Rising Stars in Rock'n'Roll: Gigantic Roar
◎English translation: Wendy Wei Chang
A band that has pork, frogs, fairy tales, and ancient poems in the names of their songs is probably a little strange. But if you listen to Gigantic Roar's music, and get to know the members, you will learn they are just a group of candid and passionate Kaohsiung natives. They want to rock Taiwan with the live shows they have grown proud of.
Wang Jhih-you, lead singer of Gigantic Roar, recalls: "Tang-syuan and I went to the Affiliated Senior High School of National Kaohsiung Normal University together. Bo-di went to Kaohsiung Municipal Haicing Vocational High School of Technology and Commerce. We were in different bands before. Band events organized by our schools brought us together. We got along well, and decided to start Gigantic Roar."
Bo-di adds: "The bands we play with are the ones we're already friendly with, but we don't hang out a lot. My friends and I therefore started bands to keep ourselves busy."
Speaking of the different band culture in Kaohsiung compared to Taipei, Bo-di explains: "No one controlled what we wanted to sing when we were in high school. It was carefree. I heard that seniority is strictly respected in schools in Taipei. Juniors have to play whatever their seniors choose to play. Also, if you don't play well, you can get in trouble."
Tang-syuan continues: "It might have something to do with the school culture, and it's not necessarily location-related. We really enjoyed being in a band. Some people considered it more of a school activity. That mindset is different to ours."
Jhih-you adds: "However, if we were in a school where seniority was important, we would still play the way we wanted. We wouldn't care what the seniors said!"
Asked where in Kaohsiung the band recommends people go to enjoy live music, Bo-di says: "If you want to see band shows, you can go to The Mercury in Zuoying, Paramount Bar on Minzu Road, and Rocks in Yancheng. Many venues for student performances were created by people from Rocks."
"We usually practice at the Doremi Music Store," adds Jhih-you. "There's a new place called 91 Studio in Shinkuchan Shopping Area. It's a go-to place for bands to practice and enjoy themselves."
Gigantic Roar completed a major winter tour which ran from November 28 to January 9. Their next performance will be at Megaport Festival at Pier-2 Art Center. Bo-di is extremely excited about the festival. He has a special connection with music festivals in southern Taiwan because he grew up in Kaohsiung's Yancheng District.
"Being able to perform at Megaport Festival makes me feel like I'm hosting my very own music festival at home. I used to attend the festival before I joined the band. I feel very proud to perform at the festival," says Bo-di.
"When we're not performing, we go to watch different shows. Oftentimes, we meet friends with whom we used to play music in high school. It's always nice to see familiar faces," Jhih-you remarks.
"Sinbin Pier used to be next to Pier-2 Art Center. I used to sneak into the pier and go fishing when I was young. Everything has changed rapidly in recent years. Now the pier is a tourist spot," Bo-di recalls.
Tang-syuan learned how to play the piano in Yancheng District. He has his own memories of the area: "Street food, such as pan-fried buns, oyster vermicelli, and stinky tofu around Jhongsiao Elementary School is delicious. A lot of eateries don't have names. We used to call one pan-fried bun shop 'Next Round,' because you always needed to wait in line until the next round of buns was cooked."
Where will Gigantic Roar go once it has established itself? Will they stay in Taipei, or return to Kaohsiung to help build the music scene? "This has to do with the values one wants to pursue. I personally have a strong connection with my hometown, so I will go back to Kaohsiung after a couple of years," answers Tang-syuan.
"Jhih-you and I will stay in Taipei. The Internet is so convenient nowadays that if we want to play together, distance shouldn't be a problem. There's always a solution," says Bo-di.
No matter which direction Gigantic Roar chooses, the band will continue to rock Taiwan with their punk music!
