A DIY Space For Underground Rock: The Ethos Behind OurStrayLiberties And ROOM 526

The crowd at *ANGUISH IS FOR-LOVER II* organised by Ourstrayliberties (Credit: @760coremedia)

“Wait, sorry. Give me five minutes. I’ll be right back”.

I was in the middle of a late-night interview with 21-year-old Adel Zamri (better known as Del) when he asked to be excused.

We were discussing his experience organising gigs under OurStrayLiberties, and his thoughts on running up-and-coming gig venue ROOM 526.

From emo crust to shoegaze and even mixed-genre shows, gigs held at ROOM 526 are best described as a tribute to the 1990s music scene in Singapore – a wrinkle in time that birthed many underground shows, as venues dwindled in light of government efforts to shut down the hardcore and punk scene. Unlike bigger and more public music spaces like Scape, shows at ROOM 526 are cosy and tight, bearing the tinge of raw intimacy that only comes with seeing a band perform five feet away from you.

During the call, bits of commotion and the occasional thud could be heard in the background. Later, I found out that Del was calling me from ROOM 526, where he was preparing for a jamming session the next day.

From late-night set-ups to early-morning tear-downs, this is how OurStrayLiberties and ROOM 526 are keeping the scene alive.

Del and Jae with band members from Subconscious, Fictional Character and Naedr (Credit: OurStrayLiberties)

From capturing the scene to cultivating the scene

The story begins in 2023. Inspired by Boplay Photos, Del and his partner Jae Koh (also 21 years old) decided to help out at various punk and metal shows, seeing that there was a lack of photographers for such genres compared to more accessible ones like indie and hardcore.

Soon after, the couple felt the push to create something of their own. With the help of a friend, they organised Saturday Night Emocore, a mixed-genre emo show featuring local bands like alternative emo band camping, midwest emo band Fern and pop-punk band Line Drive.

What was supposed to be a one-time gig resulted in the start of a year-long gig-organising journey. Today, with over 17 shows under their belt, OurStrayLiberties is no greenhorn in the scene, making its mark by bringing in bands from all over Asia.

Malaysian shoegaze band the world ends with you, performing at *ANGUISH IS FOR-LOVER IV* (Credit: @xwayne1991x)

An independent space – by the scene, for the scene

While it was inspiration that fuelled the start of OurStrayLiberties, ROOM 526 was sparked by grief.

Both Del and Jae were grappling with the separate losses of their loved ones when the opportunity to rent a space surfaced. Sensing that there was nothing left to lose, the duo jumped at the chance.

“We were like fuck it, let’s just do it. We just wanted to get our mind off everything”, Del admits.

He speaks with an air of indignant certainty, thickly coated in the DIY (do-it-yourself) ethic of the underground music scene. It is this counterculture mindset that ROOM 526 is built upon. For the couple, ROOM 526 is “a DIY venue born out of impact and necessity rather than sustainability, [serving] bands in the underground scene who may face difficulties playing in bigger spaces such as Baybeats”.

While big-time events like Esplanade’s annual Baybeats festival are important in highlighting various alternative local bands, these bands tend to be of a certain performance calibre, causing many smaller and less polished underground bands to fall through the cracks.

But the DIY culture is not without its hardships. From difficulties obtaining the right rental licenses to ensuring affordability for bands, gig promoters and audiences alike, running a venue is a juggling act. You can’t have your cake and eat it too – prioritising one means losing the other. And for ROOM 526, affordability is the name of the game.

As gig organisers and audiences themselves, the pair empathise with the rising cost of venues and ticket prices. ROOM 526 prices are kept as affordable as possible, with shows going to as low as $15 for pre-sale. While the venue depends heavily on second-hand and donated equipment, the pair do not view that as a limitation. They try to accommodate in whatever way possible, ensuring that their stakeholders get the best bang for their buck.

AND I MUST SCREAM

The DIY punk movement started in the 1970s. 50 odd years later, the culture remains unwavering. Built on community, DIY spaces serve an important role – to be a haven for underground bands to grow and thrive. It is on such fertile ground that memorable moments are cultivated.

For Del, that moment is the AND I MUST SCREAM FEST, a festival of eight screamo bands from across Asia. Hosted by OurStrayLiberties and held in ROOM 526 last October, the festival was a full-circle moment for the couple, who had always dreamt of hosting a full screamo line-up in Singapore, something that has never been done before given the niche genre.

“It was everything that Jae and I had worked for”. Del recounts fondly. “That was one of the most emotional shows I have ever done, just because of how much it meant to me personally. Seeing bands that I really like, like [local screamo band] Istilah and [Filipino screamo band] TNG play at my studio…it’s like…what the fuck, you know?”

The crowd at *AND I MUST SCREAM FEST* (Credit: @istole_acat)

The festival solidified what OurStrayLiberties stood for, to be a bastion for the screamo and screamo-adjacent scene in Singapore.

Building on that, they are planning to release a record label soon, promoting various local and overseas screamo and screamo-adjacent bands. The jig is currently in motion, with more details released in the future.

To discover upcoming gigs, follow their socials @ourstrayliberties and @roomfivetwosix. Want to keep our DIY spaces alive? You may also donate to ROOM 526. All proceeds will go directly to supporting the venue.

This contributor feature was written by Cherie Wen.

Cherie is a human whose life revolves around music – except, you know, playing it. Ask her for the lore on any band and she’ll give it to you. Just don’t ask her to sight-read. You can find her at @shuhreee_ on IG.