Seoul's Greatest Band
Korea is really not known for its underground music scene, moreso when I moved there in 2003. There turned out to be a small but promising punk community; say what you want about punk being dead, but pretty well every Korean band was supremely talented if lacking in the originality department. Most of the bands were happy about being labeled as something already existing, like "We want to start a d-beat band" or "We want to start a streetpunk band that sounds exactly like Cock Sparrer meets Rancid." Whatever, they were the first of their kind in Korea, and even the most minor of non-conformity was a huge fuck-you to Korean mainstream culture, which is not used to being told fuck you (once a band's career was destroyed because on a live performance the guitarist spat at a video camera; too many people watching at home took it as a personal insult). Most of the Korean punks were downwardly mobile, with no hope of ever having a white-collar job once they got their first tattoos, due to Korean norms, and despite a mountain of local support, it was a very poor movement.

Meanwhile, in the foreigner district, cover bands were charging triple the door charge and playing '80s covers. The worst of them were the Seoul Penetrators. They gave themselves the title of "Seoul's best rock band" while rocking their covers of "99 Red Balloons" and "Video Killed the Radio Star" while dressed in drag. Naturally in my misadventures promoting local punk shows, I ran up against these musical geniuses numerous times.

You know what, I'm not going to say anything more about these guys; the picture speaks for itself.


(racetraitor has an alibi for, Sat 1 Jan 2011, 20:02, 4 replies)

I saw a Ukanian cover band in the bat at the Novotel Doksan who were atrocious. And a local band doing covers in Itawon who were good.
The good and bad.
(Snapper-head loves a twinky anytime but especially when it's, Sat 1 Jan 2011, 22:53, closed)

A good cover band?
Who?
(racetraitor has an alibi for, Mon 3 Jan 2011, 4:56, closed)

would
rather not
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Sun 2 Jan 2011, 9:35, closed)

they need an "i" in "trators"

( Fitznicely into a thimble, Sun 2 Jan 2011, 13:46, closed)