When it was still open, an evening at Hong Kong indie music club Sense 99 meant spontaneous jamming, casual drinking, late-night conversations with the owner and sometimes even a full midnight feast. “To me, it was like a second home,” public relations consultant Karen Lee says. “The community really comes from just going up there and not having expectations. But somehow you just stay up till three or four in the morning, just because you’re comfortable enough.” That was how Sense 99 owner Wong Leung-sek and his business partner To Wun ran the music club in Central – as a homey but lively place for music fans young and old to congregate, no matter what walk of life they came from. But like so many others in Hong Kong’s nightlife scene, it shut its doors in March 2022 because of government restrictions and difficulties brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. “We were there for three years, and our lease was ending, so we left,” Wong says. “What’s the point of [continuing] if the pandemic doesn’t let us open?” Sense 99 certainly isn’t the only club or bar that has suffered in the pandemic. The Wanch, Hong Kong’s oldest live music venue, shut its doors in 2020 before recently announcing a revival . Don’t let Omicron smother the soul of Hong Kong’s live music scene Though not a live-music club, Club 71, a go-to bar for artists, activists and creatives, also closed in 2020 after government restrictions meant its owner could not cover rent. For Sense 99 regulars like Lee, the closure was understandable, but still heartbreaking. “It’s been an institution for a very long time – it’s been here [for] almost 20 years. It’s a cultural collective memory because it has [given] a lot of performers a place to perform,” Lee says. “We need these venues because it inspires new ideas between musicians. Music is more of a collaborative thing than it is a solo endeavour.” When Sense 99 opened on Wellington Street, Central, in 2004, visitors had to press a doorbell and walk up flights of long, narrow stairs before reaching the hidden venue. The club’s upper floor housed guitars, keyboards, congas and more, acting as an open invitation for everyone, amateurs (many with desk jobs) and music professionals alike, to engage in spontaneous, eclectic jam sessions and watch live music. When Sense 99 moved to Peel Street in 2019 because of a rent hike at its original location, it strived to maintain a similar energy. What really drew loyal fans was the sense of community that Sense 99 provided. “When I played at this club … it felt like I became a member of this musical family,” says Sharon Lui, a violinist and music teacher who has since relocated to Cambodia. We were just a club, and strictly speaking, we were not really commercial. We didn’t aim to make a profit; as long as we paid the rent it was all right Wong Leung-sek, co-owner of Sense 99 While there were gigs at Sense 99, it was mostly a place for collaboration, experimentation and expression. Everything was played, from jazz to Canto-pop. In its prime, Sense 99 welcomed world-class musicians from all corners of the globe, as well as local talents like jazz pianist Ted Lo. It was also used as an art exhibition space. The pandemic made it extremely difficult to keep Sense 99 afloat. “We were just a club, and strictly speaking, we were not really commercial. We didn’t aim to make a profit; as long as we paid the rent it was all right,” Wong says. But Hong Kong’s extended restrictions and the resulting lack of revenue meant that the decision to close was the only option that remained. There are, nonetheless, still several live-music venues that have survived the pandemic so far, even if their future is uncertain. How Italian rock band Maneskin became the darlings of US music fans There’s Chez Trente, which Lee describes as the sister bottle shop of Sense 99. Opened by Joe Lung and Chris Chambers, the discreet premises are better known as an art exhibition space, but also welcome musicians for informal jam sessions (mostly for those in the know). Quality Goods Club is a newer live-music restaurant, while mainstay Peel Fresco is still going. But few music venues have the legacy of Sense 99. One that might compare is Visage One, a barber shop that turns into an intimate music venue on Saturday nights. Owner Benky Chan first opened a hair salon and a cafe-bar separately, before combining a barber shop and entertainment venue in the late 1990s. Visage One is tucked away near Hollywood Road, and its dedication to live music remains steadfast. Chan runs this venue a little differently to others, choosing to place emphasis and give the utmost respect to the musicians who are performing. “Here, we have a house rule: once the music starts, people have to stop chatting. If they keep talking, I’ll ask them to leave,” he says. “I think for music, expression is maximised at a quiet place. I don’t really like background music; I like true performances. For performances, the audience has that mentality of respect.” Similar to Sense 99, Visage One has welcomed local instrumentalists such as pianist Joyce Cheung, as well as musicians from around the world, who will call in and ask to play a session on a certain evening. Like Wong, Chan doesn’t run his venue with profit in mind; visitors are invited to donate money as a symbol of support for the musicians. Because of its small space, the performers are often in close proximity to the audience. “You can be close to the audience and directly connect with them,” Lui says. It’s a place for people who just have a very earnest love for music, Lee says. “You kind of feel like musicians are telling you a story by just playing different songs.” Will there be more music clubs? I can’t answer that. But there’s a necessity. It’ll definitely evolve. Because if there’s people, then there’s a need for music Sharon Lui, violinist, Sense 99 regular But the pandemic has surely shaken up the underground music scene, and Chan believes that musicians will have to turn to more government funding to support their artistry. “I think there’ll be a lot of performances at Tai Kwun, West Kowloon [Cultural District], these types of places,” Chan says. “So musicians will get their start there – you’ll see them appear in government-supported places. Because independent places may not be able to survive the sixth or seventh wave, people are worried about investing. “Of course, [it’s a shame]. It shows that this society is unable to survive independently,” he says, noting that an aspect of creative expression might be lost. Although Sense 99 has shut down, and Visage One may close in the coming years, Wong believes the indie music scene will persist, as people are still practising and playing privately. With regards to music clubs specifically, Lui believes that they still have a place in Hong Kong. “Will there be more music clubs? I can’t answer that. But there’s a necessity,” she says. “It’ll definitely evolve. Because if there’s people, then there’s a need for music.”