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First it's China, than a mission to the moon
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Incubus is a huge international act. This band of hard-rockers has sold almost 10 million albums over 15 years and has been tirelessly touring the world. So is there anything else left to achieve?

Plenty, says singer Brandon Boyd. "We'd love to be the first band on the moon. We'd love to play a show at the Pyramids at Giza. We still have a Concept Album in us somewhere. Acoustic Record? Spanish-language album? Rock Opera turned motion picture? Stint in Vegas? Whoa. The sky's the limit..."

Something these guys haven't done yet is tour China and that mission starts tomorrow night when the Los Angeles-based boys take the stage at Star Live in Beijing.

"We are very excited to come and to share our music with all. We have actually always wanted to visit China and have just never had the right opportunity thus far. So the idea for these shows presented itself and we jumped on it!" Boyd told China Daily.

Ben Kenny, the bassist, who has been with Incubus for the past two albums, is the catalyst for their China debut to some extent.

"Ben was playing with every one before us; he played with The Roots (the Grammy winner who has held concerts in Beijing and Shanghai in 2007)," says Chris DJ Killmore, who plays turntables/keyboards.

According to Killmore, the Roots' successful concerts told their friends that China was a market that is opening up with Western culture. China West Entertainment, who has brought The Roots and other foreign bands into China, approached Incubus with a proposal.

DJ Killmore says: "We have a lot of hits; we have enough singles to put out a best of. I think in our arsenal we have 83 songs. We could try to play them all, but we try to make (our shows) a journey and keep it eventful for old school listeners and new fans.

"We'll play some heavy music but also some ballads. We just like to see everyone having a good time. We have fun playing together and that translates."

Boyd has no idea what to expect, but looks forward to sharing music, art and ideas with the Chinese audience.

Formed in 1991 in the San Fernando Valley suburb of Calabasas, California, group members Brandon Boyd, Mike Einziger (guitar), Alex Katunich (replaced by Ben Kenney in 2003), and Jos Pasillas (drums) were all 10th grade classmates when they got together.

"When we started the band, we did so out of a collective fascination with music. All of us had just recently discovered how powerful and life changing hearing music could be and had only just started going to shows in and around Los Angeles," Boyd says.

Following their first major-label release, the six-song EP Enjoy Incubus (1997), the band released the double platinum Make Yourself (late 1999), and later Morning View in 2001.

The tracks Wish You Were Here, Nice to Know You, and Warning were all popular on rock radio, and the band toured heavily in support.

Now they have their sixth album which came out in late 2006, Light Grenades, which "is a very new perspective for Incubus". "I think I can speak for my band when I say that we are interested in movement, experimentation and freedom."

(China Daily March 11, 2008)

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