No Drums Needed
A percussive street performance duo, No Drums Needed has been performing on the streets of Mong Kok for the past few months. Consisting of HKU undergraduate Desmond Lam and exchange student Carl Patrick Zammit (originally from Hull, England), the band uses recycled materials—including a rice cooker—as their instruments. They talk to Andrea Lo about street performing.
HK Magazine: What inspired you to form No Drums Needed?
No Drums Needed: We really wanted to explore busking culture in Hong Kong. We thought it was something that has only recently begun; not a lot of people know about it or want to participate. And that was our starting point.
HK: What do you hope to achieve while performing?
NDN: We love performing and enjoy every moment of it, and as such we hope to promote the culture of busking and street performance. We also wish to raise awareness of environmental issues, as our instruments are all recycled materials.
HK: What is the most interesting aspect of busking?
NDN: We would say the people we meet on the streets. Our shows are very intimate and very much linked to the people of Hong Kong. It is really an outlet for us to explore musically and creatively in the city’s space.
HK: What are some of your inspirations?
NDN: Several groups inspire us; these include Blue Man Group, Stomp, BL’AST [a California-based former hardcore punk and rock band] and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We are also inspired by individual drummers from John Conners to Buddy Rich.
HK: Are there any problems that you have encountered while performing?
NDN: The police approached us once, asking us to be quieter, but they were surprisingly nice about it. From our understanding, busking is legal in Hong Kong. It is, however, illegal in certain places, and that’s why we stick to Sai Yeung Choi Street, as it is the one place where we don’t need a permit. We try to compromise by finding a new spot to perform every two weeks. Right now we have found our sweet spot in the middle of two intersections—where pedestrians pass through and where there are no shops or businesses behind us. It has been going well so far.
HK: What does a typical show entail?
NDN: Our rice cooker is a staple in our shows; we bring it out every night when we are performing. We challenge ourselves every time and try to bring in new elements to every performance. Children often come up to us and we always let them join in. We try to get people involved as much as possible. Although in the past, there have been people who have come barging in without asking; as such, our policy is to keep it open to just children.