The Bing Austria Show Last March 20, Plus Some Words On The Morong 43

Before Hilboy flew to Vietnam for a short business stay, he pulled off his usual "Master Showman" antics and delivered The Bing Austria Show last Saturday, 20 March 2010, at Sazi's Restobar along España Avenue, Manila.

As always, like any other Bisikleta event, the gig was FUN.It was my first time to see The Strayguns (as in the local Cassanova George Estregan), whose members come from Pinkcow, Steady Movin' Beat, and Umble Uno. While Goodleaf was not able to perform, Bad Omen came in for an ambush set. Poisonous Mushrooms (whose new name I had a hard time catching, sorry I forgot to clean my ears) played some originals and powerpop covers. Sadly, their cover of Echobelly's "Great Things" was not to my liking, but hey, everyone has got to start somewhere, yes? As for Steady Movin' Beat ... wow, this band has really gone a long, long way. It makes me smile to think about how the boys have progressed through the years. Nakakatuwa. People were skanking the whole time and some were excitedly reaching out for the mic. Fun, fun indeed. Now all that SMB really need to do is record an album. (Hint, hint.)

Photos for your consumption are in the slideshow. Go check them out.



Outside the bar, I also did a little catching up. I scored Goodleaf's album (I will feature them soon), gobbled up a plateful of cheesesticks, and picked up a copy of the primer on the fate of Morong 43. This is one national issue that I talk about whenever the proper opportunity rises, and I think NOW is a good time to do this.

*****

On 6 February 2010, 43 health workers (thus the monicker "Morong 43") were rounded up by member of the Philippine Army and the Rizal Provincial Police while doing their health training at Morong, Rizal. Two of them were doctors, one was a registered nurse, two more were midwives, and the rest were volunteer health workers. The training is that of the Community First Responders' Health Training sponsored by the Community Medicine Development Foundation (COMMED) and the Council for Health and Development (CHD), essentially aimed at teaching community health workers solutions to various and relatively simple health problems.

In our country where the majority of the population have very little or no access to health care, the role of the community health workers is near invaluable.

The health workers were accused of being bombmakers and members of the left-wing armed group New People's Army. Then again, even if they are, the lack of warrant of arrest, denial of right to counsel, physical and psychological torture sustained by the detainees are not called for. These acts are, in fact, deplorable.

I wrote about my sentiments on the Morong 43 issue from a health worker's point of view in my other blog; please click HERE.

Trash Radio Manila supports the endeavours to increase the awareness of the Morong 43 issue. Our community doctors and health workers are our unsung heroes: they have sacrificed so much for a very noble vision. It is but proper to support their cause even in the littlest ways that we know.

On 31 March 2010, a gig called Band Aid 43 will be held at the Ten02 Bar along Sct. Ybardolaza St., Timog Ave., Quezon City. Take a look at the poster and you will agree that this is one interesting line-up. Gig starts at 7pm. More details on the poster. Your attendance is strongly encouraged if you would like to support or even find out more about the Morong 43.

*****

Is it really Holy Week? So many things happening ... more to come.

Happy New Year, Happy New Decade

Kamusta na kayo?

The year 2010 appears to be personally promising. The past year has been difficult for most (both on a personal and global scale) that it is not too hard to look forward to this new year, and new decade, with hope in our hearts.

Siya siya. I do not wish to further distract your attention with useless words. Here's the first playlist of the year. All-Pinoy! With new songs from Bad Omen, The GoSignals, a fresh cut from Tsunami Tsunami, a couple of songs from the Deadly Rhythms compilation, and an old favorite.


Tracklist:

1. DEAD ENDS - New Life
Always, always, my favorite. I literally grew up to this song. Great memories. Al Dimalanta is fantastic in my book, and I say this not just because he is my friend.

2. ISTUKAS OVER DISNEYLAND - Fairy Tale In The Philippines
One of the two tracks from the Deadly Rhythms From The Production Line compilation. This San Fernando, Pampanga-based band has been gigging for more than 10 years.

3. GARY GRANADA - San Simon
Gary Granada apparently announced in his site that the album Basurero Ng Luneta, from which this track was lifted, will be his last. Not exactly good news for me.

