Looking back at Taiwan Beats Showcases 2024-2025 (Band edition)

Author: YSOLIFE

Besides the solo artists mentioned in our previous feature article on the Taiwan Beats showcases, many bands from Taiwan have also benefited on being on the international stage through these initiatives. In this article, we discover some of these bands who have participated in the showcases across 2024 and 2025, showing the full international potential of the Taiwanese music scene.

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恐龍的皮 The Dinosaur’s Skin (Alternative Pop, Indie Pop)

* Photo Source: 文化部影視及流行音樂產業局 The Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development

 

恐龍的皮 The Dinosaur’s Skin is definitely one of the most unique acts to come out of Taiwan in recent years. Branding themselves as Trex and Triceratops, two time-displaced dinosaurs who have accidentally travelled into the modern world, they now perform their special brand of “Jurassic Pop”, showcasing 65 million years of musical talent to fans everywhere.

In 2024, the duo participated in two Taiwan Beats showcases at SXSW Austin, as well as AXEAN Festival held in Bali. At these shows, they charmed the audiences with their tracks such as the ironically-named upbeat song “All My Friends Are Dead”, and the sentimental love song “Millions of Years Apart”.

Following these international showcases, 2024 also proved to be one of the busiest years for the two dinosaurs, taking them across the world and playing shows in many new cities, including Toronto, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur. This year, they even played in the UK at the The Alternative Escape Festival in Brighton. The band also released their well-received debut album “I Dig You” last year to great critical acclaim.

🎥 The Dinosaur's Skin 恐龍的皮 - All My Friends Are Dead (Official Music Video)

 

Mong Tong (Experimental, Psychedelic)

* Photo Source: 文化部影視及流行音樂產業局 The Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development

 

Psychedelic duo Mong Tong, formed by brothers 洪御 Hom Yu and 郡崎 Jiun Chi, are already icons in their scene, having made an impact on many fans with their occult-inspired music, channeling images of superstitions inspired by their Asian roots. 

Mong Tong began their 2024 with participation in the Taiwan Beats Showcase at SXSW Austin, kicking off their US tour that took them across 10 cities in the span of two weeks. During this tour, Mong Tong also featured on the prestigious KEXP, where they performed their tracks such as “Gold Earth” and “Naihe Bridge” live. 

Since then, the duo has been moving non-stop. Besides multiple shows in their homeland of Taiwan, including an opening set for Australian band Glass Beams, Mong Tong has also performed across the world with another US tour as well as a Europe tour.

In Southeast Asia, they collaborated with Thai Molam rock band Ford Trio on the album “Khun Pra! 東福”, where the track “R.I.P” stands out in particular. This was followed by a tour around Thailand as well, where Mong Tong’s mystical roots caught attention amongst the Thai audiences.

 

美秀集團 Amazing Show (Cyber Tai-Ke 賽博臺客)

*Photo Source: 美秀集團 Amazing Show

 

美秀集團 Amazing Show is one of the representative bands of Taiwan that have embodied the authentic spirit of the Taiwanese punk rock scene. With their futuristic aesthetics aligned alongside their songs performed in the Taiwanese dialect, the band has found the perfect balance to attract fans from all ages.

A staple in most major festivals in Taiwan, 美秀集團 Amazing Show made their USA debut this year as part of the Taiwan Beats showcase at SXSW Austin 2025, introducing their unique genre of “Cyber Tai-Ke (賽博臺客)” to the world, a sound that can only be uniquely found in Taiwan.

The band have captured the hearts of audiences with songs such as “捲菸 Roll-Cigg”, “電火王 King of Light” and “我要你愛 You are My Crazy Lover”. They are also renowned for lead singer 狗柏 Gobo’s flashy handmade instrument, the “炫炮 SUPER POWER ROCKET” — a low-tech yet dazzling invention that combines a synthesizer, an effects unit, and a rotating lightbox all in one.

With their self-titled album “美秀集團同名專輯 Amazing Show” from 2024, the band has captured the hearts of audiences with hit songs such as “愛情的大壞蛋 Bastards of Love” and “手機錢包鑰匙菸 Phone, Wallet, Keys, Cigarettes”, which also features 盧廣仲 Crowd Lu.

 

椅子樂團 The Chairs (Folk)

*Photo Source: 明天的歌 Sound of Tomorrow

Folk band 椅子樂團 The Chairs has been one of the most prolific bands in Taiwan in recent years, releasing new albums almost every year and performing non-stop on the road. In 2024, 椅子樂團 The Chairs was part of two Taiwan Beats showcases, featuring at Reeperbahn Festival in Germany, as well as the AXEAN Festival in Bali. 

At the two festivals, the band was welcomed warmly by old and new fans alike as they brought their iconic songs like “Maybe Maybe” and “Paradise…How Far?”. This year, they have upped their ante, with a debut in South Korea, performing at DMZ PEACE TRAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL, a special festival held at the DMZ border in Korea, and also released their sixth full length album “ 愛的對白 Love Dialogue”.

🎥 椅子樂團 The Chairs - Paradise… How Far? (Official Lyric Video)

 

滅火器 Fire EX. (Punk Rock)

* Photo Source: 文化部影視及流行音樂產業局 The Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development

Anthemic Punk rock band 滅火器 Fire EX. took part in the SXSW Austin Taiwan Beats showcase in 2024 in the middle of their first-ever US tour, bringing their iconic songs “長途夜車 Southbound Night Bus” and “島嶼天光 Island Sunrise” to Western audiences and giving them a taste of the Taiwanese spirit that embodies a generation.

Following a successful North American tour, 滅火器 Fire EX. continued expanding their overseas presence with performance at South Korea’s Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, as well as Japan’s MISSION IMPOSSIBLE KYOTO 2024. Later in the year, they returned to Japan in Osaka for Namba Culture Terminal 2024 alongside Japanese band The BONEZ. This year in February 2025, 滅火器 Fire EX. also went to Singapore with other Taiwanese acts at CLANG! Festival.

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With the bands highlighted in this article, and the other solo artists mentioned previously, we can see how the Taiwan Beats showcases across the world has helped to benefit Taiwanese music acts and getting their first steps to reaching international audiences. 

Other bands that have participated in these showcases in 2024 and 2025, such as 我是機車少女 i’mdifficult, 烏兔 WUTU and TRASH, all of which have exhibited great potential and received attention from participating international delegates at the showcases. 

As we enter the second half of 2025 and look forward to 2026, we will see more Taiwanese artists and bands have the opportunity to showcase themselves to more audiences through these initiatives, and we look forward to seeing the impact on their careers.