What’s the future of the indie scene in Hong Kong?
Revival of Hidden Agenda is symbolic of city’s increasing passion for alternative music, according to industry insiders
The rock music showcase was brought back to life after a successful crowdfunding initiative saw HK$500,000 raised in just one week. It will relaunch at the Hung To Industrial Building, Kwun Tong, on December 15.
Chris B, founder of live music showcase The Underground HK, said she was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming support for Hidden Agenda, both locally and internationally, and added that it showed Hong Kong’s indie scene was going from strength to strength.
“I thought the crowdfunding was bizarre, I did not think people would pay that,” she said. “The organisers of Hidden Agenda are quite political; they do that deliberately. That is really cool; that would not happen in China. This shows that we are still Hong Kong.”
Originally from Hong Kong, the long-time rocker said she had witnessed the steady growth of the indie scene in the city since performing with grunge girl band Sisters of Sharon during the 1990s, and expected its popularity to continue. She said the variety and regularity of gigs here had increased significantly in the past 25 years.