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.

A Playlist From Left Field

On the occasion of Je's 40th day death anniversary (that's today, May 13), I have uploaded this rather special playlist.

1. Put3ska - ABSOLUTE
2. Betrayed - NEVER MEANT TO BE THIS WAY
3. Music Front - BORED WITH BOREDOM
4. Beatdown Boombox - THE HARDER THEY COME

As many of you may know, ABSOLUTE is originally by Absolute Zero, Je's band before he joined Betrayed. Absolute Zero was short-lived but has the distinction of being one of the bands that played in the early Brave New World Series. It should also be noted that Je eventually managed Put3ska and ABSOLUTE was included in the band's phenomenal first album.

Then there's Betrayed, probably Je's best known involvement as a bassist. This version of NEVER MEANT TO BE THIS WAY was captured live at the NU 2001 Rock Awards. If I remember right, 2001 was the 25th year of punk, and the late Howlin' Dave, whose voice represented the generation of punk rock pioneers (and the rest of the pinoy rock musicians as well), was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. Betrayed is one of Pinoy Punk's most popular and enduring bands, continuing to play to this very day.

When Music Front, Arnold Morales' band which he formed after Urban Bandits, was reformed in January 2008, Je came in to fill up bass-playing duties. This version of BORED WITH BOREDOM was recorded live at Club Dredd last April 2008 when Music Front played back to back with The Runaway Boys.

Beatdown Boombox is a project of both Je and The Beauty of Doubt/Bad Omen/Throw/Music Front (and 700 more bands) guitarist Albert Ascona. The two were starting to experiment on sounds and playing with dubs, and were highly influenced by Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros. They first played late last year, and this is essentially Je's last band. At the time of Je's demise, the band already has a number of originals, though this song in the playlist is a Jimmy Cliff cover.

There are many more songs that I would have wanted to throw in the playlist, but this should be it. Je will always be known in the scene as Pinoy punk's left-handed bassist, a mean producer, Trash Radio Manila's musical programmer, a passionate music lover.

*****

A mass will be held this afternoon, 5pm, at the Sto Nino Parish Church at Bago Bantay, Quezon City. You can look up the directions here. I know, 40 days came so fast, and personally, I am not over it yet. But such is life, and the end of it. Reality hits from left field, much like this playlist. See you guys, and have a good day.

Angels

BOOMBOXES and DICTIONARIES
(The Gaslight Anthem)

I took a drive today, and thought about you.
I thought about a friend who passed, and how much we just went through.
I saw the sun shine off the hood of a Cadillac,
I thought about some things I'd say, and some I would take back.
I thought about how fortunate I feel to be alive.

And if you're scared of the future tonight,
we'll just take it each hour one at a time.
It's a pretty good night for a drive,
so dry up those eyes, dry up those eyes.
Because the radio will still play loud,
songs that we heard as our guards came down.
Like in the summertime when we first met,
I'll never forget, don't you forget,
these nights are still ours.

I still love the way you smile.
I still love the ocean.
We should remember to slow down more often, and maybe we will.
Now there's a lotta good things coming our way right now.
A lot of bad had passed but we survived the breakdowns.
All is forgiven, water under bridges now.

And if you're scared of the future tonight,
we'll just take it each hour one at a time.
It's a pretty good night for a drive,
so dry up those eyes, dry up those eyes.
Because the radio will still play loud,
songs that we heard as our guards came down.
Like in the summertime when we first met,
I'll never forget, and don't you forget,
these nights are still ours.

And if you're scared of the future tonight,
we'll just take it each hour one at a time.
It's a pretty good night for a drive,
so dry up those eyes, dry up those eyes.
Because the radio will still play loud,
songs that we heard as our guards came down.
Like in the summertime when we first met,
I'll never forget, don't you forget,
these nights are still ours...

*****

DUVALL - "Angels We Have Heard on High"
JOHN WATTS - "Real Life is Good Enough"
THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM - "Boomboxes and Dictionaries"
THE CLASH - "Stay Free"
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES - "Kinder Words"
MONSTER - "Cool Your Jets"

Photos: Early Put3ska, and weeping angel courtesy of a friend who sent a jpeg. No site was given to me, unfortunately. :(

Trash Radio Manila Episode 14 Part 3: Ano Ang Kulay ng Mukha Ng Tag-Init?

