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 The music house known as Hidden Agenda: This Town Needs (TTN)
opened its doors in 2009 and quickly attracted a loyal crowd of
young Hong Kongers to one of few independent venues for live
indie music in the city.
More recently the club in an industrial area on the Kowloon
peninsula drew supporters of anti-government protests that have
rocked the city. They would often chant common protest slogans
between song breaks at TTN.
But in recent weeks international bands and artists such as H.J.
Freaks, Nervosa and Crown The Empire canceled performances along
with many others due to travel restrictions following the
outbreak of the coronavirus in China, co-founder Joshua Chan
said.
"I think we put the safety of the artists and audience as our
first priority," Chan told Reuters.
TTN has made almost no income over the past two months but has
still had to pay HK$320,000 ($41,000) in monthly rent and other
expenses for the space, the other co-founder Hui Cheng Wo said.
At Thursday's farewell event, over 600 people were temperature
checked and forced to sanitize their hands before being
permitted entry to the club. All were wearing some form of face
protection as were the band members who rocked on stage.
TTN's closure marks the end of a troubled existence. The club
moved location several times due to problems getting a license
as a live music venue and was also beset by staff visa problems,
leading to police raids at one point.
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Now, TNN is among thousands of businesses including tourism and
retail firms that are struggling to survive as locals stay at home
and away from public areas. A partial closure of Hong Kong's border
with mainland China to prevent the spread of the virus has also
reduced visitors to a trickle.
"We don't really have a plan B how to cope... when something like
coronavirus happened we had no choice but to shut down for now,"
Chan said.
The former British colony has been in a recession for at least three
quarters. The fallout from the coronavirus, which has killed two
people in Hong Kong and infected more than 90, comes after months of
the often violent student protests that have further battered the
city's economy.
The Hong Kong government pledged cash handouts to residents and tax
breaks for business in its annual budget on Wednesday to soften the
blow, but that will also put added strain on weakening public
finances.
The support measures are not expected to arrest the downturn in the
Asian financial hub, analysts said, although they will provide
households and companies with some relief.
($1 = 7.7917 Hong Kong dollars)
(Reporting by Jessie Pang and Joyce Zhou; Writing by Farah Master;
Editing by Susan Fenton)
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