TSH: hi ein, so you are the frontman/spokeperson for one of the most important band in the Malaysian HC scene these days, maybe even in SE Asia. What do you think about the HC scene today, is there any major differences you can see in the scene between now and in the past?
Ein: Yes, in fact there is so much different than the last time. Back in the years we were totally naive about everything. Compare to the last time we were struggling to achieve to what we become today. What we’re trying to achieve was quality. I remember the last time how hard it is to produce an album or an EP or even a demo of a band. Prices are so expensive for us by that time and we didn’t know how to do it. To get better releases you either have no choices to either go to the big labels or just stay where you are. We decided to stay on our foundations and learning from our hard situations. We didn’t even know how to do a proper recording. No one had shown us. In 2000 we recorded an EP with a live recording. In 2002 we did our 1st track by track recording for a 10 way split. And in 2006 our 2nd EP was recorded in a proper studio with a proper release by Commitment and United Front.
We found a better way now to run our scene. We started with United Front. We help bands to do the recording and help them with the promotions.
TSH: you speak about what’s on your mind and addressing on a lot of political/social issues and stuff like that on stage. But of course some people prefer bands to get on stage, play faster, and get out of there without leaving something for the crowd to think about, rather than have as much fun as they can, nothing’s wrong with that, but I think hardcore is different, it is a weapon, if we know how to use it. what do you think?
Ein: When we get involve in HC all we wanted to do was about fashion, moshing and stagedives. As we get older the perceptions started to change phase by phase. We grew up on listening to bands that made impact to the scene that deliver political issues like human rights and animal rights kind of stuff we had actually implied those issues to our messages and eventually adapted the lifestyle of being part of it. Bands like Nations on Fire, New Winds, Minor Threat, and Youth of Today had really made a big impact to us. It really had changed our thinking and lifestyle today.
I’ve seen bands claim to be political and play fast music which is impressive but it left me with no marks at all if the bands didn’t took time to speak about the messages and important issues in every centre of their songs. Most kids prefer fast bands nowadays but careless to see what the bands are delivering. Bands in Peninsular are easily written subjects about DIY, SXE wannabe, Fashion killer, Trendy asshole kind of stuff which for me is ok and probably average subjects to talk about. Political bands should write about political issues like Political prisoner, Animal rights, Human rights, pollutions, and corruptions or maybe I’ve just didn’t have enough observations before I criticized this. Based on a comfortable lifestyle most bands can’t deliver those issues because of their wealthy background and it’s easier to tackle the small subjects than the big one. And most of the political punk bands are drunk at the shows and they can’t really say things correctly regarding issues in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. There’s a few bands that really give some intentions is bands like FSF, Hara Kiri, Mouth Full Of Air, Attack of The killers Tomatoes which most of them come from North Borneo. I guess based on their critical situations made them aware of their surroundings and it’s very important for them to deliver their issues.
Now there’s another issues whereby kids are proud to be negative by wearing Negative HC t-shirt which is pathetic for me, its just not relevant here to promote a negative lifestyle whereby the reason we are here is to change our lifestyle from negative to positive aren’t we had enough discriminations from the society and government which exploit us in their newspaper, tv and magazines? Aren’t we aware of the problems when society sees us as garbage? We are trying hard to make their accusations as wrong but these kids misleading our purposes. Hardcore is always positive to me even though if its not all about SxE .Those negative kids will reflect bad impressions from society which most of the normal kids will have to take the blame of their stupidity. It’s just like Punk kids wearing Nazi’s shirts and leaves a bad impression to the good punks. If these kids Wants to be Negative there’s other places that’s suits them, probably they can be at the club. But not in the Hardcore scene.
For us, Talking, discussing about critical subjects are important. But not to shove it to someone else about ideas and principles we must respect other people too before we open our mouth respect must be earned if a band or a person living their words out.
TSH: the scene back then is not that big, nowadays the scene is like massive, but it’s also like the music mainstream where nowadays you have even booking agents for your tour, big sponsors for your gigs, I’m not saying it’s wrong, or bad, or whatever. But I mean, what happened to DIY? I never know if this ever happened before, I think you see it too, but what’s your stand on this? I don’t want to forget what we once fight for, and I’m still fighting for it this day, where people kind of forget about what hardcore is about because they’re blinded about all the music hype, they care so much of being famous, being well-known, but we are underground, who cares about popularity and stuff like that. Once we duplicate things that have been going in the mainstream music scene that is the moment our hardcore scene dies. Reality is, this hardcore scene based on independent and DIY stance. What are you going to say about that? “Together we can build an alternative to the mainstream of life!!”-mainstrike
Ein: The scene is totally different back in the years 2000-2005. Every scene has its revolutions on the process to be better. In my point of view on what I experience it’s like FIFO in the scene. “First In First Out” kind of mentality. As you can see kids at our age are now can be count at 2 hands. They left the scene once they got into college or better jobs or marriage which is the same excuse for everyone like they felt that they grown older and its embarrassing for them. I don’t give a shit on what people think about what we are. I felt this when there’s no one to rely to anymore, no more good bands, no more Fanzine, no more promoters who could help us to keep the scene alive. That’s where you see bands got jaded and some people in previous HC/Punk bands go to the mainstream, zine editor write for mainstream magazine.
