It’s Friday, which means there is just one week left until Clockenflap 2017 kicks off. Hong kong’s premier three-day festival (for which we’re giving out free passes) returns to Central Harbourfront with a lineup to please young (Stormzy) and old (The Prodigy) alike.
With five stages to choose from and an abundance of music to listen to, the choices can be overwhelming. Here at Coconuts we have listened to all the acts who will be performing next week and here are some of the people we think you should watch out for:
Friday
Go Headline
Feist, 7:30pm – 8:30pm, Harbourflap Stage
Our first big headline act for Clockenflap is Canadian singer Feist who will be making her long-awaited debut performance in Hong Kong. The Canadian indie-pop chanteuse will be performing some old songs and also some material from her newly-released album Pleasure.
Kaiser Chiefs, 9:00pm – 10:30pm, Harbourflap Stage
Oh my God they can’t believe it, they’ve never been this far away from home. Also performing in Hong Kong for the first time are British indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs, who released their sixth studio album last year. We’re personally looking forward to seeing the crow belt out I Predict a Riot.
Go Dancing
TOKiMONSTA, 9:30pm – 10:30pm, Yourmum Stage
This LA DJ and producer will be keeping the party going with her hip hop and EDM remixes.
Go Vintage
DJ Kulu, 5:30pm – 6:30pm, Silent Disco
Described by fellow DJs as Hong Kong’s undisputed Godfather of DJ-ing’, DJ Kulu is not only one of the most recognizable faces in Hong Kong’s club scene, but also known in the city for his dedication to jazz music.
Go Cool
HVOB & Winston Marshall, 8:00pm – 9:00pm, Yourmum Stage
If you love The XX, then you will love these guys, an act made up of Mumford & Sons guitarist Winston Marshall and Austrian electronic production duo HVOB – in turn made up of Anna Müller and Paul Wallner.
Higher Brothers, 8:00pm – 9:00pm, FWD Stage
Coming straight outta Chengdu is this four-man Chinese rap and hip hop group. It has been a good year for Higher Brothers who released their debut album Black Cab this summer and made their debut performance in Hong Kong earlier this year to a sold out arena. Check out our interview with Higher Brothers here.
Kid Ink, 9:30pm – 10:30pm, FWD Stage
Most of you know Kid Ink from hit songs like Show Me, Iz U Down and Main Chick. Clockenflap will be the LA rapper’s last destination of his Asia tour, which includes Japan, the Philippines, and Cambodia.
Go Local
Shumking Mansion, 5:45pm – 6:15pm, Yourmum Stage
The local indie band will kick off the three-day festival with their offering of upbeat dance rock, synth pop, and psychedelic rock. The quartet have been described as “one of the most mesmeric new acts on the Hong Kong circuit”, and are favorites at places like the Wanch and Peel Fresco Music Lounge.
Saturday
Go Headline
Stormzy, 7:15pm – 8:00pm, Harbourflap Stage
This man has been making waves in the UK hip hop and grime scene since winning the award for Best Grime Act at the 2014 and 2015 MOBO Awards in the UK. Stormzy will be making his Clockenflap debut after releasing his debut album Gang Signs & Prayer earlier this year, which reached the top spot in the UK Albums Chart. We’re personally looking forward to a performance of his most popular song Shut Up.
The Prodigy, 9:00pm – 10:30pm, Harbourflap Stage
The musical trio behind your favorite punk and electronic hits will be returning to Hong Kong for their first performance since 1998. Expect to be hit by a wave of ’90s nostalgia as you dance to their hits from Out of Space and No Good (Start the Dance) to Breathe and Firestarter.
Go Dancing
Wednesday Campanella, 5:00pm – 5:45pm, FWD Stage
This Japanese Electro-pop trio are guaranteed to get you dancing as the evening rolls in. The band released their debut album Zipangu in 2015 and have since been attracting attention globally for their music which has elements of disco, funk, and hip hop.
Miss Yellow, 8:00pm – 9:30pm, Acorn/Robot Stage
The TVB soap opera actress turned DJ will be making her second appearance at Clockenflap. The DJ who likes to use hip hop and trap music in her sets is also expected to sing on stage for the first time, and will be performing her latest song Satellites. Check out our interview with Miss Yellow here.
