TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hours before the start of B-Festival on Saturday (April 29), clusters of young people were spotted settling into stairwells where they began smoking and pulling beers from convenience store bags.
Taipei’s best known punk festival is a celebration of sloth and indigence, a slacker ethic first popularized in the West, though now taking root in Asia with buzzwords like "laying flat" and most recently, "letting it rot." This ethos was on full display on opening night, with many attendees not even bothering to take selfies or check their phones for messages.
An eclectic mix of people of all persuasions and dress were on hand, men dressed in Japanese maid’s costumes, high school students in hoodies and oversized t-shirts, and the ubiquitous denim and leather.
A few people even brought their mutts, with simple leashes made from rope and twine.
Restless crowd loitering outside B-Festival. (Taiwan News photo)
The venue, UUMouth, sat at the bottom of a non-descript urban complex covered in white tiles. Prior to the opening performance of the hard-stomping punk rock three--piece Kenkaaaaaa, it was clear there was not enough space for all the paying customers.
The few that cared, snaked towards the sides and front of the livehouse while others were content to listen from outside. Some didn’t even seem to be aware the concert had started.
A small two-person bar sat just inside the front door of the venue. Bartenders didn’t appear busy because it was impossible to maneuver into the bar because of the crowds. Above the bar hung a sign indicating a NT$3,000 (US$90) fine for cleaning up vomit. It was obvious such things had happened in the past.
As the first band concluded, festival organizers decided to set up a makeshift outdoor bar which sold warm 6-packs of Sapporo beer and 10-oz cans of wine. A bad hangover recipe, though outdoor consumption would probably skirt the hefty vomit fine.
A record-label manager had set up a table outside the concert venue, displaying the latest recordings of tonight’s second band, Reversing into Garage. She nervously gazed about the outdoor courtyard as the drummer had yet to appear and the band had already been scheduled to start.
Her nerves tempered a bit as she coolly said, “the singer isn’t here either, so I shouldn’t be so worried.”
A young German woman with pink hair rebuffed a fellow expat by saying, “I only speak Taiwanese,” in her native language. And it was just as well, as she was soon spotted sitting underneath a stairwell chatting away like a local to some local youth.
Customers were warned about keeping their drinks down. (Taiwan News photo)
Around 10p.m., the organizer of the festival, 88Balaz guitarist/singer, A-Chang (阿強), strolled out amidst the crowd outside the music venue. Few seem to recognize him even though his face and his bobble-head caricature adorned every piece of B-Festival signage and memorabilia.
He seemed happy with the turnout and was eager to discuss the punk scene in China, which he visited with his band back in 2017. He said young people everywhere just want the same thing, “a place to hang out, something cool to do.”
B-Festival continues today (April 30) at 1p.m. and goes well beyond midnight. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
