PHOTO: Photography By Rich Zoeller PLACE: New York fucking City

Past couple nights have been sleepless...we just wrapped up one of the most profound experiences of our band's history...we never once imagined being able to take this band to the other side of the world. Yet here we are. As I type this we just finished 4 dates with our heroes, now great friends, in Sick of it All celebrating their 30 frickin' years of dedication to hardcore, their music and their band. We've had countless opportunities to share stages with pretty huge bands that travel out to Asia - most of those shows we actually organized. But Sick of it All was the first band to return the favor and actually bring us out here...there are NO words to describe how profound and deeply moving this wonderful and loving act is.

Once that was all set...the ball was set in motion and SOIA's generosity of having us out opening their 30 year anniversary shows, was met with even more generosity from other people involved in the wonderful world of American hardcore. We never thought anyone would be interested - but Chris Wynne of In Effect Hardcore proved us wrong...he jumped at the chance to give us valuable space on his website for a HUGE interview, EP premiere and general love and support. Not only did the dude do that, he even made calls to other people that we could approach. One of the people he got us in touch with was Rich Zoeller the photographer who took us around NYC for hours having fun grabbing new press photos. THAT WAS INSANE...a Hong Kong hardcore band 17 years running, being able to walk around one of the most important, most influential hardcore scenes in history taking new band photos...

While hanging out here for those 4 dates playing in Boston, Philly, DC and lastly in NYC - every stop along the way we played to an audience who had never heard of us, TOTALLY understandable! But each night we won people over and our merch table was hoarded. Not only did people buy an insane amount of merch, grab our free cassette tapes (with free digital download codes), but MOST importantly - people thanked us for coming, people talked about how impressed they were with our music, our stage show, our message, and all the crap I say on stage (this last part always makes me laugh because I never plan what I'm going to say - I just do it in the moment - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. This time around - I'll admit I did pretty alright :-) We've NEVER experienced people THANKING us for coming - never experienced people thanking us for being a band...that was so refreshing and humbling.

On the road it was our first experience in a tour van...setting our own schedule for when we would get up to drive to the next stop...in Asia, you don't set your own schedule because MOST of the time you're flying to each city so the airplane company/airport sets the schedule for you (some places you do drive or train or van it). Having GPS out so a van full of Asians could figure out how to get to the next city, not miss any exits, piss in bottles so we don't waste time, go through drive throughs to grab food, be van DJ's playing music from Adele to NWA to Shai Hulud to Minor Threat to others, get to the venue and look for the parking lot where all the tour vans are sitting, play the show and hang out with the whole crew backstage, hang out with local hardcore kids at each stop, after the show trying to find out where we could sleep for the night...dude - all of this stuff we only DREAMT about doing. But here we were...being one of THOSE bands that got to do this and experience it.

On this trip we did what we wanted to do...do some hardcore pilgrimage type of shit since we were a band from the other side of the planet coming over to the birthplace of hardcore.

So in Boston - we went up to Bridge Nine Records and hung out with Chris...he kindly took us around the whole operation he has up there...from where the shirts gets pressed, the main offices, the stockroom, the mailroom where all YOUR merch orders get process, to the amazing roof looking over the town he's in. No we did not ask B9 if they could release some music for us or sign us...if that happened you don't think we would be screaming and dancing for joy?!?! :-)

But when we got to DC...the coolest thing EVER happened...

We knew we were going to try to find the Discord House. We of course did the regular sight seeing shit because none of us have been to DC before...once we were done with the typical sights we had to go do some hardcore sight seeing...so I bust out the GPS and find the Discord House...to my great joy and pleasure - GPS said it was 15 minutes away.

So off we went...

When we found it I stood at the entrance of the Discord House shocked that I was staring at the infamous Minor Threat porch...the door behind it had a D on it. It didn't seem like anyone was inside and I wasn't just going to walk in to take a photo on the porch without permission. So I went in and buzzed the door.

WHO WOULD COME AND OPEN THE DOOR HIMSELF????????

