Ponyboy. Photo by Ricemove
Hong Kong isn’t exactly known for its indie music scene, yet its aficionados exist in droves, and almost seem to privately revel in the fact that they will likely never be at the forefront of pop culture here. This fact speaks to their independent identity and “do it yourself” mentality, which both humble the would-be stars and embolden the fans’ passion for the genre.
This psychological abandonment also gives the musicians a certain artistic permission to dismiss the tastes of the masses, something that rings true at least for Teenage Riot, Love Face and Ponyboy, three local indie bands quietly content with not quite making it in Hong Kong.
These groups, and perhaps hundreds more, have established themselves in the industrial buildings of Kwun Tong. The retreat of Hong Kong’s manufacturing industry has made these hollowed warehouses comparatively cheap to rent, the perfect places to create an indie nucleus. The area also houses perhaps the scene’s best-known venue, Hidden Agenda.
Staying active and passionate about making music with only a handful of venues – some of which don’t even have sufficient equipment or sound technicians – and with even fewer recording studios cheap enough to rent, these bands push on and keep strumming despite the odds. Only a select handful out of the hundreds in Hong Kong are able to make a living from music.
“Of course we would like to see a revolution of Hong Kong’s pop culture, but this is not the purpose of why we play music. It is purely for the enjoyment of ourselves; the revolution has to start within”, says Ling Tsang, guitarist of Teenage Riot, who will be playing at Clockenflap this year.
Tsang and his band members are what you may call vets of the Hong Kong indie community, having been part of it for some 15 years and with many members hailing from both active and bygone indie acts such as 22 Cats, Hard Candy and False Alarm. Echoing the new wave and punk movement of the 80s and the alternative rock of the 90s, Teenage Riot’s music evokes the nostalgia for a younger past.
The seven-piece band’s name is taken from Sonic Youth’s seminal track, although the members confess that none of them were actually teenagers when they formed. “People call us a super group, but the truth is we’re just super old”, jokes frontman Por Chan.
Chan and Tsang also serve as active purveyors of Hong Kong indie music; the two of them and their associates run local label, Harbour Records.
Undeniably younger are the members of the three-piece setup Love Face, just a few years out of college and all embarking on their first independent endeavour. The drummer and guitarist met in college in the United States before searching for, and finding, their bassist in an online forum after returning home to Hong Kong.
Love Face“Our name is a play on how the Cantonese words ‘Love Face’ are pronounced ‘Leun Yeung’, which sounds similar to ‘Lan Yeung’, or ‘Dick Face’”, explains guitarist Jackson Ng.
Love Face recently played as the backing band for singer-songwriter and friend Jabin Law during his performance at this year’s Time Out’s Big Night Out. They too applied to perform at Clockenflap this year but did not hear back from the promoters.
Whereas Teenage Riot’s sound, by way of originally being a Sonic Youth cover band, embodies emulation, Love Face’s aspirations reside more in visceral incorporation: elements of free jamming, alternative rock, post-rock and R&B, are all weaved in to their music.
Despite just starting out, they too refrain from delusions of grandeur, although they do believe the indie scene in Hong Kong is growing, at least in population. “More and more young people would like to learn how to play an instrument, and when they get good enough, they naturally would like to form a band. But everything seems to stay on the indie level”, says drummer Lung Shing, better known as LS.
Also young and eclectic is the four-piece band Ponyboy, who performed at Clockenflap last year and hold a special allegiance to the mostly forgotten emo punk rock bands of the 90s, such as Fugazi and Jimmy Eat World. These influences are meshed with intricate post-rock and math rock sensibilities in a jovial, yet angst-ridden frenzy.
The group is currently preparing for one last gig at the newly resurrected Warehouse venue in Aberdeen before setting out on a hiatus to work on new material. “What’s important is that we like our music, not necessarily the big crowds”, insists guitarist and singer Jimmy Leung.
Ponyboy. Photo by RicemoveWhen asked what he likes about the low-key nature of Hong Kong’s indie scene, bassist Dickson Chen says, “The feeling of having close friends around the scene is great. They’ll support you when you have a show, even help you promote it”.
All three bands acknowledge the improbability of succeeding musically in the city, and maintain that being in a band is just a passionate hobby. Their small but loyal group of followers nevertheless cherish their commitment, saying that such a sense of independence should not be wavered on the quest to make the “big time”.
While new developments such as the expansion of the internet and the establishment of Clockenflap have in many ways validated the indie scene as a subculture, the experience has changed little for the bands that keep the scene alive year-round in Hong Kong.
Reflecting back on his 15-year run, Tsang of Teenage Riot says: “Why we play, how we play, where we play, and how the scene keeps on surviving all these years, all these things at their very core have remained the same. We do it for ourselves.”
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