4. KILLRATIO - The Parade
Fierce music. very competent band. The other track off the Deadly Rhythms compi.

5. THE GOSIGNALS - Neverending Cries
Mel Maniego and the rest of his crew take a stab at the never-ending crisis at Mindanao.

6. TSUNAMI TSUNAMI - You Are So Irresistable
Uhm, yup, spelled as is. Arnold Morales is really a gifted songwriter with obvious pop sensibilities. Hints of mod and a very light shade of punk, from which he came from anyway.

7. BAD OMEN - Thanks A Lot, Je
I must admit that it took me a long time to decide on whether to play this song on the blog or not. It is a song dedicated to the late Je Bautista, who would have turned 44 last January 1.
You guys know that Je was the musical programmer of Trash Radio Manila and has carved a niche of his own in the underground scene. He is a dear friend to many, a fierce adversary to some, and more than a dear friend to this author. To put a song dedicated to him in this blog would seem to be self-serving, to say to the least. However, I thought, it is a great song, Bad Omen did a good job. This song deserves a listen somehow. (Being self-serving be damned, and I don't care: I stand by every decision I make on TRM.)

Do enjoy the first playlist of the year. Here's to a fantastic year to all.

Days Like These (The Horse Of Yokaba's Metal & Hardcore/Punk Nite!, November 28, 2009, Saturday, Leprechaun Bar, QC)

The year 2009 is above to come to a close, consequentially ending what Time Magazine calls "The Decade From Hell". Of course, this is relative, with the article citing disasters of various forms that had hit mainly America and, eventually, most part of the world. The Philippines, for one, did not fare any better, and for a time the running joke within many circles was that our poor country cannot be hard hit by global recession, simply because our economy has long been in recession in the first place.

[Photo at right is from the TIME website; please click here.]

So when someone from another dimension said in a good friend's dream that "Hell is overrated", I can almost believe that this statement was actually uttered and was not just a figment of a grieving person's imagination. Hell is overrated, indeed: this probably is the closest thing to hell for the majority who live far beyond their means.

However, it cannot be all that bad.

Sometimes all we need is just to sharpen our vision. When we do not see anything, we sharpen our reflexes. And then rely on something we call faith.

The music scene, too, went through really hard times, no thanks to information overload and lack of inspiration. (For instance, many of these bands on mainstream sound alike. Worse, I just do not dig the uninspired covers of songs being done left and right.) The scene is starting to lose the stalwarts, and definitely it needs more than just faith to keep the candle burning....

Gigs like Yokaba's Metal & Hardcore/Punk Nite and proponents like Boyet Miguel continue to keep the scene alive, and we need more...

More inspiration, more movers, more sustenance, more involvement....and the list goes on.

Anyway, enough with the rant. Some of the bands that played last Saturday at the Leprechaun Bar were West (which I did not get to see), Mihara (I swear these guys are really better heard live: they are solid.), DOA, Bad Omen, Piledriver, Tame The Tikbalang, and End Of Man. Below are some photos. It was a well-attended affair, and food and beer at my side of the table was, well, near overflowing. (Salamat, Romel!)

Mihara

DOA

Bad Omen

Piledriver

Tame The Tikbalang

End Of Man

More gigs coming up, I do keep the siderail updated with gig posters for the most part (heehee). Kitakits!

The More The Merrier: Scenes from The Bing Austria Show, November 14, 2009

After quite a period of absence from the gig circuit, I found myself at Sazi's Restobar last Saturday. The November installment of the monthly Bing Austria show was ongoing, and proponents Hil and Bing were at the entrance.

Substantial crowd, food, beer, pleasantries. I was asked about this blog and was subsequently prodded. "Update mo na ang Trash Radio, sige ka, we'll make our own playlist in another blog," came the friendly banter (something to that effect). To which I replied, why not, go ahead, the more the merrier.

[I mean it. The more blogs with a common goal to play good music and support the bands in the scene, the better. To these blogs, both existing and up-and-coming, I have always thrown in my whole-hearted support. We definitely need people with this singular vision during these trying times.]

