Vol. 09, Issue 05 May 2009 
Club Nevermind
Music
Club Nevermind, which opened in 2002 and moved to a yellow building across from Dae-in market well over a year ago, just hosted “Jang Gi Ha and the Faces”, moving the club up a notch on the Korean music circuit.
The club, which sports four or more live shows every month, can be researched at: [...]
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Club Nevermind, which opened in 2002 and moved to a yellow building across from Dae-in market well over a year ago, just hosted “Jang Gi Ha and the Faces”, moving the club up a notch on the Korean music circuit.
The club, which sports four or more live shows every month, can be researched at: HYPERLINK “http://cafe.daum.net/clubnm” http://cafe.daum.net/clubnm . Tickets for most shows can be purchased in advance online, and the club features independent label bands, alternative rock, and rarely heavy rock or punk shows. Every Saturday there is a live music show, with bands from all around Korea, sometimes supported by local bands.
Chief Director Nam Yu Jin sat down for an interview, and explained that in addition to Club Nevermind he is the producer of the Memi Art Center. “Every Saturday from Noon to 6pm Memi has an art market outdoors, and a curated show indoors.” Nam said. These alternative art events feature a live band, food and beverages, and an eclectic mix of artists and musicians. Memi Art Space is also across the street from Dae-in, but one alley up from the street that houses Nevermind. Memi can be researched at HYPERLINK “http://www.memispace.org” www.memispace.org but has no link I could find in English.
When Nam, Yu Jin grew up he played guitar and sang in a band. Normally he does not mention this, but the interview was the day before Jang Gi Ha and Faces were playing, and Nam was laughing and excited as he explained the club. His knowledge of the music scene as a player led to his wanting to open Club Nevermind. All seven members of the band came, and the wild dancing and hilarious antics kept two sold-out shows excited. They played a 7pm show and a 10pm show at Nevermind.
“I don’t think there is one standard of what is good music, in the public” Nam said. “But, we can judge the musicianship of each band by their instrument playing, if they write interesting songs, and if their stage presence is professional.”
On May 30th, the Gwangju Youth Festival, another Nam project, hits the stage at 4pm in front of City Hall, he explained. “There are two pre-shows, one on May 23rd at 6pm on Gumnamno downtown, and one on May 29th in Chomdan at the Gwangju Educational and Cultural Center for Students.” The main concert has three main Indie bands, possibly a surprise act, and all the local bands that qualify for the stage.”
This is the fourth year of the youth festival, which draws more and more bands each time. “I really want to support youth bands, and make as many chances as possible for young bands,” Nam said. He is not interested in producing new bands, or making a new group, but the goal is to provide venues so local bands can find an audience. Launching or producing a major-label band is not his goal. He also has no desire to be the owner of a label for indie bands. Nam believes that providing performance venues is the best way to grow the local music scene.
I asked him if all the most popular music is automatically the best music. “No,” Nam replied. “When you compare Girls Generation, Wonder Girls, and other such bands, to the bands from 1970 to 1980 the musicianship was stronger back then. Since H.O.T. the focus has been more marketing the band.”
The music history from the West is much longer, like blues, jazz, and then rock, but the influence and styles continue. Korea, on the other hand goes form one style to the other, but the older styles fade away rather than continuing to make more music in that genre. Nam pointed out.
Maybe the advent of the Gwangju Foreigners Network will open the ears of local listeners who then might want to catch alternative styles of music at Club Nevermind. This new station has a chance of creating a new awareness of foreign alternative bands that could then propel Korean alternative bands in Gwangju, and beyond.
Nam Yu Jin talked about Jang Gi Ha and Faces, before their show on April 11. The group became famous suddenly among the people. Their lyrics and rhythm are familiar with the public. The style of the songs originated from traditional music such as the group named Sanullim from 1970-1980. According to what he said, their music is considered highly artistic.
“The big characteristic of independent music is creativity,” Nam said. It is directly related to musical artistry. I tend to focus on bands whose music is extraordinary or unfamiliar to the people.”
The Jang Gi Ha performance the next night was great, as he played 18 songs, told funny jokes between the songs, danced with the crowd, and signed autographs until everyone was satisfied after the show. The Faces played two shows, with the 7pm show welling out, and the 10pm show was about 3/4 sold out. Considering that their first CD was released in February, their rise to “indie stardom” has been meteoric.
After the show, Jang Gi Ha answered a few questions as people walked by. “On this tour we played eight shows,” he said. “We plan to keep playing forever, but don’t know when our next CD will come out, since our first CD just came out.” (Already the fans were asking when more music would be on CD.)
His songs also sound like the US band Talking Heads at times, and for his last song he jumped around like a punk rocker, even though the volume level was quiet for live music, allowing people to pick out the words, and enjoy the show. The Mimi sisters were particularly funny with extreme stage seriousness, and a tone that was like movie star, but it was obviously meant as a joke about rock stars and how silly they can be. Instead of signing autographs, the two, still in their huge sun glasses, stamped paper, and applied a sticker that was a tiny photo of them in different wigs.
It was certainly a coup for Club Nevermind to be on Jang Gi Ha’s first tour ever, and everyone there hoped that band visits the club on all future tours as well. Jang, Gi Ha, and Club Nevermind are both products of the newfound freedoms gained in the last 20 years in Korea. In both cases people followed their dreams, and in both cases, those dreams have become a reality. Apparently, once the independent spirit sneaks into a culture, it is hard to keep it down.
