With his long straight hair and a big grin, John Prymmer – a picture of an old school rocker – sits proudly outside The Wanch. And as the rain sweeps off the bar’s brand new awning, he offers his views on what makes Hong Kong’s tiniest music venue so special. “When you’ve got the audience in the palm of your hand, and they’ve got you at the same time, and you’re both feeding off everybody’s energy, it just makes for one hell of a show. And I’ve seen that happen here so often now. And it’s just so magical.”

The Wanch may have been around since 1989, but only in recent years has it become central to Hong Kong’s music community – and Prymmer has been its main driving force. A bit more than three years ago, the Cleveland-born rocker got involved with the music club, booking new bands and pushing the venue’s legacy of regular mainstream cover bands toward the realm of rock originals. “I looked at who was playing here, and it was the same people all the time. I thought, ‘this doesn’t work.’ Where I’m from, there were different bands every night of the week.”

Over the years, his involvement has increased, slowly becoming the face of this much-loved venue. But only in the last few months has he truly been able to call it his own, when, together with a group of friends and music lovers, Prymmer took ownership of the diminutive rock hotspot.

It’s a rather poetic cycle really. According to Prymmer, who has been in Hong Kong for 11 years, it was actually The Wanch that first got him involved in the local scene, some eight years ago. “There was a band looking for a singer to do Wan Chai Live, which was a big festival between The Wanch and Carnegie’s every year. I ended up getting into this band, and my very first show was right here [at The Wanch].”

While The Wanch is firmly established as a live venue, Prymmer – who also plays in prominent bands Don’t Panic and Retrobates – hopes to make it even more of a central meeting place for the growing Hong Kong scene. “I want The Wanch to be a place where everybody knows they can come, listen to music and hang out,” he says. “It’s just an exciting time for the music scene. In three years here, I’ve seen the bands really raise their level.”

To celebrate the new ownership, and the bar’s new era, The Wanch is hosting Handover Hallelujah on July 1, to coincide with
the handing over of Hong Kong’s keys in 1997. “We’re going to start around 2pm. And we’ll fit in every band that wants to play. So, it’s just gonna be a fun day for people to come out and enjoy great music all day long,” he says.

It’s going to be a huge day of local music. But even if you miss it, don’t worry too much. Says Prymmer: “During the week, Tuesday through Thursday, we’re running 13 original bands.” Yeah, there’s plenty more where that came from.

Mark Tjhung

Want to play at Handover Hallelujah? Hit up The Wanch on Facebook. The Wanch, 54 Jaffe Rd, Wan Chai, 2861 1621.