Holiday Sneer

Partida, di pa yan pasko...

So I'm kicking myself lately for not being able to attend a couple of recent gigs that I wished I was able to. No particular reason really, nakakatamad lang din talaga what with all the traffic clogging the main thoroughfares. Imagine, traffic na nga along the highways on normal days pano pa kaya pag pasko? And it seems everybody is expecting it that it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Definitely one of the signs that Christmas is approaching. 

Tributes

"Lupang uhaw sa pag-ibig

Naghihintay sa halik ng langit

Halina't sumayaw sa ilalim ng araw

Maghawak-hawak ng kamay 

At isigaw ng sabay sabay

Kapayapaan"

"Kapayapaan" - Papadom - Tropical Depression

A Glimmer of Hope?

For some reason the other day, as I was walking home downtown, I had the sudden urge to go and get a daily paper. And here is what I found splashed on the front page:

From PDI

Why I Don't Vote

11/08/2013

On the Barangay Elections - Oct 28, 2013

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...puro basura...from yahoo news

Just this past month, the country has yet again gone through a process that to some, including this observer, reeks of inevitable futility. No, its not the back-masking presentation of a certain group in a certain TV show which, though not necessarily original  ( the Beatles being famously tagged as furious back-maskers back in the day ) is one that makes for slightly entertaining TV I admit. I'm referring though to the local elections that the country recently had to endure. 

Reviews - The Exsenadors

One of the current flag bearers for skinheads locally is the group, The ExSenadors. Their self-titled CD has been re-issued by the group and is still available from them. I got my copy through Eric, their guitarist, who I met when I dropped by the studio where they usually practice, which was quite accessible from where I am. It was funny, I didn't really realize that he was a member of the group 'til I met him. 

A Force for Good?

I recently watched a 2 hour clip of a debate with the topic as  “The Catholic Church is a force for good in the world”. On the one hand ( pro ) we have Archbishop Onaiyekan (of Abuja, Nigeria) and Ann Widdecombe, a former British Conservative Party politician. Those who oppose the motion are Christopher Hitchens ( RIP ), journalist known for his atheist views and Stephen Fry, English actor, known as 1/2 of Laurie and Fry. The video is posted below:

Reviews - Bad Omen and the Go Signals

I got a couple of sounds recently and I thought I'd share my thoughts on 'em just for the heck of it. And if you are so inclined, you might want to get copies of your own. Well, you should as they're all quite good but don't take my word for it and find out on your own.

Revelation

The Million People March

Luneta, Rizal Park

August 26, 2013 - National Heroes Day

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I closed my eyes and I saw...

...a man plying his trade, braving traffic, flood and smoke in his route, carrying passengers to the site, wishing his voice too, is heard.

...a vendor setting up shop, hoping to somehow make enough, selling her wares to the hungry and the thirsty multitude.

1,000,000 to Zero Kilometer

Have you seen the little piggies? ...from interaksyon.com

It would seem that by now, we're all aware of what's happening to the country and the sad state of its affairs. We're still reeling from the shock of the Priority Development Assistance Fund ( or more commonly pork-barrel ) scam when the 1-2 blows of Maring ( international name:Trami ) and Habagat ( southwest monsoon ) came at us, displacing, once again, thousands of Filipinos into cramped classrooms, wet covered courts, tiny barangay halls and makeshift evac centers. And, as any decent person would think, we all say, sayang, dito na lang sana napunta ung perang pinaguusapan nila. And the number is quite staggering, 10 billion PHP, the estimated pocketed figure, is not a figure to scoff at. 

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Incendiary - The Molotov Sessions - Act II

The Molotov Sessions
August 10, 2013 - Escobar, Cubao X
A Review - Part 2

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So I thought I'd start Part 2 of this here narrative with a list, kinda like ol' Letterman, of the top 5 things you thought you'd never see in a gig:

# 5 - Star Wars!! 

# 4 - A Space Cadets board game!!!

# 3 - Hobbits!!

# 2 - The DICKie ( you know who you are! )

and number 1 : A cowboy!!

Pa-arbor ng gitara!

Incendiary - The Molotov Sessions - Act I

The Molotov Sessions
August 10, 2013 - Escobar, Cubao X
A review in two parts

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Being this as my first time watching a gig at Cubao X, I'd say this was a pretty good start as my introduction to the venue. For years now, Cubao X has been billed as an alternative hangout for artists, photo enthusiasts, vintage collectors and kids who wanted to have a different kind of buzz. I liked the idea behind it all, magaling ( or as the Bicolanos call it, uragon! ) kasi it's DIY in the sense that the artists, filmmakers, and other oddballs who make this spot as their haunting ground were doing it for themselves. Early on, I had the impression though that this was where all the "cool" kids hang out and since I wasn't a "cool" kid to begin with, I didn't really had a reason to go. Until now.

