Basti Artadi of Wolfgang

It was a rainy night on December 8th. Although I didn’t get to attend the press conference of Yahoo for the Y! Rocks because of work, I still managed to go to the concert at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds. I needed a break from work and going to gigs is one of my stress relievers.

This is the first time that Yahoo held simultaneous concerts in Cebu and Davao for Yahoo Rocks. As an avid supporter of local artists, I appreciate this kind of support that is being given by Yahoo. Let’s admit it, gone are the hey days of bands during the 90′s. Sorry, I am being biased here but at that time, Pinoy bands were the mainstream and major recording labels were signing them, creating hits one after the other. But now, times have changed. Pinoy bands still exist, only a few of them in the mainstream and more are going independent. In this digital age, independent bands market themselves through online media – I guess one of the easiest and the cheapest form of marketing. The good thing is that Yahoo, one of the biggest online organizations, help promote Filipino music. It also helped that we have Yahoo Philippines which focuses everything about our country.

Gloc 9 and Vinci of Parokya ni Edgar

It is so hard to impose something but instead of us dwelling from the past, my proposal is to look forward and determine how we can keep Pinoy music alive. One suggestion is don’t just rely on what radio stations play. There are tons of artists who are already on the internet. Go to small gig joints around the metro and you’ll surely hear some fresh sound that you can dig into.

Marben Romero of Badburn

Anyway, nuff said. I only caught a few bands during the Yahoo Rocks gig. The audience had their umbrellas up so it was quite difficult to take photos from where I was (Purple VIP). Eventually the heavy rains stopped so I had the opportunity to get some snapshots. Feel free to browse through my Yahoo Rocks photo set in Flickr and the videos I took from my You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/rockerfemme.

Franco

Glad to see 90′s bands such as Wolfgang, Razorback, Badburn and Parokya ni Edgar. Only a few people I guess appreciated the heavy rock sounds of Wolfgang, Razorback and Badburn. I still had the urge to sing along with Basti in “Halik ni Hudas” and became my LSS until the next morning.

Kevin Roy of Razorback

“Norma Love” a.k.a Harlon Agsaoay of Tanya Markova

Sarah Marco of Taken by Cars

Raimund Marasigan of Sandwich

Chikoy Pura of The Jerks

Yahoo Philippines wants Yahoo Rocks to be a yearly event and I do hope that for the regional concerts, they let the local bands play and not only the popular ones. I know Cagayan de Oro and Cebu rock scene is alive and it would be great to showcase them as well. Not sure on the other genres but I am sure that there are existing ones!

So we left the concert grounds at around 12:30 am with a ringing sound in my ear. The next day, still feeling deaf, I went to work and returned to my boring job as if nothing happened last night.

* Special thanks to Joey Alarilla for the invitation!

Joey “Pepe” Smith and Ely Buendia

Jose Rizal’s 150th birthday became more meaningful as Pinoy musicians made songs about him and his works through a downloadable album called  Rock Rizal. You can download the songs for free and share it to everyone who know and wants to know Jose Rizal.

Listening to the tracks made me remember my PI 100 (Philippine Institutions 100) in UP. It is mandated by law that educational institutions has to add Rizal’s life and works in the curricula of public and private schools  (please see Republic Act 1425 or Rizal Law). My PI100 class was unforgettable (under Prof. Nilo Ocampo) because I had the chance to visit the Rizalistas in Mt. Banahaw. I found an old blog post about it but didn’t exactly elaborate on what I did there but all the things that I experienced are kept in my mind. At that time, I realized that Jose Rizal’s life and works are timeless and it crosses all social classes (although many say that his philosophies reflects elitism and conservatism). Could this mean that nothing has really changed since the 1800′s? Hmm.

