bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Neil Newman

THE WILD BOYS
I have memories of travelling around in the back of an exhausted 10-year-old Bedford CF van with the band back in 1982. It was a cheap heap bought from a dodgy mate of our keyboardist, John. “Final Academy” was the name of the band, and with radio plays of our single, skinny ties and Carnaby Street outfits, armed with our Musicians’ Union membership cards, we were definitely the next Duran Duran. Except, it turned out we weren’t. 
On the way back from a gig in Hereford on the English-Welsh border, the van’s engine blew, and I had to tow the thing with my car through Central London in broad daylight dressed in red trousers, a rising sun t-shirt and orange bouffant hair. That was enough. My guitar obligations were transferred to Bryan the bassist’s brother and with Colin, our vaguely aware singer, and Steve the drummer, Final Academy continued to live the dream for about three more gigs.  
So I chopped in all my gear, bought a lovely black Les Paul guitar and hopped on a plane to Hong Kong.
REACH UP FOR THE SUNRISE
There’s a lot of music to be found in Hong Kong, from international mega-stars that rock the big venues – I was right in front when Duran Duran played here – to somewhat less renowned artists such as my band “Mr Happy”. We’ve been known to fumble through Rio in The Wanch in front of our audience of mates, who kindly let us know they recognise the tune. 
The bulk of the live music here is performed by a large resident population of professional musicians who fuel the city’s vibrant and diverse music scene with original music, exotic ethnic vibes and faultless covers – or at least they did until the coronavirus pandemic hit. Occasionally, Hong Kong exposure has propelled some players to international stardom. For example, Arnel Pineda, lead vocalist of US rock band “Journey”, used to play with a cover band in Lan Kwai Fong’s Grammy’s. Rumour has it US immigration officers made him belt out a few tunes as they could not believe his work visa details. 

Those were the days. But now, professional musicians in Hong Kong are hurting badly and they urgently need to work again. 
By the time the pandemic shut down live music spaces, from bars to dance and concert halls, the industry was already suffering from the effect of the protests, with many gigs having been cancelled. The closure of all live music spots other than the dedicated performance venues such as the City Hall concert hall, and a few art centres and outdoor spaces, has remained ever since. While this has helped a handful of musicians get back on stage, most of these highly skilled, talented, professional workers have not had a paying job for well over a year. 
To make ends meet, many resident musicians have turned to delivery jobs, from running lunchboxes around to escorting exotic car parts to the United States and Mexico for the rich and famous. A courier run pays enough to support a family for a few weeks, and although you are locked up away from your family, you get fed in a quarantine hotel. Some other musicians have been able to scrape by, assisted by welfare payments in a city not exactly well-known for its generosity and others relying on food donations from impromptu support groups. 
If 2021 kills fast fashion, Hong Kong’s garment industry could come back to life
HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF
It is difficult to estimate how many people in Hong Kong are affected, and indeed how many starving musicians there are, but the number is not insignificant. A simple calculation may get us some of the way, though. According to the latest census in Britain, about one out of a thousand people in the workforce said they were professional musicians. If Hong Kong has the same ratio, that means we’ve got about 4,000. Then there are the people whose livelihood relies on behind-the-scenes activities such as audio engineering, lighting, music production and event planning, which would push the total closer to 4,500. 
With hotel performances banned, except for in the lobby, indoor performance clubs and pubs and restaurants closed, the Peel Street jazz clubs – Fresco, Foxglove, Iron Fairies – shuttered, and all the dance clubs and private events cancelled, how can these people possibly earn a living? 
In Britain, the Musicians’ Union stepped in immediately with support groups, help and advice. So where is the Hong Kong Musicians’ Union in all of this?

 
ORDINARY WORLD
With about 32,000 members, the United Kingdom Musicians’ Union in good times helps to set rates of pay for all kinds of musical engagements, from session musicians to teachers, and it has a substantial revenue stream and can offer support in bad times, like now.
Compared with the Musicians’ Union in Britain, the one we’ve got here in Hong Kong, a trade association that was set up 70 years ago, appears to have been woefully ineffective. With only 80 members, the Hong Kong Musicians Union (HKMU) has no clout and the management appears to have fallen asleep at the keys. A change in leadership following new elections for the HKMU in mid-August hopefully will lead the association in a new direction.
This has led to a collection of non-governmental organisations setting up to represent musicians. But given that there is strength in numbers, perhaps someone should take the lead and get them working together.
China is heading into an economic perfect storm
IS THERE SOMETHING I SHOULD KNOW?
One could argue that the problem is a failure to realise the importance of music for the city. And the common attitude towards music in Hong Kong is that “it’s just entertainment”, non-essential, and is mostly performed by people who have “real jobs” during the daytime. That is simply ignorant.
The impact of music on Hong Kong life is important, not just from a morale or cultural point of view, but because the multiple events from the Fringe Club programme to live music shows throughout the year make Hong Kong special. Yet this seems wholly underappreciated.
Nurturing the appreciation of this art form from an early age in Hong Kong, such as Singapore does with its charity Jazz Association, engaging young Singaporeans in music education and live performances from an early age, may be a long-term solution. But for now, the music scene needs rescuing and that doesn’t mean increasing the number of karaoke lounges – which, incidentally, are open.

