band Lineup Confirmed

2008-09-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

The date for the first screening of our little documentary about KHH's kick-ass bands has been confirmed for October 18th, and will be held at the Mega Department Store, corner of Chung Shan and San Duo Roads. This will be just one of many events going on around the city to kick off the Kaohsiung Film Festival, but promises to be the most fun. Maho singer A-Chang confirmed the lineup for the show that will accompany the screening of Voices From The South as such- four of the five bands from the film will be performing live, with KoOk being the only group absent. This is understandable, as their drummer recently moved to France to pursue a Master's degree, and apparently they're still breaking in the replacement. The event will be absolutely free, and absolutely rockin'!

Kaohsiung Film Festival-bound!!!

2008-09-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

According to the assistant to the events co-ordinator of The Kaohsiung Film Festival , who contacted me late Friday night, Voices From The South has been accepted to be a part of this year's festival!!! The event co-ordinator herself was at the Music Orgy show to see the preliminary clips/trailer, and asked that we provide her with actual material from the film. This is the end result!

By the time the public gets to view it late next month, it will be almost exactly one year to the date that this project was conceived. Further details are not yet to be disclosed at the request of the film festival organizers, but it can be mentioned that the screening will definitely be coupled with live performances from some, if not all of, the artists in the film (this is currently being discussed with said bands).

In the meantime, here's another video of Orange Doll from their brilliant Spring Scream show earlier this year. The song is "水果糖“ (Fruit Candy). Advice: It's preferable to watch it in high quality, not the compressed crap that appears when you embed clips into your website. Use the Youtube link to the right of this page, choose this video and click the "Watch in high quality" link that appears to the lower right of the screen. Dig!

Video of teh week!

2008-08-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, this vid has absolutely squat to do with Kaohsiung's music scene, but I felt compelled to post it here anyways, maybe introduce some folks in this town to the best American band of the last few years. They're pretty much what you would get if My Morning Jacket and Built To Spill decided to meld into one uber-group. Oh, yeah, the guys in the video are called Band Of Horses.

60+ hours of amassed footage...and counting

2008-08-27T02:07:00.000-07:00

The toughest part of a documentary is getting all the pieces of the puzzle together, and then editing it into a cohesive story. After about two weeks of getting bogged down (editing video until sun-up every day of the week is not fun), this project has returned to its former state of being a fun task, as opposed to the agonizing chore into which it had morphed. Numerous factors come into play, the first one being optimistic words from A-Chang, who is in cahoots with the organizers of the Kaohsiung Film Festival. The second is the generous donation of hours and hours of Kaohsiung indie-rock footage from years past, which was the final piece of the puzzle that was missing until now. The third factor has been the until-recently un-vocalized support and encouragement from the bands themselves. It couldn't have come at a better time. All the artists have been unconditionally co-operative in the making of this film, allowing our cameras into their band rehearsals, their private backstage areas, their homes, their workplaces, and their lives. On one hand, their words are very inspiring, but on the other hand, it puts a little more pressure on us to make sure we don't let them down-that we make this film the best representation of their music that it can possibly be.

徵求高雄音樂歷史照片或影片！！

2008-08-22T00:23:00.000-07:00

我們需要你的幫忙！
如果你有任何從1998-2002年的樂團表演照片，影片或相關資料，請連絡我們，我們將會把這些資料整理後放在紀錄片裡，你的名字會紀錄在“從南方來的聲音“裡！

我的email: hvq1@yahoo.ca

謝謝！！

On Youtube Also!

2008-08-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

The trailer is available on Youtube now, check it!

Here It Is!

2008-08-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

For all you cheap bastards who didn't come to the Music Orgy on Saturday (just kidding), we present the film trailer here for your perusal. The show went well, with each and every band putting on a great performance. 88 Balaz lived up to expectations, and Hot Pink rocked the house as well. Good times!

Voices From The South- The Trailer

2008-08-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Those who will be attending this coming Saturday's Music Orgy will be among the first to see the official trailer for our documentary film "Voices From The South: Kaohsiung's Independent Music Scene". We will be showing it throughout the whole day (in between each band's sets), and will also be showing a specially prepared movie of performance videos not featured in the actual film. The organizers of Music Orgy have asked us to prepare a half an hour's worth of music vids from each of the bands in the movie, and we are more than happy to oblige. The screening of these outtakes will be at 3:30 PM, as the actual live show doesn't officially start until 4 PM.

Video of the... er, Week!!

2008-08-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

Ya, we know posted videos here are few and far between. Perhaps it should be titled "Video Of the Month". Anyhoo, here's Maho with their tune "無命人", live from Kaohsiung-A-Palooza April 26, 2008.

Music Orgy Returns!!!

