Live Review from Underground 70:
Oi Squad features prominently the charismatic singer Moi from The Philippines. In the middle of the set, the venue was visited by the Police on regular health check and Moi was so serious, yakking and barking, it was like he truly thought the Police wanted to wreck the event. Moi is a bald head vocal in his late 40’s with energy that would put some younger bands to shame. It was a lot of Oi’s and three-chord progressions, or, actually, some four-chord progressions. But, with Oi Squad, punk is no longer about anger. They could be a noisy party band and it’d be just fine. The Guinness, that Moi hoist constantly, must have been a sign. At the end of the set, they did a ska number, bloody hell, not so punk, at which time, dance was the thing. In fact, throughout the set, the crowd was non-stop dancing. Clearly, there is no need for slam-dancing in this set. Are they just scum or are they doing their job? Well, that’s another story.
Bun Ng
Live Review from Underground 64:
Setlist:
- 1. Work Together
- 2. 1969
- 3. Alone
- 4. Saturday Boys
- 5. Yer Wrong
- 6. Fight Back
- 7. Trendy Cunts
- 8. Pok Guy
- 9. Borstal
- 10. Loud n Proud
- 11. DIY (Defiant Scum)
- 12. ACAB
Apart from Defiant Scum and the Squawk, Oi! Squad is one of the very few local punk bands that has the true street punk spirit. Beer, fuck you and Oi! Oi! Oi!, the crowd has already gone crazy and began crowd-surfing in the first few songs. They spill beer; they mosh; they rant together as they lift their fists up high. Every song Oi! Squad delivers has so much energy that just keeps the pit going and heats up the blood temperature of those not moving. Their sound is not just limited to raw, straight, head-on punk though, Pierre (also the guitarist of Defiant Scum if I’m still up to date) brings in some really sick Ska-punk melodies, chords and solos. And this characteristic is what gives the audience a chill break, allowing them to bounce, recharge and sip beer before they go again.
Just when the punkers yell out that their next song is Pok Guy, the whole crowd is aroused by the fact that this Cantonese swear word is uttered by a group of pissed off gweilos. The ordinary cheering rhythm at the intro functions to kick-start the build-up of the real climax of their set - DIY, the local street punk anthem written by Defiant Scum.
As a considerably new punk band that has only played several shows, Oi! Squad exceeds everyone’s expectations. Oi! Oi! Fuckin’ Oi!
Performances:
Official Band Website: http://myspace.com/oisquadhk