I see the peak of the scene in between 2005-2006 where new kids coming in aged between 16-20 years old for shows. And most of the bands that are around are bands like Underoath, Avanged Sevenfold or metal bands like Caliban or Parkwaydrive. These kids are totally clueless about how and where the scene is coming from; they don’t care about ideas, principles and ethical. All they care is about moshing and stage dives listening to heavy music and go home. Kids who are listening to bands like Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today you couldn’t find them in the scene. And there are only 3-4 oldschool bands around which are only the straightedge bands from Klangvalley. And that is not enough to keep it alive.
Late 90’s where the best years for us for the DIY scene where we have Fanzines, promoters, bands and kids that are aware about what’s going on. The scene became less interesting when kids started to condemn each other, fights and drunks at the shows which show bad example for the new kids that come to the shows. We can’t let under age kids get drunk after the shows this will aggravated their family and people around them, we got to show them a better way.
After the incident of 2004 where 400 kids were detained for having a good time listening to music furthermore the scene were related with black metal music and black magic we learned that the scene needs some securities and assurance for the kids. Kids are scared to go to the shows now while their parents won’t let them be. We can’t let the government and society harass us all the time. We know that we had to do something about the problem. Someone has to confront these issues and justified about it.
Based on all this issues either you quit the scene or you do something about it. We can’t blame everyone that quits or maybe jump into a different scene. The people that stayed struggle to make the scene better by not signing to major labels and stayed as independent as possible to make the scene active should be complimented because they did something to the scene. As long as bands not partaking in the music business by signing to exclusive deals bands should be appreciated. Remember that the power of productions should be on hands not to the businessman who careless about the messages that the bands deliver. If bands played in big concerts or whatever festivals it will benefits the bands or the scene. At least 1% among the thousands will listen to the bands messages and comeback knocking the scene hardcore bands now are like thieves and vultures, were stealing crowds now. We’re running out of potential people that used to contribute a lot. Bands should know how to steal and manipulate new crowd in the scene and make them ours. The used of Booking, sponsors, agents are just imitations on what happens in western scene, this thing happens in European scene too it’s so new to the Malaysian culture. I think it’s an easier for active bands since they have someone else to help them and it’s eventually made 1 more person involve in the scene. We need to get all the old people back in the scene and help us to spread the messages about the importance of DIY and other issues and being Independent without commercial reliable.
TSH: i know this is boring but, how’s the band got together, probably 10 or 15years ago, can you remember it? and eventually became an important militant hardline straight XXX edge band (just kidding about the militant hardline part)?
Ein: My first band was a punk rock band. We started out with a name The Pistons in 1994 we’re so much influenced from bands like Carburetor Dung, Bad Religion, Face to Face, Offspring and Ramones. We played a couple of shows around our area in Klang Valley. I got attracted to punk rock when I was 16 years old influence by few friends that driven me to the shows. The bands split up and I formed Second Combat in 1996. We’re not a SxE band when we started this band, and eventually in 2000 since most of the bands members wanted to be clean we decided to be SxE bands. Reasons for us to be SxE militant band are because of personal issues. It’s been 13 years the band still around and still active playing shows. We just wanted to show example for the new scene that HC is not just for kids but lots of professional people are in it to.
The reasons we wanted to be a SxE band is because those sadistic experience in our adolescence. When I was 14 I smoke my first cigarettes and tried my first weeds, cocaine. I am not aware by that time. People around me mostly did the same things and encourage by my brother and sister. I had my time and quit when I was 21 years old when I found out there’s nothing gain over it. My experience was disgusting for me seeing my brothers become a drug addict and alcoholic drinker. Few of my relatives died because of heart attack cause of smoking 2 of my uncle died by drug overdose, few of friends died of accident because of drunk driver’s carelessness. This entire incident had made me conscious about the pain that we will cause if it doesn’t been controlled. I had taken a step to show example to new kids, friends and family how not to get involve in such behavior.
SxE is not a common thing now in the scene, its not like punk or rave. People don’t know what is exactly are SxE is all about. It’s not just being drug free, it has more than that. But certain people couldn’t take it because of selfishness inside them. They could accept Punk in the scene but they couldn’t accept SxE. The main point here was attacking the industries that produce products that are unnecessary to us that destroy our lives and planet earth by not related this to religions that most of the people like to.
