Sangsang Madang is one of Hongdae's best venues, known for its high-quality equipment, powerful sound system, and perfect location. The venue is located underground in sub-basement level 2, where bands can turn up the volume without disturbing neighboring businesses.

Last Friday, Sangsang Madang was the venue for Sick of It All, a New York hardcore band currently on an East Asian tour. Hardcore is a style of music derived from punk and heavy metal. Sick of It All, formed in 1986, is one of the genre's most influential bands.

"We like to always go to different places and meet new people, experience different cultures," explains Setari, "and it's nice to have friends in different places in the world, so we came to Korea. We went to (Gyeongbok) Palace today which was great. We ate some really good food, and the people are nice."

The band was invited to Korea by Seo Ki-seok, lead singer of Korea's flagship hardcore band the Geeks. Seo and a couple other friends paid for the tour out of their own savings.

"I'm pretty sure I'm gonna lose some money," says Seo, "but I mean who cares. This is what I love and this is what I care about. I work hard every day to make a lot of money, and this is my hobby -- more than hobby."

The show attracted a large crowd of Koreans eager to see the legendary band, as well as foreigners looking for a slice of home. The show started with Burn My Bridges, who warmed up the crowd. Next was the explosive rap/hardcore act Johnny Royal, who were followed by the Geeks, themselves one of Korea's most thrilling live bands. Then Sick of It All dominated the stage for 80 minutes, sending everyone inside into a frenzy.

(left) Sick of It All takes the stage on Friday night; (right) Korean band Johnny Royal warms up the audience.

“Can you believe this?” enthused guitarist Pete Koller, a huge grin on his face. He made the remark to filmmaker Timothy Tangherlini, who is currently in Seoul making a documentary on Korean underground music.
All the band members were impressed by the passion of the audience. "I knew that the scene was gonna be small but the people were gonna be passionate, and they were so that was really nice," says Setari.

"It's not about the size of the crowd," says Seo. "It's about getting connected with our friends all over the world."

(left) Film enthusiasts gather for the 5th Great Short Film Festival; (right) filmmakers gather before the crowd.

Meanwhile, two floors down on sublevel B4, independent filmmakers were screening their entries in the 5th Great Short Film Festival. The festival ends today with an awards ceremony at 7:30 p.m.

Up on the third floor, the art gallery was running the 5C5C exhibition, a group exhibition presenting the works of 14 artists from five cities: Berlin, New York, Paris, Rome, and Seoul. The exhibition veers away from an overarching theme in favor of diversity, instead combining five different curatorial concepts side-by-side.

(left) "Figur" by Wolfgang Stiller; (right) "Taaz" by Han Bang-geul, a pixelated image made with 1200 virtual makeovers.

The title, 5C5C, is a reference to the five different curatorial concepts as well as the five cities. The Berlin concept aligns the city’s rich art history with the works of contemporary Berlin artists, placing them along the same timeline as their predecessors but setting them apart as citizens of cross-border, cross-cultural globalization. The New York concept examines freedom of choice as a dilemma, showcasing artists who question the ambiguity created by America’s current condition. The Paris concept confirms the existence of individual art practices as distinct and independent of prevailing movements or trends. The Rome concept presents artists whose work embodies Italian contemporary art, created through the use of various media in a hybrid of styles and techniques. The Seoul concept presents artists as being grounded in a world view in which the whole is composed of local individual elements, each with its own significance and autonomy. This exhibit closes on September 8, and then it will travel to Rome.

 

[Source: Korea.net]


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