Why ’90s star Eric Kot wants Hong Kong to do more for performing arts
Kot, who joins Softhard partner Jan Lamb for August’s sold-out stage show Let Me Entertain You, says the city needs more creative spaces
While there is nothing pretentious about an older man wearing a loose-fitting T-shirt and designer jeans, you cannot help but get a Master Roshi from Dragonball Z vibe from Eric Kot Man-fai.
Sporting a full beard and a shaved head under his ever-present baseball cap, he has a certain mischievous air that is familiar to fans of the beloved 1990s Cantopop duo Softhard, of which he was half.
Softhard stood out with their blend of hip-hop and satire. Comprising Jan Lamb and Kot, they were a revolutionary act making witty, fast-paced tracks that mocked pop culture and societal norms.
Kot met Lamb at the Caritas Bianchi College of Careers while both were studying design. They worked as sales representatives and window dressers at fashion retailer Esprit, and joined Commercial Radio together as DJs in 1988, where they formed Softhard.
Rising from radio DJs to television personalities, their avant-garde slapstick style made them cult icons. Beyond music, they hosted hit TV shows and influenced generations of Hong Kong artists.
They parted ways in the late 1990s and branched out to individual projects, but their legacy endures.