Turning focus to DJs and electronic dance music in the city, since the summer of 2011 XXX has been a prime venue for electronic musicians, music lovers, and alternative scene seekers alike. Time out magazine hailed it as a “haven to the underground scene”, a statement I fully agree with. Before XXX  opened on 212 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan, there was nothing like the sort. There were not many places to go for people who wanted to dance to something with more substance than the Top 40s pouring out of the LKF clubs. Founder DJ Enso had a vision to bring something more authentic to the city and give Hong Kong it’s own underground space. And to the satisfaction of many, he’s done just that! It’s obvious that he and his team care a lot about what they do, and this venture is no doubt a pioneer in what I see to be the expansion of our city’s much needed underground scene.

After this past weekend, XXX moves to a new unknown location. On Saturday March 9, they held their last event at the Wing Lok st. location. Future Dancehall featured some awesome reggae beats which the crowd found no problem moving to. I am yet to be disappointed by a night of great music at XXX and am hoping to see it bigger and better than ever at it’s new location.

This kind of contribution is a perfect example what the music community needs: People who notice a need for quality venues and niches, then work hard to make them a reality, and people who show up to support, appreciate and enjoy.

Last night at Joyce is Not Here’s regular Saturday night gig, I had the pleasure of seeing another of our city’s great talents Aileen Alonzo. With a really captivating voice, she tells beautiful stories about life and love (and caterpillars in the shower!) The titles of her songs such as Icarus and Alice, are often inspired by mythological stories and fairytales. She mentioned that she likes the idea that these tales relate so closely to real life. I personally enjoyed her set a lot and was impressed by her mastery of vocals, guitar and keyboard. Her passion for her craft really showed through the performance.

During the break, Aileen and her friends Darren and Lei Au (who are also musicians) gave me some insight into the music scene in Hong Kong as they see it. Aileen has been playing for about five years now, doing solo sows, playing in the band Dark Himaya (who’ve just launched a new album), and busking HKs streets. Her next venture is a new band called CLEEN which will play “acoustic glitch” – (Seriously, check this out!) I was impressed by the way she seems to be going for exactly what she loves. She’s just quit her job in a bank after 10 years to focus on music. According to Aileen, the independent music scene in the city has definitely been getting better and better.

Darren who played guitar and sang with Aileen for some of the songs during the gig, is also optimistic about the growing independent scene. He told me about how there used not to be so many indie music venues, except for the Wanch but now there are some great newer venues coming up. In his opinion, the person that has done most for the HK music scene is Chris Bo of the Underground (Something I can’t beleive I haven’t written about yet! Sidenote: watch out for a post). When I asked about his favourite Hong Kong musicians, he mentioned The Bollands, a New Zealand couple who’ve played for months in Hong Kong, and who will soon be moving back to live and play here. They sound like a duo to watch out for.

Lei Au told me a bit about busking in the streets of Hong Kong. She plays mainly percussions and it seems like something she really enjoys. I’ve always wondered about what the experience of busking this city is like. When I asked her, she told me that can be very nerve-wracking at first, but once you get into it and passersby start responding, it’s a great feeling.

I really enjoyed both the performance and having the chance to chat with these musicians. It was inspiring to get the perspective of people who are active in and optimistic about the music scene in the city.

Some links to keep you updated:
I found this gem of a tune from Aileen’s new band, CLEEN (live performance debut in April!)
[bandcamp track=3604555012  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

And of course, the Facebook pages for two of her projects Here’s CLEEN, and here’s Dark Himaya

BeatingHeart is a music space located in and industrial building in Shek Tong Tsui. They serve the music community in Hong Kong by offering high quality rehearsal and audio facilities, and providing a cool space for live performance. It’s a perfect place to experience and support some of Hong Kong’s growing talent. HKXO7 took place here and shortly after, they held a free event where members of the famous Libertines gave HK some love.

It’s a great place with a great location (between Sheung Wan and Kennedy Town) to check out!
Find out what’s happening next at BeatingHeart.

Joyce is Not Here is a great little venue on Peel Street, with and incredibly inviting and laid back vibe. As a bar for artists, it hosts themed regular events from photography nights to poetry nights and open jam nights. On the weekends they have intimate shows from local performers. Unlike  the venues in nearby Lan Kwai Fong, this is can be a very relaxed way to spend your evenings, enjoying the sounds of HK talent.

Last thursday I stumbled upon a Jazz night at Joyce is Not Here. I didn’t catch the singers name, but her voice was phenomenal, and she carried out some strong notes through the performance. The atmosphere was one to experience.

Personally, I haven’t really gone in search of Jazz music in the city but this was an awesome discovery.

As a bonus, while there we saw Joyce’s neighbor, Peel Fresco (apparently run by the same people)..it’s under renovation for now but they should be open in a week! It looks like it’s a great place to come for live music so I’ll definitely be back soon. Keep an eye out for a Peel Fresco post coming soon!

Hidden Agenda Live House is a testament to the demand for a good, authentic place to enjoy live music from local and international acts. Tucked away in an industrial building in Kwun Tong, the government had tried to close down the venue in 2011 and fans of the space held protests to try keep it running. Though Hidden Agenda was eventually driven out of their original location, they were able to find a new space and continue in their goal to give “audiences and artists…the best possible indie experience”

I think that places like this are vital to the Hong Kong music scene. It’s a personal music space delivering a sense of grittiness and authenticity

Click here for their website, and here to read more about the ultimatum they were given by the government in 2011

Upcoming shows:
FEB 23 – Thee Oh Sees + Shiva Unit & Tigerbombers