SAVE A PRAYER
For those folks who remain unconvinced of the importance of the art form, there’s a potential economic upside as well. Government support to rebuild the industry, or at least allowing these people to work again, would provide a timely boost to entertainment spending and help the economy when travel opens up again. Hong Kong is an English-language centre for music in Asia, with facilities and venues that could bring back tourists – I might even get the band back together. Unfortunately, the orange hair really is a thing of the past.
In the years I have been here, Hong Kong has offered all kinds of musicians many opportunities to play in numerous venues, but this scene has now totally collapsed. To the resident professional musicians that kept both locals and tourists dancing, singing and enjoying live music into the wee hours, I salute you and we need you back. And to musicians in all the other venues, large and small, that have delighted us with jazz, classical, ethnic and all kinds of music: you make Hong Kong special, and we should respect you more and the Government allow you to get back to work.
As they say, “it ain’t all over till the fat lady sings”. Well, let’s just hope she doesn’t get to climb the last stage in town.
Neil Newman is a thematic portfolio strategist focused on pan-Asian equity markets


How British-born Chinese singer Mui Zyu is taking back her heritage, one song at a time

How this organiser went from corporate DEI to planning music festivals

Your perfect week: what to do in Hong Kong from November 10 to 16

Hypefest draws crowds and vendors in Hong Kong debut despite typhoon threat

Hong Kong's music scene

Take the pressure off Hong Kong’s musicians

Final Academy at The Rock Garden in 1982. Photo: Neil Newman

Arnel Pineda performs at the HK Musicians’ Union’s 70th anniversary concert. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Iron Fairies in Central, Hong Kong. Photo: SCMP

Neil, back when he thought red hair was a ‘thing’. Photo: Neil Newman

Recycling a hedge fund makes me wonder: will Hong Kong’s environment survive all the ‘fresh starts’?

One careful owner. Photo: Neil Newman

Scrap plastic collected at Allan Wong Wing-ho’s recycling factory in Lung Kwu Tan. 18JUN20 SCMP / Jonathan Wong

RIP washing machine. Photo: Neil Newman

Neil Newman's recycling skills extend to hedge funds.

As China’s blockade unravels the Australian economy, everything is at risk

The British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will be deployed to Asian waters as part of a ‘Magnificent Seven’ that will include US and Australian forces. Photo: AFP

People line the shore to watch as tug boats manoeuvre the 65,000-tonne British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth into Portsmouth Harbour in Portsmouth, southern England on August 16, 2017, as it arrives at for the first time in her home port. - The 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth is one of two carriers being built at a combined cost of £6.2 billion ($10.6 billion, 7.8 billion euros) to overhaul Britain's naval capabilities. The ship measures 280 metres (920 feet) long -- the equivalent of 28 London buses or nearly three times the length of Buckingham Palace -- and 56 metres from keel to masthead. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP)

(FILES) In this file photo a protester holds a US flag outside of the Chinese consulate in Houston on July 24, 2020, after the US State Department ordered China to close the consulate. - The United States on September 8, 2020 accused China of fearing a free media as it denounced Beijing's new restrictions on the international press. China's foreign ministry "has informed us that they plan to further limit access for foreign journalists working in the PRC," State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said."These proposed actions will worsen the reporting environment in China, which is already suffering a dearth of open and independent media reporting," she wrote on Twitter. (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP)

This Week in Asia

Opinion

Comment

Hong Kong

Asia


The loss of gigs amid the coronavirus has inflicted severe financial pain on professional musicians, who have not worked for over a year. Will there be a way back?
Closet Durannie and fumbling guitarist Neil Newman wonders if, with government support, the industry can be rebuilt for post-pandemic economic benefit



Closet Durannie and fumbling guitarist Neil Newman wonders if, with government support, the industry can be rebuilt for post-pandemic economic benefit.


Music

Coronavirus Hong Kong

Coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Hong Kong economy

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Column

Abacus

Abacus | Take the pressure off Hong Kong’s musicians