Demerit is in town!

Demerit is playing Guilin tonight!

They will also join this years Warped Tour.

BEIJING

the type of expression to be found in every big city, in Beijing too, here at D-22.

In Beijing we also crashed a few nights at Nevins place in Wudaokou district. Nevin, a passionate and dedicated punk who is the part owner of famous live rock venue D-22. D-22 opened up its doors in 2006, and served as a home for the music scene that exploded in Beijing at the time. During our Beijing stay we got to see some interesting live shows at the venue. But foremost I was introduced to the Beijing underground scene, including acts like P.K 14, Carsick Cars, Casino Demon, Joyside, Guai Li and lots more that I will dwell on for a while to come. My favorites are Carsick Cars, a band that supported Sonic Youth, and Joyside, a rebellious and highly influential band featured in several Beijing underground scene documentaries. But considering how much the young, experimental bands that performed Sunday night at D-22 impressed me, Beijing will keep produce stunning and unique musicians. 

Joyside

Beijing Bubbles and Wasted Orient document the exploding underground scene in Beijing and cover the new generation Chinese that refuse to be a part of the mainstream Chinese society with all that means. These documentaries serve as a good introduction, and a substitute for Beijing Punk, as the latest news regarding that documentary is distribution problems. 

"The Park"

My favorite spot in Seoul is "The Park" in Hongdae. This sunny Saturday I got to spend in The park hanging out with and photographing Seoul new punks. I asked Hound if his mom was proud of him having Seoul's most compelling mohawk. He told me that she wasn't. She should, I tried to convince him. 

Seoul is not boring I just found it a bit superficial there for a while. And Black Metal.

Seoul is not boring. I just found it a bit superficial there for a while as I spent the afternoon glimpsing at people walkin the streets of Hongdae. But a little dinner with Verv at the magnificent Uzbekistan Restaurant in Dongdaemun did the trick. And some nice black metal that he provided me with served the purpose as well; I guess you ( I ) kind of need the black metal expression in places like Seoul. I absolutely felt no need for black metal in Cambodia.

that was a great weekend

It is a good idea to bring thousands of people together, play them some music that will make them move, jump up and down and scream out of joy.

Representing ANATOMIC TATTOO at the WORLD DJ Festival 2011, was four tattooed Korean ladies, one old punk dude, and one blond western girl in Mickey Mouse pants. Thus, our booth was by far the most punk one. Soon Yoon bought baby chickens that worked as a major attraction, we sold the Korean traditional BUG meal, and we also did tattoos. Our neighbors were, at our left  COCOA DRINK (that Ryan found so incredible delicious), and at our right, LIPTON ICE TEA. I believe I heard a content Jong Hee saying with drunk triumph ‘we have succeeded’, sometime round midnight Saturday night. And yes, I believe our mere presence was in deed a success!

Not quite as successful, was that the car keys mysteriously found their way out of the safe place Jong Hee put them; in the pocket of his shorts. We suspect that this as well occurred round Saturday midnight. Well what to do! Sunday was spent trying to track down a pair of car keys in the enormous mountains of trashes at the festival area. Unfortunately, I’m afraid, with not much of a result. After a few hours however, some other dude, a bit more observant then us we might guess, found them in the Cocoa Drink tent, our neighbor tent! Well we all know what they say, ‘you go out and search for something but you might as well find it at your doorstep.' Or in front of your nose. Or whatever. Anyway, with the car keys back in Jong Hees safe pocket, we went to have picnic by Hangang River! And this happy, sunny Korean spring day we encountered a great Wakeboard place with some nice Wakeboard dudes. So we got to end this incredible weekend with a great boat trip on the (dirty) Hangang River!

doing all right

doing not so good

we lost our car

Acoustic Bar - emotion talks. It is a different kind of fun said SJ. But Lonely Planet are wrong.

At #5 out of 2199 "Entertainment in Asia" is Acoustic Bar ( Acoustic Bar – Emotion talks actually). At #55 we find Club FF, Seoul. Another category, "live music in Asia", ranks Acoustic Bar #1, and FF, first Seoulie to represent, ranked #5. Maybe I was just there at a bad night. (but it was a Friday night and the place was packed, and it seemed to be some kind of house band performing).

