I’ve always felt that Hong Kong is the perfect breeding ground for post-rock, emo, and punk—these genres feel like the definitive soundtrack to this city.
Descending the familiar staircase into the basement, I caught the opening act at MOM Livehouse: Hong Kong’s own After Tales. The band currently consists of a vocalist, guitarist, and drummer, joined tonight by a guest bassist. Their sound has a crisp, refreshing quality reminiscent of Japanese rock, with the bassline naturally taking center stage. Perhaps due to my vantage point, the vocals were a bit muffled, but the vocalist’s earnest, high-intensity performance seemed to transcend the volume limits, offering a poignant glimpse into their inner struggle—a feeling of powerlessness clashing with the urge to move forward. Though still raw, they are a band with immense potential for evolution.
Next up was another local outfit, Fist Bump. Tight, powerful, and relentless. Closing my eyes, the sheer density and aggressive texture of their sound made it hard to believe there were only three of them on stage. They possess a raw, instinctive, and explosive energy. You could feel it in the crowd: this is a force that won’t be confined to a basement for long. They are destined to reach a much wider audience in the near future.
Bennu is a Heron, hailing from Guangzhou, brought a different dimension of tension. Amidst the slow-burning instrumentals, repetitive notes gradually piled up, and the vocalist’s screams cut through the stifling heat of the venue like a jagged blade. Yet, after the extreme emotional outbursts, the most captivating moments were the quiet ones that followed the chaos. In the space between the reverberations and the deliberate silences, the emotions finally hit us with full, crushing force.
The night’s climax was, without question, delivered by the American visitors, Michael Cera Palin. They commanded MOM Livehouse with the precision you’d expect from a seasoned Midwest emo band. As soon as those signature, twinkly guitar riffs kicked in, the crowd erupted into unreserved frenzy. The vocalist’s casual, slightly neurotic delivery locked perfectly with the intricate instrumental arrangements, perfectly capturing the anxiety and aimlessness of youth.
Toward the end of the set, Johnny from the organizers, Desperate Infant Records, leaped off the stage. In that moment, nobody cared who you were; nobody felt the need to hide their vulnerability or their rage.
When we wake up tomorrow, we’ll still have so many things left unsaid. But through the raw struggles of After Tales, the instinctive explosion of Fist Bump, the jagged tension of Bennu is a Heron, and the unreserved intensity of Michael Cera Palin, it becomes clear: post-rock, emo, and punk aren’t just imported labels. In a city that feels like it’s suffocating, this is the only way we have left to take a deep breath.
Texr & Photography | Fengyi
