Performing the Political Reflections on Tatming Meeting George Orwell in 2017

This chapter focuses on Anthony Wong and Tatming Pair, a duo Wong formed with Tats Lau. Tatming Pair released its debut in 1986 and has since built a reputation with its extravagant aesthetics, electronic sounds, and engaged lyrics. Both the 2012 and the 2017 concerts created a great buzz around the city of Hong Kong and were applauded for their political, musical, and aesthetic standards. Hong Kong’s democracy struggle captured world’s attention when crowds of people started occupying different areas of Hong Kong in September 2014, launching the city’s pro-democracy movement to new heights. The chapter investigates how on each level of the production, makers and creative workers negotiate the tension between creating an appealing aesthetic spectacle on the one hand while trying to convey a political message on the other. Amidst contingency, driven by long-term personal connections, the concert came into being.