Back to the gig. Earlier an audition hour was held, and I have been told that this is likely to go on in the months to follow. When I arrived at the venue, The Marcos Cronies Conspiracy was playing. (For those of you who might be asking, this is The Marcos Cronies with a new frontman.) Prior to that, Tolonguez Death Squad played, as well as The Young Instigators (if I am not mistaken, Bing did a few numbers with them), and The GoSignals.

The Cronies were followed by surf enthusiasts Tango Bitoy (really cool guitar playing by Rod Mijares). Bad Omen did a surprise appearance right after. Rocket Punch played, initially with Mae of Shuffle Union doing the vox and dubs, then succeeded by Usual Suspects veteran Marlon. Barrio Morning Glory I believe was the last band to play that night.Apparently, the accessory of the night was HATS. (When will it ever be trenchcoats? Hahaha!) Below are some photos from the gig.

Bing Austria


The Marcos Cronies Conspiracy


Tango Bitoy


Bad Omen


Mae of Shuffle Union fronting Rocket Punch


Marlon of Usual Suspects singing for Rocket Punch


Barrio Morning Glory

I think I have already gotten my present computer running. (Thanks to Adobe Photoshop! Yay!) Glad to be blogging once again. Now it is not exactly my habit to promote my current indulgences, but I have two things to tell you, and I am quite excited:

1. I am starting another blog really soon, tentatively titled "Manila and Beyond."

2. Some queer changes in the playlist may be coming up, again, really soon, when my heart permits it. (Of course, I have a very permissive heart. Hahah!)

See you guys. Biiiizzzz!

From The Gathering Of Friends

June 27. Saturday. Leprechaun Bar. A Gathering Of Friends. Below is a gathering of (my) thoughts. Want Guinness? Heard one say. Yes, get me one, says another. Oh, hi! Hey! Haven't seen you in ages! Uy, pare. Coffee Break Island came first. Good set as usual. Gotta rush to Xavierville. Francis in Samar. Pink Cow just as jolly and quirky. A lot of personality. Loads of nice T-shirts. I like Spyk's. "The Loudest and Fastest Hour On Radio." Blast from the past, nearly made me cry...(old school, new school, out-of-school punk, and everything in between...aawww!) Bad Omen next. Veteran punks. Very much deserving of a place in the Pinoy Punk firmament. Segued into two Music Front songs, then segued further into Tsunami Tsunami set. Was distracted, a very very good friend was downstairs. (He said Dave Dictor is a good man, and I believed him, because I know that for a fact, and I am not effing kidding. My friend's stories very much worth my attention.) AMPON next. Almost missed them and almost bashed my head for this. Pity that someone had to say "We've been invaded by hiphop"... as far as I know, AMPON is fantastic! [Sorry dude-who-said-we've-been-invaded, we're into this for the music above everything else, so eff it.] Shuffle Union. Buy their cool CD. Seriously, and objectively. You know how, yes? The Mighty Contras. Adorable Ahmad. Want to see more of them. Drove home and nearly ran over a cat. Driving = steep learning curve. Sunday, past 3 o'clock in the morning. Good morning world ... tell it to me once again what Antoine de St Exupery said.

"On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."

Mr. Antoine, you are very dear to me ... situated beside this beautiful quote of yours, all other words are empty bullet shells .... Thank you friends for your presence, and for remembering a very good man.

Thank you Jan for the Tsunami photo.

Remembering Howlin' Dave On His First Death Anniversary

It was a Monday, May 26, 2008. SMS messages poured in, most of them stating the sad news. Dante David, aka Howlin' Dave, had passed on. He'd left for rock heaven, and we were left gawking here on our puny earthly abode.

Dante's photo from this site.

Then came the downpour of tributes, accolades, what-nots, just like the way things happen when someone passes away. Would Dante have known how he has touched so many lives, if he were alive to this very day?

Two months before he died, we were at his mother's house located at the fringes of Quezon City (or is it already part of Kalookan?) where he spent his last days on earth. Dante spoke ever so fondly of Pinoy Punk, of his excitingly turbulent life as a DJ ("...that was pure violence...", in reference to the military-civilian collision that he witnessed, while he was on board, in front of the building where DZRJ used to be), of Brave New World, and how little did he and his cohorts know that their own musical revolution will eventually inspire many kids to this very day. Dante is quite aware that he did touch lives (he even recalled one time when he was approached by some high school students who recognised him), but I doubt if he ever understood how great his influence has been.

