Rocker Pham Anh Khoa and his PAK band will play for free during their tour of 10 colleges and universities in HCM City.

Bad to the bone: Rocker Pham Anh Khoa and his band PAK have performed during a free music tour at 10 colleges and universities in HCM City since Monday. — VNS File Photo

The event, called Rock Cung Sinh Vien (Rock with Students), debuted on Monday at the University of Sai Gon, before travelling to the other colleges and universities this month.

Khoa and his band will perform before an audience of 500 whose taste usually runs to pop and dance music.

Their performance will bring their message that "Rock is freedom".

"Through our tour, we hope to encourage love for rock in an area dominated by pop and dance," said the 30-year-old Khoa.

Well-known from television, Khoa has turned down opportunities from leading music producers and entertainment organisers who wanted to promote him as a pop idol.

"I like rock music. It's exciting and fierce like us, like young people," said Khoa, who, with his band, has spent seven years working hard to make music.

In 2009, Khoa met and signed a contract with Music Faces, a company run by young musician Duc Tri, who has helped support Khoa's singing career.

Khoa and his producer believe that rock music is popular with the Vietnamese, unlike others, who think it is "too strong".

Unlike other rockers who compose and perform rock songs that combine the styles of East and West, blending traditional and modern tunes, Khoa and his band sing their own music.

During their tour, Khoa and the PAK band will perform songs in light rock, including their most popular pieces Dung Nhin Lai (Don't Look Back), Ra Khoi (Going to the Sea) and Con Hac Giay (The Paper Crane), most of which were written by young artists like Tuan Khanh and Vo Thien Thanh.

After the tour, Khoa will stage a concert at the Hoa Lu Stadium in District 1 next month to celebrate his 10 years of singing.

He has invited rock bands such as metal rockers Microwave and Parasite to perform before an audience of 10,000.

The concert promises to be a spectacular and imposing one on May 13.