“Bungo sa Bangin” – Ely Buendia featuring Pepe Smith and Turbogoth

Anyway going back to Rock Rizal, last night I was able to hear some of the songs from the Rock Rizal album performed live at the SM Mall of Asia, San Miguel By The Bay. Karla and I were late because I had to come all the way from Makati after work. I only got the chance to catch the bands such as Gab and Josh, Reese and Vica, Peryodiko, Ebe Dancel, Radioactive Sago Project and Ely Buendia with Pepe Smith. Super thanks to friends from Rock Ed for giving us a chance to stay at the backstage and stay in front of the stage. I was sitting on a speaker (good thing it was heavier than me) because other photographers were squeezing me against the speaker so I might as well just sit on it. I could really feel the groove through my butt! What the hell, it was an awesome and unforgettable gig.

You know why this gig was made awesome? Let me show you why.

1) Ely Buendia performed with Joey “Pepe” Smith.

Two Pinoy rock legends from different eras performed live! Actually, they should only perform 1 song which is “Bungo sa Bangin” (song from the Rock Rizal album and my favorite) but I guess both of them were in the mood to do some more. After “Bungo sa Bangin”, they performed “Teacher’s Enemy No. 1″, a Juan Dela Cruz classic. It seemed that Pepe forgot a stanza but what the heck, it was still a fun impromptu jam! Mar Dizon (former Side A drummer / founder and played with other artists such as Kevin Lettau, Jim Brickman, David Pomeranz etc.) also played the drums with them!

Another impromptu song from Ely is “Ang Huling El Bimbo”.

2) Gloc – 9 made the the crowd jump for joy.

I’ve never seen Gloc 9 perform live before so I was surprised on the crowd’s response. He engages with the crowd and I believe this is the reason why the crowd loves him. He’s not just another Francis M. but he lives by his own name and style. He also seemed humble (sorry, didn’t get to meet him in person). Here’s a video of him performing “Kung Tama Siya” with Jaq Dionisio of Kissjane.

3) Vin Dancel made the audience wave to the viewers of Digradio.ph.

The entire concert was webcasted via Digradio.ph so Vin made the audience raise their hands to the air. People who were not able to watch it live had the chance to see the entire concert on the internet! How amazing technology is now.

4) Radioactive Sago Project’s music almost made me dance to my feet but instead with my butt.

Sorry for the TMI (too much information) but they did! Like I said earlier, I was sitting on a speaker in front of the stage so when Radioactive Sago Project was next, I said to myself “uh-oh, my butt muscles will definitely be sore after this”. Well I was exaggerating then but I felt the soreness today. I was excited to hear “Sino Si Pepe” live and one of my favorite tracks.

And so if you were not able to go to the concert, all you can do now is watch the videos I uploaded (and other uploaded as well ;D ) and download the Rock Rizal tracks from the links below.

1) Ely Buendia – “Bungo sa Bangin”

2) Gloc 9 featuring Jaq Dionisio of Kissjane – “Kung Tama Siya”

3) Sandwich – “Mi Ultimo Amor”

4) Ebe Dancel – “Ikaw ang Aking Tahanan”

5) Aiza Seguerra featuring Radha- “Lupang Pinangako”

6) Radioactive Sago Project – “Sino Si Pepe?”

7) Jett Pangan – “Shine A Light”

8) Peryodiko – “Kumagat Man Ang Dilim”

9) Hijo – “Tamalee”

10) Gab ‘n Josh and Reese & Vica – “Pagbabalik”

You can also view other photos from my Flickr.

When NU 107 signed off last February 2011, I was asking myself (and most definitely other avid listeners), “what will be my alternative radio station now that NU 107 has signed off”? Well, thanks to the internet, listeners like me resorted to listening to NU107 Cebu’s webcast.