2008-08-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

After a one-year hiatus, Kaohsiung's original 1-day Music Festival returns! The 6th Music Orgy (親熱天堂) will take place August 16th starting at 4 PM at Join Us. The lineup includes two bands from the north (88 Balaz, Hot Pink), one from Taichung (Damn Kidz), and four from Kaohsiung (Maho, Shy Kick Apple, Fire Ex and KoOk). This show will be the official CD release party for KoOk, whose new full-length album "State of Chaos" will be available for public consumption. This is by far the biggest and best lineup for a Music Orgy ever, so don't miss it! Advance tickets are available at Join Us for $350 ($400 the day of the show). The day's events will be filmed for our documentary film as well, so here's another chance for you to be part of Kaohsiung music history!

New Releases!!

2008-07-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Three bands released new EPs to coincide with this year's Formoz Festival . Orange Doll's two-song EP sold like hotcakes after their show Sunday on the Fire Stage. They moved 70 units in about 15 minutes. Unbelievable!

Fire Ex completely rocked the joint on the Wind Stage Saturday evening. Sam and OR were in a serious accident the week prior, when a tire blew on their car while on the freeway. The car spun out of control and was destroyed, but thankfully no-one was seriously hurt. OR was instructed by doctors to wear a neck brace for several weeks, which he abandoned for both his Shy Kick Apple and Fire Ex shows at Formoz. This accident did nothing to prevent Fire Ex from putting on one of the most memorable shows ever. The boys also released a new EP at this year's event, which comes with a free Fire Ex guitar pick!

Finally, Shy Kick Apple also put out a three-song EP entitled VOOMM!, which has a comic-book themed insert designed by Maho's A-Chang. The three songs were recorded in Kaohsiung, and is being released independently. A great weekend for Kaohsiung bands despite Day Three of Formoz being downsized by the threat of Typhoon Phoenix.

Formoz Festival-5 out of 6 Ain't Bad!!

2008-07-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

As the headline says, 5 of the 6 bands featured in our upcoming film will be appearing at this year's Formoz Festival . This year's event is very special for the bands from the south, as Fire Ex, Orange Doll, Shy Kick Apple and KoOk are all releasing new EPs/albums to coincide with Formoz. The Kaohsiung collective will have a merchandise booth onsite, where concertgoers can come and buy any of the aforementioned items, as well as other band merchandise (hats, T-shirts, buttons, stickers). The "Voices From The South" filmmakers will also be on hand manning the merch booth periodically (when we're not away filming bands). We will also be selling special buttons to help raise funds towards the making of this movie, so stop by, buy some stuff and help support independent music in Taiwan!

Performance times are:

Maho 07/25 (Friday) 6:00 PM, Rock Stage
Shy Kick Apple 07/25 6:50 PM, Rock Stage
koOk 07/25 8:50 PM, Fire Stage
Fire Ex 07/26 (Saturday) 6:40 PM, Wind Stage
Orange Doll 07/27 (Sunday) 5:30 PM, Fire Stage

Rockin' Weekend!

2008-07-10T04:49:00.000-07:00

Orange Doll have two shows in one day this July 12th, first in the afternoon (2 PM) at Urban Spotlight, the outdoor cafe/park in Central Kaohsiung (Wufu Road/Chung Hwa Road intersection), and then again in the evening (9 PM) as part of the 'Big Bang' show presented by Womb Bloc Arts. This show will again be presented at Join Us, due to the ongoing problems with Womb Bloc's uppity neighbors, who continually summon the police as soon as one girl with an acoustic guitar starts playing. The Big Bang show will also feature Polygon (see their link to the right of this page) and Aphasia from Taipei.

Kook are performing at the Hohaiyan Festival on Saturday. Their new album has been pushed back to an August release, but it has been confirmed that the return of the Music Orgy show next month will be the official Kaohsiung release party for the album.

This Sunday will see Shy Kick Apple, Maho and Fire Ex performing along with Japanese punkers Last Target at Join Us, see the venue's link on this page for more information!

Formoz Festival lineups have been posted for most of the bands, check out Formoz's website for information. Shy Kick Apple, Maho, Fire Ex and Orange Doll have all been confirmed for this year's event.

VFTS will soon have a dedicated website, keep checking here for more information!!

KoOk-New Album Out Soon!

2008-07-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

KoOk guitarist/singer Leslie has confirmed that their new album will be released sometime in mid-July!! The indie music scene eagerly anticipates a big release party in Kaohsiung... Further details about the album are pending...check out their website through the link at the right of this page.

Shy Kick Apple are wrapping up the recording of their new 3-song EP. The guys were busy most of June with final exams and whatnot, but now that summer break is here, they will devote all their time to completing it as soon as they can.

A relatively quiet month was June, with few shows happening. Womb Bloc kept the local music fans happy, bringing in Freckles and Bitter on the 10th, and having their first "Out Of The Womb" show (their first concert not held within their own venue), presenting five bands (Blood Orange, Fire Ex, Maho, Polygon and KoOk) at Join Us on the 28th.

VFTS will soon have a dedicated website with trailers, photos, band information and more. The film has been pushed back due to technical glitches that forced us to re-shoot a lot of the band performances. As it stands, we are looking at a September release date.

