I couldn’t hide my excitement when I first heard about the Oddshapes Music Festival. Two full days dedicated to Mandpop was definitely a first for Melbourne.
Right in heart of Melbourne alongside the Yarra River at Birrarung Marr, Day 2 of the music festival welcomed an amazing line-up of artists; James Nicol, I’mdifficult (我是機車少女), Bestards (理想混蛋), KST (康士坦的變化球), 831 (八三夭), MC HotDog (熱狗) and Escape Plan (逃跑計劃).
Thankfully, Day 2 of Oddshapes was also welcomed by great weather. It was great being outdoors packed with patrons and taking in the fresh air. I also noticed that the GA was brought closer to the stage compared to Day 1, which gave the outdoor venue a more intimate feel and one closer crowd.
Sino-Australian singer-songwriter, James Nicol took to the stage in a black leather jacket and his electric guitar. He set the tone to what would be a great Day 2 of the Oddshapes Music Festival with the song ‘Bound To Be’. The talented musician also introduced us to a song that he wrote when he was 13 years old, ‘Cupid’, to deliver a message of first love. Jumping into his piano section, James performed ‘What Are You Waiting For’, a song he wrote as a motivational reminder to himself.
I loved how James introduced every song he performed by giving us a back story of what his thoughts were when writing them; whether it was to capture a moment in time or turn around and be impressed by his own masterpieces such as his song ‘Nothing About Me’. He personalised each piece by proudly showing his love for his work and how much he treasures every one of his creations. There was so much emotion when he delivered ‘窗外’ on the piano, and fun when he wore his steampunk hat and bronze goggles for ‘Be By My Side’.
The four-member band from Taipei, I’mdiffcult (我是機車少女), was one of the day’s biggest surprises. Their sound was very unique and I adored their blend of musical styles and languages in their song writing. When I first heard ‘Yume’ I was trying to decipher the language, soon realising that it impressively consisted of a mix of Japanese, Chinese and English.
The band had a tiny mishap on stage where Eason’s guitar string broke and had to be replaced after the first song. However, I’mdifficult were ever the professionals, with Ernest quick to tell us stories of the band’s previous tour stop in Sydney and their two week stay in Australia thus far. They proclaimed their love for Australia and mentioned that they were sad to leave after being here for over two weeks.
Their love for Down Under was also shown by drummer Zhonglin, who had a wombat accompanying him on his drum set. They also mentioned that after they return home from Melbourne, it will be time for them to hibernate and prepare for some new music, so they’ll be a temporary hiatus on performances as they brew some new jams.
After fixing the guitar string, one quick glance was all they needed to know that they were ready to jump back into the music. ‘Kids (小孩)’ and ‘Last Summer (月亮惹的禍)’ won my heart very easily and I found ‘Last Summer’ stuck in my head all day after hearing them perform it live. I’mdifficult’s diverse music styles ended with a fun and infectious chorus with ‘愛愛不懂愛AiAi (Ignorant Love)’ before they finished their set.
Next on the line up was Taiwanese band, Bestards (理想混蛋), that brightened up an already beautiful day. Their performance was youthful, passionate and fun, and I instantly fell in love with their energy and bond. In matching Disney jumpers, the boys energetically began with ‘Push On (頑強)’, followed by ‘Would You Please (請、謝謝、對不起)’.
To my surprise, drummer, Look (可沛) jumped to the front of the stage and joined main vocalist Kidding (雞丁) for ‘The Fools (愚者)’. They later explained that despite being the band’s drummer, Look loves to sing and write music and he couldn’t help but share with us his self-written track ‘Miss You So.. (我就想你)’. Their debut song, ‘Galaxy Version 行星’ left me in awe with how beautiful and touching it is. I learnt that this song was made to provide hope and comfort for people listening, which left a heartwarming feeling within me.
Their extroverted energy made it difficult to not look fondly at this group of young men. At one point, they spoke about the lovely weather and sun, and commented on being misled to believe Melbourne was going to be cold, hence their matching winter jumpers. Conveniently, a gust of wind swept by in which the boys cleverly jumped on board and confidently declared they dressed appropriately for the day.
‘Farewell (離開的一路上)’ was the song I looked forward to the most and it was better than I expected hearing it in person. The song has a nostalgic pop rock sound that resonated with me, just like the first time I had initially heard it. You could clearly see Besterds’ friendship and close knit relationship through their on stage interactions and banter. They were not hesitant to throw both their guitarist under the bus, with an off key rendition of ‘Love Me Don’t Go (愛我別走)’ by Dillion (建廷) and ‘Step Aside (擱淺)’ by Jerry (阿哲). After a quick laugh, we reached the final song; ‘I Love You Not Because Of Sunny Weather (不是因為天氣晴朗才愛你)’ which perfectly matched the lovely Melbourne weather and a great way to wrap up a great time spent with Bestards.
Dressed in matching white futuristic outfits, KST (康士坦的變化球) delivered an impressive performance like no other. Heavily focused on their instrumental pieces, their music gave satisfying and powerful beats and captivating guitar riffs.
