the interview of Hardpack (by ah Shing)
Hardpack 是大多是在讀書時期認識和開始接觸punk的。開始時都是聽greenday, nofx, rancid等， 因為覺得很棒令人感到興奮就喜歡上這種音樂。
那麼在他們眼中punk又是什麼呢？
hardpack :無政府主義。
但我們是絕對主張有政府的。因為我們認為無政府主義太理想化了，仍停留於此主義是沒用的。現在的punk 主張獨立思想行為。以往的punk比較攻擊性破壞性。往往都跟政治拉上關係。發展到現在已經沒那麼政治性了。音樂上形成一種風格商業化了但歌詞氣很有意義的。
就算是把無政府主義升級至另一個階段，心中無政府就別理政府了。
可以說是路見不平扙刀相助。我行我素。
那他們接觸punk 之後生活有什麼變化？
hardpack :做事大膽了。比如小時候有些東西不敢說出口不會向政府制低頭，其實我們也只是小市民但不啖不快。
快樂得多。做事會向好的方面想思想比較阿Ｑ（《阿Ｑ正傳》中的主角）有獨立思想不會人云亦云。正面多了。
但pop punk是主張自己快樂就算但還有不少地下的團體不是這樣子的。
hardpack會怎樣形容自己的歌？
hardpack : 我們的是happy powerful happy punk rock!!! 我們想給大家歡樂有時也有一點諷刺我們喜歡嘲諷。我們跟hardcore的分別是hardcore比較正面的而我們是用嬉笑怒罵說反方面令人討厭。但我們的題才不是叫人家去吸毒做壞事我們情願唱情歌也不會叫人去做壞事。我們的歌詞比較生活化。除了音樂其實叫有punk思想的人也是punk。看! 全地球一體化的示威都是Mohawk 的
我們其實組隊都想令大家快樂圈子裏頭令大家因為我們的歌而快樂所以我們會做事令大家發笑!
當然組成hardpack最主要的原因是因為我們都想玩punk。香港地大脈搏，但玩punk的人很少更少人欣賞punk。
那香港還有其他樂隊玩punk的嗎?
有這種思想的人很少見的有的也只是玩音樂而已。有一隊叫lark 是另一隊punk band，正在做歌中希望遲些可以一起玩。他們的音樂風格上比較電子有DJ的。
那香港有沒有punk scene呢?
hardpack : 其實我們很想團結一致，但別人好像不太想他們的眼神告訴我他不想。好像想鬥個什麼多於想一起玩，或許可以說我們單向的，我們就是這麼覺得。可是團結也是punk的元素之一。其他元素還包括自己做自己的事不假手於人(也就是DIY do it yourself) 和independent。還有"窮"啊!! (哈哈......)我們絕對同意"只有窮人才可玩punk"這句話。我們也很窮所以我們越來越punk了!(笑) 真正的punk要夠爛夠raw賺了錢就不punk了。有了錢就不會怕也不會不滿足那麼便不會再有心去反對些什麼了。想要的都得到還有什麼值得去反呢?!
(十分多謝阿誠和hardpack的幫忙!多謝他提供訪問和時間. 說真的. 我真是越來越喜歡hardpack 的歌^^ hehe....!他們真的進步中呢! 也希望阿誠和他的樂隊可以快點出現吧!仍其侍有更多punkbands出現啊！)
When hardpack were still in school, they listened to punk bands like Green Day, Nofx, Rancid etc. Simply put, they thought punk rock was cool and exciting and this was the beginning of their passionate love for punk rock.
What does Hardpack consider "punk"?
Hardpack: Anarchism (having no government). But we are not anarchists; we need the government, because anarchism in our eyes is too idealistic. It's useless to continue with this type of mindset since punk rock now advocates independent thinking. In the past, punk was more destructive and aggressive. It used to be para political. Since then, the music has become commercialized, however the lyrics are still meaningful. If you don't care about the government then in your heart you will continue to ignore the government anyway. We have our own style.
So how has punk changed your lives?
Hardpack: Now we are a lot braver in expressing our thoughts. When we were younger we didn't dare speak out, but now we will. I'm an optimist. I have my own mind. I won't follow what others have told me to do and I'm more positive. Although some pop punk bands only advocate being personally happy, we don't go along with this mindset.
How would Hardpack describe their songs?
Hardpack: We play happy-powerful-happy-punk rock!! We want to make people happy. We are different from hardcore in that hardcore is more positive, but we are seriocomic .We will write about the negative side, so people will hate it. But of course we aren't telling people to do drugs or something bad! DEFINITELY NOT! Sometimes we even sing love songs and don't tell people to do something wrong/ bad.
Our lyrics are about daily life. Besides punk music, if people are involved in the punk scene he/she is still called a "punk kid". See for yourself, most people that took part in the demonstrations are Mohawks!! We hope we can make people happy though our songs and music. So we always do something that makes people laugh!! haha...
But of course the main reason we formed Hardpack is because we want to play punk in HK. Though it's a big city, there are only a few people who like punk and are involved with the punk scene.
So are their any other punk bands in HK?
Hardpack: It's so difficult to find other people to be part of a punk scene in HK. Most only play punk music. There is a band called Lark. They are another punk band in HK and are currently working on songs. They are more electronic and have a DJ. We hope we can perform with them soon!
Does Hong Kong have any punk scene?
Hardpack: We really want to be united, but we know that not everyone is willing to be a part of it. We can see this through their eyes. It seems they just want to compare who is better. But unity is one important element of punk rock. The others include DIY (do it yourself) and being independent etc...
Being poor is also an important part of punk rock!! (Haha...) We totally agree that "only the poor can play punk rock", because when you are rich, you won't worry or be afraid of anything. You can have everything you want!
We are punk cause we are poor! When we get poorer we will be even more punk! (ha..ha...) Real punks should be raw. Real punks cannot earn money.
(sth >> I have to say a BIG thank you to ah Shing ,Riz and the Hardpack guys. thanks so much for your time and help ^^ actually i really like their music hehe…they get better and better!! and i hope ah Shing and his bands the best of luck. I am still waiting for more punk bands!! god bless)