TSH: your lyrics and messages based on many real issues, things that have happened to you before, it was from your experience. Why do you think it’s important to voices such a personal issues while hoping that people think and learn something from it. tell me if I’m wrong but I guess that is what you want, make people think and learn from your personal problems?
Ein: We dealt from personal to global issues. I think its better that we sing about reality issues than the things that you don’t encounter at all. There are so much issue that we can discuss about like the FTA, Global warming, oil, animals and humans rights. But I tried not to shove it to someone else how it should be. It’s always based on choices. Eventually I always wanted people to learn from my experience.
I guess the mainstream and the scene kids are like the same. There are not much of differences to see when we are not refrain those norm habits of consuming productions like cigarettes and alcohol, and were rather work 9-5 than play in a band that can supported our lives. I believe there’s not much of comparison to make when a punk works in banking or a government industries claim to be better than anyone else. When there’s a better punks who rather play in a band and earned a living by not conforming in the society and multi companies. I’ve seen most of middle class punks owning a diploma and a degree which works in comfortable jobs and a better lifestyle had condemn people who play in bands that take money from the shows they played. How could you be a true punk when you are being part of capitalism owning a better life and be punks on weekends condemning other people who are struggling to pay their bills and debts? When these guys own personal credit cards a house and can afford to buy anything whereby are not helping the poor scene at all and saying everyone is wrong. Who the hell are they to tell other people what to do in their life?
I had my respect to all the people that manage to build up their comfortable wealthy lifestyle. To compare my life with anyone else, I’ve always been worried about how my life would be by living on the edge by not earning a qualification at all by living in a poor background family. None of my family members get into universities but we manage to survive by our hardworking and good deeds and I don’t understand why some of these punks complaining about being a temporary slave, having depressions with work when they had a better positions in their company, better salary, a car like what people in Bangladesh dream of. By the talent of speaking and writing that I learned while I was in the scene I manage to get a better job. I am 30 and I am tired been push around by employer all the time while I was at the coffee shop that I work for the last 7 years. Seeing punks had no worries without having a job that’s simply great, because they had their parents to give them money when they needed. Now I am working in a bank with a better salary and I hope to save some money and make my own business some more to support the bands to tour and recording which all I want is to get the hell from this situation when I’m 40. Working in 1 job is just not enough if you playing in a band here. I work several jobs to support the band and the label. We sometimes get money from the show which allows us to pay our flight tickets to anywhere we wanted to tour now. We consider this as job now playing our part to contribute to help the scene growing. People think this is not good taking money from the kids and use it for the bands. We felt pretty bad sometimes when last time its kind of struggle for the past 10 years when we don’t even have any money for a practice and do a proper recording. Some Promoters understand what bands needed a cause for money to practice, petrol, toll, Tour food and other purposes and they give us money. We don’t simply take money from purely DIY shows and people we know. Sometimes we play for free and loose a little bit but it doesn’t matter since we helping them.
This is our personal problems as a band and an individual. And hoping that people could learn and take example in what we do. Thanks to the kids for understand our problems.
TSH: alot of people think to sing continuously on the issue of getting stabbed in the back, honesty, loyalty, friendship, and drug addiction (which i think you have many songs about addiction in the EP on Commitment) is most childish and stupidest thing you can find in the hardcore scene, but I think if it’s real fact of life then why ignore it, cos it must be spoken. what do you think my friend?
Ein: Yes we had encounter this issues lots of times, when some people are dissatisfied in things we said, giving us bad reviews in their fanzines and their forums. When some people think talking about unity is simply bullshit. I guess that’s the basic fundamental of us all the basic of racial harmony, basic of equality and living in community. We had been condemned in local fanzines for talking about racism. Which we think is kind of ignorant and selfish reviews about these subjects. Its maybe an average subjects to talk about, but sometimes different places had a different situations and different stories to tell, how could racism in football be compared in racism in Palestine? We really do think it should be addresses at all time and all means to the society and community. People keep talking bad things about each other about principles and ideas and stuffs but we didn’t realize that there’s an epidemic waiting to outbreak in our scene and we eat it alive. We simply didn’t realize that we are imperialized by our race and significances. How coward we are to talk about racism and let it spread to our family. Did we realize that 90% of people in the scene are Malays? Is this Malaysia or Just Malays we dominated everything excluding the economy. Why didn’t we open doors for them? I know that most of the Chinese and Indians bands are mostly are into mainstream kind of stuffs bands like They Will kill us All, Love Me Butch, Furniture, NAO, Citizens of Ice Cream and those bands that we didn’t discover. Why are they been cast away? Is it because of the music they play or the principles their holding on? To tell you the truth these guys know nothing about DIY, Homophobia, Pro choice, or whatever principles it’s in the scene. Why can’t we be a little tolerable to accept bands like these? Aren’t they having issues to talk about and indirectly they will open doors to more mainstream people to get in. That’s where we should capture their attentions. Unless this bands are demanding for money then it’s really fuckup. Different bands had a different messages to be delivered we just can’t be selfish by telling other bands to do it our styles. Bands have the rights to sing whatever they want except singing about spreading hatred.
