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International Hardcore - Monterrey, Mexico
I've wanted to travel the world for as long as I can remember. There are so many things outside out of my tiny realm of existance that I want to experience. There are so many different cultures and landscapes out there to be absorbed that it almost makes my head spin to think about it. One of the things I want to do most when I travel is find some new music. Without resorting to cliches, one of the best things about hardcore is that is has a universal element - if you can find the people to set you on the right path you can go to a hardcore show almost anywhere in the world. I've asked some of my friends from across the globe to save you some time by giving you the rundown on hardcore in their hometown.
Reporter: xSalvadorx
Location: Monterrey, Mexico
HISTORY
Monterrey hardcore has been, as far as i'm concerned, a real hardcore scene since '95 with the inception of Furens, (www.myspace.com/furens) the first truly hc band to come out of the early year's punk and crust scene (that was bigger at the time in Monterrey). Initially there were some punk festivals and a most of the shows they played had to do in one way or another with different scenes, for instance ska, punk, crust or metal. After a few years more bands started popping up - they would play a few shows and break up, in some instances it was even matter of months so i won't even delve into detail here. Furens continued to play through the years refining their brand of metal influenced NY styled hardcore until some more bands came out who took more of a serious approach to the scene and were able to take in the ideology and lifestyle with better founded convictions, and thus represent it more as it is supposed to. Among them were Simbiosis and Against who lasted for 1 or 2 years before band member complications surfaced, mostly regarding time to do the bands. Both bands played around '98/'99 their brand of 90's styled hardcore and continued to reinforce the growing scene within that span of time. More bands came and went, and after a short hiatus the scene came back on its feet with the inception of new bands that would shape it into what it now is. Among them were Semper Fi, Por Vida and Invictus Maneo. After that more and more people came into the scene filling it with the renewed enthusiasm of new blood. More bands came out - Pasan Los Dias, Play It Serious, Crossfire, Strikedown, Alguna Vez Fui Ciego, Por La Verdad, Last Bullet, they all started a new chapter of a scene that was stronger then even. Then more bands - When Forever Comes Crashing, It's Now, Cries Of The Live, Suffer Again - came into the picture and now even more bands are starting to play, such as Death Falls, Buenos Muchachos and a few more that still have no permanent name.
THE KIDS
What I think makes this scene special is the support and friendship of the people within it. There's no fights at the shows, there's no tension, no beef between the kids that go to shows, there isn't any scenscter crap or better than you attitudes or competition of any kind. It's just friends going to shows and moshing and singing along to their friends bands. The support for all local bands is unbelievable, since the scene was created in an environment where, as everywhere, the bigger bands pretty much influence everything musicwise, at first there was some expectation that they might come play Mexico, but as time passed and no bands came, the kids had only the locals to turn to for release.
A few years ago bigger bands started to come. First was Undying, then Animosity, 100 demons and Agnostic Front. There have been some smaller bands that have come like Endless Fight, Die Young, Your Mistake, Will To Live, On Our Own, Ten Crowns - pretty much all the best texas hardcore bands have come, and then some others from other states.
LOCATIONS
The official hangout place for not just hardcore kids, but anyone into any kind of underground scene is a market called Fundadores, it's right downtown a block away from the subway station of the same name. There you'll find all kinds of cds and shirts of every underground musical genre, hardcore, punk, metal, goth, alternative - you name it.
Another place where you'll find hc kids hanging out and you'll definitely be able to see flyers if there's a show coming up is the old part of town, or Barrio Antiguo, right outside of downtown. It's a club zone and if you ask around you'll find the Cafe Iguana (Diego de Montemayor 927 Sur
Barrio Antigua), a club that attracts people from every underground scene as well as just normal people who just go there to have a good time.
There's a few venues that do shows. For hardcore the place of preference is El Roche, situated also in the downtown area. Most of the shows that go down in Monterrey take place there, even if it's just locals. It was the birthplace of Monterrey's famed Hardcore Superbowl which in November will come to its eigth episode of all day hc fun. There's also El Clandestino, in the old part of town, as well as the Cafe Iguana which has the best sound and a bigger stage for bigger concerts.
RECENT SHOWS
Colin of Arabia, Palehorse and Fight Night played with three local bands on August the 19th at The Roche. After that we had a hardcore trubute party in September where bands will chose a band to cover for an entire set. Coming up there is another hc show with locals and some bands from other places of Mexico, as of yet i've no confirmed info on this show.
OTHER THAN HARDCORE..
If you want to see the sights, Monterrey is definately a place to visit. There's the Horsetail Waterfalls, a forest area/park called Chipinque which has a path that goes up into the mountain from which you can see the city. Also there's the Bishop's Place, which is also at the top of a mountain and was originally a church that was afterwards used as a military standpoint for the defense of the city in the 1800's and is now a place where you can see a lot of the downtown and is also a museum. If you just go to the downtown there's a billion things to see, the marcoplaza, the museums, the shops and other touristic attractions. the architecture is an amazing thing to enjoy just walking around.
Horse Tail Falls and Chipinque National Park
There's a lot more to see but all I can say is, pack your bags already! It really is a worthwhile experience.
