The performance of HNK - a guest band from Da Nang
The live show started at 7 pm, but eager audiences rushed in and filled it up at 6. The program featured the participation of three rock bands in Hue (Cochinchine, Du ca Cố đô, and Napalm) and a guest band from Danang (HNK). Each band had 30-40 minutes of their own to take the floor and rock the stage. Despite some differences in their performing style, personality, and music, all the bands aired a burning spirit of the nation’s pride and vitality.
With “dusty” and "underground" style, "cool" expression, "impulsive" music, and "burning" vocals, the bands blew in a new atmosphere in the rainy days of Hue.
The song “Đám cưới chuột” (the wedding of the mouse) performed in a rock style by the HNK depicted a fantastic combination between the traditional elements of myth and folk and the contemporary’s strength. With soaring, powerful, and emotional voice blended with sensational guitar and drums skills, the Cochinchine heated up the stage, making all the audiences mix themselves with the song “Nối vòng tay lớn” (Great circle of Vietnam), which was reproduced with forceful and resounding style of rock.
Rock attracts young people by being thorny and full of fire
Immersed in such a musical vibe, the boys also played their own songs. “Lâu một lần” (Once in a while) is a funny and silly song written by the Cochinchine themselves. With simple and witty lyrics, this piece of music is dedicated to students who sometimes skip their classes or to workers or employees who spontaneously want to get "loose" by "switching off” for a day.
Ha Nguyen Gia Long, a member of the Cochinchine, who is a fourth-year student who majored in the English language at the College of Foreign Languages, Hue University, shared that he married to rock when he was a high school boy. Used to be an acoustic guitarist, he switched to practice bass guitar and has shown his unending passion for wild rock tunes.
Phan Nhat Dinh Truong, the drummer, leader of Du Ca Band, has been teaching himself to play with the sticks for two years. Not feeling enough from You Tube lessons, he often presents at the performances of seasoned drummers to “secretly” pick up their best tricks. “It is not difficult to learn how to play the drums, but it is extremely so to be a good drummer because apart from showing strong skills, the feeling the players put into the performance really matters,” Truong said.
"Feel" with rock
Bui Anh Hai, a boy from the guest band HNK (Da Nang), opened up: “When I’m immersed in rock, I reach a state of absolute freedom and comfort. Rock stands out for its liberality and energy. In addition, rock space is not limited. The bigger the space is, the easier it is for the listeners and performers to show their best”.
People think rock is the music of young people, don’t they? Well, however, there were a lot of middle-aged and children audiences watching and listening from the beginning to the end of the show. And not only Vietnamese, but also many western spectators were seen to get into the same vibe. Each of them held a bottle of beer in their hand, sipping the liquid and dancing to the melodies. Sometimes, long whistles and cheering sounds were brought up as an expression of their excitement.
An American tourist who was “turned on" in the night, shared: "When coping with frustrations, people often turn to music as a remedy, and rock is a wonderful space to scream out and get freed. It’s such great experience that even in a different culture, I can still feel free to immerse in the melodies without having to understand the lyrics”.
When the rock music flourished in Vietnam, Hue rock bands like TNT and Black Friday… were born, blowing in a new breeze and enriching the musical landscape of the ancient capital city. Along with that, since 2006, many music crews from Hue universities, colleges, and high schools have organized their rock shows at public spaces on weekends and participated in a number of street and street-art events during Hue international cultural festivals.
In recent years, in Hue there appear many rock bands like Cochinchine, Du ca or Napalm ... but, there has not been a regular playground for these bands to be in contact with each other and harness their skills. In this light, though this one-night show of "Youth’s Rock" might not be enough, it did offer the local fans and youngsters a great chance to live and burn themselves in this thorny, strong, and flaming music.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Director of Thua Thien Hue Youth Activity Center, said that through the night show, the organizers want to introduce to local young people a new address to express their passion for rock music, and at the same time offer them a chance to show other youngsters from the three regions in the country that Thua Thien Hue youth are embracing a new spirit and value by demonstrating that they are also dynamic, passionate, desirous, and strong.
Story and photos: Phuoc Ly