Still recuperating here from the (pleasant) damages of summer. We are, at long last, presenting Part 3 of Episode 14 (applause applause).

This segment's playlist:

1. APOLLO CREED - "Heavy Metal Summer"
2. THE AMBASSADORS - "Johnny Punk"
3. SHRAPNEL - "Believe"
4. SIGNAL 3 - "Spirit Of Rebellion"
5. T.S.A. - "Doom Soldiers"
6. TOLONGUEZ DEATH SQUAD - "Never Again"
7. SPARKPLUG - "Anybody"
8. PEACH FANTASTIC - "Only A Friend"
9. PUT3SKA - "Flying"

At dahil lumalaki ang utang ko sa inyo, mag-o-All Pinoy segment tayo ngayon.

From the album Revenge Of The Punk Elite, which Apollo Creed released some 5 years ago comes the witty track "Heavy Metal Summer". Apollo Creed, as you may well know, has been around for some time, and have even contributed two tracks to the "Onwards To Galaxy" compilation of years past, which also includes Spank and Piledriver. More about Apollo Creed on their MySpace site.

Out of the Queen City of The South come sugba, puso, buwad, bulalo steak, and two out of the many delectable Cebu bands in existence. The Ambassadors released their pre-Lighter Records album Chaotic World (from which "Johnny Punk" came from) in 2001. Shrapnel is an S.R.A. (Struggle For Radical Action) collective veteran, and have been around since 1994. Their song "Believe" is included in this playlist.

We have featured Signal 3 in our past episode, and we are featuring them once again. This time we are playing "Spirit of Rebellion". T.S.A., our hardcore tormentors out there in Singapore, come next with "Doom Soldiers".

Tolonguez Death Squad is one of the bands that contributed to the Know Your Enemy Compilation which is released by Dirty Shoes Records just a few months ago. Included in the compi is the militant "Never Again". Sparkplug (which I believe is already defunct, but correct me if I'm wrong) used to be together some five years back, doing gigs mostly south of Manila. They came out with a song called "Anybody" around that time.

Peach Fantastic comes from Los Angeles, and is part of the Lokalpinoy Vol. 1 compilation. The band was able to release an album titled 100% Natural, but I believe these guys have already disbanded. Too bad, for they do pretty refreshing pop tunes, such as "Only A Friend". And Put3ska, have they really disbanded? The lads played together last year to commemorate the life of their original drummer Luis Guiang, just when nearly everyone had thought that Put3ska had ceased to be. Riddles the answer to which not even The Riddler can provide....

So people, enjoy what is left of the weekend and play this segment loud while you're at it.

And, lest I forget, there are many cool people celebrating their birthdays this month as well. Take a bow, A, V, M, P, F, y'all (magpainom na rin kayo)- have a great one. ;)

Click here for high bitrate playlist.

Picture credits : Pics of Apollo Creed, Shrapnel, T.S.A., and Tolonguez Death Squad are from their respective MySpace sites. Last photo shows Eldie Siochi of Put3ska.

Trash Radio Manila Episode 10 Part 1: 'YAN ANG GUSTO KO!

And for tonight's playlist:

1. MADNESS - "One Step Beyond" (Live in L.A.)
2. BAD MANNERS - "Special Brew"
3. MADNESS - "Cardiac Arrest" (Extended Mix)
4. BAD MANNERS - "Sally Brown"
5. MADNESS - "It Must Be Love" (off of MADSTOCK)
6. PUT3SKA - "Voltes V Medley" (Live at the 1997 NU Rock Awards)








Download high bitrate version of playlist here.

'Yan Ang Gusto Ko!

Sino nga ba si Skataba?

Hey you! Skataba with Put3ska's Arnold Morales and Bing Austria

Skataba is Mr. Daryl Orchard, an Englishman who has been very fortunate to be in the birthplace of punk rock when it exploded. Daryl is also a survivor of the illustrous era of ska revival that took place some years later. He eventually left the comforts of first world living in London to go to the Southeast Asian islands. Skataba spent a great deal of time here in the Philippines, and was pretty much known in the scene which Put3ska spawned in the 1990s when they bombarded the airwaves with their brand of ska music.

