Friday 5 June 2009

Moriarty in HK last week




Went to HK last week to do a story on Moriarty, who came to play in Taipei today. Got to know the band, which is very eclectic. Not my favorite band, but I do have a couple of favorites in their Gee Whiz But this is a Lonesome Town album. Their music reminds me of Joanna Wang's (not the covers, but the songs she writes herself).





The scripts to the stories I wrote (Mandarin + Minnan and English)
Story 1:
最近法國有一個樂團紅遍歐洲,最近在亞洲人氣也開始竄昇。雖然他們是法國的樂團,但曲
風充滿了美國民莫瑞提究竟是一個什麼樣的樂團,來看我們香港的衛星報導。
##
[[NS 宣傳帶]]
穿著有著美國早期1900時代夜總會的風格,音樂像是民謠,又帶點藍調、鄉村和爵士,這些
元素,讓這個樂團給人一種強烈又有理想的叛逆感,也彷彿走入了時空隧道。
[[NS 宣傳帶]]
他們是Moriarty莫瑞提,來自法國。
[[stand-up 為了了解這個好像充滿了衝突的樂團,我們今天來到了香港。他們今天晚上要
在這邊舉行演唱會,您可以看到在我們背後,他們在台上進行最後的彩排。]]

[[NS 彩排]]
來自巴黎的他們,歌曲全都是英文發音,和在法國普遍不太講英文的文化很不一樣喔。
[[SB 樂團是由Thomas吹著他的口琴開始的,在很久以前。你如果用口琴音樂來組一個樂團
,音樂一定會跟傳統美國音樂有關。我們也有玩過藍調、民謠,鄉村音樂。我們想要不斷的
嘗試不同的音樂。]]
[[香港民眾 他們的歌曲很特別。是現代的音樂又有民謠元素,很有新鮮感。]]
風格十分另類,原本是地下獨立樂團的莫瑞提,逐漸蛻變成主流的團體,去年發行的第一張唱
片就賣了七萬多張,從歐洲紅到亞洲,香港和東京展開四場演唱會,一票難求。這種普普風
、帶有沈重氣氛的樂風,也很期待台灣樂迷的反應。
[[NS]]
民視新聞 翁郁容 郭文海 香港報導

Story 2:
唱著美國民謠、藍調風格歌曲的法國樂團[莫瑞提]最近在亞洲竄紅,這樂團其實很多元,
6個團員的血統就包括美、法、瑞士、越南、祕魯等9個民族,簡直像個迷你聯合國。他們正
在世界巡迴演出,不過這個行動迷你聯合國說,讓他們難忘的一場表演卻是在監獄裡舉辦的

##
[[ns 宣傳帶演唱]]
6個團員在法國相遇,Moriarty莫瑞提裡幾乎每個人都是混血兒。
[[ns]]
[[stand-up 現在我帶大家到後台認識團員們 走!]]
[[ns 我是Rosemary 我主要是唱歌 我是Stephan我彈double bass. 我是Thomas我吹口琴.
我是Vincent我打鼓]]
光是Stephan就有越南、法國、瑞士、挪威、蘇格蘭、愛爾蘭血統,加上其他團員分別有著
美國、比利時、祕魯血統,6名團員身上總共有著9個文化來源,就像個迷你聯合國。或許就
是因為背景多元,他們的組合能夠擦出不同的火花。
[[NS 音樂]]
這首歌描述著,盼望遠離家鄉的親人趕快回來,也有歌詞隱含批判伊拉克對年輕女孩募兵的
意味,旋律朗朗上口,但歌詞卻發人深省。
莫瑞提最近展開世界巡迴演唱會,讓他們印象最深刻的卻是以前到監獄裡表演的經驗。
[[Vincent 我覺得他們可以感覺到你是不是在亂來.所以我們就很努力的演唱.我覺得我們一
些最好的表演就是在監獄裡面做的.]]
披頭四曾經長期在脫衣舞夜總會駐唱,而莫瑞提表演的場所包括了療養院、郵輪、古堡前、
監獄。這些與眾不同的經驗讓他們的音樂和生命也變得更有趣。
民視新聞 翁郁容 郭文海 香港報導

French band "Moriarty" has recently taken France and the UK by storm and has also tickled the ears of Asian music fans. Although from Paris, their music is of the American folk and bluegrass variety with a jazzy, cabaret-ish twist, AND they sing in English. This ecclectic band is coming to Taipei, and Michella Jade Weng brings you a preview of their show from Hong Kong.##

[[NS]]
By their costumes, you'd think early 1900's. By their tunes, you'd think a bonfire somewhere in the American Midwest. Folkish, bluesy, jazzy, mysterious and rebellious - this is French band "Moriarty." French and English fans bought 70 thousand copies of their debut album last year, and Asian music listeners have become their newest group of followers.

Michella Jade Weng
To get to know this band better, we've come to Hong Kong today, where they'll be performing tonight, and behind us right now, they're on stage going through the last bits of rehearsal.

While the French stereotype is generally anti-American, they've seemed to have found a niche, but how did this all happen?

Stephan Moriarty
Band member
It started with Thomas and his harmonica a long time ago. When you start a band with a harmonica, you just end up with that kind of traditional music. We've played blues, bluegrass and other styles, and we're always hungry to try new things.

Hong Kong concert-goer
It's modern music with folk elements. It's very fresh.

[[NS Jimmy]]

They write all their songs together as a band, and in the stories they depict are anything from awaiting a family member's return, to young and naive women being drafted into the military and sent to war.

[[NS Lily]]

Between the six band members, they are of nine cultural origins, including French, American, Vietnamese, Norwegian and Peruvian. Perhaps its their cultural diversity that helps them keep bringing new ideas and perspectives to the music. Perhaps its their experiences too. They've played in mental institutions, on transatlantic boats and even prisons.

Vincent Moriarty
Band member
I think (the prisoners) know if you're not being authentic, so we try to do our best. I think we did some of our best gigs in prisons.

From the background of the band members to the venues at which they play and the music that they write, one can safely say that they are a very ecclectic band. While their music may not be for everyone, but it makes you think and sure is interesting.

Michella Jade Weng, Formosa TV, Hong Kong

And pictures from HK:








The highlight of the emotionally draining trip: Jack! I think out of all my friends, his upbringing is the closest to mine. And he actually understands my still-no-boyfriend dilemma, because we're in the same boat that's been traveling the seas seemingly all our lives!

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