Suddenly, Pinoytuner.com came and offered a rock radio station called Dig Radio. Ever since then, this is where I usually get a dose of rock tracks as well as local rock music. It’s just like listening to NU107, hearing some familiar radio jocks such as Kim Marvilla, Cyrus the Virus, Francis Brew, Joystick Jay, Evee, April and Shannen. Instead of them having a show wherein the jocks talk in between 2 – 3 songs, I feel like I am getting to know each of their music tastes. There are specific playlists created by the jocks every day (refer to the screenshot above). Once you have listened to the entire playlist, it will just repeat from the beginning. I think an entire playlist is about an hour or two (if I’m not mistaken). The good thing about it is that there are no mandatory radio commercials in between 2 songs. Hopefully this will continue but not sure about it in the future. If you skip songs, it will automatically play the “sponsor” which is just a Dig Radio plug and it’s not annoying unlike radio commercial jingles being played in mainstream radio stations. Dig Radio also does live broadcasts of concerts. Most recent one was the Rock Rizal concert held in SM Mall of Asia By the Bay.

Dig Radio felt like home, but only this can be accessed with an internet connection.

Mayo Baluyut jamming with Johnny Alegre

Two weeks ago, I was able to get to hang out with the guys behind Pinoytuner.com. They had an intimate blogger’s night at Shift Bar and Resto (just opposite Cafe Saguijo). Thanks to Aileen Apolo – De Jesus for inviting us, it was truly an awesome night! The plan really was not to have a formal thing so everything was spontaneous. They fed us and made us drink Cherry Beer (YOU MUST TRY this!). Although I don’t have a gall bladder anymore, I couldn’t resist this awesome, awesome alcoholic drink. I only had 1 cherry beer which lasted for almost 3 – 4 hours. Francis Brew was consistently reminding me that I don’t have a gall bladder anymore and to avoid drinking beer.

Francis Brew

There were performers such as Vin Dancel (who is also part of Pinoytuner), Mayo Baluyut, Boogie Romero, Nino Avenido and Johnny Alegre to keep us entertained.

Before the night ended, we had a tour around the offices and studio of Pinoytuner. There are recording studios wherein local bands can record their songs. The equipment there are new and state of the art. I assume that they are because people working in Pinoytuner are professional musicians themselves, therefore they know what equipment are good or not.

Vin Dancel

One thing I have noticed with these guys, like Vin Dancel, Francis Brew, Norman Bungubung and Ali Gonzales is that they are sincere in what they want to do with Pinoytuner. They want to fill the gap in the ‘mainstream’ radio airwaves and make a difference in their internet radio station. Currently, there are 3 stations in Pinoytuner.com such as Dig Radio (flagship station which plays rock and alternative tunes), Planet Jazz and Vintage Jukebox. A good point Vin Dancel raised that night, that it’s not only Pinoy rock bands who need more airplay but also the Pinoy Hiphop and Jazz groups (and many others). It was an eye opener for me because I never knew that there are other local music genres that are being neglected. Pinoytuner wishes to bridge the gap and give a “voice” to experts of these local music genres and let them run the specific station the way it should be.

I’ve seen how Pinoytuner has evolved a few months after it was launched in the web. I’ve noticed now that there are already communities within the music genre (there are already blogs and galleries!). Dig Radio has the most content, I guess because this is where most of the people from Pinoytuner came from. They are currently working with Mr. Johnny Alegre on the content and playlists in Planet Jazz. Everything is still in progress and I am quite excited on the next things that will happen with Pinoytuner. I couldn’t disclose that yet but it is really exciting! I just hope that Pinoytuner will not just be another internet radio portal for the sake of broadcasting music. I believe in the capabilities of the people behind Pinoytuner, their passion and commitment to break the walls of traditional radio airplay. One factor that could help them strengthen their website is to build on quality content that will become the “voice” of these underground / independent musicians. Also, interaction with the users of the website is important so that they can keep their audience.

According to Francis, the plans of having a mobile app (for Android and Apple OS) is already on its way before the website was launched. I had a couple of internet radio station apps based in the UK installed in my Ipod before but I did not pursue on listening on them because most of the time, they aren’t playing music and they do not show the titles of the songs that they are playing. Of course, I wanted to know the name of the artist and the song for future reference.

