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Backstage CMJ 2012 With Taiwan's Chemical Monkeys
They shared the same hobbies (drinking beer, watching anime and video games) and currently even share the same guilty pleasure song: the unavoidable 'Gangnam Style'
At the 2012 CMJ Taiwan Music Fest, pop rock band Chemical Monkeys were met by hundreds of fans at the Union Square Ballroom. Although the four appeared justly exhausted from a combination of jet lag, prior night's drinking in NYC and having just performed their debut NYC show, they were gracious enough to sit down with us and answer questions about their first time in New York.
As we waited for their food to arrive, the Chemical Monkeys gave us some insight into the group dynamic. All the questions were answered by the group as a whole. What struck me most was how tight-knit they were. They shared the same hobbies (drinking beer, watching anime and video games) and currently even share the same guilty pleasure song: the unavoidable 'Gangnam Style.'
One of the only areas in which their answers were not in unanimity was their first memories of Western music: Michael Jackson, The Eagles, Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman", Guns 'n Roses, and Nirvana all got mentions. "One aspect of Western music that really strongly influenced us was the fact that there are so many styles that sound so different one from another." And that is probably what makes Chemical Monkeys a group to keep an eye out for. They've got an open mind as far as influences go, and as members of the up-and-coming generation of trend-setters in the Taiwan music scene, they're bound to inspire the next generation.
"When we go back, we hope to integrate some of our New York experience into the next songs we create." And we too hope the dialogue between the Western and Eastern music scenes thrives.
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