Eleven years ago Ray Chan was handed the rock 'n' roll dream.
His band Witness, which he started with college mate Gerard Starkie, was given a six-album deal by Island Records, the label which thrust U2 to fame. Their first album, the alt-country Before the Calm, received stellar reviews from Britain's top music magazines, NME and Q. And they played to tens of thousands of revellers at the Glastonbury and T in the Park music festivals.
Then came the calm. Having released a widely acclaimed second album, Under a Sun, in 2001 the Wigan five-piece split from Island, citing artistic differences. After failing to land another contract, the group disbanded in 2004. It's a familiarly depressing story in the cynical, churning world of the recording industry, but Chan isn't crying.
'I don't have any regrets,' he says, sipping a pint in a Central bar. 'We wanted to sell records, but we didn't want to play pop songs to do it.'
Three years ago he moved with his girlfriend to Hong Kong, where his parents were born, to teach English. The thirtysomething guitarist is also back doing what he loves best, making music on his own terms. Besides still collaborating with Starkie, with whom he teams up again on Saturday for a one-off Witness reunion in Hong Kong, he's also working with local musicians such as Paul MacLean of sonic power duo DP and Justin Chau of the now disbanded Academy.
Chan smiles as he recalls the madness of his years in the spotlight.
He met Starkie, the group's guitarist and singer, at Wigan & Leigh College and after playing in various bands they decided to hone their own sound, writing and recording four-track demos. They proceeded to sign bassist Dylan Keeton, drummer John Langley and guitarist Julian Pransky-Poole.