And so a year has passed. Funny that when we do things "...in memory of (insert name of deceased here)...", we seem to make a mental count of people who have left us, and we find out that we, yes all of us, are actually undergoing a continuous process.

We can always remember these departed people whom we respect, idolise, and love, but it does not just end there. As in all other aspects of our lives, passing the torch to the younger set is an inevitable process. The older generation, the guys who have paved the way for all of us, or have provided inspiration for us to create new paths, will sooner or later be destined for greater things.

We can choose to latch on to a memory forever and ever, spewing phrases like "This is how it used to be" or "During those days". But you see, and like I always say, the world turns, and all of us are accorded the opportunity to start our own revolution. There is no better time than now.

To Dante, Howlin' Dave, the voice behind Pinoy Rock'n'Rhythm that I know, thank you once again. This playlist is my humble tribute to you, though I know that I will never measure up, not in this lifetime, not in another lifetime even. Enjoy people, and have a good week ahead.

1. ZOOT SUIT - Take A Look At That Boy
2. CAMOTE CHUNKS - Mini Skirt
3. THE MARCOS CRONIES - Simple Song
4. PINK COW - Johnny Boy
5. BAD OMEN - Future Generation

(Paumanhin sa Pink Cow! Nakausap ko noong gig ang isa sa mga baka, pero mukhang hindi ko ata naintindihan ang instructions...medyo nabasag ang "Johnny Boy" sa mix. Haaay. Learning curve. :) )

Some Catching Up With Bad Omen, Pink Cow, Ryan Of Go Jimmy Go, JPD, And Then Some

Going to Ten02 Bar last Tuesday, April 21, I felt like I have just come out of my bomb shelter after living in it for more than 20 years. It felt a little different, even though I saw that traffic was as gnarly as it has usually been, people were having some drinks like they have always done, and Juan Pablo dream was playing onstage as how I remember them doing every Tuesday night at Ten02.

I saw that the world continues to move, and that life goes on in spite of myself. So I did a little catching up.

For a change, though, Juan Pablo Dream was joined that night by Bad Omen. The enduring punk outfit came in fresh from their successful Singapore/Malaysia stint that weekend. I have incorporated a couple of photos taken at the gig, but you can find more pictures in their MySpace site. Their latest album, God Is Everywhere, is out, and do expect some cuts to be featured here soon.

Pink Cow was also there, complete with a horn section. At one point they were joined by Ryan, trombone player for the Hawaiian ska sensation Go Jimmy Go, who is presently in town. Like Bad Omen, Pink Cow also has an album and I will be writing about it soon, as well.

(errr, this is NOT the Ryan I was talking about...)

And of course, Juan Pablo Dream did their staple northern soul/funk/mod set. It should be mentioned that The Bing Austria Show, produced by Bisikleta Productions, is up and coming. You guys can catch Bing and his crew, as well as mod stalwarts The GoSignals and a host of other bands on May 9 at Sazi's Restobar (the place once called Mayric's, yes) as early as 4pm.

As for me, my personal catching up involved some chit-chat with friends and acquaintances whom I have not seen for quite sometime. Thanks to all of you as always. I know I looked stoic for the most part, but you know, though my facial expression may not show it, I am somehow glad to be at Ten02 that Tuesday night.

Life does go on, in spite of. Life is good, life is bad. As the modfather Paul Weller puts it, "Bullshit is bullshit, it just goes by different names ... succumb to the beat surrender." Hell, yeah.

Why I Love Matinees, Plus Photos from March 1 Sunday PM Extravaganza

I love matinee gigs. It is not too often, though, to find matinee gigs being held here in Metro Manila. We may perhaps take a cue from the now defunct CBCG which gave a good number of bands (e.g. Gorilla Biscuits, Sick Of It All) a venue via Sunday matinees. Even Cebu has been doing matinees for years.

Why do I love matinees? Unless you have kids (then again, you can bring them to the gigs, yes?), there's nothing much going on during Sunday afternoon. By lunchtime you would have probably been done with domestic and personal obligations. Besides, watching the bands perform onstage while the sun is high up gives a very very surreal feeling. If matinee is a new experience for you, you've got to try seeing 'em matinee gigs.