One last item: August will see the long-awaited return of the Music Orgy festival!! Maho guitarist A-Fang has confirmed that they will present another of their one-day mini-festival of bands at Join Us. Band lineup and date have yet to be finalized... more info is on the way.

The Humid Press of Days...

2008-06-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

June has been a slow month for Kaohsiung's bands. Maho will be playing at Join Us on the 21st, and Fire Ex will be doing a show in Taipei on the 22nd. Other than that, all has been rather quiet. Shy Kick Apple are currently in the studio recording three new songs to be released as an EP sometime before the Fall (hopefully). They will be performing July 13 at Join Us with Fire Ex and Maho in an all-punk show that will feature Japanese band Last Target.

VFTS is currently in the editing stages, as most of the footage, save for a few band interviews, has been filmed. Tentative plans (if all goes as scheduled) are to have the film featured at this year's Formoz Festival in Taipei, which will give the southern bands some much-needed exposure in the north.

Video of the Week!

2008-05-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

Live from Kaohsiung-A-Palooza, it's Shy Kick Apple rocking Join Us with their newest song, "Happy", April 26, 2008!!

Womb Bloc Re-Opens!

2008-05-11T10:02:00.001-07:00

Womb Bloc has been a fixture in the Kaohsiung scene since 2006, providing a venue for local artists, photographers, filmmakers, DJs and bands. It recently re-opened at a new location, and the organizers hosted an all-unplugged show on May 10th featuring Maho, Polygon, Fire Ex and Orange Doll. For Maho, this was their first and (according to guitarist A-Fang) last ever 'unplugged' show. Their set featured cover songs, new material and drummer Popo showing off his skills on the guitar!! Polygon had an eclectic set which featured their shoegazer pop augmented by an array of offbeat instruments including a melodica and a toy piano. Fire Ex performed old and new material alike, and Orange Doll demonstrated that their jangly pop songs come across very well in a stripped-down, acoustic format.

Maho are performing double duty on the 17th, performing both at the annual Southern Rock Festival at Chung Shan University and later in the evening at Join Us. Orange Doll and Polygon will also be featured at the former, while Shy Kick Apple will be appearing at the Join Us gig that night.

May is Full-On Busy!

2008-04-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

May is gonna be a busy month for most of the bands involved in the documentary film. Maho, Fire Ex, Polygon and Orange Doll are all playing at the re-opening of Womb Bloc Arts May 10th. In addition, Maho, Polygon, KoOk and Orange Doll will be featured at the annual Southern Taiwan Rock Festival held at Chung Shan University on May 17, with Taipei's Sugar Plum Ferry closing the show.

Show times:

Polygon 3:00-3:50 PM

Orange Doll 3:50-4:40 PM

KoOk 4:40-5:30PM

Maho 6:20-7:10 PM

Sugar Plum Ferry 9:00-10:00 PM

Shy Kick Apple have shows all over the place: May 4 at Mega Department Store, May 15 at Shu De University, and May 17 at Join Us . So many shows, so little time!

Kaohsiung-A-Palooza

2008-04-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

高雄獨立樂團演唱會

4/26 (六) 下午五點

有六個高雄最好的樂團表演

＊演出樂團：馬猴，滅火氣，庫克，橘娃娃，波力港，害羞踢蘋果

此場演出將會收錄至高雄紀錄片中！

地點：JOIN-US 高雄市建國三路169號B1 (高雄中學正對面)

TEL: 286-2829

現場票：200 預售票：150

預售地點：JOIN-US，大統誠品音樂館，黑狗酒館

Six of the best independent bands from Kaohsiung will be featured on April 26, 2008 at Join-Us, 169 Jian Guo 3rd Road. The roster includes Fire Ex (punk), Shy Kick Apple (ska), Maho (folk-punk), Orange Doll (indie-pop), KoOk (grunge) and Polygon (shoegazer pop). This is easily one of the most talented and diverse lineups ever assembled for one show.

This special show will be filmed for the independent documentary "Voices From The South: Kaohsiung's Independent Music Scene", so come on down, show your support for indie music, and be part of Kaohsiung music history.

Advance tickets are $150 (available at Join-Us, Black Dog Pub, Eslite Books' Da Tong President Department Store location) or $200 at the door.

About VFTS

2008-04-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

Voices From The South is an independent documentary about the underground/independent music scene in Kaohsiung. Indie bands in Taiwan in general face many obstacles, but those from the south have it even harder, since most of the limelight shines on Taipei's music scene.

The documentary will focus on the history of indie music in Kaohsiung, the present situation, and the outlook for the future. Four of Kaohsiung's best bands will be featured both in performance and candid interviews.

The crew has spent the past six months amassing footage of live performances of the featured bands, including shows at Indie Live House (Kaohsiung), Bao An City, ATT (Kaohsiung), Kaohsiung International Lantern Festival, Kaohsiung International Beverage Festival, Megaport Festival, and 2008's Spring Scream. The final live performances scheduled for filming will be at the Kaohsiung-A-Palooza show April 26, 2008.