Liquid Blue

Infobox musical artist
Name =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = San Diego, California
Genre = Pop
Rock
Dance
World

Years_active = 1996-Present
Label = PCT Music (United States)
Deep Blue Records (Europe)
Shanghai Audio and Video (Asia)
URL = [http://www.liquid-blue.com/ www.liquid-blue.com]
Current_members = Scott Stephens
Michael Vangerov
Nikki Nova
Layla Loxa
----Additional Members
Angelo Frisina
Jessica Manning
Rama Douglas

Liquid Blue is an American indie pop rock band formed in San Diego, California in 1996 by Scott Stephens & Michael Vangerov. The group holds the official world record as “the most traveled band” having performed in 100 countries on six continents Fact|date=August 2008 and are more popular in parts of Asia and Europe than in their home country (USA).

The group’s use of Eastern Indian instruments (tabla, sitar, kanun) and scales are unique in pop music with Liquid Blue being one of the first groups to record an entire album blending East Indian music with western pop/rock. Indian influenced songs have appeared on pop albums before, most notably on The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Liquid Blue’s somewhat limited number of recordings all contain “socially conscious” lyrics as primary songwriter Scott Stephens, a former professional Roller Derby skater with the Los Angeles Thunderbirds, refuses to write any human love songs. The band seems to be on a permanent tour and has been criticized for not spending more time at home writing and recording. Tracks from their highly acclaimed debut album, Supernova, have been included on 20 separate compilation CD’s.

Asia History

Liquid Blue made history in 2004 when they were the first American act signed to a Chinese record label, Shanghai Audio and Video. Since 2002 the band has made eight trips to China, more than any other recording act from the West. The pop and rock music scene has been slowly and steadily gaining popularity in China and Liquid Blue has been a part of that emerging culture and music history as it has unfolded. On the band's first visit to China in September 2002, they performed a popular Chinese song "Pong-Yo" in Mandarin to a thrilled audience of 65,000 at People's Stadium in Dalian during the 14th Annual Dalian International Fashion Festival Grand Opening Ceremony. This show was broadcast live on CCTV, China’s national government run television company. Although the band also played original music from a recently released EP, their version of Pong Yo became embedded in the hearts and minds of the Chinese people and the TV coverage of the song was played over and over across the country. With the SARS epidemic reaching its climax in 2003, tour plans were unfortunately cancelled. The timing was inopportune and the band had to wait two years before setting foot in the world's most populous country again.

In November 2005 the band was invited to perform at the 7th Annual Shanghai International Arts Festival as one of only two acts from the USA (the other being the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra). The popularity of the band was still intact as evidenced by two sold-out shows at the 5000 seat Minhang Arena in Shanghai, with no other acts on the bill. In 2007 Liquid Blue made several trips to China including performances in Sanya, Zhongshan, Lhasa, Chengdu, Haikou and Beijing. Most of these shows featured Liquid Blue along with several well known Chinese pop stars. In Haikou the band played to 35,000 at Hainan University Stadium. With the Olympics set for Beijing in August 2008, CCTV's all-sports channel officially became the "all-Olympics" channel on New Years Eve, 2007. Liquid Blue was invited by the Chinese government to perform at the very first broadcast of the newly crowned station (CCTV-5). The sold-out event was held in Beijing at the China Agricultural University Sports Arena (with a of seating capacity 8,200) which will host the Wrestling competition for the 2008 Summer Games. The show was broadcast internationally as well, including on [http://www.cctv.com/english/index.shtml CCTV-9] in the USA.

The group is also popular in other parts of Asia including the Philippines which they visited for the first time back in 1997. In 2007 the band became the first U.S. act to perform in Dipolog City, selling out the 6000 seat Andres Bonifacio College Arena.

Awards

Singles

Compilation Albums Featuring Liquid Blue Tracks

External links

* [http://www.liquid-blue.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.liquid-blue.com/photos/bluegirls/BlueGirls1.htm The BlueGirls website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/liquidblueband Liquid Blue's MySpace page]