District 105 performs at Soma Art Cafe, Saigon. Drummer jumps in the air. Photographed by Lee Starnes.

Saigon Punk Chronicles : Year End Fest - The E Killer, District 105, 7Uppercuts, Razor Leaf, Stupiz Kiz, Tariot

January 14, 2019 in music

With the lunar new year approaching, First and Last Records held their year-end fest showcasing nearly their entire roster as well as the Singaporean melodic hardcore outfit, Tariot. To begin, DIY shows starting more or less on time here in Saigon blows my mind. With everything else here being 'time-flexible', and the habitual lateness of punk shows in general, this punctuality is noteworthy to say the least. High fives for that. That said, maybe I’ve become accustomed to things starting more. whimsically. So, unfortunately, I missed The E-killer. Next time, fellas.

Koteka is the Reason vocalist on his back sings into the microphone at a punk show. Shot by Lee Starnes, Saigon-based photographer.

Saigon Punk Chronicles : Koteka is the Reason, District 105, 7 Uppercuts

January 07, 2019

Saigon in the past year seems to have really started building a DIY punk scene. As some of you know, back in the States, I was predominantly a music photographer, and when I moved to Saigon 5 years ago, there wasn’t much of a scene, or at least I didn’t see or hear about it. Needless to say, I’m stoked to have the ‘core and punk shows to go now.

Boat sits on tranquil water at Lang Co lagoon, Hue. Central Vietnam landscape. Photographed by Lee Starnes, Vietnam photographer. — New Site!!

Stories, Ramblings and High Fives

New Year. New Stories. So why not a new site?

January 03, 2019

I’ve been debating on changing the way I present my work for some time, and just the same as one photo is never the total story, a simple visual is not sufficient in its presentation. I reckon this area of the site will serve as a behind the scenes or perhaps even a stream of consciousness of stories that may not fit within the other areas of work. Personal projects, random banter, tutorials, tips and tricks, family images, design stuff I love, other artists work - they will all live here. The creative community is so important, so I’d love for this to be a hub for photographers, artists, outcasts, shenanigans peddlers, storytellers. Let’s build something amazing. While you’re here, check out the rest of the site and leave a comment below on what you want to see here.