Hong Kong live-music event H2 Festival back bigger than ever with 100 bands over 10 nights
- The Wanch’s free annual event returns in 2024 with a big increase in artists, and organiser Keith Goodman wants you to see as many as you can
It has been a bumpy ride for Hong Kong’s live-music scene over the past few years, with the anti-government protests and Covid-19 pandemic creating challenges.
But if anyone is looking for a positive sign of the state of the scene now, the annual H2 Festival at The Wanch live-music venue, in Wan Chai, is blasting one out loud and clear.
This year’s event, for which entry is free, saw a huge increase in the number of artists applying to play compared to last year, prompting organisers to extend the festival by a few days. It will now take place from June 24 to July 1.
But that’s not all.
To fit in more of the acts that applied, “H2 2024 Grassroots Weekender”, a two-day event at The Wanch on July 13-14 designed to open the door for new artists wanting to perform live on stage, has been added.
“We had so many applications and didn’t want to say no to any artists, so we said ‘Hey, let’s do part two’,” says Keith Goodman, co-owner of The Wanch and H2 Festival founder.
Goodman is happy about the overwhelming response to the festival – and music fans in Hong Kong should be too.
“We have over 400 musicians performing in 100 bands in a combined 10 nights,” he says.
A lot of musicians left Hong Kong during Covid but this festival really shows what talent is still here
The festival, Goodman says, is a great way to discover the wealth of musical talent that the city has to offer. It features a rich mix of artists and genres.
But do not ask Goodman to name “must-see” bands. Instead of highlighting one act over another, his advises squeezing in as many as possible, regardless of whether you have seen them, or even heard of them.
The festival’s format, which will see each band on stage for around 30 minutes, allows music lovers to squeeze in a lot.
On weeknights during the festival, guests can catch eight bands; the number rises to 11 on weekends and on the July 1 public holiday.
“I really want to market the event, and not individual bands. That’s the whole point,” Goodman says.
Scrolling through the acts is like selecting from a band buffet. There are Canto-rockers Mango Jam, new indie outfit Fish Godmother and grunge group Powerful Moss. Ocean Boulevard will pump out Japanese-style pop, while The Sirens and Repeat Offenders have alternative rock covered.
There will also be solo acoustic sets from Paul Roth and Anmol Gupta, while veteran blues performer Nick Florent will also feature.
Also part of the line-up are folk musicians Naggin’ Eejits, R&B outfit Smooth N Groovin’, and obscure 60s/70s rock specialists Sham Pain Buddha. Punk and post-punk bands Free Yoga Mats, Gonzales Musika and The Sinister Left are also on the bill.
Alt-rockers The Sleeves – Goodman is their frontman – will also perform, as will tribute bands for Jimi Hendrix, The Police, Queen, The Beatles, Royal Blood, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.
Back then the festival was called Handover Hallelujah in a nod to the bar being handed over to its new owners. It was also held around the July 1 public holiday that marks the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China.
Handover Hallelujah expressed the relief they felt after locking in the deal for The Wanch after two years of negotiations.
“At that time we really wanted to celebrate the deal and also re-energise the venue, so we organised the one-day event which, back then, only had about 10-12 bands,” Goodman says.
“A lot of musicians left Hong Kong during Covid but this festival really shows what talent is still here. There’s old bands, new bands – and it’s free,” Goodman says.
H2 Festival, June 24-July 1, 2024; H2 Grassroots Weekender, July 13-14, 2024; The Wanch, 1/F, Henan Building, 90 Jaffe Rd, Wan Chai, tel: 3692 5933. Free entry.
