Hiding in Plain Sight – Hong Kong’s Best Indie Music Venue

October 23rd 2013, courtesy of our friends at NecesCity Hidden Agenda is one of Hong Kong’s best-known music venues, if you move in cool enough circles that is. In 2011 it was ordered to close by the Hong Kong Lands Department for hosting concerts and therefore breaking the terms of its lease, but the indie venue successfully fought the eviction, with lawyers even offering their services for free. It’s not often that the HK community clubs together to fight for the arts, and there aren’t many places you can listen to live music in HK without hearing a cover of The Beach Boys. Located in a factory building in Kwun Tong, Hidden Agenda can hold 300 people and is perfectly configured for intimate, sweaty, grimy gigs. The club hosts a variety of genres such as rock, heavy metal, jazz, folk, punk, post-rock, reggae, visual rock, hip-hop, experimental noise and techno, so it’s just a matter of picking something that flicks your switch. Their website gives a list of upcoming events, so if you keep a regular eye on what’s going on, you’re sure to find something that fits the bill. Nothing worse than turning up to a gig and being met by a wild din that makes you wonder why everyone else seems so happy. There’s a bar, a stage, a decent sound system and a little shop where you can pick up CDs as well as street art, although we’re not sure street art can be sold in a shop. Hidden Agenda isn’t your average HK venue (no Champagne in sight) but it fills an incredibly important space in the market... and that’s what makes it special.

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