PE 28

Hi to all punx in the world and Profane Existence readers. You are about to read a...

Scene Report from Poland.

I don't think that many of you know much about the punk D.I.Y. scene here . I am not saying it is wrong or whatever, but punk is meant to be an international movement, isn't it? So, here we go...

Let's forget when and how all this started, this is Polish punk in '96. At the moment there are quite a lot of bands in Poland and they are actually gigging and touring a lot as well. Kicking off from the north where the three cities are situated: Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot, we have bands like ABNORMAL CITIZENS playing raw and fast crusty punk. Actually, I don't see them gigging often, but this will surely change as soon as they have a new tape or record out. So far, they have recorded a tape called "A Holocaust In Your Dread" which is quite good but could definitely be better. When you're there you can see them playing local shows, but not in other parts of the country. Anyway, you can get in touch with them and ask for their stuff at: Bajana 9E/3, 80463, Gdansk, Poland.

MONEY DRUG is another very noisy band from this area, and the same, cannot see them playing a lot. But I saw them in Germany and they were very noisy I must say. Noisy and very crusty kind of punk similar to very early E.N.T. or Disrupt. They have their very first release out now, which is a split 7" with Wind Of Pain (Finland) on Scream Records. If you want to get in touch with Money Drug and/or get their 7" write to Scream Records/ Pawel Rzoska/ P.O. Box 118/ 80-470/ Gdansk 45/ Poland. He also has some more records like Resist "Free" 7", Fleas and Lice/ Hiatus "Polish Bastards" live 7", Disclose/ Homomilitia 7" and some cool tape releases as well.

GUERNICA Y LUNO is another cool punk band who is playing many gigs and you can always see them around. It's fast, it's melodic and it's also raw with brilliant lyrics on important issues like human/ animal rights, homophobia, sexism, punk as the scene, mainstream business punk, war, etc. They have got one tape out and another that is a split Janusz Reichel (a guy who plays acoustic guitar and sings about Mother Earth, vegitarianism, aliternative ways of life, etc.) is out now. Guernica's vocalist also plays bass for EWA BRAUN who shouldn't be missed. It's kinda trans noise music with excellent lyrics. Besides a bunch of tapes, they've got a CD out called "Love, peace, noise" on Nikt Nic Nie Wie. If you want to get in touch with both bands write to Rafal Szymanski/ Boguslawa X 5/33/ 76200/ Slupsk/ Poland. If you are interested in getting all the stuff released by Nickt Nic Nie Wie, write to Zielona 16/ 34400/ Nowy Targ/ Poland. They have released shitloads of cool tapes of Polish and foreign bands and many LPs, CDs and 7"s as well. Just send $1 and you get their huge mail order list with almost all releases of other Polish labels.

SILNA WOLA is one of those bands when you listen to it , you are sure that it is a man screaming, but then when you see them live you say "What the fuck??!! It's a girl!!" That's how it was in may case! Musically they are not very creative as many songs are quite similar to Doom. But you should check out the lyrics which are highly better. Write to them at I Armii WP/ 33f/9/ 84300/ Lebork/ Poland and ask for their tapes. They also have a 7" out on Malarie Records (although the same songs are on the first tape) and I have also heard about their 10" which is coming , so don't miss it.

You must definitely get in touch with Malarie Records. It's a big punk label based in Czech Republic but Martin, the boss, can often be seen in Poland. He has tons of records so if you are into getting the real thing from Poland and Czech Republic, that's the right person to get in touch with. Malarie/ Martin Valasek/ Ropice 281/ 73956/ Trinec 6/ Czech.

HOSTILITY used to be called Anti-Hostility but they decided to get rid of Anti. It's sometimes very confusing as many people still don't know what their real name is and I think that the band sometimes don't know it either. Anyways, with the old line-up they played very fast and crusty punk but nowadays it's rather slow and mind blowing thrash punk in the vein of Misery/ Amebix sometimes. The lyrics are always clever, with thoughts on how fucked up the system is, etc. They have just recorded their new stuff in the studio and will try to do a tape. Write to Grzegorz Mieczlawski/ Piekna 31/35/ 19-300 Elk/ Poland.

Another crusty outfit from Poland is DISGUSTING LIES who have been around for a long time. They sometimes remind me of old Nausea, but only sometimes and that's important. They have got dual male vocals (like half of the Polish bands), they play fast, have good lyrics, and drink a lot. Their debut tape is out on my label called Demonstracja Tapes and their 7" should surely be out by the time the PE pissheads print it in their awesome mag!! Write to: Disgusting Lies/ P.O. Box 119/ 90980/ Lodz 7/ Poland.

More noisy bands? Well, here we go with AMEN. But don't get them confused with the Finnish Amen as it's a different band! They sometimes sound like Active Minds and they sing about anarchy, the Catholic Church, and the bastards pulling the strings. They run a label called Lagart and released tapes of Dropdead, Agathocles and many more. The vocalist draws funny as fuck comics so you must get in touch with them or you are nothing. Pawel Sikora/ Symatyczna 4/75/ 20539/ Lublin/ Poland.

WLOCHATY used to be a bit controversial bands as they've signed to a so-called "major" if you can use this word here in this context. Well the thing is, they had their tape released on the normal- into money- business label doing stuff for some shitty beerpunk bands singing about cockney boots, beer, mohawks and stuff. Anyway, they sound like Conflict, they play like Conflict, and they write long as fuck lyrics like Conflict. So if you love Conflict, you will love WLOCHATY. Apart from this tape they also have a live 7" and LP on Nikt Nic Nie Wie. To get in touch with the band write to: Wlochaty/ P.O. Box 68/ 70821/ Szczecin 12/ Poland.

AFERRA used to play melodic and rather peaceful type punk/hardcore and now they kick ass, they really do. It's a bit crusty, it's powerful, it's slow and sometimes fast. But music is just half of the story. It's the lyrics that make this band outstanding. Clever thoughts on preserving our Mother Earth and stopping the mindless consumption. They have got dual, male-female vocals, and it's singing man, not just screaming. Don't listen to their first tape (I'm sure they would say the same thing) watch out for their LP on NNNW and get the real thing. But first write to Igor/ Borkowska 9/ 62800/ Kalisz/ Poland.

PIEKLO KOBIET used to be a three piece band with Sarcasm should be out now on Scream Records, so write to Pawel or get in touch with us. As for the music, we play fast punk which is described as anarcho type punk with right-in-your-face lyrics. Write to us at the address at the end of this novel. I am busy running a small tape label and a fanzine called Crust. So if you want to contribute, get in touch. I also organize tours in Poland, so call me: +085 611291 and ask for Bertie.

OK, enough about the bands. Something more about the labels and other happenings. Apart from the labels I have mentioned, you can find out more here if you want good punk rock on tapes or vinyl. Anyway, QQRYQ is the oldest one, so if you want to get many licensed tapes and more Polish noise write to: QQRYQ Productions/ P.O. Box 45/ 02792/ Warszawa 78/ Poland. ANTENA KRZYKU is back on the punk map of Poland with licensed tapes form Alternative Tentacles: P.O. Box 36-074/ 50211/ Wroclaw/ Poland. If you want to get a huge mailorder of all punk shit from all over the country write to Enigmatic/ P.O. Box 40/ 41709/ Ruda Slaska 9/ Poland. An two more: TRUJACA FALA/ P.O. Box 13/ 81806/ Sopot 6/ Poland and MAMI TAPES/ Azaliowa 8/3/ 61-441/ Poznan/ Poland.

There are hundreds of fanzines in Poland but many of them are all the same featuring the same dumb interviews of the same dumb bands on and on. But a few exception are: Turbopunk (the same address as Mami Tapes) with info on international punk rock focusing mainly on the bands who come here. Although it says "Not only music zine" I couldn't really find much that was not music. But hopefully this will change soon.

Mac Pariadka is the anarchist monthly which features articles and info on anarchism as well as some pages about punk rock (interviews, reviews, columns, ads, etc.). They always print their fanzine professionally and it always has a colorful cover. Write to: P.O. Box 67/ 81806/ Sopot 6/ Poland.

Inny Swiat is another good one, professionally written and printed. Good interviews, articles and columns on human/ animal rights. Write to: Janusz Krawczyk/ Kedziora 2/8/ 39-300/ Mielec/ Poland.

We also have some free info-sheets on up to date topics, happenings, etc. You can get one if you write to my address (Free Punk) or Homomilitia's one as well (Co Tam?).

If you visit Poznan, which is not so far from the German border you can drop in to the squat called Rozbrat. Actually there are not many squats in Poland, but the one in Poznan works really well and is worth visiting. About 20 people live there and put on shows and produce t-shirts. You can get in touch with them if you write to Alex/ P.O. Box 32/ 60972/ Poznan 1/ Poland. Unfortunately, the squat was attacked by local Nazi wankers in the beginning of February on Sunday morning when everyone was asleep. One squatter girl was stabbed in her stomach but luckily she's allright now. Nazis smashed windows, a car, etc., and they were caught by the police soon after. But they will go free soon unless the squatters sue them for planning a murder, but to do that they need money for the lawyer so it would be great if you could help them out. Write to Alex now!

Another squat is in Lodz. It's a big building with people living in and doing different shows. They do gigs, dance parties, and sometimes they drink a lot as well. It is a good place and you could visit when you're near. The address is the same as for Homomilitia.

AGIT-PROP is a well known punk info shop in Sopot (at the seaside) where you can get everything: records, tapes, t-shirts, patches, badges, boots, leaflets and the info on how to avoid serving in the army. Write to Trujaca Fala or go to Czyzewskiego 9 Street in Sopot.

Well, now lets come to the different groups fighting for this world to be a better place for you and me. All of them are active and organizing demos and are leafleting the streets. It's mainly punx who are involved in it, but there are many others who are not into punk that much. FRONT WYZWOLENIA ZWIERZAT, which means Animal Liberation Front although it does not undertake any direct or radical actions towards the oppressors of animals. However, they are very active in the fields of boycotting circuses with animals, vivisectors, fur shops, etc. They make many demos, write articles in newspapers, are interviewed on local radio stations, etc. There is the FWZ group in every bigger town, so you can imagine how many people are involved in it. I will not provide you with all of the addresses as there is no sense, but you can definitely write to the main group: FWZ / P.O. Box 223/ 86300/ Grudziadz 1/ Poland. They need your support very much so any punk bands who want to do benefit tapes in Poland for their actions, get in touch with them, Trujaca Fala, or me.

PRAWA ZWIERZAT (ANIMAL RIGHTS) is an excellent animal rights paper focusing either on legal or illegal methods of fighting for animal rights. I know they've done three issues and the forth one is coming, so why not write them at the following address: Dorota Dankowska/ Sienkiewicza 40/15/ 50335/ Wroclaw/ Poland. A strong resistance is coming from GREEN FEDERATION (FEDERACJA ZIELONYCH) from all over the country as far as building highways is concerned. The government and rich bastards want to destroy the environment to build new roads and spend our money on it. All those wankers should be faced with a strong resistance from all of us, so please support FZ/ P.O. Box 129/ 15662/ Bialystok 26/ Poland. Also, many FZ groups in many Polish towns demand from the local authorities the building of cycling routes in the centers of towns promoting the use of a bicycles an alternative means of transport which is friendly to the environment.

Many anarchist groups are very active in Poland by organizing demos and such. Not so long ago there were presidential elections here in Poland and all of the groups, many alternative collectives, punx, etc. boycotted the elections. GREEN @NARCHISTS, small collective group from my area, are active on the streets every month either protesting against paying taxes to the government or picketing fur shops, vivisectors, or whatever. Apart from this, we sometimes do some direct actions and are planning to have a big Anti Mac riot. Write to my address if you want to contact us.

There are many protests all over the country against McDonald's- from organizing demos to smashing windows and spraypainting. The detailed information can be achieved at FWZ address or mine as well.

Racism has always been a big problem in Poland referring to brainless bonehead wankers coming to our gigs, beating people up and fighting on the German border with the Germans. Nowadays with groups like ANTI NAZI FRONT (ANF) and RAAF (RADICAL ANTI FASCIST ACTION) they are more and more afraid to come to gigs or beat people up. Instead of this, they are beaten up and punx kick the shit out of them. Many spend weeks in the hospitals. Although boneheads are quite strong together with football fans, anti nazi groups in Poland are armed and ready to fight. Get in touch with ANF at P.O. Box 771/ 59990/ Wroclaw 2/ Poland and RAAF at P.O. Box 45/ 02792/ Warszawa 78/ Poland to abtain more information on up to date actions and their info-sheets (ANF's NO PASARAN).

ANARCHIST BLACK CROSS is also working in Poland to help out our brothers and sisters in prisons. They need our strong support, so don't forget about Artur Ates, anti-fascist squatter jailed by the pigs. Write support letters to him and remember that your mail is read by the fuckers in prisons: Areszt Sledczy/ Artur Ates/ nr ew. 2592/95/ ul. Mlynska/ 60900/ Poznan.

Uhhh, it's been quite a long scene report and I hope that you've made it to the end. Please excuse me if I was giving you some wrong info or if I forgot some essential bands, fanzines or groups. Please understand that it is impossible to write about everything within a few pages. I was just focusing on the things I know well, not on those which I haven't got an idea about. I only featured cool D.I.Y. projects of course. Thanks a lot to Profane Existence for printing it. If you need more specific information on single releases, flip the pages and find Noise Refuse section and read on.

Anyone who wants to get more information on Sanctus Iuda, Crust fanzine, Demonstracja Tapes and Green @narchists please write to me. Hi to all my friends worldwide.

Support the D.I.Y. scene and keep up the fight.

Bertie

Wojtek Kuczynski/ P.O. Box 115/ 15662/ Bialystok 26/ Poland.

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