US - Memphis

I live in Memphis, Tennessee. I have been going to shows in our area since I was 16 and I'll be 23 this year.

I have seen the best and worst in our scene for all it is worth. I remember reading a long time ago in some amp mag or something like it that in 2004-2006 we had the fourth largest hardcore scene in America and sadly to say I have seen it deteriorate over the last several years. I have seen bands that used to tour to our little piece of hell almost monthly, rarely even come around anymore and our scene become over run with "scenie-weenies".

Even though the present does look bleak on the outside we have still the loyal hardcore kids that have faithfully supported and kept our scene alive over the years as well as linking up with the hardcore scenes in: Nashville, TN; Chattanooga, TN; Knoxville, TN; Little Rock, AR; Conway, AR; Tupelo, MS; Birmingham, AL; and Atlanta, GA.

Even though it may seem dead, we are still very much alive.

When it comes to bands we have the finest (well maybe just in our eyes haha)...

Clenched Fist, who have been around for ages


Dead City (Arkansas but they play here enough to be a Memphis band hah)


newly put together band Nailed Shut


We have a pretty diy ethic. Shows are pretty much spread by word of mouth, flyers, cell phones, whatever we can to get out the word. Most of the venues we have now are churches because we've lost almost all our bar venues hahah.


But we still have the Hi Tone and Murphy's which are dirty and they don't mind us tearing shit up too much. We are in the process of trying to get another venue but we'll soon see how that goes.

Festival - Law & Order Fest, Gothenburg

Anyway, the Law & Order Festival was really sick! Over 2-300 people were there and Retaliate put on a really good show! :D
Hårda Tider made a crazy ass fucking gig as usual. Imagine everybody in the crowd knowing the songs withouth any problems and EVERYONE likes em :)



Here's a gig from them here in Gothenburg another time :) That was probably the best gig I've ever been to..

Mexico - Nuevo Leon

Well, where I live there is not a very strong hc scene. I'm from Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico and my city was like many places, one day it was "famous" and everybody liked it, but a while ago the scene died.

But well, the few people who keep going have to go to the next city to see shows, so I have the opportunity to see how things are in other cities.

You have to listen to these bands:

Strong Belief (Monterrey)


xIt's Nowx (Monterrey)


Alguna Vez Fui Ciego RIP


Libérate (Guadalupe)


And I have to tell you, over there in Monterrey the vegan scene is big and awesome. Thanks to people that I met over there I become vegan too 3 years ago.

Festival - Trashfest 15, Steenwijk, Netherlands

Trashfest
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Zine - Some Will Never Know 1

Some Will Never Know is a zine about people and their stories. About you and me. About hardcore.

Hi, I’m Pim. I live in a small town in the the Netherlands.

Aside from this zine/blog I sing in Said And Done and make sites for a living. I also used to run a tape label called Pressure Release Records, but that’s more or less in a coma at the moment. Oh and I also do design stuff (and a review now and then) for Asice. Keeping myself busy.

Some Will Never Know is the name of the paper zine I put out in 2009. Yes, that name comes from the Only Living Witness song. Heavily inspired by Anti-Matter I tried to something different from the zines that were around at that moment. No 10 questions interviews with a band about their last record, but more in-depth conversations with the people behind the band, label, zine or whatever. Nothing ground-breaking but a different approach nonetheless.


Issue 1 has 88 b/w pages, quality print, A4 sized. Pretty personal conversations with the following people:

Jonah Jenkins (Only Living Witness, Milligram, Miltown, Raw Radar War) – reprint of my asice.net interview
Patrick Kitzel (True Blue, Reaper Records) – reprint of my asice.net interview with minor updates
Harm Haverman (Reaching Forward, Razor Crusade, Modern Life Is War)
Andrew Westerhouse (Aversionline. com, Due Process)
Ronald Boorsma (Not Just Words Records)
Sean Riley (1917 Records)
Rob Huiskes (Light The Fuse)
Didier Baert (Losing Streak)
Wouter Jansen (Permanent Mark, Clocked In zine)
D.I.Y. special

UK copies are available (£2.00 + pp), email me - hcmorethanmusic@googlemail.com

Festival - Punk Illegal, Munkedal, Sweden

Punk Illegal is an autonomous group in the religiously- and politically independent network No One is Illegal (Ingen människa är illegal, IMäI, in Swedish). The No One is Illegal Network is voluntarily run and works to provide practical support to people who are forced to live illegally after having their applications for asylum refused. No One is Illegal demand permanent right of residence for all people who have arrived in the EU and wish to remain. No One is Illegal believe in a world without borders, a world where No One is Illegal.

Issues regarding oppression and the current social climate is and has always been present in the punk culture, ever since it emerged in the 70’s. Over the years, these issues have disappeared from the focus as punk culture has been commercialized. The essence of punk is still there, but needs to be addressed yet again, because the issues are equally, if not more, relevant today and subcultures are required to conserve and expand the diversity.

With politics as a starting point, the music has always been a common platform for punk, and a natural arena to promote a message. A loose-knit group of people saw that ability, both to spread IMäI’s message and to re-awaken the interest in politics in the punk scene. Punk Illegal was born.

In 2005 we organized the first benefit gigs for IMäI in Gothenburg and we also organized some bigger one-day festivals at Musikens Hus in Gothenburg.


To contribute financially does not , however, end this oppression. Therefore we need to go about this problem from another angle. To spread information and raise awareness and understanding amongst people, is a vital part of the struggle for equality and freedom. Therefore, we organized a two-day festival in Munkedal during the summer of 2008, to reach as many people as possible with our message.

After the success in 2008, we decided to return in 2009 to Folkets Park in Munkedal for a second edition of the Punk Illegal Fest. This time around, Punk Illegal had grown and more people found their way to the festival which, in the end, generated in more money to IMäI as well as a well needed boost to continue the work with the biggest diy hardcore punk festival in Sweden.

We intend to carry on as an annual event and we now have our eyes set on this year's festival in Munkedal.
We know that the 2010 edition will be the best one so far.

We have an ambition that everybody should enjoy, feel safe and included at all our events. We will try to do what we can to make our events accessible for everyone irrespective of sexuality, sex, ethnicity, functionality, class etc. But this is a work we cannot do ourselves and we hope that you as a participant will help out! Together we have to pay attention to the oppressive structures and actively strive to dismantle them. It's everybody’s responsibility to support each other and make a great event!

Thanks everyone for supporting the work to improve the conditions for hidden refugees, it’s appreciated so much.

Festival - ScumFest, London

Since it’s conception in 2004 ScumFest has raised over £7000 for wide range of grass roots charities, organisations, causes and struggles both locally and internationally.

The Scumfest Collective is 100% non profit and all proceeds go directly to the causes a gig or festival is in aid of. Now in its 6th year ScumFest continues to grow both in size and as a collective and 2010 is shaping up to be the biggest yet!