We should hold matinee gigs more often.

Last March 1 (a Sunday), A Happy Face Productions ran its first installment of Vaudeville at Ten02. The gig featured, in order of appearance, Bad Omen, Against Man, Pink Cow, Dead Sperm, Utter Dismay, Beatdown Boombox, and Tame The Tikbalang. Very commendable effort. I had a good time, especially so at the homestretch (around 8pm), though it would have been better to stick to the schedule. At any rate, I certainly want more of these in the near future.

Sayang, the second installment of the Vaudeville (Sunday Afternoon Extravaganza) has been cancelled (see succeeding post). But do check out the photos from the March 1 gig. And see you around...on any given Sunday afternoon.

Bad Omen


Against Man


Pink Cow


Dead Sperm


Utter Dismay


Beatdown Boombox


Tame The Tikbalang

(Above photo: Paulo of Pink Cow)

Come, Tell Us What You Have To Say: Trash Radio Manila Now Accepts Articles!

To be persistent is good, but being consistent is better. It has always been our goal to keep this blog teeming with fresh inputs and ideas that are, well, off the beaten path so to speak. But, as history will prove over and over, one brilliant mind is not enough, while a marriage of minds can make all the difference.

Oh, to heck with lame metaphors. We would like to invite you, yes you, to contribute your articles to Trash Radio Manila. Your pieces may cover events, album reviews, and just about anything about your scene, either in or out of Manila. You may send your articles, preferably with photos, to trashradiomanila[at]gmail[dot]com.

You may ask, what will you get out of this? First, let me say that we at Trash Radio Manila do not have money perpetually flowing out of our wallets, so don't count on it. However, I would like to believe that this site is slowly shaping into a community bulletin board. Trash Radio Manila has had more than 10,000 unique page views since its inception according to Sitemeter, which means that our site has so far been gaining readership from practically all around the world. We definitely want to know what you, and the rest of the 10,000 or so readers have to say and share to the community, and for sure you would like to know what others have in mind as well.

So, to the brazen ones, hop right in and join us in our roller coaster ride.

Captured by PowerShot: Jon Fishbone of Bad Omen

Trash Radio Manila Episode 19 Part 1: While We Were Sleeping

Hibernation (hī'bər-nā'shən)

An inactive state resembling deep sleep in which certain animals living in cold climates pass the winter. In hibernation, the body temperature is lowered and breathing and heart rates slow down. Hibernation protects the animal from cold and reduces the need for food during the season when food is scarce.

*hibernation. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Houghton Mifflin Company. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hibernation (accessed: October 27, 2008).

We entered into another state of hibernation, but, ok, we're back. And we're letting you in on some news we gathered, well, while we were sleeping.

Bad Omen is finally done recording their new album, and we are fortunate enough to have nicked off some freshly-mixed tracks. One of them is a cover of a new wave hit which appeared in the now-collectible 10 of Another Kind CD. The song "Falling", initially performed by Under Blue Skies, appears in this episode's playlist. Lalabas ba ito sa album? We do not know. May paalam ba sila sa UBS? We don't know either. Baka alam ni Boyet. :)

Halloween is up and coming, pumpkins. Bisikleta Productions is giving us This Is Skalloween, which will be held on October 31, Friday, 8pm, at Ten-02 Bar along Timog Avenue in Quezon City. Aside from the fact that Trash Radio Manila will do a DJ stint and Bing Austria of Juan Pablo Dream will be hosting, the gig will feature some, shall we say, musical excursions of members coming off various bands.

Beatdown Boombox is made up of some members of the Music Front, joined in by the members of TheGoSignals and The WUDS. Add the renowned DJ Caliph8 (who you may not see in this gig though due to prior commitments) and what you get is a free-wheeling ever-evolving foray into old school punk, dub, and world music. They have originals, too!

The Wayfarers is composed of members coming from The Jerks (specifically, the cool as a cat bassist Edwin Aguilar), Pink Cow, and Neighbors (with Bong as the vocalist, or so we heard). I have not seen these guys play yet, but I believe they do ska and reggae and I am keeping an eye on them.

