Lion Rock Music Festival
The Lion’s Crest Team
Anahita Labh, Anya Saha, Ashley Kwok, Isabella Cagliarini, Katie Li, Stephanie Chong, Teya Nainani
From Our Interviewers & The Bands
By Ashley Kwok & Katie Li
As the sun began to set over the city of Hong Kong, the sounds of music and cheering filled the air. This was the scene at the annual Lion Rock concert, a music festival that brings together some of the top bands and musicians at KGV. For many of the performers, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and one that they would never forget.
Unforgettable. A word used by Spectrum to describe their experience. The band members expressed that the atmosphere was amazing, and the crowd, which was filled with family and friends, was supportive. The band rehearsed whenever they could, but the majority of practice time was individual since all of them were quite busy. Decision making regarding choice of music was challenging, due to the variety of music tastes present in the group. Members wanted songs which highlighted their individual skill sets, and so tried to add their own flair to the songs. This can be seen in the remarkable guitar solo in Sweater Weather.
Despite only having two weeks worth of lunch times to rehearse and prepare for the concert, CO2 managed to produce a truly exceptional performance at the 2023 Lions Rock concert. Ohm from CO2 described the overall experience as ‘amazing’ and ‘represented what music festivals are like’. Carina from CO2 loved being a performer at Lion Rock and was ‘overwhelmed by the love and support from friends and peers during their performance’. CO2 performed three songs, including "Hey there Delilah," "Here Without You," and a cover of Green Day's "Good Riddance." Regarding the choice of songs, Carina loved "Hey there Delilah" and chose it because she felt comfortable singing it and was sure people would sing along. "Here Without You" was a ‘no-brainer' for Ohm, due to his love for the song, but Ohm’s personal favourite performance was the Green Day cover. When asked to describe their experience at the Lion Rock concert in three words, the band CO2 came up with a creative response: "See. You. Again." This leaves us curious about what they have planned for their next performance and eager to see them again in the future.
SKYHOVIOLIN. A classical violinist who performed at the Lion Rock concert. This artist presented truly unique pieces, which differed from the rest. Sky Ho described the experience as invaluable for developing both his musical talent and well-being. Sky explained that performing in a rock concert as a classical violinist can be intimidating, but courage and peer support helped him to shine on stage. The violinist prepared for several weeks before the event, considering the style and messages conveyed by the music while constructing his list of pieces. He borrowed instruments and equipment for the night, such as an electric violin and audio interface. Sky performed "Through the Fire and Flames” by Dragonforce and "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth, explaining that the former conveys the message that anything is possible with determination, while the latter unites and connects the audience. He described the experience as rewarding, emotional, and remarkable.
The band Rewind, expressed that performing at the Lion Rock concert was a great opportunity, as it was different from the events they usually perform at. It was also their first time performing a full set of songs as a band. They rehearsed in their free time, and the arrangement of each song took a lot of trial and error, but the process was interesting. Regarding the song choices, the band members added their favourite songs into a Spotify playlist, and they chose their favourite ones based on rhythmic interest and audience engagement. Overall, the experience was exhilarating, thrilling, and enjoyable for the band.
Ysabel and Anna, Lion Rock’s only sibling duo, executed their two songs spectacularly and demonstrated an impressive control over the crowd. The pair performed “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez and “The One That Got Away” by Katy Perry, two songs both of them were familiar with and would often sing along to at home or in the car. In terms of practice, they used the time they spent at home together as an advantage and would practise at home with Ysabel on the piano and both of them singing at every chance they got. It was clear that despite the nerves and stage fright, Ysabel and Anna were able to deliver an excellent performance that left a lasting impression, describing the event as thrilling, fun and loud.
Ecstasy’s first performance as a group was an ‘unforgettable experience’, and showed their appreciation for the audience whose enthusiasm helped overcome their nerves. Although their act did not involve instruments, choosing songs, transposing them, and practising harmonies presented a challenge as none of the three performers had prior experience with it. Preparing for the festival required the group to invest a significant amount of time and effort in creating a final performance that both they and the audience would enjoy, and they put on a show with no regrets. Ecstasy performed four songs, including "Sure Thing" by Miguel, "Mamma Mia", "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction, and "Here's to Never Growing Up" by Avril Lavigne. The group elaborated on the meaning of their final song, which celebrated youth and allowed them to end the act in a festive manner. The group described their Lion Rock experience as refreshing, invigorating, and ecstatic (a play on words!), and expressed their hopes of performing again next year.
The Lion Rock audience was treated to a phenomenal performance by Mara Williams, who captivated them with her soulful voice and powerful stage presence. Mara's performance of "Space Between" from Descendants 2, alongside fellow musician Naomi Chow, touched on themes of commitment to friendship even when separated by distance, which resonated with Mara as Naomi is graduating this year. The duo had intended to deliver a fun and lighthearted performance, rehearsing parts whenever they had the opportunity to. When asked to describe her experience at Lion Rock 2023, Mara recounted it as “emotional, lively, and definitely groovy" - a sentiment that everyone can agree with!
"YSoSerious?" was the last act of the night, but certainly not the least, as they drew Lion Rock to an electrifying close with their captivating performance. The band felt shaken with nerves before and after the performance, but at the same time, they described their experience as thrilling and breathtaking. During the preparation stages, they encountered disputes when choosing songs they all could agree on before making a final decision. Throughout the performance, the band members showed their unmatched passion and kept the crowd's spirits high with their infectious energy. They performed songs from the English rock duo Royal Blood, "Judgement (& Punishment)" by Jinjer, and "Chug Jug With You" by Leviathan, embracing the opportunity to showcase their unique sound as the festival's only rock band.
Lion Rock 2023 was an unforgettable and resounding success, featuring a diverse range of talented performers who brought their unique styles to the stage and left the audience wanting more. We extend our congratulations to the organisers, performers, and audience members who collectively made this event possible, and can't wait to see what the future holds for Lion Rock!
Experiencing The Festival
By Anya Saha
When we entered, the hall was dim and calm in the soft weaving of the crowds into neat lines and murmurs of conversation among queuers. Moments later, the hall erupted into a beautiful chaos as Naomi and Markus announced the first act. Everybody stood at the front, unsure of whether to clap or to sing along, but as soon as the music started it felt like it came naturally. We cheered and sang along with the first act, and somberly sat down and kept rhythm with the second. The music’s diversity and the reaction of the crowd was an experience in itself, each song evoking a different mood in the room.
I think ‘SKYHOVIOLIN’ was one of the acts I found most interesting. The crowd burst into an uproar as soon as he arrived on the stage, and the hype wasn’t for no reason. The moment his bow touched the violin, it moved faster than a speeding bullet. Each note, despite its speed, was refined in pitch and glamour. Spectrum’s rendition of the TikTok classic, ‘Sweater Weather’, had this perfect isolation with only the singer and the drums in the chorus which made this version so much more perfect than the original. When Dysfunction performed their original song, I was helplessly trying to figure out which band it sounded most like, coming to the conclusion that it was such a beautiful fusion of all the rock bands that it had built its own genre. The bands were all so comfortable and friendly with each other that it felt like we were just hanging out with friends on a late weekend, singing along to songs in the car together. That was my favourite part.
Credits
Thank you so much to all the wonderful bands that performed. You’ve truly created an unforgettable event. And thank you to all of you for working with us on our very first feature article.
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