Me, Francis Brew and Karla

Even though I went home at 1:30 am on a Monday night (it was already Tuesday), that’s fine because I had an awesome time with the awesome people of Pinoytuner. When do you get to hang out with musicians that I idolize, not very often! After all the stories that Vin, Francis and the rest of the guys shared to us (most of them are unbloggable ), I would say that I am proud to get to know Pinoytuner at a closer level. As a Pinoy rock supporter like me, I am very excited on what Pinoytuner (or Dig Radio) can do to keep the local music alive again like it used to.

So friends, URLs to remember:
www.pinoytuner.com
www.digradio.ph (to go directly to Dig Radio’s site)

I got the chance to go to the FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women Victory Party at the World Trade Center last night. Thanks to San Miguel Light people. I didn’t really bother to sneak myself to the front of the stage filled with men (and a few women) hungry for flesh because of my current condition. Being there already satisfied me. My 35x zoom point and shoot cameraallowed me to become a “mini voyeur” to what is happening at the ramp.

I actually always thought how it feels like to be in an FHM party, now I know. Anyway, I didn’t finish the whole show because I had to leave early. I only got the chance to take a photo of one celebrity, Eula Valdez – who I think is still hot at her age. By the way, she is number 46 out of 100.

So we’ve got the booze, the condoms, the magazine. A man’s world as they say but FHM cannot just be only for HIM but can also be for HER.

For the very last time, I watched Sugarfree perform live. Everybody shared their sentiments about the band’s break-up both online and offline. The band played their very last performance at the Eastwood Central Plaza on March 1, 2011. One month was given to the fans to opportunity to watch their last performances in different rock joints in Manila such as Route 196, Sazi’s, 70′s Bistro, Checkpoint, Saguijo and 19 East. I was able to see them in Saguijo last Feb 10th however only got the chance to view them from the window while hugging the post outside. It was jam-packed and hugging the post was my only opportunity to see them.

The one month, to me was the acceptance stage of the band’s break-up. If Sugarfree was a lover, it is the perfect lover for many of us because they give closure to their partners and don’t keep them hanging at mid-air. Shucks, Sugarfree sure knows how release the inner emo in me. Days passed by and as the final gig approached, I prepared myself to leave the office early and strategized to get to the very front of the stage. Karla and I arrived at around 3:30 pm and saw Sugarfree already starting their soundcheck. Once the band finished soundcheck at 6:00 pm, they allowed the audience come closer to the stage. We ran towards the railings and made sure not to leave our very precious spot. Hours passed by and the gig officially started at 9:00 pm. The set list was taped on the floor. I already knew the order of the songs that they are going to play.

Here’s the list of the songs they performed on the final gig:

1st Set:
Prom
Hay Buhay
Kung Ayaw Mo Na Sa Akin
Fade Away
Feels Like
Kandila (with Chino Singson of Silent Sanctuary on violin)

2nd Set
Dear Kuya
Telepono
Kwentuhan
Cuida
Insomya
Wag Ka ng Umiyak

3rd Set
Hangover
Ikaw Pala
Taguan
Wala nang Hihilingin
Makita Kang Muli
Hari ng SAblay

4th Set
Unang Araw
Kwarto
Mariposa
Tulog Na

Finale – Burnout

Roanna, DJ from Jam 88.3 introduced the person who will introduce the band. It was Quark Henares, who was tasked to introduce Sugarfree. The reason he was tasked to introduce the band is because he was the one who introduced Sugarfree on the album launch of “Sa Wakas”.

The band performed their very best during the show. Ebe was as passionate and as energetic as he has ever been. Each of them had the opportunity to speak on the mic and have short messages to all their fans. Kaka almost broke into tears but held it as he was talking on the mic. Jal was becoming serious as he does the spiels in between breaks. Mitch, the former drummer of Sugarfree, was there and performed with the band.

The sky was crying almost all throughout the show and the rains didn’t matter for the fans. As the band performed their very last song “Burnout”, everybody felt the sincerity of what this band is all about. Sugarfree is and will forever be grateful for the fans who listened to them all these years.