Also an offshoot of the Angono ska band Neighbors is The Eastern Vibration. Sagor, which is made up of the members of Goodleaf, is another band to watch out for. This should be fun. By the way, for musical collaboration haters whom I've come across with so many times, let me give you a piece of my mind: if you are familiar with Darwin's Theory of Evolution, you would understand why I have absolutely no objections to musical collaborations, whether they involve "personalities" or not.

Lastly, the playlist. These are some of the tunes enjoying active rotation on our players of late. We extracted excerpts from the newly-released The Clash Live At Shea Stadium album. While Tim Armstrong's "Among The Dead" has always been an on and off favorite, my current apple is Ida Maria's catchy "I Like You So Much Better when You're Naked". This song is a direct reference to The Banana Splits, thus the multitude of bananas appearing in the video, and not to Bob Marley's Buffalo Soldier, don't be absurd. Enjoy, and see you guys.

1. Tim Armstrong with The Aggrolites - "Among The Dead"
2. Rudeboy and Rascal - "Cheeky Fella"
3. Ida Maria - "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"
4. The Holloways - "Generator"
5. Bad Omen - "Falling"

Photos: Someone we know very well, Bad Omen, we do have a copy of The Clash! :), and Ida Maria.

Strange Days Indeed

Got word that it has been a bad post-Valentines Day Friday night for most organizers of gigs. The Timog Avenue strip for one was nearly dead as early as 1:30 am, the street filled mostly with taxi cabs waiting in vain for passengers. A gig in Manila was actually done by 12 midnight. Some bands were not able to play. So on and so forth.

A few people attributed this to the ongoing UP Fair ("Chong you have the whole of Sunken Garden to fill up"), but then again as far as I can remember this has not always been the case in the past. Friday will always be a Friday. Went around Saturday night to find some bars closing up early as well. So much for payday Valentines weekend.

Sign of the times? Friday is the same day when some ten thousand people trouped to Ayala Avenue, a physical manifestation that not everyone has been numbed forever by rampant graft and corruption among other things, and that there are still many Filipinos wanting change....

At any rate, that night we were at Ten-02 Bar and watched some bands such as Escalator 7
Mobster Manila

Bad Omen (they did covers of Third World Chaos, Urban Bandits, and surprise! Under Blue Skies)
Coffee Break IslandBadburn (at this point the batts of my trusty digicam conked out), plus a surprise visit from Music Front, led by "Justice" Arnold Morales.

spot the differences

And other bands I missed, because by that time we were outside chatting with some folks, eating taho, watching the near-empty street and wondering what is bound to happen in the days to come.

Welcome to another week, people, and may you all be safe. As the wonderful John Lydon said, and in reference to an Irish poem, "May the road rise with you."

Bad Omen (In More Ways Than One) At Penguin Bar, Plus Kaya Jam From Singapore!

It was a good night for a drink and a gig last Saturday, February 2. Our group was prowling the streets of Manila when, seized by curiosity about how Manila nightlife is doing with the great Mayor Lim at the helm, we decided to head towards Penguin Bar over at Remedios Circle.

What a nice coincidence. We saw a considerable number of people outside the gate. Found out that there was an ongoing event called "Alay Kay Jess Santiago" which featured bands of various genre, ranging from Pinikpikan to Dead Sperm. Whoa! Decided to check it out briefly and saw these.The group had a little chit chat with Jon Fishbone of Bad Omen afterwards. We would have stayed longer but...for some unusual reasons we've been told that the gig has already been cancelled. @#+?! What was that supposed to mean? The group, seeing no reason to hang around any longer, opted to go somewhere north, in a place called Garahe located at Sct. Tobias (Crazy Daizy, anyone?) and drank the night away (oh alcohol, glad to have you once again.)

We ended up being 24-hour party people since 12 hours later (and still wearing the same clothes from the night earlier) we met up with a fellow who had flown in from Singapore, fresh as the kaya jam he brought us. (Thanks! Thanks! Ang saraap!) This guy, who is one-third of the great international Pinoy hardcore artists collectively called T.S.A., will be here for barely a week. The other third will be flying in Thursday. We hope the last third does too.

This promises to be a noisy week for all.