Cloaked in black and studded in silver, 18-year-old vocalist and drummer Kalani Allard is losing hearing in one of their ears. Whilst this would be a nightmare for many musicians, the nature of powerviolence music does not call for subtlety. As is true for hardcore culture as a whole, the subgenre of powerviolence is vocal, extreme and experimental, pairing high speed tempo with aggressive vocals all at high volumes that demand attention.
Once a mohawk-wearing high school student, Kalani is now the lead vocalist and drummer in a duo band Flogg. They are an active member of the punk scene that exists within the small town of Nambour, which they consider to be the epicentre for hardcore on the Sunshine Coast. Whilst holding a typically unsavoury reputation, Kalani holds a deep adoration for the town, even noting this as a positive.
“Its reputation is largely unfounded, but I sort of like that: it keeps the yuppies out,” they say.
Alongside bassist Joe Walker, Kalani plays and participates in many gigs, events, and secret shows in Nambour and surrounding areas, one of the most recent being the YMCA Redlands event with youth punk band No Allegiance featuring members ranging from just 14 to 17 years old.
The local punk environment invites youth into the counterculture, providing a space that not only accepts but rewards the individuality and self-expression that is often othered amongst high school peers. Kalani says punk is a positive outlet to feel and process emotion and concepts, channelling towards a creative rather than destructive outcome. They describe their connection to punk and hardcore culture as intensely positive and uplifting.
“The most important thing is to repay counterculture; to introduce it to the next generation and create a space for kids that need it more than me,” they say.
The moment of a seismic shift
They fondly recall the first time that they entered Bad Habits, a record store and centre for alternative culture in Nambour, and where Kalani now works. For 15-year-old Kalani, it was this discovery that invigorated their passion for punkrock music and culture of which they have been involved in for the past four years.
“I knew it was what I had been looking for for a long time,” they say.
“There are two significant milestones for kids entering hardcore spaces. Discovering the culture online or from a distance and then bringing it into real and raw spaces. It isn’t easy to cross into real involvement but it’s important.”
For many, the way into the community is through attending and actively participating in gigs in parks, halls, or houses, being embraced as onlooker or brother. Stomping, screamo, and moshing are cornerstones of these such events in any space they show up in. From the outside there is a definite sense of violence or rage that may initially be viewed as negative but, in truth, by finding a safe, productive, and empowering outlet for anger, members of the community are provided with love, companionship and belonging. A joyful chaos that leaves a punch to the face feeling more like a raw expression of connection and emotion.
“Punkrock is instantly a community. You get decked in the face and then hug after. It’s just like wrestling or other contact sports,” Kalani says.
Practicing free expression and movement that contradicts conformist society is a key component of counterculture and one that ties the space to radical action. It is this anti-conformism that creates counterculture in its most pure form. Kalani says that all alternative culture is inherently political, not necessarily within the music but through the message and the awareness spread by musicians and created within community.
“It’s our job to make radical action and change seem appealing,” they say.
A complex community
The community is politically aggressive, vocal about issues, and accepting of all, holding a platform that is capable of creating widespread revolutionary awareness and change. Even in the depths of suburbia, hardcore stands firm, creating a deep connection through shared experience, music, and style that ties together strangers as kin.
Kalani and Joe are now making their way into the music production space, turning their original music from live performances into a recorded EP. Keep an eye out for Flogg as they join the online streaming space as an up-and-coming indie hardcore band.
“Hardcore is best made by poor kids,” Kalani says.
Making the jump to being a part of punk culture is just a gig away. The next show could be any time, just follow the music.
Looking to jump headfirst into the local hardcore space? Check out Bad Habit events at https://badhabitrecords.com.au/events/
