And they say "Dead Boys" tell no tales...

Cheetah Chrome: A Dead Boy's Tale: From the Front Lines of Punk Rock
Book Review
02/27/2014

One of the things that I'd like to do when I have time to go out is look for cheap finds whether it be books, clothes, records, what have you. Often times, I am pleasantly surprised by what you can find just looking around at these types of stores. From DIY self help books to out of print records, magazines, to rare t-shirt designs ( had bought an Epitaph shirt of Joe Strummer's Mescaleros once,in an ukay of all places ) to D&D books, basta whatever. And on a recent trip to the bargain bins, here is what I found:

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.

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.

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...

A Chat with Noel Punxia - Mutilated News

When I was doing my zine back then, I've had the privilege to interview through mail(!) Noel Francia aka Noel Punxia of Mutilated News/Noise. Eto ung mga panahon na buhay pa ung printed version ng Mutilated News. Mula sa baul na tong interview na to and mukhang hindi na kumpleto, buti natago ko pa. I remember the answers were written in yellow pad and they were quite long. I'm hoping na marelease ko to in full and in its proper form as a zine, pero for now, here's how it went. Wala na akong contact ke Noel, I hope he doesn't mind me posting this. Again, bear in mind, this was done ages ago but I think this still deserves to be read.