Indie night «Scene Incubator #9»

   Cathartic alt-rock, furious metalcore and noise played with a wink: three sounds that rarely share a bill follow one another across a single night in Saigon. If you want to hear the city's underground as it actually happens, loud and unpolished, this is the night to be in the room.

   The evening is the ninth edition of Scene Incubator, the series Ethos Collective launched with Úm Ba La in May 2026 for Saigon bands playing their own music. The organisers are upfront about the formula: put bands that have no business sharing a stage on one bill and turn it up past the point of comfort. Bands are paid for their sets, with professional lighting and a dedicated sound engineer, and tickets stay at one flat price so the high school and university students who make up most of the scene's audience can come.

   On the bill:

• — My Broken Society — an international alternative rock outfit based in Ho Chi Minh City and co-host of the night. Vocalist and songwriter Boris Melnikov started writing its core material in 2014, but the project only took its name and shape after he moved from Saint Petersburg to Saigon in 2022. He is joined by Russian drummer Yaroslav Andrusyak, who moved from Moscow the same year, and Italian guitarist Tommaso Meacci, in the city since 2021. Expect a heavy, cathartic sound built around transformation, resilience and emotional growth.
• — Thryv — a five-piece metalcore and alternative metal band from Ho Chi Minh City, with Johnny on rhythm guitar, Ken on drums, Tuan (Tuấn) on lead guitar, Nam on vocals and Harie on bass. Raised on cafe sessions and on Bring Me the Horizon, Bad Omens, Landmvrks and Spiritbox, they call their music «angry pop»: new-generation metalcore of snappy, aggressive riffs and melodic vocal outbursts. Their debut EP is due in 2026.
• — Hanging Judy — formed in 2025 by Kira, Lee Khangg, Dang Khanh (Đặng Khánh) and Rook. By their own description they play noise and play it with a wink; the rest the organisers leave for you to find out in the room.

   It is a night for metalcore and heavy rock fans who like discovering local bands, for Saigon's international crowd and for anyone curious enough to hear noise up close. Three bands with three very different approaches in one evening are a good way to hear how varied the city's independent scene is.

   As usual for the series, entry includes one drink. Pre-sale tickets are booked through the organisers' form and paid by bank transfer. The event page and the Facebook event give 19:00 as the start, while the organisers' poster says 20:00, so plan around the earlier time.

   Bring your friends and come ready for volume: the ninth Scene Incubator is set to be loud, raw and very Saigon.