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Hong Kong > Lifestyle > Hong Kong Entertainment > Live Music in Hong Kong
The music scene in Hong Kong is often to be found at small venues, and not in giant stadiums. Here’s why.
Pete Spurrier takes a look at options available if you're looking for live music of the non-canto-pop variety.
When the SAR hosted the HarbourFest in 2003, it made international
headlines – but for all the wrong reasons. The lengthy extravaganza of
concerts, while well intentioned, was poorly planned and executed.
Expensive foreign acts with no local fan base were invited to play;
crowd control was chaotic; promotion was badly done; and the event
ended up losing millions. Worse, it was funded with taxpayers’ money.
We’re unlikely to see another similar venture any time soon. That’s just fine, as most would agree the government shouldn’t be engaged in concert promotion. Let’s leave that to the commercial promoters – if there is a need to be filled, then they will take care of it.
It’s true that the scope for large-scale concerts in Hong Kong is limited, thanks partly to a lack of suitable venues. The Coliseum at Hung Hom is booked almost solidly year-round with marathon seasons of Canto-pop concerts, which have little appeal to expats. The Hong Kong Stadium, expressly designed for major events, suffers from a bizarre planning decision which saw it built in a low-noise area. As a result, it plays host to rugby tournaments instead of concerts. Any large venue planned for the West Kowloon Cultural District is years away.
This means that a lot of high-profile performances are staged at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Recent months have seen shows staged by REM, Diana Krall and Norah Jones, amongst others. This summer will bring opportunities to see Kylie Minogue and Robin Gibb. The downsides are that it’s a little sterile as a venue, and the limited seating means that ticket prices are generally high.
Small is Beautiful
So it’s at smaller venues where you can be best assured of finding live music on a regular basis. There’s a huge number of local bands doing the circuit. Check out the freebie entertainment magazines like bc and HK for up-to-date information on gigs.
Some bars actively sell themselves on their live entertainment, and there is usually no cover charge.
In Central, French wine bar Gecko (Ezra Lane, off Hollywood Road) offers eclectic jazz on Wednesday nights. V13 Vodka Bar (13 Old Bailey Street) has live music every Tuesday. The neighbouring Bohemian Lounge (3-5 Old Bailey Street) hosts piano evenings. You’ll find tribute bands taking the stage nightly at The Cavern (Lan Kwai Fong Tower, D’Aguilar Street).
Chasers (2-3 Knutsford Terrace, TST) shares mainstream pop and rock bands with sister bars Dusk Till Dawn (76-84 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai) and Insomnia (44 D‘Aguilar Street, Central).
Also, in TST, you'll find the 48th Street Chicago Blues club, run by Tommy Chung, one of Hong Kong's top blues players. If you've been to the dives in Chicago, you'll be at home here. Like a lot of the bars and restaurants, Chicago Blues has closed down.
The Wanch (54 Jaffe Road, Wan Chai) makes a point of having different live music every night. Nearby, Venue (15-19 Luard Road) gives stage space to more indie groups.
Grappa’s Cellar (Jardine House, Central) is home to the Stray Katz Big Band, while Ned Kelly’s (Ashley Road, TST) plays host to similar traditional big-band style tunes.
The Fringe Club (Ice House Street, Central) is always a good bet for live music: it has a regular schedule of events of all sorts. Frequent guests include Elaine Liu and the Guy Le Claire trio.
Hotel bars are another hunting ground. Eyes at the Miramar Hotel (118 Nathan Road, TST) regularly features Danny Diaz and his band.
Festivals
The Rockit outdoor music festival is now entering its third year. Bands from around the region converge on Victoria Park for a weekend of open-air fun in October.
The international Battle of the Bands contest also affords plenty of chances to attend gigs by outfits from Hong Kong and other countries. Starting off last year at Carnegie’s (53-55 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai) and the Fringe Club, the tournament is extended this year to include new venues Edge (60 Wyndham Street, Central) and the Hard Rock Café (30 Canton Road, TST). The event kicks off in June and Hong Kong will be hosting the final in November.
Finally, karaoke is not to be mentioned in the same breath as live music, but honourable mention must be made of Hardy’s Folk Club (35 D‘Aguilar Street, Central). This Lan Kwai Fong institution sticks to the trusted guitar and keyboards, and amateurs can make their own music here until the early hours.
Pete Spurrier is a Hong Kong based writer and publisher. His website can be found on www.petespurrier.com.
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