Some of the covers: 

• Travie McCoy- I want to be a billionaire
• Dan Ill- Sometimes when we touch
• Sum 41 - Still waiting
• Red hot chili peppers - Can't stop
• Lady Gaga -Pokerface (terrible version
• Maroon 5- She will be loved

At one point some old dude, that could have been an old Vietnamese rock n’ roll hero, sang some bluesie Vietnamese songs that was really good. But what about the rest? I just wanted to take the young Vietnamese and put them in Club Spot for one night, they would've been blown away, it would change their life! And then maybe they could go back and compose some of their own music, Let their emotions talk. I mean, who's feelings were talking at Acoustic Bar yesterday? I want to be a billionaire so fucking bad? Ridiculous!

It is a different kind of fun, said SJ. And yes, I am not judging anyone for doing what they are doing. I just wish that maybe they could sing about themselves instead. And I was definitely expecting something else. And I prefer and recommend YOKO over Acoustic Bar, cause at least they have the sense to play Jimi covers. And don't trust Lonely Planet, they are wrong ranking Acoustic Bar #1.

one sunny winter day Jong Hee and I went out for a walk.

One sunny winter day I was out walking with Jong Hee in Hongdae, Seoul. As we passed Club Crack, the venue where the New Year Punk Show took place a few days earlier, Jong Hee got an idea!
- This place is perfect for another tattoo convention!, he said.

I told Jong Hee what Professor Cabuay from my Leadership Workshop class had taught me, that "to know and not to do, is really not to know".  He seemed to like that Jong Hee -today the 19th February there is a Tattoo Convention at Club Crack!

Beijing Punk

Så Beijing Punk dokumentären går ännu inte att se. Den visas fortfarande på festivaler runt om, och kommer ha premär efter detta. Det var sagt att ske år 2010, så det borde alltså ske när som helst. Det är på tiden tycker jag för det har snackats och väntats ett bra tag nu. Jag är sjukt glad att jag äntligen har fått se den. Och hemma hos en av snubbarna i filmen dessutom! På beijingpunk.com finns mer information samt länkar till flera intervjuer med filmmakaren Shaun Jefford. Jag rekommenderar ett besök.

friends from beijing.

 Samtidigt som jag hamnade i Guilin kom ett gift par från Peking till Guilin för att fly kylan där och hälsa på sina vänner. De hette ChaCha och Wangke och vi spenderade ett par dagar tillsammans. Vi åkte bambubåt längs floden, tittade på kinesisk skatefilm ( ChaCha är professionell skatare) och drack öl på Cats and Rabbits. ChaCha och Wangke pysslar också med tatueringar och har en tatueringsstudio i Peking, Needles and Pins. De har tyvärr ingen hemsida. Men de ska tydligen vara riktigt bra båda två, så om du råkar vara i Peking och vill ha en tatuering så kan jag fixa kontakten. Själv ser jag mycket fram emot att besöka Peking i vår, och få mig en tatuering av Wangke.

drinking tea and watching the sunset.

visiting vangsou,

what happens when 1.3 billion chinese discovers punk?

Jag sag trailern till den har dokumentaren nagra veckor innan jag flyttade till Seoul. Dokumentaren ar gjord av Shaun Jefford och handlar om en liten men betydlig och vaxande punkscen i Beijing, Kina. Jag maste erkanna att min koll pa punkscenen i Asien var narmast obefintlig innan min flytt. Darfor kom dokumentaren lite som ett gladjebesked och lite som en foraning om vad som komma skulle.

Men jag hade nog inte riktigt raknat med att jag skulle traffa och hanga med snubbarna i filmen. Men hur som helst sa ar basisten Liu Liu i ett av banden man far folja, Demerit, en av SJ's basta polare i Kina. Det ar han som har PUNK ROCK tatuerat pa knogarna. Mycket trevlig grabb,roligt rastlos och bra pa engelska. Kommer definitivt hanga mer med honom nar vi kommer tillbaka till Guilin.

Jag vet inte i nulaget vart man kan se dokumentaren. Ar inte saker pa om den har haft premiar annu. Sjalv sag jag den hemma hos Liu Liu som hade ett ex pa DVD. Men sa snart jag lamnar det har landet (imorgon), borde jag kunna leta upp en bra lank.
Den ar definitivt vard att se, aven om jag kan ha vissa invandningar mot att den ar pa tok for kort.

I remember my Seoul.

Basta spelning.
1. Forsta gangen jag klev in pa smutsiga, nedslitna klubben SPOT som specialiserar sej pa hardcore och punkmusik. Forsta bandet jag sag var metalcore bandet NoEazy. Da visste jag inte hur manga kvallar jag skulle hanga pa Spot.


