Pentaport Fans Ready to Rock in July

By Seo Dong-shin

Staff Reporter

It is now exactly one month before rock music fans' most anticipated summer delight kicks off: the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival.

The annual festival usually takes place in Songdo Daewoo Motors Field in Incheon. The venue is not usually accommodating to nature's sway; last year, it turned into mud puddles because of a heavy downpour. Nevertheless, the two-year-old festival brings big foreign names and local favorites together in the three-day outdoor fest, running day and night.

Those eagerly waiting for the chance to scream their hearts out along with their favorite tunes have been frequently checking the updates of the festival's line-up, which so far has been announced three times. The last update will likely be announced within two weeks.

The list of participating bands somewhat overlaps with that of Japan's Fuji Rock Festival as it did last year. Yellow Nine, the company in charge of the line-up for the Pentaport, has worked it that way, as both festivals take place on the same dates, from July 27-29. Overseas bands _ mostly American and British _ prefer the geographical proximity of Japan and Korea that allows them to criss-cross between the two countries to perform during that time period.

For example, Muse, the popular English three-piece band that held its first solo concert in Seoul in March, will be at Fuji Rock on Friday, July 27. They will headline at Pentaport on Sunday, July 29. Chemical Brothers, the iconic English techno duo, will perform at Pentaport's Big Top Stage on Friday, and at Fuji Rock on Sunday. Others to alternately visit both festivals include American guitarist Stevie Salas, Irish modern rock three-piece Ash, Irish folk singer Damien Rice, and American hard rock bands The Answer and Gov't Mule.

But Korean fans, especially fans of American and British indie rock, will likely be disappointed when comparing Pentaport's line-up with that of Fuji Rock, as the latter is definitely studded with more hot names, including Kings of Leon and Beastie Boys from the U.S. and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, Kaiser Chiefs, Ocean Colour Scene, and Kula Shaker from Britain.

Some fans have expressed blunt disappointment on online rock music clubs, arguing that except for Muse and Chemical Brothers, this year's Pentaport line-up pales into comparison to last year's, which included top acts from the likes of Placebo, Franz Ferdinand, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Snow Patrol, among others. This year, Saturday's headliner at Pentaport was announced as popular Japanese visual rock band L'Arc~en~Ciel, which also came as rather a surprise.

But Kim Hyung-il, CEO of Yellow Nine, who is in charge of the line-up, sees it differently.

``Last year, even Snow Patrol and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs were relatively unknown bands here before the festival,'' he said. ``There was only a crowd of about 500 in the mosh pit when Snow Patrol was performing. It was the audience's recognition and promotion that followed afterwards that made the band as popular as it is now. I think this is one of the key functions of music festivals, and I expect the same to happen with some of this year's relatively new and unknown bands.''