[2024.07.01] THE POLICE SHOWS UP AT DENISE HO'S LIVE ONLINE CONCERT

Denise Ho performs a live concert in the attic of the former site of Mount Zero Books

The police in response to complaints set up a cordon and record the ID cards of people outside the store

When the concert begins, dozens of people listen to the live broadcast outside the store

Denise Ho breaks into tears while singing DEAR BLACK on the stairs of the attic
courtesy of mingpao.com

Denise Ho Wan Si held a live online concert "Hocc Pop-up Live" yesterday afternoon in the loft of the former site of "Mount Zero Books" on Taiping Shan Street, with Mike Orange as the accompaniment and Alfred Hui Ting Hung as the photographer. The concert, which took place at 5 PM, attracted dozens of fans outside the door, including Ho Wan Si's father and Anthony Wong Yu Ming who sat outside the bookstore. More than an hour into the concert, a number of police officers reported to the scene. They allegedly received noise complaints, pulled up the cordon and recording the ID cards of people outside the store. The Police also took down the personal information of Ho Si Wan and others who were performing the live broadcast in the store. The concert was interrupted twice.

When the live concert began, Ho Wan Si was in a relaxed mood and waved hello to the fans from the attic window. After singing for more than an hour, she heard noise outside the store. She said that sometimes the environment can be frightening and worrying, please be considerate. She mentioned that she was in a very chill mood before the concert, but due to some unknown reasons her mood was mixed and needed to be dealt with. She also said, "Could downstairs not be so noisy, you can be heard!" When she went to the window to check on the situation, more than 10 police officers arrived to set up a cordon and record the identity cards of people outside the store.

Ho Wan Si once cried while sitting on the attic stairs and singing DEAR BLACK. After the song she returned to the attic and said to the camera, "Friends who are watching the live broadcast, everyone please be patient, because right now there is a little situation, and it is being handled. Some friends outside have come to visit us!"

During the concert live broadcast, the conversation between Ho Wan Si and the staff could be heard. In addition to the fans outside the store, Ho Wan Si, musicians and people who were in charge of filming in the store also had their ID cards and personal information taken by the police. Ho Wan Si asked the staff, "Is it okay to invite him up? We're going on hold until they are done, can it be a little faster. You need IDs? Why don't the two of us (guitarist Mike Orange) give ours first, then we can continue to sing. Why not get the information from those of us who have to sing and have to shoot, then we can continue."

Ho Wan Si later muted the microphone, more than 10 minutes later the concert resumed. Ho Wan Si invited another up-and-coming singer-songwriter Gwenji to appear. After Gwenji's performance, the concert was interrupted again. After that Ho Wan Si and Mike Orange continued to play and sing. At the end of the concert, she thanked the staff and said, "Yesterday a master said, actually Ah Goo has not seen daylight in a very long time. It turns out that seeing hte light is very important, we see the light at Mount Zero!" Ho Wan Si thanked Gwenji and Hui Ting Hung, especially the latter. "I forbade him from coming but he still came......I also have to thank myself, thank the environment for training a brand new person. I sincerely appreciate it, I really think that if not for this, then I couldn't be like this!" She also thanked the store owner for providing the location. As the concert ended, Ho Wan Si walked out of the store, the fans outside the blockade clapped and cheered. She waved to everyone, motioned for everyone to go, and shouted, "Let's pack up! byebye!?

In response to enquiries, the Police Public Relations Wing replied, "The Police received a report around 5:50pm today (June 30), alleging that a concert was being held at a bookstore on Tai Ping Shan Street in the Central District, during which excessive noise was suspected. Police officers reported to the scene for investigation and suspected that an online concert was being held in the aforementioned bookstore. The noise created may cause nuisance to other people. The Police investigated and followed up with the event organizers and related parties under the Noise Control Ordinance (Cap. 400) and the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Cap. 172) of the Laws of Hong Kong." The case is tentatively classified as a "noise complaint".