龐克新銳樂團—巨大的轟鳴
◎文／王聰霖
又有豬排、又有青蛙、又有童話、又有古詩詞……光看歌名，你或許會覺得巨大的轟鳴八成有點怪又有點噁，但是聽了他們的音樂、認識了他們的人，你立刻會明白，他們就是幾個直率熱情的高雄孩子，想用他們引以自豪的現場演出帶給台灣搖滾一點新鮮的溫度。
「我和堂軒是讀高師大附中，柏第原來念的是海青工商，我們原本分別在不同的樂團，是因為校際的樂團表演才互相認識，聊得很來，所以才一起組成了巨大的轟鳴。我們又剛好都來台北念書，所以就可以繼續一起玩團。我們其實平常生活都很單純，就是上課，練團，回家，很少在外面混。」主唱王之佑說。
「平常會一起去混的那些團，通常是本來就玩在一起的好朋友，只是想一起找點事做，才會開始玩團。可是我們是為了玩團才聚在一起，所以除了玩團以外，平常不會特別玩在一起。」柏第說。
幾個高雄孩子一起來到了台北闖蕩，有感覺到台北玩團的環境和在高雄有什麼差別嗎？
「我們高中的時候玩團都很自由，沒人管我們要唱什麼，但是聽說台北有些高中的熱音社學長學弟的制度很嚴格，學弟還要照學長挑的歌唱，唱得不好還會給學長電。」柏第說。
「這應該是校風的差別，不一定和地域有關。我們就是真的在玩團，有的只像是在參加社團活動，這兩種玩法的心態不太一樣。」堂軒說。
「不過，就算是我們進了那樣的學校，也是照玩我們自己的，不會管學長他們說什麼。」之佑說。
對嘛！不向威權體制屈服，這樣才有搖滾精神！
那麼，如果在高雄想玩音樂、想聽音樂，有什麼好去的地方呢？
「過去高雄不像台北有出唱片的機會，所以表演和練團的場地不像台北那麼多，樂團也比較少，所以我們都還是被經常特別介紹是高雄來的樂團。」之佑說。
如果在高雄想看樂團表演的話，像是左營的『水星酒館』，民族路橋旁的『百樂門』，還有在鹽埕埔的『Rocks岩石音樂』，很多學生表演的地方都是Rocks 那一帶的人弄出來的。」柏第說。
「我們通常是在真善美樂器行練團，不過現在新堀江有個地方叫『91-Studio』，是漂浮者樂團的阿丁和阿旁經營的練團室和錄音室，讓很多玩音樂的人有了歸屬。」之佑說。
完成了去年11月28日到今年1月9日間的冬季巡迴演唱行程後，接下來巨大的轟鳴在駁二藝術特區舉辦的『大港開唱』中登場。提到這件事，這三人當中最感到興奮的就是柏第，因為他自己就是鹽埕區長大的在地孩子，對這場南台灣的音樂盛事有很特殊的情感。
「我感覺大港開唱就像是在自己家鄉舉辦的音樂祭一樣，還沒開始玩團以前，我就會來聽大港開唱。現在我自己可以站在舞台上，特別覺得光榮。」柏第說。
「在表演以外的時間，其實我們也是一般的觀眾，在台下常常會遇到以前高中一起玩音樂的老朋友，每次可以見到他們都很開心。」之佑說。
「大港（駁二藝術特區）旁邊以前是新濱碼頭，我小時候還曾經偷跑進去釣過魚。不過，那裡幾年內就變化得很快，變成了觀光區。其實我覺得小時候有黃昏市場、有五金街，要好玩多了。」柏第說。
堂軒小時候曾在鹽埕區學過鋼琴，對於附近一帶也有屬於他自己的回憶。
「忠孝國小附近的小吃都不錯，像是水煎包、蚵仔麵線、臭豆腐。那裡很多好吃的店面都沒有名字，比如說有一家店我們都叫它『下一鍋水煎包』，因為每次去吃都要排隊等下一鍋。」堂軒說。「如果只是想觀光的話，看觀光手冊就好了。如果要體驗當地的生活，還是要來這樣的在地小店。」之佑說。
在台北闖出名號之後，巨大的轟鳴會就地留守，還是要鮭魚返鄉，耕耘高雄還略嫌陽春的音樂環境呢？
「這其實和個人追求的價值有關，我自己比較有愛鄉的情懷，所以過幾年就會回高雄去，不會想一直待在台北。」堂軒說。
「我和之佑會留在台北，但是現在有網路很方便，如果還要一起玩音樂的話，距離不會是問題，總是會有辦法。」柏第說。
這樣的話，你們就南北夾攻、分進合擊，用龐克的響度轟炸全台灣吧！