words rachel mok

For seven would-be students, notes meant music rather than lectures.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy and Jill a dull girl – ask most university students and they will tell you so. But for some, university spells more fun and less study – and so it was for the members of Partyolk, a band formed by the committee members of the Music Society of the Polytechnic University four years ago.

It is a tradition for the student organization’s committee to form a band every year to represent the Music Society in an annual performance. That was how the seven members of Partyolk, with different tastes in music and varying strengths in their chosen instruments, came together. Vocalist Hin was born into a musical family and is responsible for the band’s Chinese lyrics, while guitarists Jay and YC act as ‘spokesmen’ for the band – answering questions where the others may have stumbled – at least during this interview. Those others include Tommy on synthesiser, Kalun on bass and drummer Hong, the mixing and production brain of the band’s music.

Turntablist Louis, now a post-grad student, adds colour and disproves any theory that one can’t both study and enjoy university life. “It shows it’s possible to balance extracurricular activities with studies,” says the ‘DJ Doctor’, as his band mates refer to him. Yet they recall having become isolated from their fellow students during their study years – organizing gigs and events, they didn’t have much time for schoolwork or class projects. Jay, who was a member of the university’s Drama and Music society as well back then, says, “Everyone has [only] 24 hours, we all have to give up something. For me it was study.”

Looking back, though, it now all seems worth the sacrifice. As a band representing their school, Partyolk received chances to play in a variety of gigs and so they learnt from experience – even if it sometimes meant playing to empty houses. YC remembers a show at the Fringe Club, where they were billed with three other local bands. “We played after midnight,” he says. “Only a dozen people were left and they were all our friends except one – the guy from The Darlings… Wait, actually he is our friend too.”

Tommy butts in with laughter about what happened during another performance. “A little boy started crying during our show,” he recalls. The child was probably scared by the band’s heavy, noisy metal sound, which they sometimes blend with a touch of hip-hop and electronica. “But then we just thought it was funny and actually filmed it …” Which may go a little way to explaining why some mothers view rock musicians with horror.

But behind all the jokes and carefree attitude, these guys do have an aspiration for their music – otherwise the band would not have played on after graduation for four long years. To be more exact, the aspiration is not for their own music, but for the music born with every band in the university. Ultimately, they hope to put on a show with a line up of all-Poly bands, and to release a compilation of original recordings of their fellow schoolmates. “If we continue to grow, we will develop into a union in the music industry, which we will be very proud of.” And so the band plays on.

Partyolk will share the stage with Josie Ho, 24Herbs, Yaksa, Audio Traffic, Hardpack, Kolar, Shepherds The Weak, Tonick and Polymuso at the Polymuso Annual Performance on April 19. The show starts at 5pm at HKITEC Hall 3. Advance tickets are available from HMV and selected Tom Lee outlets (Tsim Sha Tsui, Sha Tin, Wanchai and Tsuen Wan) at $60, or $80 at the door.