NEARLY ONE YEAR on from the outpouring that was July 1, 2003, Hong Kong's climate is more politicised than ever. Faith in the powers of politicians, meanwhile, is on the wane. Parties are struggling to persuade a disenchanted youth their work has any meaning, amid intimidated talk-show hosts and the huffing, puffing mainland officials out to dampen hopes for democracy. Now an age-old remedy has been called on to help change this perception: rock music. A yellow brick road to credibility for politicians the world over, it's been embraced by the Democratic Party in an effort to make itself appear to be 'down' with the younger generation. Earlier this month, the party diluted tactics in the light of falling popularity - and now this. Is the move a genuine effort to shake youth from its apathy or a desperate lunge for hipness? It's easy to take the latter view. Tomorrow's concert may be a first for Hong Kong, but rock and politics have formed an uncomfortable and frequently unwise alliance in North America and Europe since the 1960s. US President Richard Nixon famously posed with Elvis; British Prime Minister Tony Blair made the most of the fact that he once fronted a rock'n'roll band while embracing photo opportunities with the likes of Bono, David Bowie and Noel Gallagher. Most recently, a photo of John Kerry with John Lennon, taken at an early 70s anti-Vietnam war rally, was circulated in an attempt to boost the appeal of the US presidential candidate. From the hippie concerts of Woodstock and Altamont to the modern-day Free Tibet and last year's anti-war gigs, the idea of musicians using the stage to promote a cause has never lost its potency. Tomorrow's free Voice for Justice concert at the Cultural Centre Piazza is the Democrats' appeal for rock music to deliver a message that organisers say had been falling on deaf - or at least uninterested - ears. It's also, inescapably, the party's attempt to portray itself as relevant to the city's youth. Among the acts playing free of charge are the likes of metallers Hardihood and Freestyle, hardcore noise-merchants King Ly Chee and grungers GSP. The funkier Nude and Thinking Out Loud will hit the lighter notes. 'There's a teenage generation now who are too young to remember June 4, 1989,' says Chris Bowers, singer with Thinking Out Loud. 'They were only little toddlers then. And anyone who's ever been to a political rally before knows that the usual couple of people with guitars singing for peace and chanting can be a bit boring, which is why a music concert is a great idea.' And with no Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee around this year to provoke potential stay-aways into marching for their rights on the anniversary of the handover, younger Hongkongers might be in need of an extra shove when it comes to stepping out to express their feelings. 'Everybody must march on July 1,' Bowers says. 'People were angry enough last year without the sense of outrage attached to it after the things Regina said about Hong Kong people not caring. We did it with a sense of 'f*** you' in our minds.' So, to discover that the Democrats originally intended tomorrow's event to be a karaoke concert illustrates a party that wouldn't know 'cool' if it bit them on the backside. That a concert such as this has never happened before speaks volumes. The fact that it's happening now, conveniently amid the party's popularity issues, speaks even louder. Simon Ho Chi-hing, the event's organiser, an ex-rocker and now party member, was called in to help. 'This year, the party wanted to do something for the July 1 rally - some kind of cultural activity to motivate people and spread the word about political developments,' he says from his Noisy Neighbour Studios - a fitting name for a musician intent on stirring Hong Kong's considerably bigger neighbour. 'At the beginning, we weren't actually going to do a rock concert,' he says. 'But the party members knew about my work and called me over for a meeting for my input. The first thing I told them was that karaoke was a stupid idea.' A veteran of the local music industry, in a career scoring movie soundtracks and TV advertisements, Ho is also an ex-grunge rocker. His old band, the politicised Midnight Flight, performed at the June 4 rallies in 1998 and 1999. The organising committee, which included party chairman Yeung Sum, agreed. Last week, Ho and the Democratic Party legislators announced the concert by gathering to sing folk song Carry on till Tomorrow, apparently symbolising that their strive for democracy - not to mention respect - is an ongoing process. 'Rock music has so much more impact and can attract so many more young people,' says Ho. 'In the meeting, I told the other party members that we needed to attract more youngsters. Too many young people in Hong Kong are apathetic when it comes to politics, so hopefully events like this will get them interested.' And putting socially aware bands on the bill will help. 'Things have been happening, things have been said that lead us to ask what's going on and question where our freedoms are going,' says Riz Farooqi of King Ly Chee. 'And that's the only reason we signed up for this concert. I wouldn't say that we're necessarily pro-this particular party - but we're pro-democracy for sure.' One of the more accessible bands who'll perform are Nude, whose set features songs written by the father of Afro-beat, Nigerian political activist Fela Kuti, who was repeatedly jailed and abused in his country for his anti-government lyrics. 'Kuti was using the power of music to make his message accessible and inspirational to people,' says the band's conga player and percussionist, Justin Bahl. 'And I think this is the most important thing - that people can maybe use music to organise themselves, to get together with those who feel the same way. It's another forum for people to stand up and get their message across.' Bahl says it's a forum that's gradually being eroded in Hong Kong. 'We're all a part of this community, and people just want to be heard. If you tell a kid to not make any noise, all that kid's going to do is make even more noise. Hong Kong is always being told what it can't do, so we'll make noise about it.' Organisers are hoping that tomorrow's event will achieve more than simply noise, however. 'All the bands recognise that it's a strike for democracy and for justice,' says Ho. 'They're all playing because democracy is exactly what they want to see.' Whether they also want to see politicians attempting to suddenly get their groove on is another issue. You get the impression the idea of registering discontent is what truly appeals to the players. 'Since day one we've been a socially conscious band,' says Farooqi. 'The government is not representing the city and how it feels. So we want to stand up and make sure our voices are heard. These past few years have turned the entire city political. You can't not be involved any more; it's so in your face. There are so many crazy things going on that you simply can't stand back any longer.' Ho denies the event is a protest - merely a themed concert. Such an approach has meant he's been able to side-step potential red tape in terms of putting it together. 'Organising it was quite smooth,' he says. 'The Cultural Centre has always been very supportive, ever since my old band played at their June 4 commemoration concerts a few years back. The only problem has been insurance, which for some reason has been three times more than it is usually - but everything has been paid for by the party, anyway.' Ho is adamant the only thing that can prevent the concert from going ahead is the weather. If it rains, proceedings may have to be postponed because the open-air stage has no cover. That aside, he says, the build up has been completely free from interference. So, the organiser of Hong Kong's first pro-democracy rock concert hasn't received any late-night phone calls from retired mainland officials asking about his family? 'No, not yet,' says Ho. 'And I won't be afraid if I do.' Voice for Justice concert, tomorrow, 7.15pm to 10.30pm, Cultural Centre Piazza (Area C), free. Inquiries: 2402 2408
