[This week we thought we’d share an interview with Hanoi DIY producer and punk aficionado, Josh Banks.]
Mutable: Could you give us some background on your time in SE Asia? Where have you lived? What are some events you’ve been involved in?
JB: I’ve lived all over South East Asia since moving here from China in 2009. Most of my time was spent in Thailand, but I have had the chance to travel and live in several different countries. I’ve spent a lot of time in Bangkok but also lived in the Deep South of Thailand, Vientiane, Laos and also Yangon, Myanmar.
Basically I’ve been involved in teaching English to make a living and got involved with different groups over time to write, promote and also later started to put together my own shows here in Hanoi. My main hobby became traveling for gigs around South East Asia in around 2015. I’d spent a lot of time in Bangkok. While living in Vientiane, Laos, I would head over to Thailand and fly down to Bangkok for shows. Later, I ended moving to Bangkok and getting more involved in the scene. Even after moving to Vietnam, I still spent a lot of time heading over to Bangkok to check out the shows happening, yet Vietnam, especially Hanoi, had more opportunities for me to put on my own shows. Here, I was able to use my connections and past knowledge to put on gigs. My last show was the most successful, at a small underground venue called the Hidden Club which was a hot spot for the scene. The name of the event was “Return of Hanoi Punk Rock.” The headlining band was “Cut Lon”, a thrash metal group whose members all wear Pikachu outfits. They have gained quite a following in the underground music scene here in SEA.
Cut Lon
M: How many crazy shows have you been to or promoted in South East Asia?
JB: The craziest show that I’ve been to has to be Agnostic Front in Bangkok in 2018. The show took place in Hollywood Awards, which at night was a typical Thai karaoke dance club with coyote dancers, but sometimes they would rent it out for shows. This was a great venue that had a huge stage and big area for a mosh pit and lots of space for the audience to move. It was a wild show—reminded me of a hardcore show in the 80’s with the wild intensity of the crowd.
Another wild show was a show I was invited to that took place on the island of Borneo in Malaysia the Not Fest. The show took place in a rainforest that was run by an old tribe of head-hunters. For good luck, they sacrificed a pig and chicken before the bands started. The people in the village were super friendly and out-going and I remember parting with all the Malaysian punkers and drinking some of their homemade booze.
Malaysian and Indonesia shows take place in rented halls or islands and mostly places outside of the main city or set up by the locals. I remember one venue, Rumpah Api, that was basically in the top of a tall building in what seemed like an apartment complex in Kuala Lumpur. That is what I love about tracking down gigs in South East Asia. It almost becomes like following a treasure map on google to try and find the shows that are happening.
M: Could you talk a little bit about the difference in scenes? Myanmar vs. Thailand? Malaysia vs. Vietnam? Are there any aspects of any given place that are really unique in terms of the DiY show in cultures than some other place?
JB: Pretty much the whole scene that I’ve found in South East Asia is all run on DIY. There isn’t a Hot Topic type store that would bring in Western influence to the underground scene into South East Asia, so usually fans will start their own shops in Asia. Like Heaven and Hell shop in Bangkok for example. The shows are put on by the fans and the bands themselves will organize gigs.
There is a growing punk scene in Yangon, Myanmar, led by the band, Rebel Riot. In Thailand, the main scene is straight up aggressive hardcore music and metal. There is a punk scene, but really it’s bigger in Chiang Mai then in Bangkok. In Chiang Mai you even had a punk rock bar called “The Mohawk bar,” while here in Vietnam there really isn’t a punk scene—it’s mostly dominated by metal.
Cut Lon is probably the biggest known band in the underground scene due to their videos on Youtube and the Pikachu outfits they wear. The band is popular both in the metal and punk rock world, which is pretty cool. Also they’re from Hanoi which isn’t as known for an aggressive music scene. Most of the bigger and bands come through Saigon as the scene is a lot bigger down there especially pop punk.
Really, the biggest scenes by far especially in hardcore and metal are in Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as Singapore. Those scenes are quite connected, and the bands will travel and play in each others’ countries. The Philippines has a big scenes as well.
What I have found is many of these underground shows aren’t always advertised, and you have to sometimes dig deep to try and find a show or be connected to find the location. For example, in Malaysia when Booze and Glory played they had to move the show location on the day it was happening. Many of these shows they don’t have the permits required to put them on, so the police will track them down and shut down the shows, especially the bigger ones. So when I got to the location, I ran into some other Thai punks looking for the show. Luckily, I was in contact with someone and we found it in an old hall upstairs in what seemed like an industrial area without a lot near the venue.
Gigs in South East Asia are always an adventure, as you never know where they might happen. My advice about finding a gig in Jakarta was to literally “ask a punk.” But yeah, connections help when tracking down gigs on this side of the world.
M: How did you get involved in the scene in South East Asia? How did you get involved in promoting DIY shows?
