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...