Incendiario Fanzine: A Scream for Liberation from Mexico

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When did punk really become punk and not just a fashion statement? What are you rebelling against? How can a punk scene really be a punk scene if it is depoliticized? How do the lyrics affect you? These are some of the questions that Incendiario Fanzine tries to answer in its first four issues, with album reviews, punk history, interviews with bands like Opció K-95, Decline, Manliftingbanner, or labels like Rebel Time Records, an overview of the punk scene in Monterrey, Mexico, as well as some talk about political movements, anti-racism, and straight edge. There are different topics that are definitely worth reading, so let’s dive into their pages!

First of all, we get a lot of great information from the interviews in this zine and great quotes like: “Your band won’t change the world, but it can change you” from the band Manliftingbanner (in issue #1), but we also get to know other faces of the punk subculture, like the redskin movement and anarcho-punk (in issue #3), who tried to keep the street punk lifestyle and politics together. It’s not just about beer, nice clothes and hanging out, folks. As it’s nicely implied, we don’t need more apathy, we need to react. Take notes, folks! You want the counterculture to be alive and well? Things aren’t going to get better on their own. This fanzine is fearless when it comes to taking a stand. Are you?

As for the scene in Mexico, in issue #2 we learn that there’s a documentary in the works called Días de Furia (Days of Rage), with interviews with a lot of bands like Disolución Social and Cabezas Podridas, and an overview of the scene since it started in the late ’80s. You can check one of the previews here, and, obviously, get a lot of information on the zine. But hey, it’s not all music. There’s also information about local political organizations in Mexico like RASH and their activities. Not everything happens in the States or the UK.

There is an urgent need to show that hardcore punk can be more than just music (one article is literally called that), a passion for it, because there is a reason behind every chord and every zine. They don’t want the pose or the merch, they want the message to get out and they say it loud and clear. They rage about it in their editorials, as well as about the political situation in Mexico and the United States. Because, you know, Trump is affecting Mexicans in a big way now, so they can’t be silent. They won’t. There’s no tolerance for racism, whether it’s in the punk scene or in the streets, and that’s something that needs to be expressed through the different ways that punk comes out. Hardcore punk has affected us in a great way and it can do the same for you.

It is important to know that there are sources of information in Spanish, because the world is not reduced to English-speaking people. The people at Incendiario know how important it is to be visible, that’s why they also talk about indigenous people and their demands. When the Internet can connect almost the entire world, let’s show the faces of everyone, not just the same old white faces we always see in the mainstream media. For all this, we are grateful for the existence of fanzines like Incendiario that try to make space for themselves and for the forgotten.

Finally, I can only say that this fanzine is a call to everyone who reads it to be aware of the information we share, the issues we support, and to be angry when it’s necessary. To call out all the bullshit and expand our connections with like-minded people. Begin to consciously use the spaces where we share experiences. Find out what’s happening around you and be a part of it. Don’t wait for people to do it for you. Immerse yourself in the DIY experience. Start a band, make a fanzine (or webzine), help book local shows, support organizations you believe in, be a part of something, be creative and dare to have a voice. You’ll find a lot of fulfillment in it.

Incendiario #5 is on its way! Click here to download the first four issues on pdf files.