聚光燈下《#拍謝少年的台語搖滾》Sorry Youth's Taiwanese Rock

獨立樂團「拍謝少年」的三位團員，維尼、薑薑、宗翰以前都是上班族，因為2005年去了春天吶喊，聽到百花齊放的樂團演唱衝擊後，決定開始創作寫歌。十幾年來過著一邊工作，一邊創作音樂的生活，獨立製作了《海口味》、《兄弟沒夢不應該》二張唱片，唱的都是關於個人生命經驗的台語歌，他們說：「因為台語裡，有我們自己的文化和情感」。

早期他們特別喜歡具在地性的演唱場所，像是羊肉爐店、河濱…可以很直接地傳達音樂帶來的身體性，「拍謝少年」唱現場真的很迷人，台下的人總會激動地跟著他們一句一句的唱著，那些屬於少年青春的生命吶喊。

2018年，三人辭去工作，決定放手一搏當全職音樂人，他們開始主辦「大港開唱」，也到了加拿大、日本、韓國、香港演出，並用音樂支持香港。這些歷程激發了他們新的思維，創作從個人生命延伸到時代議題，寫了《山盟》這首歌，並決定為自己舉辦，拍謝少年的第一個音樂祭。以三人的力量，他們如何獨立舉辦台灣在地跨界音樂祭？

Weni, Giang, and Alfred, the three members of independent band, Sorry Youth, all came from different career paths. The band was inspired to start writing songs after watching a variety of musical acts at Spring Scream in 2005. Over the next ten years, they worked part time while making music to independently produce two albums, Sea Food and Brothers Shouldn’t Live Without Dreams. Sorry Youth sings Taiwanese songs about their life experiences because “Taiwanese captures our own culture and emotions.”

In the beginning they liked performing in venues with a local vibe, such as lamb hot pot restaurants or riversides, that could directly express the physicality in their music. Singing at a Sorry Youth concert is an unforgettable experience. Enthusiastic audiences sing along to every word of songs bursting with the exuberance of youth.

Weni, Giang, and Alfred quit their jobs in 2018 to take a shot at becoming professional musicians. This started by hosting the Megaport festival; touring in Canada, Japan, and Korea; and using their music to support protests while performing in Hong Kong. This process led them to reconsider how their individual roles as creators connect to larger generational issues. Their song “Wind and Currents” was written in honor of Sorry Youth’s first musical offering; but how exactly did these three manage to host a local Taiwanese offering on a global stage?

創作這件事《#落日飛車的世界飛行》 Sunset Rollercoaster's World Tour

「我很喜歡70年代老的靈魂樂，喜歡70年代80年代的成人抒情，也很喜歡迷幻音樂，世界音樂跟Bossa Nova。所以我寫的這些音樂，就是很自然而然的，長成現在有的這個樣子。對我來說，它就是一個拼貼的一個過程。」－曾國宏

2011年，獨立樂團「落日飛車」成立，詞曲創作兼主唱、吉他手曾國宏，以拼貼的方式寫了許多英文歌曲，然後帶著這些歌，到歐美巡迴演唱，創下了一年一百多場的驚人數字。為什麼西方搖滾樂強國，會需要落日飛車的音樂？

曾國宏很喜歡緩慢的美，他寫的歌都很慢，聽完後卻很深刻。2017年，他寫的的《My Jinji》這首歌，被粉絲上傳網路後，創下了1000多萬的觀看人次，世界各地的聽眾開始迷上了飛車的音樂。國國大膽地把70年代美國金曲風，拼貼得很鬆散，玩得很愜意，這是美國學院派不敢跨越的，因此許多聽眾覺得飛車很勇敢，創造了全新的東西，而且帶著東方文化在裡頭，很特別的存在。

國國說，2015年他就有個目標，要讓飛車從一個很像在玩自己喜歡做的事情，變成是工作，可以維持生計，然後繼續從事音樂創作。5年的時間他們做到了，因為用網路聽音樂的時代，他們的音樂風格跟上了現今復古風所帶來的那股潮流，玩不重型的音樂是一件很酷的事情。幾年的高密度國際巡迴，落日飛車也觀察到許多國際樂團的創作生態，接下來他們也將啟動新的飛行。

“I love old soul music from the 70s or adult contemporary from the 70s and 80s. I also love psychedelic music, world music, and Bossa Nova. I write the songs that come naturally. For me, it’s a process of putting together a collage.” TSENG Kuo-Hung

The independent band, Sunset Rollercoaster, was founded in 2011. Singer-songwriter and lead guitarist, TSENG Kuo-hung, used a collage technique to write several English songs. He then brought these songs on an impressive world tour that lasted for more than 100 performances across Europe and the US.

TSENG Kuo-hung finds beauty is slowness. He writes many slow songs; but if you listen closely they’re actually quite profound. His song “My Jinji” amassed more than one million views after being uploaded by fans. Eventually audiences all over the world fell in love with the music of Sunset Rollercoaster.

Kuo-hung bravely pieced the classic American styles of the 70s into a loose collage. He was quite pleased; although American academics seemed unwilling to step outside the box. Others felt that Sunset Rollercoaster was very brave to create something new; especially because they incorporate unique elements of East Asian culture.

Kuo-hung said his goal for 2015 was to transform Sunset Rollercoaster from something he enjoyed into a career. He hoped to realize his plans by continuing to make music. The band accomplished their goal within five years. Thanks to the raise of streaming platforms, the band’s musical style coincided with the current trend of reviving classic rock. It’s suddenly cool to play something that isn’t heavy metal. Sunset Rollercoaster has also spent many years on a tight international touring schedule that’s given them a glimpse into the international music scene. It appears as if the rollercoaster is on the rise again.