If you had the chance to see Put3ska in the past, or are lucky to have seen the video of their cover of the College's classic "Manila Girl", you may have spotted Skataba doing his wacky dance moves a la Madness. Aside from being a dancefloor delight, he also wrote the liner notes for Put3ska's first album. I have personally heard a lot of good words about this man who has become a dear friend of the local ska scene. Daryl eventually left our shores to live and work in Thailand, and is definitely missed.

So imagine the excitement of his friends when Skataba sneaked in Manila to visit his mates a few days ago. It was my first time to meet Daryl last Friday, March 14, 2008, at Gweilos Bar along Palanca St. in Makati City during the album tour of Coffee Break Island. I am just too glad I did (So glad, I lost count of the bottles of beer I consumed that night. Ugh.). It only confirmed everything good that has been said about him. That he is cute, witty, and that his command of the Tagalog dialect is very very impressive (Examples: "Matagal pa ba ang beer namin?" and "Hindi na ako marunong mag-Tagalog!" He speaks Bisaya too: "Maayong gabi-i." Heheh.). That this man's prowess in the dancefloor has not faded over the years, and that he remains well-loved. He struck me as introspective, a tad sentimental, and very down-to-earth, and most probably, people who know him better will have a lot more to add to the list of his endearing qualities.

To Skataba, it's a great honor to meet you. As promised, here are some photos. Hope to see you and your extremely engaging dance steps soon.

Many thanks to Luv G. Nogoy for lending us some pics. Above pics show Skataba dancing to the music of Coffee Break Island, clowning around with the group, and sharing interesting tales with some good friends.

Trash Radio Manila PREMIERE EPISODE Part 2: Harder On You

Trash Radio Manila is now one week old! And response has been very very encouraging. Thank you for the interest, support, constructive criticisms, violent reactions, and most of all, your time.

In spite of assurances from some sectors that economy is steadily improving, there is no denying the fact that the situation as we know it does not change much. That the rich-poor gap continues to widen. That, day in and day out, we are subjected to the inanities of daily life: traffic, pollution, errant public servants, lousy customer service, security threats. The list goes on. In the words of Kid Dynamite, and paraphrased by a good friend in Singapore, it's really all about death and taxes. And as Eskapo says, "Giyera, Problema, Wala na akong masikmura, Puuutaang-inaaaa!!!"

Thus our newest installment, "Harder On You." This goes to all of you who acknowledge the fact that times are hard, and have always remained hard --- and, being fully aware of this fact, struggle constantly to rise above the hard times.

We are proud to include songs from 3 local bands. One is a track by the Fil-Am punk outfit Eskapo which is currently based in Vallejo, California. The second track is from the project band Gut Reaction, whose illustrous line-up includes Jon Recalde on bass, Benjie Sengson on guitar, Jepoi Bagtas on drums, and Albert Ascona on guitar and doing vocal chores as well. Of course, my personal favorite Urban Bandits completes the Pinoy list with the all-familiar holler: "Mga Kapitbahaaaaaaay!!!!"

Also in the playlist is Dead Kennedys' "Too Drunk To Fuck" off of the extremely difficult to find "A Skateboard Party" live bootleg. And most probably you know this already, but Ramallah is a Blood For Blood spin-off band.

Here's the playlist:

1. ESKAPO - "Manila Sunrise"
2. GUT REACTION - "Nine To Five"
3. LIFE SENTENCE - "No Experience Necessary"
4. 7 SECONDS - "New Wind"
5. DEAD KENNEDYS - "Too Drunk To Fuck"
6. URBAN BANDITS - "No Future Sa Pader"
7. KID DYNAMITE - "Death And Taxes"
8. PAINT IT BLACK - "The New Brutality"
9. RAMALLAH - "Drink The Kool-Aid"
10. POISON IDEA - "In My Headache"

Keep it here at Trash Radio Manila. Do spread the word. Keep the fire burning. And, ENJOY.

(Creatures in photo: Jon, Benjie, Jepoi, and Albert. Solo pic shows Arnold Morales of College, Urban Bandits, Music Front, and Put3Ska)

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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.