Popular venue The Aftermath, in collaboration with Comedy HK, is supporting the distressed arts scene with a festival featuring local bands and comedians.
Share this article on Facebook with a creative hashtag for a chance to win a ticket to attend the Fringe Festival for FREE! Read on for more details.
The pandemic has not been kind to the touring performance industry in Hong Kong. Live performances have been banned for most of the past year with the latest ban in effect since 22 November due to the dance hall clusters.
Over the past year, musicians have gone bankrupt, popular venues have closed and the little that’s left might not see the end of the pandemic. Popular music heavyweights such as Chris B. of ‘The Underground have thrown their weight behind requesting for official support from the government. While others such as John Prymmer, owner of the popular venue The Wanch (once called the ‘Home of Live Music’ in Hong Kong) have vacated their premises of over 30 years until the pandemic ends, promising to “reopen The Wanch when the time is right”. The F&B industry, which houses the majority of performance venues in Hong Kong, is also in deep water with catering giant ‘Dining Arts’ recently announcing that its 5,000 member restaurants might not survive past Lunar New Year if social distancing regulations stay.
Owner of The Aftermath Alicia Beale has a risky but innovative idea: move all performances online. The idea to start Aftermath TV rides the wave of virtual performances that have already been utilised by government-subsidised performing arts groups.
“To open this upcoming new year, The Aftermath, a home for arts & cultural entertainment, will launch Aftermath TV,” Beale told Harbour Times.
“[It’s a] media channel where episodes of stand-up comedy, live music performances, and game shows from HK-based event organisers”.
The online Aftermath Fringe Festival is its eight-week maiden airing extravaganza featuring “two episodes of stand-up comedy featuring some of Hong Kong’s top comedians having a wild time [with] an absurd game show titled, Questionable Drunks, designed by Seth Waters, one of HK’s funniest comedians.”
“The other four episodes of The Aftermath Fringe Festival are an opportunity to meet incredible HK indie music bands in an interview and hear them perform their music live.”
“Each band is the main subject of their own episode; Shumking Mansion a funky psychedelic rock band, Mr Koo a blues and surf rock band, Cry!Romeo an ‘in your face’ alt-rock band, and Jonathan Yang an art-rock solo project but otherwise a member of Mothgown and David Boring.”
Those familiar with the local touring scene will recognise familiar faces such as ‘comedy godfather’ Tamby Chan and Garron Chiu, known for his chaotic on-stage persona. Both will be performing in the first episode airing on 29 January.
Tickets can be purchased on Ticketflap for $80 per night or $500 for all eight nights (+$15 transaction fee).
Fringe Festival Giveaway
However, for Harbour Times readers, Alicia and The Aftermath management team have very kindly offered us a giveaway! Share this article on Facebook and come up with a hashtag for the festival – be sure to tag the venue. The best hashtag will win a free pass to all eight episodes.
Competition is open until the first live stream on 29 January.
This post has been edited for spelling.
Printer: R&R Publishing Limited, Suite 705, 7F, Cheong K. Building, 84-86 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong
