Our
first interview with BUNGA TERATAI aka LOTUS FLOWER (Lembang Street Punk).
Date:
Friday, 18 May 2018.
At: "Wates", Lembang, West Java, Indonesia.
Interview
with: Didit (drummer) and Boy (guitarist).
Translation by: Teguh Prasetyo
(bassist, Interfectorment / Digging Up).
Band line-up: Didit (drums), Boy
(guitarist), Ferre (bass), and Jpunk (vocals).
Kieran
James: Start with the band history.
Didit
(drummer): We started the band in 2011 with the original line-up of Didit, Boy,
Bokir (vocals), and Murdoc / Murdot (bass). After one year Bokir and Murdoc
left the band because they were busy with work. We had songs before but we
never had the chance to record them. After the new line-up was fixed, we
finally got the chance to record the songs. We recorded three songs: 1 Freedom,
2 Stop the War, 3 Still Fight.
Teguh
Prasetyo: What kind of music do you play?
Didit:
Street punk with some thrashy influences.
Teguh:
Influences?
Didit:
The Exploited. We don’t usually play cover songs but our main influence is The
Exploited.
KJ:
What are the good and bad things about Lembang underground scene?
Didit:
The bad thing at the first time is that the crowd still does not understand
about the music. This is why there is a lot of fighting in the mosh pit area;
it becomes a real fight, not just moshing.
KJ:
Tell us about the Sound Reaction
gigs.
Didit:
The Sound Reaction fest is good and
it can become the gig that unites the Lembang underground scene.
KJ:
Tell us again the good thing about playing in the Lembang scene.
Didit:
The positive thing is that we are more united across the genres and the old
bands come to life again.
KJ:
Why do you like to play punk music instead of some other underground genre?
Didit:
It is not only because of the music but we love the unity in the punk scene; it
is like a second family for us.
KJ:
What are the lyrics’ topics?
Didit:
The lyrics are about social issues and the natural environment. We already have
a new song – it is talking about love.
Teguh:
Why do you write the lyrics about love in the recent song?
Didit:
It is about struggling to maintain the love relationship. In 2014 we joined a
music video compilation with many other bands: Let’s Go Video Show. The lyrics are more polite as compared to
Butche and his bands.
Teguh:
How do you manage playing gigs and your work as government workers?
Didit:
It is quite easy to manage the work and playing punk music as we get two days
off each week in the weekend.
Teguh:
Do you bring punk attributes into the office?
Didit:
Not the full battle jacket with patches but I wear band T-shirts and boots.
KJ:
What do you think of people such as Butche mixing punk and Black Metal in their
look and perspective?
Didit:
It is good but it is hard to mix those two styles. Butche managed to mix the
two styles very well.
KJ:
Future plans?
Boy
(guitarist): Because I’m working in the cake shop, my only future plan is
making the cakes!
KJ:
Maybe he can make the cake and throw it in the face of the crowd.
Didit:
The next plan is to make a video of the new song.
Teguh:
Tell us more about the punk scene in Lembang.
Didit:
There are not too many real punk bands in Lembang. There are fewer than ten
bands which are purely formed from Lembang people. But the punk scene people
from other cities often come to Lembang to watch the gigs and to hang out
together at the gigs. The people who watch our shows are usually not majority
Lembang people; the majority would be street punks from other cities. The
people who wear the punk style at gigs are not Lembang people. Only a few punk
bands in Lembang do rehearsals in our studio.
KJ:
Do you bring football hooligan supporter culture into punk?
Didit:
Usually OI punk and skinheads put the hooligan theme into the music. Street
punk and thrash style sing mostly about social life.
KJ:
Message for the fans?
Boy:
Keep spirit.
Didit:
Keep consistent in the punk scene.
*****THE END*****
