INTERVIEW: “I Always Want To Put DIY Bands On The Cover” BLAST Mag Discuss Iconic Cover

INTERVIEW | Yos of BLAST Magazine
THAILAND

We still remember the day that Thai music magazine BLAST released the issue with this phenomenal, and now iconic, cover. Growing up in Hong Kong, it is VERY rare that we would ever see a magazine in the city place a bunch of street punks or hardcore kids or metalheads on the cover of any one of their publications (more like never), so when this was released, we were STOKED for the Thai scene. “When we printed this issue, so many people grabbed copies to hold onto for that reason,” stated owner/editor Yos. “In Thailand, the punk scene is actually very small, a very small community, so magazines don’t put punk bands on the cover, which is exactly why I wanted to do this.”

Yos is a well-established legend in the Thai scene having grown up on the ideals and roots of punk rock and hardcore. Not only is he a known promoter in the community but he also wanted to continue to support the education of different genres of music which is why he started this magazine. “The DIY hardcore punk ethics and political thought was very important to me growing up. The idea of freedom of speech and believing in myself are all important. That’s why I’ve always wanted to talk about this when I started this magazine”.

For this particular cover, Yos specifically looked to invite newer Thai punk bands. He enlisted The Diehards and Chaos of Society which he said was easier to manage than he thought because all the members have fulltime jobs.

“My concept for the photoshoot and the interview itself was to show that there are no boundaries in music. I was more than happy to always give local bands a chance to be on the cover of my magazine. It’s a free magazine and is a good way for all local music lovers a chance to recognize and get to know DIY bands,” says Yos emphatically.

The drummer of Chaos of Society, Arm Chaos, reflected on the day. “It’s a special feeling every time I look at this cover again and again. Everyone on the cover are my brothers, my friends I love who were in punk bands and who I grew up together for a very long time.

It was such a fun day shooting the cover of BLAST magazine with P’YOS BLAST with my close friends Chaos of Society and The Diehards. It’s like going out and having fun, more than work lol

I think it’s one of my favorite pictures of all time. I have it on the wall at home and at my shop.”

The final result is this epic and now iconic magazine cover.

Mad respect to Yos, BLAST and all of Thailand’s punk rock bands.

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