[音樂會報告] 28/11/2011 The Dummy “Inside of the (Inside) ep release show” — “fragile: handle with care”

Displayed in front of the entrance to The Dummy’s return show were scattered pieces from some mannequin dolls. Staring down at these objects, I couldn’t help but notice their blank expressions and colorless exterior, it seemed to me an appropriate display for this self-proclaimed “aesthetic-pop” band.

The Dummy formed sometime in 2002 may very well be one of the most fragile and delicate sounding bands in Hong Kong. Originally a four piece, the current The Dummy line-up consists of Yin (宋沛言) and Chung (葉肇中). Expansive in their use of instrumentation, The Dummy’s music can at anytime contain elements of electronic, post-rock to pop. One thing that has always been consistent though, is that capturing of fragility and beauty in their music, a feeling that is not unlike those evoked by Icelandic darlings Sigur Ros.

Therefore it’s no surprise that the understated duo, decided to have their return show at the Agnes B theatre in Wan Chai. A refreshing change from the usual show-venues such as Hidden Agenda or Hangout, it was an appropriate setting. What I mean by this is that the intimate and cozy atmosphere did wonders for the ambiance of their music. During the showcase, laser lightings and projections were shown throughout, while some of the wall projections seemed a bit out of place and could have been thought out a bit more, the majority of it added more than detracted from the experience. The smaller size of the venue also added to the cozy environment, even though the 150+ people auditorium was practically packed, it didn’t feel discomforting at all.

The music that night consisted of old favorites along with a slew of new tracks. Since some of the old tracks were written when they were still a four piece, the band had to rely on pre-recorded tracks to fill in the roles of drummer and keyboards. While I did miss the two members, it was still amazing to see both Yin and Chung pull off the old tracks without much hiccup. This was particularly evident in the performance of “3WEM” from HisStory, being one of the more full arranged songs in their repertoire, the bombastic drums and noisy guitar riffs were largely preserved. Of course, it did help that Chung gave his all in the discordant piano solo that probably could be called the highlight of the night. The new tracks off their same concert titled EP Inside of the (inside) were also interesting, but didn’t really leave me with too much of an impression. I probably need to give the mini album a few more spins before I can say much more about them.

The show concluded on a full house encore, with the two members coming out to give an emotional ode to the founding member Joker, who passed away a few years after the band formed. A simple fragile acoustic number with Chung on the guitar, left a sad but heartwarming end to the show. We wouldn’t have it any other way

-Edwin

Further Reading:
The Dummy article on Chopxtick Entertainment (in Chinese)

Videos:
The Dummy – “Fadeless ( 褪 )” at 香港演藝學院 Sunset Concert 2011:

The Dummy – “Calamity (贖)” MV

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lojun

I like to spend my time on the internet searching for the meaning of life. When I am not doing this you can find me listening to music or playing the bass…or stuffing myself silly on Burritos.

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