Go Vintage
The Red Stripes, 2:15pm – 3:00pm, Harbourflap Stage
Ska band The Red Stripes performed at Clockenflap a few years ago, but this time the band will be gracing the main stage with some new material from their first studio album In the Ska East , which features Hong Kong-inspired ska songs like Tollbooth Girl about a man who falls in love with a woman at one of the many Hong Kong tollbooths, and OK La!
The Bootleg Beatles, 3:45pm – 5:00pm, Harbourflap Stage
Also gracing the main stage for an afternoon of vintage hits is everyone’s favourite Beatles cover band. The band have graced the stages of Glastonbury, and Hyde Park’s summer festival, and very recently performed in Malaysia.
Go Cool
Hello Nico, 5:15pm – 6:00pm, Yourmum Stage
Combining moving lyrics, waves of synths, and striking vocals, this Taiwanese indie rock band is another one to watch at Clockenflap. The band are popular both in China and their native Taiwan, and recently performed at South by Southwest in Texas in March this year. Clockenflappers are in for a treat as Hello Nico perform in their only Hong Kong show of 2017.
Slaves, 6:30pm – 7:15pm, Yourmum Stage
One year after releasing their second Album Take Control, this duo will be bringing to Hong Kong a sound of British punk with a taste of bluesy garage riffs. It has been a busy few months for the English punk duo who are currently accompanying Kasabian on their Europe tour.
Go Local
David Boring, 4:00pm – 4:45pm, Yourmum Stage
Expect to mosh to this local post-punk band David Boring when they make their Clockenflap debut on Saturday. This band has been a staple of the city’s underground music scene since they first formed in 2013, and were a crowd favourite at the recently closed Hidden Agenda indie venue. The band’s first studio album Unnatural Objects and Their Humans was released earlier this year.
Sunday
Go Headline
The Dandy Warhols, 5:45pm – 6:45pm, Harbourflap Stage
US indie heroes behind sing-along anthems such as Bohemian Like You and Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth will be playing an Asia-exclusive set for Clockenflap this year.
Massive Attack, 9:00pm – 10:30pm, Harbourflap Stage
Closing what is expected to be a fun weekend of music is this English trip hip hop group. This will be the group’s only Southeast Asian show of the year.
Go Dancing
Skream, 9:00pm – 10:30pm, FWD Stage
Pegged as one of the best live electronic acts around, English DJ and dubstep producer Skream will return to Hong Kong for Clockenflap, three years after his sold-out show. If you want a night of garage, house, disco, and techno, Skream is the man to see.
Young Fathers, 4:45pm – 5:30pm, Yourmum stage
Also making their Hong kong debut is Scottish alternative hip-hop collective Youn Fathers. The Mercury-prize winning group has also collaborated with Clockenflap headliner Massive Attack, and their song Only God Knows was featured on the T2 Trainspotting soundtrack.
Go Cool
Temples, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, FWD Stage
Fresh from the release of their second album Volcano, neo-psychedelic rock band Temples will be also performing in Hong Kong for the first time. The band have toured around the world as headline acts, and have also performed as support acts for Kasabian, Suede, and The Vaccines.
MØ, 9:30pm – 10:30pm, FWD Stage
Most of haven’t heard of MØ, but you will probably recognise her voice. The Danish electropop singer-songwriter collaborated with Iggy Azalea on the 2014 single Beg for It, and was also featured on Major Lazer and DJ Snake’s Lean On. If you’re looking to finish the Clockenflap weekend with what NME called “electro music with guts”, you know where to go.
Go Local
Supper Moment, 7:15pm – 8:00pm, Harbourflap Stage
Another staple of the Hong Kong music scene is Supper Moment, a four-piece group who has been entertaining fans for more than 10 years with hits that straddle rock and Cantopop.
Clockenflap starts next week and runs Nov. 17, 18 and 19 at Hong Kong’s Central Harbourfront. Acts this year include Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Feist, Stormzy, Kaiser Chiefs, MØ, Jungle and many more. Three-day passes and tickets for individual days remain available via Ticketflap here.
