Asian News 9/27

TV Talent Contests Rattle Politicos

The Chinese government has placed restrictions on TV talent contests, seemingly nervous about the mass popularity of the shows and their influence on society.

The hottest show on Chinese TV in recent years was "Super Girls 2005," the local equivalent of "American Idol."

An estimated 400 million viewers tuned in to the finale of "Super Girls 2005," the local equivalent of "American Idol," with several million voting for their favorite singer through mobile phone text messages.

Since then, some of the contestants, like their counterparts in the States, have become superstars who hold concerts in stadiums.

Talent shows have proliferated on Chinese TV, prompting the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to issue rules on September 21 banning audience voting by mobile phone, text message, or the Internet.

In addition, such shows can no longer be broadcast during prime time.

The rules also coincide with tighter overall media controls anticipating this month’s Communist Party Congress, where new policies will be set. The government has already issued rules about mass gatherings before the congress, and the rules about TV talent shows seem to be related.

Though the government praised the concept of such programs for "enriching and fulfilling the public’s multi-layered and diversified needs for spiritual culture," it has also stated that some talent shows have a "cheap tone, betraying the fundamental position of being positive, healthy and striving for improvement, thus damaging the image of TV broadcasting."

The trigger may have been one TV talent show called "The First Time I Was Touched," in which one contestant staged bizarre gift-giving stunts.

The government said it hopes TV producers will incorporate "scientific judging standards" using only live audience members.

From now on, series cannot last longer than two months and cannot comprise more than 10 shows that last 90 minutes each.

 

20 Years of B’z

Japanese rock duo B’z is celebrating its 20th year in show business.

In November the act will be the first rock act from Asia to be inducted into the Hollywood Rock Walk at Guitar Center in Los Angeles.

The induction ceremony will take place November 19.

The pair is being honored because they have sold more than 75 million CDs during their career, making them the biggest-selling rock act in Japanese history. They were apparently recommended for the honor by guitarist Steve Vai, who has played with B’z. Their new album, Action, will be released December 5.

 

Rockin’ Festivals

Two major weekend rock festivals take place in October in Japan: Asagiri Jam and Loud Rock 07.

Smash Corp. will hold its annual Asagiri Jam at the foot of Mt. Fuji (the "real" Fuji Rock Festival, as some people call it) October 6-7.

As usual, advance tickets for the festival sold out a few weeks ago before the acts were announced.

The lineup includes Ozomatli, Bettye LaVette, Soulive, Cornelius, The Bays, Abd al Malik, Malajube, Fridge, and a host of Japanese jam bands and techno artists.

Loud Park 07, the heir to Howling Bull’s classic Beast Feast of hard rock and metal, will take place at the Saitama Super Arena October 20-21.

Headliners are Heaven And Hell on Saturday and Marilyn Manson on Sunday.

Other acts include Blind Guardian, Arch Enemy, Trivium, Hanoi Rocks, Machine Head and Saxon.

Some of the visiting bands will be touring Japan before or after the festivals.

 

Banana Hall Closes

Banana Hall, one of Osaka’s most popular rock clubs, closed its doors September 17 after 26 years of business.

Famous for its unusually high ceiling and its close proximity to major public transportation lines, Banana Hall opened in 1981 and has hosted everything from the most obscure underground bands to major-label overseas acts, in particular European metal groups.

Almost any Osaka musician of note of the last two decades started out at the venue.

Since the turn of the century, the hall’s fortunes have reflected those of Osaka city in general, which have been bad. In 2004 an IT company bought the building that houses the venue.

The venue’s rental agreement was canceled in the spring of 2006, prompting 12,000 fans to sign a petition for it to be reinstated.

However, the Osaka District Court upheld the cancellation on August 31.

 

Japan Sees Blue Men

The Blue Man Group has finally invaded Japan in a big way.

Though the famously lacquer-skinned, percussion-centered performance ensemble and its supporting corporation have conquered the world, until earlier this summer most Japanese never heard of them.

However, a concerted media blitz and some well-publicized appearances at the Summer Sonic rock festival in August have raised the group’s profile considerably.

It seems only natural since, as founder Matt Goldman told the Japan Times in a recent interview, the Blue Man Group’s stage act has been influenced by the Japanese butoh troupe Sankai Juku, not to mention the "taiko" drum ensemble Kodo.

The PR efforts, spearheaded by an major ongoing TV advertising campaign, are for the benefit of a two-month run for the Blue Man Group that will begin December 1 at the Invoice Gekijo, a theatre being constructed in the upscale entertainment district of Roppongi for the express purpose of presenting the BMG show.