Ian McKaye

I have not stood shaking in shock in many many years...but there I was shaking as I made my introductions thinking the whole time - oh man, he's going to hate us because we're just yet another hardcore band who wants to take a photo on the porch. I said "Hi! I'm so sorry to bother you but we're a band from Hong Kong and we just wanted to come by and say hello". He nicely replied "Oh to take a photo on the porch?" Hahahahaha...he opened the door and for the next 2 hours he showed us around the ENTIRE house - where they practiced (and by "they" I mean of course Minor fucking Threat, Fugazi, Embrace) and recorded, the room where he does a bunch of interviews which his main office room, the artroom, packaging room, and then he even took us across the street to where Discord's main operations are...

The entire time I kept looking at my band members and we were all like "I can't fucking believe this is happening"...he was so generous with his time, and he had a LOT to say even when we were trying to get out of his hair (so to speak - he doesn't have much like me hahahaha) he would ask more questions or start talking about other topical issues facing us in Asia.

It. Was. Fucking. Awesome.

We got our photos, said our goodbyes, and drove off...

The next day was our last show of the tour...in a city to us that feels incredibly close to home. NYC...there is so much to say about this city but I can't find the words. Walking around and hearing all the different languages, seeing all the different people, all the kindness and hustle people espouse here, knowing that we were in one of the greatest cities in the world but also the city that gave birth to an entire movement of hardcore that has influenced the ENTIRE world...we knew this was going to be an important city and important show for our band. Who knew if anything would come out of it...we just knew that SOIA were home - this was their hometown and their hometown were going to come out in FULL to support their local boys celebrate 30 years...for this, we were going to get on stage and show NYC what WE were all about.

Safe to say...it was an emotional experience...every word that came out of my mouth felt even more weighted because the words were inspired by bands from this area, records from this area, and I was looking out into a sea of people who were smiling and clearly beginning to accept us as a band...

It was unforgettable.

And this is just a little bit of the reason why it has been two sleepless nights...there are too many thoughts running through my head as I try to reel from this experience that the one and only, the almighty Sick Of It All provided us...

Thank you to EVERYONE who came by to say the kindest things we've ever heard said about our band...thank you to everyone who has messaged us, SMS-ed us, emailed us, private messaged us, or said things face to face to make us feel like 17 years of pure hell trying to do this in Hong Kong was well worth it...thank you to everyone who bought merch, grabbed cassettes, who are currently showing and sharing our music with their friends...all the people who are excited to see us come back soon...all the people behind the scenes who are probably trying to figure out how this can happen and how we can become a regular act amongst the American hardcore-punk community.

We of course have a million people to thank...if we forget anyone we APOLOGIZE...first and foremost our brothers in Sick of it All - Lou, Craig, Pete, Armand for showing the world that they actually believe in the words "worldwide hardcore/family/friendship" by having a band like us come out. The memories that you gave us through this experience will live with us til the day we die...

All the opening bands that we got to befriend through this experience: Manipulate and Street Dogs...it was crazy watching Street Dogs every night and hearing the kind words they had to say about us...holy shit...Manipulate had the nicest guys in it and I didn't even realize one of the guitarists was from a band that I love very much - Kill Your Idols!

Our brother behind the scenes Laurens for giving us so much love and support even though his own hands were full managing this whole traveling circus that is SOIA hahahahaha...thank you brother for everything!

Chris and Rich for their love and support...In Effect for life!

Our brother Zach of Bane who came through like the long lost brother he is...our van and equipment were all provided by this LEGENDARY hardcore band and our good friends. Thank you Zach! Love you dude...

Our HK brother who lives over here Brian for moral support and being on the road selling merch dealing with our crap. But for all the kind words after each show because he was so proud that we were killing it on stage and being so proud that a Hong Kong band was over here doing their thing.

Our new friend Brian who gave us a place to stay in DC and feeding us and treating us like family...you're the best!

Thank you everyone...we hope to see you all again soon. Please help us spread the word...it's all up to you guys how soon we can get back.

This is the most unforgettable experience we have ever had...

Peace, love, friendship, family, solidarity, KING LY CHEE Hong Kong

Riz | Ivan | Brian | Joe | Ho