JB: Well just before I left Hat Yai I, Thailand I went to a metal / hardcore show at a Karaoke bar featuring Desecration, an infamous death metal band from Wales. Outside the band, I was the only foreigner in attendance. Later on, I went to the Bangkok Thrash fest and met some of the bands and someone who became my good friend whose known as “M” who ran Heaven and Hell shop. I would just always go to gigs and network and meet people.
I met an English guy named Charlie and we decided to start up a group which we decided to call “Punk Rock Bangkok”. The main idea was to help promote the scene happening in Bangkok, especially when it came to touring bands. It didn’t seem that many of the bigger shows were being promoted.
While living in Hollywood in early 2000, I had created a calendar for the shows happening. In Bangkok, we created something similar, a “Bands of the week”. It started small but soon became bigger and we started putting on our own shows and even put out two compilations, Siam Underground Volume 1 + 2. That site, Punk Rock Bangkok, is still active.
Nicco Long really helped in the progression with the site, as he added better graphics and video as well. My main skill has always been networking and writing, so I put together the promotional pieces for the shows happening. Really, up until I got involved I had no idea that very few people were behind the scenes.
It’s not like Hollywood that had lots of different groups putting on shows and venues around the city. The main scene was Yos from Blast Magazine and Gap Holding on Records. It’s tough to make a profit, as you don’t have the big companies that can help sponsor the gigs. So basically we would promote all the shows on our Facebook group and also Instagram. The biggest one promoting the scene is Unite Asia. That is where you can find all the information on the bands in each region and also bigger shows happening.
These days getting the word out and promoting shows is a lot easier, as it’s just a click of a button. Back in the day you had to sometimes hand out flyers for shows happening. Next show I do, I might put on “one free drink with a flyer”. This does get more people in the door with flyers, especially travelers. Will have to wait and see if that ever happens in the future.
M: In general, how has the pandemic effected the scene in South East Asia? Do you think there is a chance for it to bounce back in the future?
JB: Here, the scene became more centralized and the bands got more local exposure. Many of the bands in Thailand and Vietnam got to headline more shows as they were the only featured act. Stay Awake really blew up in Thailand as they had in Japan and in the Philippines. In Thailand, they started to get more known and headline more shows.
We were extremely lucky in Vietnam before the Delta variant—we were able to have gigs. Saigon and Hanoi were both able to host gigs and even had the anniversary party for Hanoi Rock City. Lately, though, shows have been cancelled. I hope it does bump back again, but it’s going to take some time. Asia is resilient and has been through a lot in the past and kept going. The scene is still growing and lots of bands are doing their best to stay active and put out material even though they can’t tour due to the pandemic. Once we can get vaccines over here I think we’ll bounce back just like the States have done. But yeah just going to have to wait and see.
M: I’ve heard you talk about big names you’ve tried to get to Hanoi. Do you think big entertainers like for example Ice-T will make their way to South East Asia to tour? Or is that only in the past? Or do you think that world tours are a thing in the past?
JB: Yeah, I wanted to try and network bigger performers to come to Vietnam. DOA were planning another South East Asian tour but that didn’t happen due to the pandemic. Afrika Islam, one of Ice-T’s DJs was scheduled to perform in Hanoi thanks to Better call Paul productions. The show had been set up, venue, tickets, but was basically canceled due to the pandemic. I would love to see Body Count (Ice-Ts Metal band) come out over here. Slipknot was supposed to play in Indonesia at Hammer Sonic as well. I’m good at networking and have some connections so we’ll have to wait and see what happens in the future. I’m hoping it can bump back and the scene can once again return to the glory that was happening before the pandemic. Only time will tell.
M: So since you can’t promote the scene or help network bands to bigger promoters what are you currently working on?
JB: I’ve been doing a bit of my own personal writing. I was just published in my friend Craig Lewis book, You’re Crazy Volume 2, and talk about my own personal struggles. That book features 25 other punks’ stories and struggles in the scene. I’m also helping co-produce a CD to help with the situation in Myanmar with Grimace Records, which is run by Sophie from The Elected Officials and Dave Dictator from MDC. It's a mix of bands from South East Asia and other parts of the world. We have around ten tracks from Myanmar, including Rebel Riot and Kulture Shock, also Murder Bizkitz, Lowfat, and Cold Black Vines, all bands located in Bangkok. We also have a track from the legendary Dwarves, also The Restarts from the UK, plus a few other tracks from other parts of the world. It'll be out in October. All proceeds going to help the situation happening currently in Myanmar, especially Yangon.
Cover art for the up-and-coming comp from Grimace Records
M: Any words of wisdom for bands out there trying to maybe get over to South East Asia in the future?
JB: Yeah hopefully the scene will once again bounce back. The fans over here are eager and waiting and its very supportive especially even the smaller bands who might be struggling to find a following. If you can come over here you will be able to really experience a great scene that is still growing and in the process of getting bigger. Hopefully once the world opens up again will all be waiting to once again rock out in the Underground clubs and venue around South East Asia. We have to keep the dream alive and hopefully get past this pandemic.