Each Sugarfree fan who was there in Eastwood (and even those who weren’t there but in spirit), was touched by a song or couple of songs by Sugarfree. Their songs are somewhat a soundtrack of our relationships whether it’s platonic or romantic kind of love. Thank you, Sugarfree for being the soundtrack of my college life. You will never be forgotten.

* please check my Sugarfree Paalam Pilipinas photo set in Flickr.

Bamboo during the MTV Exit gig in 2009

Ok, ok. Now here it goes again. It’s the season of popular and influential vocalists leaving bands. Although it is heartbreaking for us fans to hear this, WE MUST MOVE ON. Band vocalists have their personal reasons why they have to leave their respective bands. If it’s heartbreaking for us, it is definitely heartbreaking for them. Oh, sorry, forgot to tell you that Bamboo (the band), allegedly has called it quits as of today, Jan 10, 2011 (according to KC Montero’s tweet). On the other hand, Sugarfree hasn’t called quits yet, many say that they are not disbanding yet and that Ebe will be the only one who’ll be leaving the band. No official statement from Bamboo yet. Let’s wait and see.

I’ve been on this situation before when Ely Buendia left Eraserheads and then the band eventually disbanded. It was earth shattering, tears fell on my eyes when I learned about the news. I was young then and still hopeful that it will only be a short period of time. I was on denial. I couldn’t accept the fact it’s all over. The first few weeks and months are usually hard.  It’s not easy to move on. Same also when The Dawn first disbanded. Hearing your favorite band disband is like being told by your lover that your relationship is finally over. We have coping mechanisms and here are some tips on how to deal with a band break up:

1) Do not judge at once. One will definitely ask “Who’s the airhead this time?”. Usually, the vocalists are being blamed on being “airheads”. Pumasok na daw sa ulo ang kasikatan at nagyayabang na. Well, vocalists are the most visible and most recognizable. One can’t blame everything on the vocalists. They carry a lot of burden too in representing the band. Know your facts if you have the capacity to do it. Don’t immediately think that someone’s at fault.

2) Try to keep an open mind if the band has chosen a new vocalist or band member. In case the band decided to keep its name and find a new member, accept it wholeheartedly. We cannot say that the previous vocalist is better than the new one because they both have different vocal styles. Music is very diverse and if you only listen and don’t mind who’s singing, you’ll appreciate the song even more because you’ve discovered a different perspective in this new vocalist’s style. I know it’s hard to accept but give it a try. If you don’t like it, don’t bash right to their faces. I know, I know, we have our own opinions but at least respect them.

3) Listen to other bands. If you can avoid listening to this same band, the better. I remember crying whenever I hear an Eraserheads song being played on the radio after the break-up. There are lots of new bands who are interesting enough to watch. Try looking for another favorite. Malay mo, may mas ok pa.Leave your cassette tapes and CDs behind muna and then when you’re ready, listen to them all over again and reminisce. Listen only once in a while. Parang sarap lang na babalik-balikan.

4) Let them be. If you’re not in speaking terms with anyone with the band, don’t bug them with questions about their disbandment or if someone left. Chumempo at konting busina sa pagtatanong. Wag makulit!

We as fans need to learn how to set our limits. We do not own them although we are their direct consumers of their musical productivity. We cannot dictate them how we want them to be. Change is inevitable. We need to grow as much as the artist needs to grow.

I saw your tweet yesterday and you said that you will be leaving Sugarfree. Why oh why Ebe? I won’t be selfish, if you decide to part ways with the band. Does this mean that Sugarfree will already disband? Before it was the Eraserheads that I really mourned for when they disbanded and now Sugarfree? Huhu.Good luck and in case you form another band, I will definitely support it. Don’t worry, I am not a purist.

Thank you for the music and hope to hear more from you in the future.

