Mamayang Gabi Sa Sazi's Bar!!!

Kitakits!

Tonight, Like It Is Starting To Become A Habit

The gig in honor of drummer extraordinaire Luis "Weslu" Guiang's third death anniversary will be tonight, 8pm at Sazi's Restobar (formerly Mayric's).

The line-up is formidable, as it includes the bands for which Weslu has pounded the skins (G.I. and the Idiots, and for a short time, The GoSignals) as well as friends like Throw, Nekbu, and Against Man.

This seems to me more like a celebration of life and times of (rather than a tribute for) the man who will always be remembered for his amazing sense of humor, his mania behind the drumkit (Skanking while hitting the skins? Almost unbelievable!), and his enduring courage, especially manifested during his last hours. As such, I am not too hesitant to promote the gig.

It would be banal of me to say that I miss Louie, but it is the plain truth. Everybody misses Weslu. Everybody will miss him. I will not be amazed if Weslu's death anniversary will be celebrated in the (many many) years to come.

Trash Radio Manila EPISODE 2 Part 2: On Target

For this segment, we pay tribute to that familiar target sign used by the British R.A.F.

And of course when we do refer to this target sign bands like The Who and Ocean Colour Scene easily come to mind. The playlist is as follows:

1. THE WHO - "Pictures Of Lily"
2. THE LAMBRETTAS - "Cortina MKII"
3. THE VAPORS - "Lenina"
4. PRIVATE STOCK - "Have More Fun"
5. OCEAN COLOUR SCENE - "I Told You So"
6. LITTLE MURDERS - "She's The One"
7. THE JAM - "Burning Sky" (from The Jam Live At The BBC)

We deem it apt to include a cut from an incredibly rare release from the local band Private Stock, which played in the legendary Brave New World Series of the 80s. The band counts Mel Maniego, currently of The GoSignals, as among its alumni.

Just in case you're wondering why The Vapors is included in the playlist, The Jam's Bruce Foxton produced and heavily influenced the band. Sure, "Turning Japanese" was a runaway hit, but rest assured that the rest of their two albums' cuts were killer.

My partner in this blog site (I'm sure you guys know him by now) specifically requested that we include a rare version of The Jam's "Burning Sky," taken from CD3 of The Jam Live At The BBC CD set, and dedicate the song to "The Class of 1984," or so they call themselves when they're drunk. A line from this song goes:

"...then we’ll all be happy and we’ll all be wise and together we will live beneath the Burning sky."

Come to think of it, this may probably be Paul Weller's own way of looking at coming to full circle....

Have a good weekend y'all.

A Celebration Of Life And Times: Luis A. Guiang (1968-2007)

Luis A. Guiang. Also known as Weslu. Known to the pinoy underground music world as (probably) the greatest drummer of his generation. He has kept the beat for Private Stock and G.I. and the Idiots, seminal bands coming off the legendary Brave New World Era of the 80s. He was one of the pioneers of the one and only Put3Ska. In his spare time, which he was never selfish of, he pounded the skins for bands like Juan Pablo Dream, Throw, The Brownbeat Allstars, and Shuffle Union.

But more than just being a drummer and everyone's favorite "happy man," Luis was a friend to everyone, including those who have taken advantage of him. And that's how he was, and that's how I will always remember him by. And every person whose life has been touched by this wonderful man has his own special Weslu recollections all tucked up safe in his fondest memories.

Luis passed away at about 11am of Thursday, January 18, 2007, due to pulmonary complications of an open fracture of his tibia (shinbone). The first death anniversary is just days away, and what better way to celebrate the life and times of Weslu than to be in Purple Haze Bar at Tomas Morato, Quezon City on Friday, 8pm, January 18, 2008.

This event is named "Your Humble Musical Servant," and is courtesy of Bisikleta Productions, Weslu's legacy to the music scene. The band line-up is, how shall I call it? AWESOME!!! All these bands represent various generations of Luis' involvement in the scene, and this event is probably the best way to pay homage to a drummer, a friend, a spiritual brother. Be there when it happens.