We try to devote these pages to the talent on your side of the island – after all, we have Around DB to trumpet DB’s movers and shakers – but an exception has to be made for DBers Saxon and Jarvis Whittaker, aka Case Sensitive. Why? Because they rock.
If you’ve seen the brothers – Saxon, 13, and Jarvis, 11 – busking on the Star Ferry bridge, or on stage at high-profile local events, including the Hong Kong Sevens, The BIG Picnic and Clockenflap, you’ll know what I’m talking about. These boys sound like the real thing, in fact they are the real thing, and did I mention they’re barely in their teens?
So how did they get to be so good? “We practise whenever we get free time,” says Jarvis. “We practise guitar as well as singing, if we don’t our fingers stop being used to it and they become soft again.”
Being part of Y Rock has given the boys some fantastic training and performance opportunities, and they also have… a pretty talented dad! Yes, that would be Blaine Whittaker, probably the most sought-after saxophonist in Asia with his band, and as a studio and touring musician.
“Our house is always full of music,” says Jarvis. “We get a lot of inspiration from Dad. He helps us with our music – with songwriting tips and stuff like that.”
Interesting enough, it was Back in Black by AC/DC that got the boys “obsessed” with music. They’re also into Kurt Cobain, Keith Urban, Guns ’n Roses, Green Day, David Bowie, Queen and The Beatles. “We just really love that kind of music,” says Saxon. “We don’t really listen to the modern music that other kids would.”
“And we love it when we’re up there performing,” shares Jarvis. “We see people’s faces when we’re on stage, and after the shows they come up to us and tell us, ‘That was fantastic!’” “When they start singing along it makes us feel great,” adds Saxon. “We just love playing to people.”
You can follow Case Sensitive on Instagram @casesensitive_hk.
Tags: band, case sensitive, clockenflap, jarvis, music, saxon
