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.
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| Final layout with additional bands |
The free (!) gig was billed as the Molotov Sessions ( is this a series? ) and a quick look at the flyer would give you a sense of what the evening would be like. I would have loved to come in earlier than 9 pm just to check out what the place actually had to offer but my better half had other ideas. See, she's not really into the stuff that I am into, which is cool as she can give me a different perspective on how I view things, bless her. But at times like these, I wish she was. Anyway, I left home around 8, got to Cubao by 9 pm. E since pers time ko to, di ko naman talaga alam kung san ung papunta dun. Note to self: if you have no clue as to the exact location ng isang gig, make sure you confirm the location before hand so as not to waste time looking for the damn venues. I thought it would be very easy to locate Cubao X because of its infamy but that wasn't the case. Good thing about it all is that you can always rely on the local folks if you're looking for a place, lalo na ung mga good ol' tricycle drivers.
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| Original layout design |
I managed to find my way to the venue by 09:30 just in time for Bad Omen. The boys behind Middle Finger Productions were already starting their set, naabutan ko they were warming up the crowd to the tune of The Bad King ( Kill! Kill! hehe ). Having been in the scene for this long, parang automatic na rin the way they play, but not in a bad sense, as they blasted through their set of originals and covers. Medyo nakakadistract lang ung alarm dun sa isang sasakyan na nakapark malapit sa banda, parang police sirens na rin. Sakto, when they played Police on My Back. Short songs for people with short attention spans, as the saying goes. The highlight of their set for me was at the end when they played Fuck the World ( coz, it's so Fucked Up! ) and their version of England Belongs to Me by streetpunks Cocksparrer, of course, slightly modified to sing Manila, leading the punks to a frenzy, shouting out and singing along. I always liked the song, I first heard it from an old RMD ( Rare Music Distribution ) compilation tape and had always thought that someday, somebody would be using this song for us instead of for the brits. P.I. belongs to me! Bad Omen has stuck to their guns and looks like they always will.
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| Doing it for the kids! |
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| Like fine wine... |
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| Truck truckin' on |
I have to mention that there was a stupid incident in the form of a drunk ( I presume ) youth ( also a presumption ) tossing a red horse beer bottle into an empty space in front of the group ( but not directly ) in between songs. To which my only reaction was to scratch my head. Hanggang ngayon pa ba meron pa ding mga gustong ipakita na total dickheads sila? Jeez, if you really want to show that you're punk as fuck, try tossing that bottle during a rally or during a state visit or maybe during a protest, or something. Men, gig to and the people here are trying to soak up in the music and to support the people who are keeping the music alive. Naalala ko tuloy ung nahuli ng esmi ( an elementary public school teacher ) ko na estudyante with a knife ( you should see what other stuff the kids are bringing to school these days ). Same circumstances din kasi it begs the question, WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT? A macho, pissing contest is all it is, if you ask me. Try to point that rage ( or stupidity ) somewhere else. It wouldn't hurt to try, gaddemit!
Next up, was the Go-Signals. Oh boy, I've been waiting for a while for a chance to see these guys play. Any band that looks to The Jam as an inspiration is always a band to look forward to, I reckon. By this time, good friend grasi dropped by as their set was starting. Unfortunately, I was not yet familiar with "The Maniegos" originals and I think the cretins weren't as well as there was a noticeable space in front of the group, as they played. The band kept asking what the crowd wanted for them to play and I was shouting "The Jam!" all the time hehe...The songs I managed to get were Aling Gloria and cover song Dear Prudence. Main man Mel Maniego was a Private Stock back in the day ( dinig pa din ung sound nung Stock sa Signals ) and it's nice to still hear the familiar rings and shouts of their classic anthem, Future Generation. Come to think of it, this IS the future generation as the song was created in the 80s. Meron na kayang pagbabago?
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| The Signal is GO! |
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| Punks helping out on a disconnected guitar cable... |
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| Red is the new Go! |
...to be continued....more thoughts and pictures to come...why the hell do this review in two parts? Kasi kelangan ko nang matulog hehe. Besides, why the hell not?
In the meantime, here are some links to check out:
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