A Conscience Left to Struggle... - The Strike interview

One of the gems of my old zine was an interview of an American band that was ( in my view ) slowly gaining ground in the international music scene back then. I forget how or why it came about it, I sent a letter to their address one day and thankfully, they replied and that was it. I really thought back then that they would be causing quite a stir as they played a pretty catchy/melodic style of mod/punk, a kind of that 70's sound that never fails to perk me up, plus me mga torotot sa ibang mga kanta nila which is a huge plus in my book. At that time, the video of their song  "Shots Heard 'Round the World" was doing the rounds and it was highly representative of their brand of fist raising, upbeat and left-leaning music. The song is inspired by the Haymarket affair and the video starts off with a shot of the August Spies / Haymarket Martyrs memorial where the following quote can be read:

      "The  day  will  come  when  our  silence  will  be  more  powerful  than  the voices you are throttling today." 

...be a martyr...get a monument...1887 Haymarket Martyrs Memorial from findagrave.com

The Pinoi Connection

No, this is not about our el presidente and his lame nickname, though I would have to admit, this is also about another Aquino ( not her either! ). Whenever I watch interviews/documentaries about the early American punk/hc acts, I notice that most of these groups, if not all, often mention this San Francisco club where they used to play back in the day. Jello Biafra fondly mentions this club in his interviews about "the good 'ol days". The name of the club, as you may well know by now, is The Mabuhay Gardens ( or in Jello's accent, it's Ma-bu-heey ). When I first learned of this, I immediately thought, hmmm teka, malamang pinoi me ari neto, para namang me iba pang linggwahe sa mundo na me salitang "mabuhay". And indeed, it turned out, the Mab ( as it was known ) was once owned by a certain Ness Aquino. Together with Dirk Dirksen, promoter and emcee, they hosted in the 70s, some of the more important names to come out in punk/hc like the Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, the Screamers and  the Ramones. I believe the Sex Pistols weren't able to play at the Mabuhay, Winterland ung last gig nila and it was SF where they broke up, but the fact that they were there in the area probably had something to do with the gestation of it all. Akalain mo yun?

Makati's Burning!

Tug-Pak-Tug-Tug-Punk # 2
July 5, 2013 - Saguijo, Makati

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I haven't watched a local punk gig in a very long time. 90's pa when I last witnessed a gathering of pinoi punk heroes. And if I remember correctly, kasama Philippine Violators sa lineup and Bad Omen too. Before the gig proper, I met this kid while loitering outside the venue. His name was "Gin", like the drink, and he  basically gave me a rundown on the city and the surroundings. We went to the gig together but when the doors opened we somehow got separated as the crowds came rushing and pushing in. And so I watched from the sidelines of the Pasay City Sports Complex as the critters came in and nearly tore the building to shreds. I remember being scared but exhilarated at the same time. I don't recall how the gig ended, it just somehow did amid the broken bottles and thrown monobloc chairs on the hardwood floor. I felt very strongly then that this shouldn't be how things should be and that was it for me.

The Pope in the Philippines - On Morrissey, the Smiths and Panic on the streets of Manila

Morrissey in Manila
May 13, 2012 @ World Trade Center

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After missing out on the Wild Swans gig when they dropped by Manila, I was adamant not to miss out on Morrissey's first ever appearance in these shores. I was pretty sure there was ( and still is ) a ton of kids in the Philippines eagerly awaiting for this event to happen ( when's the repeat? ). I forget how I learned that he was indeed coming ( malamang sa internet ) and I had to verify that it wasn't some sort of sick joke hatched by bored netizens. I made a deal with my brother for us to go together as he's also a fan. It was through him, being a product of the original "bored" generation ( chong, XB, the Original Oktoberfest concerts, Resuce Ladders, creepers! ) that I originally got into the Smiths. Hatful of Hollow was such a breath of fresh air, the guitar arrangements were something else, kung makikinig ka sa the Smiths ngaun,  if you follow the guitar hooks parang lumulubog-lumilitaw cya e, ung tipong andun lang, surfing through the rhythm...and it still sounds new, though the music was like nothing we've heard before. It had a classic element. A lot of that has something to do with Johnny Marr, one of the greatest guitar arrangers of his ( and everyone else's? ) generation. I've seen stories from the tube ( You ) about how Johnny Marr could not even repeat some of the stuff that he recorded while working on these albums. Ganun cya kalupit, kahit sarili nya hindi nya makopya!

Some Kind of Hate

"I got something to say

I killed your baby today

And it doesn't matter to me

As long as it's dead...."

As soon as you hear these words and the music kick in, you can't help but be taken in. Now Misifts music is not something new, you can hear the Ramones coming through very loudly sa style nila although with a much more chaotic feel. What they did differently was the way they presented it, so yeah you've got the black leather jackets and the spikes plus the hair ( devilock! ), but along that was the horror aesthetic that they included. I remember I told myself once if I would have a tattoo, then the Crimson Ghost Skull would be one of my first choices. There's just something about that skull...