Your fan,

Sha

(photo from NU 107 website)

Rumor has it that NU 107.5 will now be reformatting to become more appealing to the “masa” and bigger crowd. Will this be the start of its new tagline, “Home of Nu Pop”? Got this news from a Facebook note of a former NU 107 jock, Jaedee (which she also posted in her blog here). Hmm, was this the reason that Quark Henares was being reminiscent of previous NU Rock Awards in Facebook? It’s saddening to know that NU 107.5, the radio station I grew up with will be closing its doors now to playing purely rock tunes. This was one of the stations that gave way to local and independent rock talents. They were the ones who were shrugged by mainstream radio stations because they’re not “pogi” bands. It’s really sad to know that one by one, my adolescent favorites are beginning to disappear. This is the reason that I am sad, it’s because I am not getting any younger anymore.

I understand the struggles that NU 107 management is going through. I actually thought about the people who are currently working there. Change of management = Change of Staff. I know change is inevitable, and so I am accepting the fact that they’re reformatting. Now I’d have to find another radio station where I can be comfortable with, something to revive my adolescent past. Hay, sad.

Wish I can watch the upcoming Rock Awards, too sad that they’re not selling tickets and they’re just gonna raffle it off. Wow, the odds of me winning is so blurred and definitely me scoring tickets from someone there is way too impossible. If someone can score me two tickets I’d be more than grateful!

So good luck to the NU 107, I’ll give your new format a try on 2011. Hope that the employees will be able to cope the loss of jobs. Haha, apologies, I’m being HR again.

(Cory doll)

Last August 1, former President Cory Aquino died due to cardiac respiratory arrest at the Makati Medical Center. It was already expected because she was already suffering colon cancer but I didn’t realize that it would be this early.

I watched Kris Aquino’s show, “The Buzz” (i.e. the Kris Aquino show – I rarely heard Boy Abunda’s voice all throughout the duration of the show) and listened to Kris’ narration of the memoir she wrote during the last month of her mom’s life. It made me teary-eyed and because Kris narrated it in such a way that you will feel like you were really there. I must say that she is a good memoirist.

If you’re going to ask me if I am pro-Cory, well I am not but I have great admiration for this woman because she is one person that makes me proud to be a Filipina – the first woman president of the Philippines and a fellow Scholastican too. There might be some things that I didn’t like about her administration like the CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program), external debt that ballooned enormously, multiple coup de etat attempts and many others. Having said her flaws, she was human and that we can’t have a perfect president. Trying to fix a distorted society due to the Marcos regime was quite difficult. What I liked about her was that she tried to push the restoration of democracy and tried to live a simple life after being the president.

This afternoon, I was able to feel how it was during the day Ninoy Aquino died. At 11 am, my officemates and I were already in Ayala to witness Cory’s funeral procession. While anticipating for the moment, there were already confettis all throughout the skies of Makati, the yuppies were out in the streets and I can hear the songs being played during the 1986 revolution. I said to myself, the Makati yuppies can care much about the death of the icon of democracy but why can’t these yuppies do something to actually restore democracy than just replicating the corrupt system? Anyway, being there in Ayala felt like I was born again because during the 1986 revolution, I was just 3 years old then so I didn’t have any recollection on the People Power Revolution. It felt like there was a sudden flashback of the 80′s where wearing yellow shirts and yellow bandanas were “in” and hearing the song “Magkaisa” was everybody’s last song syndrome.

Cory’s coffin was in a truck filled with flowers and rayadillo guards (I am not sure what they’re called) and the truck stopped at the monument of Ninoy Aquino in Paseo de Roxas. I was standing in Ayala Ave. opposite Robinsons Summit and people parading passed by. The Peping and Tingting Cojuangco clan were walking in the streets (Mikee and China were walking under the heat of the sun). Everybody was shouting “Cory, Cory”. Then the truck with Cory’s body passed by. There was a moment of silence.

I was literally under the sun for 2 hours and had my skin burnt. I just realized that I have uneven skin tone when I got back to the office. But it’s alright, the experience will make you reflect of your duty as the citizen of this country.

Her death is a reminder of restoring Philippine democracy. It makes us reflect what we have done in the past years that we have been “free” from the dictatorship. However small our actions may be, it still counts.