Wayne Liu (Wayne's So Sad, The Admonished Trio) had passed away
The sad passing of the most influential punk rocker in decades...
Two days prior to the release party for 孝順一族‘s (The Admonished Trio) self-titled album on June 11, the band announced cancelation due to "temporary health issues of band members." On 6/12, the tragic news of the guitarist 劉暐 Wayne Liu's passing has been reported.
"If I don't drink, I don't know what I'll do next. Whether I should have another bottle, or where I should go, what I should eat, I have no idea what I should do. But if I drink, I’ll know exactly what my next move is going to be."
Wayne Liu was born in Taipei in 1985. He briefly studied in the U.S. and graduated from the Department of Visual Communication Design at the Taiwan University of Arts. His music career launched at the age of 17, upon the invitation of 洪申豪 Hom Shenhao (of Touming Magazine), Wayne Liu joined the emo/hardcore band 一隅之秋 (Fall of This Corner) and transitioned from drummer to bassist.
From then on, he primarily played as a guitarist in various bands such as 表兒 (Children Sucker), 生氣的年輕人 (Angry Young Man), BB彈 (BB Bomb), The Deported, 傷心欲絕 (Wayne’s So Sad), 包子虎 (Baozi Tiger), 勝利一族 (for winners), Sledge City Slashers and 孝順一族 (The Admonished Trio).
His early creations were influenced by the direct and concise sound of the legendary American punk band, The Ramones, from the 1970s. He once stated, "I've always felt that I'm a punk rocker." Although his songs were simple in their sad and despairing lyrics and melodies, they carried a unique sense of self-deprecating humor.
As the guitarist of Wayne’s So Sad, he left behind many representative works, and the band's title was derived from his English name, Wayne. For a period of time, he and vocalist 許正泰 Hsu Zhengtai frequently wrote songs in a park in Tianmu (northern part of Taipei), leaving behind several notable works such as the songs from their early EP 《喔 我沒有靈魂》(Oh I Have No Soul)
Later, the two had a disagreement and the band went on hiatus until they officially reunited in 2015. During the hiatus, Wayne Liu participated in several projects including for winners, Sledge City Slashers.
In 2020, Wayne Liu left Wayne’s So Sad and formed a new band called The Admonished Trio with punk veterans. The power trio released a self-titled album, and were active in major music festivals and venues. Wayne went on recorded his solo album, it is an acoustic guitar re-recording of his musical works in Wayne’s So Sad, for winners and The Admonished Trio right before his passing.
Wayne Liu is a dear friend to us all, he is a sincere, talented, cute, angry, and humble punk rocker throughout his life, drunk to the core but somehow managed to compose and play the most exciting riffs ever written in Taiwan’s music scene, his legacy will carry on by his music, and keep listening is the best way we can commemorate him.
Good night Wayne.