2.Kickscotch Spot Halloween Party. Spot var packat med folk som var extra glada i hagen tack vare en timme fri cocktail.


3. National Pigeon Unity. Sena spelningen pa Spot. Folk hade redan borjat dra sig hemat. Ute var det minst 10 minusgrader och Spot lyckades inte halla kylan ute. Jag hade precis traffat Verv och var sa uppe i en diskussion man bara kan vara nar man precis traffat en sa charmig och fascinerande galning som Verv. Da gnisslar NPU igang. Tva barfota killar gar igang pa gitarr och trummor i over en timme. Epic!


4. Swindlers ar ett av de banden jag har sett flest ganger. Upp emot en tio ganger skulle jag tro. Men de leverar alltid. Utan en gang pa  Badabie da de korde hela spelningen med ett fruktansvart dist ljud i bakgrunden sa folk holl for oronen hela spelningen.


5.  The Beasts pa Zabcultural. Zabcultural hade ocksa ljudproblem. Mindre andra dagen dock. Jag hade somnat i SJs kna under elementet, men vaknade tvart nar The Beasts satte igang. Ljudproblemet gjorde det bara skranigare, punkigare och omojligt att sta still. Osaker pa hur det ser ut for The Beasts idag, om de fortfarande haller ihop. Trevliga grabbar dock.





6.  RUX andra nyarsspelning. Vi hade varit uppe och festat hela natten och pojkarna hade svart att vakna. Nar de val vaknade, vaknade de bakfulla. Det var sjukt kul att se dom leverera trots detta. Dessutom spelade dom min favoritlat Broken Nose bara for mig.


7.Spiky Brats forsta spelning ar ocksa minnesvard eftersom sangaren Jae Sok gjorde ett sa starkt intryck pa mig. Sarskilt under laten She doesn't like Punk. Pa foljande Korean Bbq den kvallen fragade Jae Sok mig om en dejt. Jag sa ja, men snubben tog fel pa dag. Och sen var jag redan alldeles for involverad med min nuvarande pojkvan. Young Woong som gjorde min tatuering ar basist i Spiky Brats ocksa.



Och Apollo18, Yellow Monsters, Anger99, Guk-do har alla bjudit pa fantastiska ogonblick.


Basta kvallen.

1.Halloween.
Hangde med Young Woong runt efter spelningen och han tog mig till nagra fina arkadhallar. Han pratar inte ett ord engelska sa det var intressant. Sen motte han upp med en amerikansk tjej som heter Jessica och efter lite tumult var jag efter den kvallen kand som “the europen girl that called Jessica a bitch”. Which i didn’t. Samma kvall sag Ryan och jag soluppgangen fran den hogsta byggnaden i Hongdae.

halloween.

2.Kvallen nar jag traffade Verv.

Jong Hees gamla bar Skunk Hell slog upp portarna igen for en kvall. Stod utanfor och pratade med nagon om vilka band som skulle spela. VERVS band skulle tydligen spela. -Vet du inte vem VERV ar?! Nej. Men det skulle jag snart bli varse. Den kvallen bestamde Verv och jag att vi formodligen skulle gifta oss. Den andra gangen jag traffade honom (Verv tog mig till en fantastisk Uzbekistansk restaurang), bestamde vi att jag skulle flytta in hos honom. Den tredje gangen vi traffades flyttade jag in hos honom. ( sen flyttade jag till Kina ).

3. Den finska kvallen. Hade en kul natt med mina finska vanner Aki och Aleks. Den borjade pa reaggebaren och fortsatte med dans pa borden pa CLUB FF till stangning kl 6 och sen ett rejalt mal mat pa en koreansk restaurang ( Seoul sover aldrig!)  Sen somnade vi pa grona linjen nummer 2, the Circle Line och akte runt ett bra tag. Men det ar latt hant nar de tycker att varme i satena pa tunnelbanan ar vart. Knallade in i Hannas och mitt rum lunch-tid.

finska kvallen.

What are hipsters good for anyway?

ZABCULTURAL PARTY.

The hipsters didn't show up at the Zabcultural Party that was held last weekend of November. But why would they? The hipster business is flourishing! They gather every night down at Club Mass and Club Answer! Why would they drag their asses to an unknown place downtown Hongdae?

