Celebrating the glitz of 1960s Hong Kong, The Aubrey After Dark promises to give partygoers rocking nights of live music from international DJs and local talents, who cover a variety of musical genres—think afrobeats, Latin vibes and amapiano, a South African musical subgenre that encompasses deep house, jazz and soul. The Aubrey After Dark is the brainchild of Andrew Bull, aka DJ El Toro, the legendary founder of the 1980s Canton Disco club, and hospitality veteran Marina Bullivant. The concept, which launched in May, takes place every Friday and promises to bring back club classics while putting a new spin on our nights out.
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How did you both get into nightlife?Andrew Bull: I grew up around the world, as my father was in the British army. Music started speaking to me early in life. When I was seven or eight years old, in Guyana, I would go to bed listening to my neighbours dancing to calypso. The sound of laughter and happiness that it generated had a profound impact on me. I wanted to be associated with creating that feeling. Then when I was at boarding school in London with my siblings, I would DJ at the Valentine’s dance or the Christmas do. When I came to Hong Kong in 1971, I got a job as an intern at the British Forces Broadcasting Service, [where] I was lucky to be able to practise [DJ-ing]. The highlight was when I first played at The Peninsula in 1974. The hotel manager gave me so many compliments—and a contract signed in gold ink [laughs]. I believed [I was good] all along, but that was the validation I needed [to keep going]. Marina Bullivant: I’ve been in the hospitality business since my marketing days at Hyatt International in the 1970s. My role there didn’t cover nightlife until JJ’s [the Grand Hyatt’s much-loved, now defunct club] in 1989, but I’ve been a night person since my late teens and had a passion for music and dancing for as long as I can remember. I was nicknamed “Midnight Marina” by friends and colleagues [laughs]. It was only when I joined [the now-closed member’s club] Kee Club in 2002 that I became involved with the business of nightlife.
Bullivant with Sylvester Stallone in 1994 at Hong Kong’s Planet Hollywood opening (Photo: courtesy of Bullivant)
Bullivant with Grace Jones in 1997 at Bull’s Hong Kong Handover Party (Photo: courtesy of Bullivant)
Why The Aubrey at the Mandarin Oriental?Bullivant: The Mandarin Oriental approached Andrew. As part of its 60th anniversary initiatives, it wanted to create an elegant yet fun after-dinner vibe at The Aubrey, and Andrew, knowing my involvement with Kee, asked me to join him in working on a proposal to the Mandarin. The concept of reviving the glamour of the 1960s was the result of a brainstorming session with the Mandarin team. As the hotel has played such an iconic role in Hong Kong’s history, it seemed a perfect time to pay homage to the beginnings of Hong Kong’s fashionable nightlife, which emerged around the same time as the opening of the Mandarin Oriental [in 1963]. Bull: The Mandarin called me in for a couple of coffees and explained their aspirations for The Aubrey After Dark. I did a SWOT [strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats] analysis—to convince myself whether this had a chance or not. It wasn’t my ambition to open a nightclub at 68 years old—I’ve already done all of that [laughs]. But because the strengths and opportunities outweighed the rest, I thought it was worth doing something great for Hong Kong.
What makes The Aubrey After Dark’s music programme unique?Bull: We lost a few years due to Covid-19—we have young people who are a few years older than they wish they were and older people who feel a few years younger than they are. We have two lost generations to cater to—and that’s been quite fun for me to put together. You’ll see me playing at The Aubrey After Dark, but you’ll also see [DJ, co-founder of clothing brand Yeti Out and Tatler Asia’s Most Stylish honouree] Arthur Bray. You’ll see Marina partying there. It’s a great synergy between us all.
Bull at Disco Disco on D’Aguilar Street in 1980 (Photo: courtesy of Bull)
Bull in a studio on Broadcast Drive in Kowloon Tong in 1973, during his first radio show with Radio Television Hong Kong (Photo: courtesy of Bull)
What are some of the key elements you focused on when creating The Aubrey After Dark?Bullivant: When Andrew approached me about this project, I wanted to check out the venue first. The interior ambience of the place is key; I prefer smaller, intimate environments. I was delighted to find exactly that at The Aubrey. We wanted to create a feeling of a personal party every Friday, where people know each other and feel free to mingle between tables, much like you would at a party in different salons of an elegant home. Lighting is also a hugely critical point in creating the right environment. We were not looking for dark club lighting with strobe effects, but instead an intimate, sensual feeling. Another important element is the mix of people. People love that we have a wonderfully diverse crowd— from 24-year-olds to the more mature nightlife types.
What made Hong Kong’s nightlife so special in the 1970s and 1980s?Bull: The 1970s in Hong Kong were incredible for two reasons: it was before Aids and social media. It was a pretty decadent era. There was a lot of liberation going on. Bullivant: By no means do I qualify myself as a high fashion person, but even in my twenties, my friends and I loved making an effort to dress up to go out clubbing. I want people to get mentally and emotionally involved in the music and dancing, without stopping to pose for selfies or, even worse, texting or browsing on their iPhones.
Have you seen a cooler duo? (Photo: Zed Leets/Tatler Hong Kong)
What do you hope guests will take away from their experience at The Aubrey After Dark?Bullivant: We want to make our guests feel like they belong. We want them to go away feeling that this is their place and that they can be comfortable and confident to come back.Bull: The music we are creating is universally accessible. Even if you live under a rock, you’ll feel the pulse, the warmth and the good vibes. We’re all about positivity and seeing ear-to-ear smiles. It’s about people having a good time on Friday night.
If you both had to choose a soundtrack to your life, what would it be and why?Bullivant: Last Dance (1978) by Donna Summer. It’s upbeat, happy and encourages you to get on the dance floor just one more time— which is what I love doing and what we strive for in the clubbing business. Bull: I was born a DJ. I have a visceral and deep relationship with music. [So,] I would definitely say house music as a genre. It’s what unifies [my generation] and Gen Z.
A song in particular, Andrew?Bull: Just one? Are you out of your mind? [laughs] It has to beLove’s Theme (1973) by the Love Unlimited Orchestra. It’s the most Hong Kong song ever. Early on, whenever you got on a Cathay Pacific flight, this song would play. It’s Hong Kong’s 1970s dream soundtrack and encapsulates all of the city’s aspirations.
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