After their first introduction piece, Creed’s guitar string also snapped which gave ARNY some time for a quick Q&A session. He explained that bassist, sionC, was unwell, currently back home in Taiwan and unfortunately couldn’t join the band for this tour but vowed to bring him back next year. A clever fan also grasped the opportunity to ask for a signature which ARNY complied to.
Passion was in the air with tracks such as ‘Love Words (情話)’, ‘Changning 1008 (長寧1008)’ and ‘A Never-Ending Dream (我的未來還是夢)’ performed, and I loved when drummer Gail chimed in vocally along to the performance. The crowd favourite track ‘Lucky As You (美好的事可不可以發生在我身上)’ earnt lots of cheers and chants before the band finished their set with ‘Stranded People (擱淺的人)’ which personally resonated with me.
My favourite act of the night, however, was no doubt 831 (八三夭). As a long-time fan, I was thrilled to learn they were part of the line up when Oddshapes was initially announced and that the band would be performing in Australia for the first time. A rollercoaster of emotions ran through me during their 40 minute set which felt like it went by in a blink of an eye.
Excitement ran through my body simply seeing their introduction clip as each member flashed by in front of me before they jumped on stage and hyped up the Melbourne crowd with ‘For People Who Bloom 給想要綻放的人’ and ‘Eastside 東區東區’. It felt like we were transported to a tropical island ready to party with the song ‘Loved 愛了愛了’ as the audience happily waved their arms up high from side to side. I’ve heard ‘I Don’t Want to Change the World (我不想改變世界 我只想不被世界改變)’ numerous times through my earphones, and was thoroughly moved to finally hear it live. The song that had comforted me countless times before, I finally could sing my heart out to out loud with the band. I was also very thankful that ‘The Last Day of Summer 831 (最後的8/31)’ was added to the setlist as a Melbourne exclusive, as they mentioned it usually isn’t part of a music festival line-up.
Each member of the band introduced themselves and warmly greeted Melbourne fans, explaining that it was their first time in Melbourne and that because we wanted to see them, we have gathered together. This created a perfect link to their viral hit ‘Miss You 3000 (想見你想見你想見你)’ where the entire audience sang in unison. 831 went out in a bang and had everyone jump up and down to ‘We Are The One (有一群伙伴，比啥都浪漫)’, ‘Whipped (馬子狗)’ and ‘Young Guns (致青春)’ before they took a group photo and bid Melbourne farewell.
The atmosphere was red hot as the night darkened, and MC Hotdog (熱狗) hit the stage accompanied by MJ116’s MUTA (大淵), bringing hit after hit and sending an electrifying energy through the atmosphere. I have never deemed myself as a fan of hip-hop or rap music, but unknowingly, I found myself singing along to all the iconic tracks performed which included ‘Mr. Almost (差不多先生)’, ‘Ghetto Superstar (貧民百萬歌星)’, ‘Disgusted Artist (髒藝術家)’, ‘Woman 27 (輕熟女27)’ and ‘I love TW Girls (我愛台妹)’. These songs were ingrained in me through my years of listening to Chinese music, proving just how popular and legendary these artists and their music are.
MC Hotdog announced that he would be back for a concert next year which gained loud cheers from fans. He also ranted about young people struggling through life and experiencing hard times due to societal changes and inflation, and that the older generation look down on young people saying they don’t work hard enough, which was received with shouts of acknowledgement, transitioning to the song ‘Sugar Mommy 阿姨’, which reflects giving up and not wanting to work hard anymore.
Time flew by jumping up and down to these familiar tracks and before we knew it, we reached the last song of the set with ‘High Life (嗨嗨人生)’. MC Hotdog even threw his cap into the crowd for a lucky fan during it!
The night was at its final leg when Escape Plan came on stage and took us through a musical journey. The 20 year old band delivered a poise and suave performance that was captivating to watch. The stage effects worked like magic as the sky was completely darkened with the use of lights and smoke setting the scene to match every song magnificently.
Their music felt like a warm hug on a cold winter day, as the night cooled down ‘Ten-thousand-time Sorrows (一萬次悲傷)’, ‘Your Love (你的愛情)’ and ‘Just A Feeling (只是感覺)’ warmed the hearts of the Melbourne crowd, including mine, as the night mellowed down.
Fans were clearly excited to hear ‘Seagulls (海鷗)’ performed and I loved the acapella version Mao Chuan (毛川) ended on where only his voice and the audience’s voice, which combined echoed through the air, could be heard. The crowd favourite tune ‘The Brightest Star in the Night Sky (夜空中最亮的星)’ earnt one of the biggest singalongs of not only the evening but across the entire two-day festival and was heartwarming to be a part of. The night then ended with the song ‘Shining Memories (閃光的回憶)’, wrapped up Day 2 and the entire festival beautifully.
The Oddshapes Music Festival was an absolute success and a pleasure to attend. I was able to learn about so many new artists and also enjoyed ones that I knew and loved. Accompanied by great weather and excellent sound quality, the organisation of this event had next to no flaws. The line-up was fantastic and I hope to see more festivals showcasing Mandopop in the future.
Proudly presented by LUCID Live Music, Oddshapes Music Festival was performed on Saturday the 26th and Sunday 27th of October at Birrarung Marr in Melbourne.
For more information, visit:
https://lucidlivemusic.com/oddshapes
Photography supplied by Lucid Live Music.
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