Sticking to your guns - Ki from The Geeks on Korea's hardcore scene

May 23

May 23 Sticking to your guns - Ki from The Geeks on Korea's hardcore scene

By Matt Nolan (@mattnolan77)

Seo Ki Seok (aka Ki) is the lead singer of hardcore pioneers The Geeks. Next month, his band will be performing with US band Stick To Your Guns - a show he organised. Here, he talks to us about the challenges facing Korea’s music scene and what the hardcore community has meant to him.

In the dimly lit basement venues of Seoul, you'll find the literal underground music scene of Korea. Often overlooked by local music lovers, Korean punk and hardcore bands have spent the last 25 years developing an audience abroad. Spearheading that international recognition is Ki Seok, frontman and self-described branding manager for The Geeks - a band that has been keeping the hardcore dream alive in Korea since 1999.

Ki Seok, affectionately known as Ki, is a legendary figure across the hardcore world and universally loved for his passion for hardcore and charisma. "We started our first overseas tour in 2000. Tokyo, Japan. I believe we were pretty much the first Korean hardcore band to ever play there." Ki reminisces about the era before Korean pop had the global reach it has today. "Not only that," Ki goes on to say, "we were the first Korean hardcore or rock band to tour the US, Canada, China, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Netherlands, UK, and Spain!".

Ki explains that their tour successes were helped by playing with local favourites wherever they went. The connections he made while touring would drive him to invite bigger names to come to Korea through the booking company he founded, Open Your Eyes. Ki also plays bass in another long-running hardcore band called Things We Say.

For his upcoming show, Ki has secured a major force in the hardcore scene - Stick To Your Guns from Southern California. They'll be supported by another SoCal band, Twist Of Cain, and a who's who of the top hardcore bands in Korea: No Shelter, End These Days, Turn For Our, and, of course, Ki's very own band, The Geeks.

"This show means the world to me on several ends.", says Ki. "Stick To Your Guns are one of the biggest and most influential hardcore bands. Their unique style of music (Heavy hardcore combined with earth-shattering breakdown and catchy melodies) and electric stage performances will definitely inspire the Korean audience." They'll be joined by Twist of Cain, an up-and-coming band that are rising in popularity wherever they go. Expect two American heavy hitters bringing the house down.

The genesis for this tour came years ago when Stick To Your Guns lead singer Jesse was visiting Korea. Ki explains, "He stayed in Korea for about a week. Amazing stuff happened. Long story short, we ended up forming a side project band called D.F.T.S on the spot with hardcore kids travelling Korea at the same time. Jessie was the drummer, and I was the singer. It was surreal."

This kind of interaction speaks to the global community that exists around punk and hardcore. Ki argues this kind of community is unique to punk and hardcore and is what made him who he is today, "It has shaped me into who I am. All the things I have done to start a band and to keep it going for 25 years, to build a scene here and create global connections. I have tried my best to apply the same principles and work ethics to my professional career and personal life."

Bringing big-name acts to Korea isn't without its hurdles, though. Ki knows firsthand the struggles of navigating the labyrinthine world of hardcore booking. From logistical nightmares to financial tightropes, every show is a delicate balancing act. But for Ki, it's all worth it if it means expanding the horizons of Korean hardcore. Ki notes that "One of the realistic challenges is the demand for live band music in general - hardcore and punk scenes included. In business terms, there is not enough demand yet."

Trends within the underground music scene indicate the time may be ripe, and Ki has noticed this: "One theory is that people are gradually getting tired of hip-hop music, and young kids are starting to turn to something rawer. On top of that, newer rock/band music has evolved toward more cross-genre styles. Borderless. Band music is finally regaining momentum. If we smartly leverage these two elements, I believe we can translate that kind of success here."

Ki realizes that hardcore can be a hard sell to people unfamiliar with it but thinks experiencing it live is the best way to finally "get it". "Hardcore music is best when experienced live. The energy, the message, the inspiration. I would guarantee them that it is something most people haven't experienced. One of those nights that will change you and inspire you.", Ki assures us.

Punk and hardcore are often hand-waved as "angry music," but Ki notes that this anger is about making the world a better place. "Hardcore lyrics usually have a positive message," he shares. "Especially about self-realization and improvement. You can rant about society, which is one thing. But doing something meaningful about it? Staring with yourself? That's what really matters. Plus, it's all about positive changes you want to create in this world."

And that positivity, along with some very heavy breakdowns, will be on full display next month at Rolling Hall on June 2nd.

Stick To Your Guns (US), Twist of Cain (US), The Geeks, End These Days, Turn For Our, No Shelter
Sunday, June 2nd, 2024
Rolling Hall, Mapo-gu, Seoul
65,000 won
Tickets available here.

For more information on The Geeks, follow them here.