thing that I can’t turn my back on.
Money is the biggest downside.
Booking, playing, designing.
It’s hard to stay DIY as you get older. Real life just gets in the way and then you have to pay rent and bills and unfortunately a lot of people fall out because real life takes precedence. One of the defining factors of DIY is that you don’t do it for the money, that is awesome but you have to pay rent somehow. I wish I could be more active and do more than I already do but there are only so many hours in the day. However, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. I would rather be involved in Punk/Hardcore scene and be broke doing what I love than to be rich doing something that I hate. At the end of the day I am doing what I am because it’s what I love and feel passionate about.
I have been involved in the punk scene for 10 years. Over that time I have found out that if you want to do something the best way is to try and ‘do it yourself ’. Whether it be booking shows, designing and printing shirts or zines, saving up money to self release a record or as simple as letting a band stay at your house. I think that I am more supportive of the scene the older that I get because I have toured and I know how much work that it is and I know that just letting a band stay at your house and cooking them a hot meal can make a world of difference when you are out on the road for weeks at a time. As far as current projects that I am involved in or things that I do on a day to day basis go, I am heavily involved in the booking process for both of my bands (Punch and Loma Prieta), I design almost all of the mercy, record art, stickers, I also do art for other bands, I have a webstore/distro and I use that to promote my bands and my friends bands. Unworried youth. I think that looking back on it, everything was easier in the past in the sense that there was very little risk involved in being a part of the DIY movement. If I wanted to spend all my money buying a touring bands merch I could do that because I was living at home and had no bills. As I get older real life problems get in the way, every decision comes down to do I want to support myself or support my friends and their band. It’s not as easy to give them monetary support so I try and help them out in new ways that I can now that I am older and have more experience. Things are better now because I am on the other end, I am seeing all the positive things that other people are doing and it helps me out now that I am in a band that tours. It all comes full circle, you have to pay it forward. Growing stronger. The DIY movement that I am a part of today is great. It is a force to be reckoned with but its only because there are a few other kids working really hard to make it happen. I feel lucky to have grown up in the Bay Area.The San Francisco/Oakland/Berkeley scenes have always been amazing and they are constantly growing and getting stronger. Immortal. DIY is something that will always exist, people will come and go but the ideas will always live on. I don’t see myself taking a step back anytime soon so I feel confident that my future in the DIY scene is going to only get brighter. The support of others obviously makes this very easy and I am glad that I am lucky enough to be in the position that I am.
Support others! Everyone needs to do something because it is extremely fun and rewarding. No one in the punk scene should be a passive observer; everyone needs help and it’s as easy as going to shows and supporting bands that you love by buying their merch. Every little bit helps, the DIY movement is all about exposure so if you can do a record review or an interview with a band and just one more kid finds out about them and supports them that’s all that matters. It’s hard to stay motivated in the punk scene without the support of others.