Hong Kong’s indie scene to be uplifted by 2-day music event Un.tomorrow: First Assembly, showcasing 10 local bands
- Indie bands often struggle in Hong Kong, with its lack of venues and resources, so musicians from four local groups have joined forces for a two-day event
- Bands at the live shows, on March 9 and 10, at an art school in Kowloon, will include Arches, Code, David Boring, The Crush and Wellsaid
With a lack of funding, resources and venues, independent music in Hong Kong has long faced its challenges. But now, urged on by the concept of an “unknown tomorrow”, a group of local rock musicians and promoters are collaborating to make something out of their collective talent.
Un.tomorrow is a new music collective and independent label currently preparing for its debut event, on March 9 and 10, which will showcase 10 acts at an art school in Kowloon.
An Id Signal was established in 2005, while David Boring and Wellsaid were founded in 2013 and 2016, respectively. Zenegeist is an online platform that has produced content about indie music from around the world while promoting local gigs since 2013.
“We try to come up with our own sound and host our own gigs. DIY is a big part of our music and how we view ourselves as artists,” says Cheung, guitarist of David Boring.
The Hong Kong DJ bringing a taste of European industrial sounds to the city
“It’s also a core identity of Un.tomorrow – in the sense that these people are all in the Hong Kong scene doing things their own way, which is how we came across each other in the first place and eventually got together to do this.”
The name comes from a Cantonese expression meaning, “You never know today what’s going to happen tomorrow, so you might as well do it now”.
“When the future is not in our hands, we have to do something right now,” Cheung says, laughing, “The Cantonese phrase is more snappy”.
The bands involved have all nurtured their own fan bases over the years, but Cheung admits it is not an easy feat for “things to grow on their own beyond that. The rent is extremely high in Hong Kong and it can be very expensive just to keep up. Many people try to do things out of their own pockets, but it’s not really sustainable for the more ambitious projects.”
Un.tomorrow’s coming concert, “First Assembly”, is not only named for the school venue, but also because “it’s time for us to come together and see how things go”, says Cheung.
“It’s also somewhat inspired by the kind of ‘buffet-style’ gig nights in the 90s, when different genres of musicians would put on live shows together. There may not be a consistent sound or theme, but the idea is to join forces.”
“We’re trying to get everyone on board, that’s why we call it ‘First Assembly’, because we hope this will continue to grow.”
“Un.tomorrow: First Assembly”, Arts and Culture Centre, HKICC Lee Shau Kee School of Creativity, 135 Junction Road, Kowloon, 4pm to 10pm, March 9 and 10. Tickets HK$580 to HK$1,040; students HK$480