I've wanted to travel the world for as long as I can remember. There are so many things outside out of my tiny realm of existance that I want to experience. There are so many different cultures and landscapes out there to be absorbed that it almost makes my head spin to think about it. One of the things I want to do most when I travel is find some new music. Without resorting to cliches, one of the best things about hardcore is that is has a universal element - if you can find the people to set you on the right path you can go to a hardcore show almost anywhere in the world. I've asked some of my friends from across the globe to save you some time by giving you the rundown on hardcore in their hometown.
Reporter: xSalvadorx
Location: Monterrey, Mexico
HISTORY
Monterrey hardcore has been, as far as i'm concerned, a real hardcore scene since '95 with the inception of Furens, (www.myspace.com/furens) the first truly hc band to come out of the early year's punk and crust scene (that was bigger at the time in Monterrey). Initially there were some punk festivals and a most of the shows they played had to do in one way or another with different scenes, for instance ska, punk, crust or metal. After a few years more bands started popping up - they would play a few shows and break up, in some instances it was even matter of months so i won't even delve into detail here. Furens continued to play through the years refining their brand of metal influenced NY styled hardcore until some more bands came out who took more of a serious approach to the scene and were able to take in the ideology and lifestyle with better founded convictions, and thus represent it more as it is supposed to. Among them were Simbiosis and Against who lasted for 1 or 2 years before band member complications surfaced, mostly regarding time to do the bands. Both bands played around '98/'99 their brand of 90's styled hardcore and continued to reinforce the growing scene within that span of time. More bands came and went, and after a short hiatus the scene came back on its feet with the inception of new bands that would shape it into what it now is. Among them were Semper Fi, Por Vida and Invictus Maneo. After that more and more people came into the scene filling it with the renewed enthusiasm of new blood. More bands came out - Pasan Los Dias, Play It Serious, Crossfire, Strikedown, Alguna Vez Fui Ciego, Por La Verdad, Last Bullet, they all started a new chapter of a scene that was stronger then even. Then more bands - When Forever Comes Crashing, It's Now, Cries Of The Live, Suffer Again - came into the picture and now even more bands are starting to play, such as Death Falls, Buenos Muchachos and a few more that still have no permanent name.
THE KIDS
What I think makes this scene special is the support and friendship of the people within it. There's no fights at the shows, there's no tension, no beef between the kids that go to shows, there isn't any scenscter crap or better than you attitudes or competition of any kind. It's just friends going to shows and moshing and singing along to their friends bands. The support for all local bands is unbelievable, since the scene was created in an environment where, as everywhere, the bigger bands pretty much influence everything musicwise, at first there was some expectation that they might come play Mexico, but as time passed and no bands came, the kids had only the locals to turn to for release.
A few years ago bigger bands started to come. First was Undying, then Animosity, 100 demons and Agnostic Front. There have been some smaller bands that have come like Endless Fight, Die Young, Your Mistake, Will To Live, On Our Own, Ten Crowns - pretty much all the best texas hardcore bands have come, and then some others from other states.
LOCATIONS
The official hangout place for not just hardcore kids, but anyone into any kind of underground scene is a market called Fundadores, it's right downtown a block away from the subway station of the same name. There you'll find all kinds of cds and shirts of every underground musical genre, hardcore, punk, metal, goth, alternative - you name it.
Another place where you'll find hc kids hanging out and you'll definitely be able to see flyers if there's a show coming up is the old part of town, or Barrio Antiguo, right outside of downtown. It's a club zone and if you ask around you'll find the Cafe Iguana (Diego de Montemayor 927 Sur
Barrio Antigua), a club that attracts people from every underground scene as well as just normal people who just go there to have a good time.
There's a few venues that do shows. For hardcore the place of preference is El Roche, situated also in the downtown area. Most of the shows that go down in Monterrey take place there, even if it's just locals. It was the birthplace of Monterrey's famed Hardcore Superbowl which in November will come to its eigth episode of all day hc fun. There's also El Clandestino, in the old part of town, as well as the Cafe Iguana which has the best sound and a bigger stage for bigger concerts.
RECENT SHOWS
Colin of Arabia, Palehorse and Fight Night played with three local bands on August the 19th at The Roche. After that we had a hardcore trubute party in September where bands will chose a band to cover for an entire set. Coming up there is another hc show with locals and some bands from other places of Mexico, as of yet i've no confirmed info on this show.
OTHER THAN HARDCORE..
If you want to see the sights, Monterrey is definately a place to visit. There's the Horsetail Waterfalls, a forest area/park called Chipinque which has a path that goes up into the mountain from which you can see the city. Also there's the Bishop's Place, which is also at the top of a mountain and was originally a church that was afterwards used as a military standpoint for the defense of the city in the 1800's and is now a place where you can see a lot of the downtown and is also a museum. If you just go to the downtown there's a billion things to see, the marcoplaza, the museums, the shops and other touristic attractions. the architecture is an amazing thing to enjoy just walking around.
Horse Tail Falls and Chipinque National Park
There's a lot more to see but all I can say is, pack your bags already! It really is a worthwhile experience.