The Zabcultural Party visitors where mainly the same ol' punks you can spot around the park every weekend. Same ol' reliable punks looking at each other not quite sure about what to do during a two hour dj-set 4 o clock friday morning waiting to see The Swindlers perform for the fifth weekend in a row.

But seriously, do we need hipsters at all..? Aren't hipsters and punks incompatible?

All pics are shot by Hospital Photograph, more pics from Zabcultural Party you can find here.

pepp pepp pepp for zabcultural party!

Ladies and Gentlemen, its gonna be three MIXED UP days at the Zabcultural Party- just check this mix of some of the performing bands! Seoul subculture COMING TOGETHER!

More info, and more bands performing here. Just choose a band, do the myspace thing, and welcome to the under world in Korea!
More info about Zabcultural, such as schedule, can be found here.
 GOGO STAR
Skrew Attack
RUX
Vassline
Johnny Royal
13steps
The Strikers
Ska Sucks
Bagagee
J-Path
Today Spot
R.R.M

Mixed up & Matched up!

Zabcultural Party! Zab means mix up in korean, and thats what its about! Punk, hardcore, electronica, tatooartists, bellydancers all coming together on the 26,27 and 28th of November at Theater Zero (close to playground). Visit Zabcultural group at Facebook, and Zabcultural event. See homepage, for more info! Join and support korean subculture!
(Photo Hospital Photograph)

ZABCULTURAL FESTIVAL

There will be a festival, ZABCULTURAL FESTIVAL, in Hongdae at Theater Zero on the 26, 27 and 28th of November. Punks, DJs, Bellydancers and a tattooconvention will take place. I am trying to support and help as much as I can as Jong Hee is planning and organizing. This night (yes 10pm-4am), we had a photoshoot with everyone performing at the festival. Havnt seen the pictures yet, but sure they good. I link you up sooner or later. So, Jong Hee awesome for doing this, and RUX  his band (vocalist) pretty good to. They one of the earliest punkbands in Korea. (In fact, Jong Hee is often being referred to as dad or godfather of koran punk)

new favorite korean band!

KICKSCOTCH!

Halloween, and Spot was crowded! One hour free cocktails in the bar and awesome music by all the bands playing! Yes sir, I had a great time. We stayed in the park til about six and then watched the sunrise from the highest building in Hongdae. And, my new favorite korean band: KICKSCOTCH!

whatever that means

I just realised, the future is not in punk, its in hipster.

And that makes me sad.

Today i feel old...

GREAT CHINESE DUB.

I would like to write clever stuffs. But I am so overwhelmed with everything that i dont wanna think. I would just like to feel thank you.

After seven hours of class yesterday I really deserved some relaxing in Hongdae. So I hang out with my new friendie, Sun Gyu all evening. He played me some great music, for example this little DUB tune including awesome video, by chinese reggae/dub artist Jiang Liang.

nice.

Jiang Liang writes about himself,

i am a musician and producer living in Yang Shuo, South of China. i first introduced to Reggae music nine years ago, and has been creating my own Reggae since then. Although my music is deeply influenced by Reggae, the core of his music originates from traditional Chinese culture and ancient music.

In China, reggae is only known by a few people. It is my goal to make reggae big in China. I hope I will be able to spread reggae music in my country.

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/reggaechina#ixzz115niP8ij

SMACKSOFT, THE SWINDLERS RELEASEPARTY, KOREAN BARBEQUE AND SOJU SOJU SOJU.

Its been a lot of music this weekend. Friday I saw Smacksoft at DGBD. Bo, Whang Bo Ryung, is a musician and artist and has been around for years in the Seoul music scene. Since I am trying to understand and investigate the korean underground scene, I think it would be great to have a chat with Bo. She really nice to. We went for korean barbeque with the band after the gig. Everyone ofcourse supernice, like every korean musician I have met. They invited us for their coming gig next weekend, Im gonna ask her for an interview. Comin up!

Friday was a long night. So I didnt get to do more then wake up and head for Hongdae again. Gigs starts really early, 6 pm mostly. But thats really nice, it makes it a nice hangout as well. On saturday I was invited for The Swindlers releaseparty at Club Spot. There were som really great bands, but The Swindlers, with great fun, charismatic singer, I think the band ive appreciated the most in Seoul so far.

And ofcourse, after the gig, everyone went for korean barbeque! (korean barbeque everywhere, people gather late at restaurant over a barbeque where you fry the meat on the tables, and drink lots and lots of SOJU ofcourse.)

Some pics from the night: