Super Slipper Live Part 3
Various artists

No. 10
New Taiwan Recreational

Rock is a many- splendoured thing. And what better way to experience the exhilaration of the genre than in a live setting?
But until Super Slipper Live makes its way to Singapore, fans here will have make do with the CDs and DVDs (which are sold separately).
Founded by mega band Mayday, the line-up for this third edition at the Taipei Arena in August is especially noteworthy.
It features Luantan-Ascent, Quarterback, Tolaku, Chairman and Mayday themselves – also the nominee list for the Golden Melody Awards’ Best Duo category in 2000, according to the Taipei Times. Back then, there was no Best Band category and Luantan-Ascent was still part of the group Luantan.
Fast forward 14 years and bands are very much part of the Mandopop scene.
Over a sprawling three discs, you get Chairman’s richly local brand of Minnan rock, Quarterback’s energetic pumpers, Tolaku’s playful pop-rock, Luantan- Ascent’s soulful songs and Mayday’s arena-sized anthems.
Unlike some festivals where artists stick strictly to their own sets, there is a, well, festive vibe here as musicians pop up in one another’s sets and even perform one another’s songs.
It culminates in a finale segment with everyone pitching in and ends with a rousing rendition of Stand Up.
The party continues on New Taiwan Recreational’s No. 10 as different languages come out to play, including Hakka, Minnan and the aboriginal Paiwan tongue, on a diverse array of genres from traditional folk music to synth-jazz-rock.
New Taiwan Recreational is a collaboration among singer-songwriter Bobby Chen, Hakka singer-songwriter Ayugo Huang and Paiwan tribe singer Shig Loog Ching, and the band have released 10 albums since 1992, bringing marginalised music into the mainstream in the process with humour and grace.