TSH: some people step out from the scene and leave bad words about it. some will say, that there is nothing good anymore here in the hardcore scene, and they left because they want to find something better elsewhere, but after 30 years of my lived, I have learn one universal truth which is, there is nothing better somewhere else, because everything else is getting worse or got worst already. I think people like this are just afraid to admit that their hearts not in it anymore or maybe they’re all never have heart for hardcore, just pretending, just try to fit in, years after years before they finally realize that they really never belong here. What do you say about this?
Ein: Actually we had written a song about this in this split EP. What you’re saying is true. I guess we have that mentality everywhere to condemn and to insult for a better position. Some of the kids who used to talk shit about us last time had no longer here. People who had talk the most always is the one who is quitting they got my last laugh. It’s getting normal to accept them and we had learned the pattern already. We can see who is sincere and who is not. People they will keep insulting you, they will always have the words to put you down I guess they are not happy with their life; they needed to find a way to drag other people with them. These guys mostly look smart they can memorize everything they read in the fanzine and internet and use it to attack new kids or people that they are not satisfied with. The looks and words are the same. Just pay no attentions to them because they are only wasting your time.
As for some people who already leave they got my respect. But not for those who’re here for fame and reputations. I think you and I been doing these more than 10 years now and its quite fun and sometimes suffering to see this scene turns its pages.
I think hardcore scene had saved my life they had shown a better directions. Instead last time my life was a mess. I drink, smoke and do drugs without thinking the consequences. I probably end up at my own desk now with a better paycheque and conform to the companies that I work and spend every night sleeping with any girls that I Found at the club or maybe I might be on the back of the street grudging for drugs and alcohols. But I choose not to choose that life. This scene had teaches me to talk, think and write. This is my university where I learn everyday of my life loving humans, animals and this earth. There’s no longer compassion outside there, people are logging for money and a better positions in their workplace, step on everyone that holds on their way. This is a place where reputations don’t count as we are equal to every living thing. This is where I wanted to be for another 30-40 years to come. This scene is not for everyone. So don’t ever dream about it if you are looking for fame and reputations.
TSH: tell us again about the European tour that second combat did in 2007. What do you really really learn from it? did you surprised to see the hardcore scene over there? Many people say that they aren’t really as political as before. You and I grew up with lots of political hardcore bands from European scene, and when you get there last year, what do you really discover?
Ein: We are 10 years behind the European scene. We need to struggle more to achieve their current level. I think The European bands are more serious and liberal in what they do. I have to admit that some of the audience is there only for fashion and am not really serious with the scene. There a lot of people that stayed well over 30’s which is indeed a rarity in our country. That’s the fine line where you can gauge how serious our European counterparts are compared to us. They are also politically minded since most of them are staunch follower of SxE, vegetarian, vegan and anarchist. Here, most of the bands will leave the scene before even hitting 25. Reasons such as work commitment, family commitment and the lack of money (to survive) were all too often given as a reason to leave the scene. I believe the same goes in Europe, but ultimately it all boils down your own determination and commitment in the scene.
TSH: so what’s the plan Second Combat has for 2009?
Ein: Currently we have this split with Motivation which is on sale right now. We are on tour with Motivation to Philippines and some part of Malaysia. We are planning to release a discography before we headed to Japan and Korea on July, 2nd Indonesian tour on August. We are splitting up Sept 2009 for time being and focus on our other bands. We’ll get back together in 2010 for a U.S tour and produce another album.
TSH: Thanks again for this time my friend. It’s great that you have this band going; I think it’s an amazing band. I hope it will stay longer, I hope you guys write more songs, and set up a great example for the new kids about hardcore and all that. Anything else you want to say to the readers?
Ein: We’ll always be here even we are not playing in a band anymore. We wanted to see this scene get recognize by the outside world. We wanted to be the part of the global revolutions. We wanted to reduce suffering and help the poor people. Thank you Saha for the interview. Anyone who would like to write to us please mail us at secondcombat@hotmail.com or write at our myspace and check out our label website: www.uxfrecords.com. Thank you so much for all the endless supports.
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