Getting to meet Brigada Roja was one of the more enriching experiences I've had in a while. James contacted them and got them to play New Direction Fest which is a fest we did in 2011 and 2012. NDF was promoted as a "...space for people of the worldwide hardcore and punk community to share experiences, skills, ideas, and information about community organizing, activism, labor organizing, and other forms of radical action. This convergence will include live bands, workshops, and speakers engaged in the practical application of the radical ideas and values of hardcore punk. Through these, we hope to inspire and to mobilize one another to form a global network of resistance and a movement for radical change within the hardcore and punk community. The goal of this fest is to breathe new life into the hardcore tradition of resistance and to push our networks towards a NEW DIRECTION where we can bridge the gap between hardcore values and the application of these values through radical practice." In short, bands that played this fest had to engage with their world in some way beyond just shouting platitudes at a hardcore audience. Brigada Roja was the band that compelled me most of the fest. Carlos spoke about life in Monterrey and the adversity they have to overcome to even be a band in their city. It was a very sobering experience and helped to elucidate how contrived hardcore punk can be in an American setting. Brigada Roja truly embodies a natural force of resistance against the adversities of life; i.e. hardcore punk. Keep your ears out for Brigada Roja as I am flying them out to the west coast again this summer to play Olympia Hardcore Fest. I miss these guys and can't wait to see them.
Here is a video of Carlos Zarazua from Brigada Roja speaking on “The perceptions of narco violence in Monterrey: different visions , one issue”, at NDF 2012.
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