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!

The 1st Manila Ska Festival: Come Rain, Come Moonshine, and Sneaking in at the ASEUM Art Festival in Mogwai

By now most of you people have already seen those fab photos of the 1st Manila Ska Festival uploaded in numerous Multiply and Facebook accounts. So what exactly happened last Saturday (July 25) at Cubao X? I arrived at the venue (in front of the Wooden Gallery) at around 9pm, in time for Hopskatch's set. Already there was a good number of people in the audience gathered in front of the stage. Stayed on for a few numbers until someone grabbed me to meet, well, Caliph8, who was invited to do a DJ set at neighbouring Mogwai.

[Some explanation here. Caliph8 spinned on the occasion of ASEUM (Asia-Europe) New Media Art Symposium's 1st International New Media Art Festival in the Philippines. A five-day affair of conferences, exhibits, fora, and what-have=you's, last Saturday I think was the final leg of the art festival in the form of VJing and sound experimentations at the Mogwai Cinematheque, of which Caliph8 was one of the performers. Some photos inside the cinematheque below. Also check out this site for details.]



(In photo: video screening accompanied by sound experimentation, and Caliph8 - in blue shirt - doing what he does best.)

Also entered the Wooden Canvas which featured the photo exhibit. The walls showcased photos, both old and recent, mostly of bands who performed that night (Shuffle Union, The Marcos Cronies, Steady Movin' Beat, among others). Old photos brought me to times past: Clubska, Skamax, out-of-town forays (oftentimes Je would come, leaving me behind here in Manila because I have to report to work everyday, shame shame), Kolumn days. Interesting documentation of the bands' visual evolution, indeed.

Okay, I apparently digressed. After Hopskatch came Steady Movin' Beat. By this time, some people in the audience have drank enough and were gradually getting into skanking mode. The flurry on the dancefloor continued when Life Without Francis (that's Pink Cow without their vox Francis for you) stepped in and sang originals and covers (a smuttering from The Clash). The amount of alcohol intake is, without doubt, proportionate to the activity on the dancefloor.

(In photo: JR of Shuffle Union and Hilboy of Bisikleta Productions, hosts to the event)

When Rocket Punch took the stage, rain poured in from the pregnant skies.By then the crowd, which had really swollen, cramped at the sides and at the makeshift tent. The rains stopped somehow by the time The Marcos Cronies were playing. The rain obviously could not stop the people from having a good time.

Sige kag skank pipol!

Shuffle Union finally took the stage, joined in at some songs by Noel of Skabeche. For a moment I was on time travel. I first saw Shuffle Union about 8 years ago in Mayrics. While they were already showing promise then, the lads were a little restrained, and January could not been seen without her shades (hehe). Time has passed quite fast and endowed this band with maturity and confidence. SU did their originals, as well as their favorite covers (Tainted Love, among others). They paid tribute to two of their mentors who had since left the physical world - Luis Guiang and Je Bautista - by playing "Thank You Weslu" (a song the band wrote specifically for Weslu) and "Absolute" (a song originally by Absolute Zero, Je's very first band, and popularised by Put3ska). Watching the band and the crowd from afar gave me an ethereal feeling, and at the same time a sense of longing.

Shuffle Union dancefest

The last time I saw Jeepney Joyride was during that ill-fated gig somewhere in Quezon about 5 years ago. (I am not about to tell you how horrid the event was ... I just want to say to prospective producers that, please, when you book your musicians in gigs far away from Manila, please, TREAT THEM PROPERLY! Give them decent transpo, decent food, and decent place to sleep. DON'T MAKE THEM SLEEP ON THE SAND. Ok, enough said.) Been a while. The band is still as hyperactive though Norman hasn't done some tumblings that night. I sort of missed them.

Finally, Coffee Break Island. If you people follow my posts, by now you would have known the bands that I like to watch live. CBI is one of those bands. These guys have gone a long long way from the first time I saw them in Millenia some 7 years ago. Evolution indeed is a very curious thing.


And so is the weather. I walked in the rain, leaving behind a highly energised crowd, some really drunk. I thought to myself, as I was going home, that sometimes, erratic weather is not enough to put a good gig down. Congratulations to Shuffle Union and the rest of the bands, to Wooden Canvas, and to PiliSkapinas. It has been one fantastic night of music, alcohol, and friendships. Thank you very much, once again.

Lagare Nights Part 3: Shuffle Union Invincible Tour, 1962 Tambayanan, July 11 Saturday Night. Plus This Weekend's Gigs!

From España, Manila, I transferred to Timog Avenue in Quezon City. I did not get to see The Nudolls (featuring Smee, for those who frequented Kolumn in the past), the band that played first. Steady Movin' Beat was about to play by the time I arrived. Some people were already alcohol-fueled and skanked towards the middle of the set. The flurry on the dancefloor went on as Rocket Punch took the stage (and commissioned Mateo to sing some songs for them). These guys are good and they prepare their repertoire well. Of course, Shuffle Union (frequent victims of ill-functioning mics lately) was as always consistent and Nomer was a delight behind his keyboards. Tsunami Tsunami, Arnold Morales' new band, did an ambush set, while Lagare bands The GoSignals and The Marcos Cronies performed just as well after coming from Sazi's (and Ten02, as in the case of TGS).



Yup yup. A long Saturday night of music indeed. (And I was still dreaming of teleport - TP in Second Life lingo - on my way home.)

Some interesting gigs are up this coming weekend. Filter Zine's Unmerry Melodies is kicking off this Friday (uhm, that's today) at the Leprechaun Bar. Poster is at the siderail for your reference. Also at the Leprechaun Bar this Saturday, July 18, Try This At Home Productions will be presenting three musically diverse bands: Coffee Break Island, The GoSignals, and Hilera. Now this should be really interesting. Show starts at 9pm; entrance is at PHP100 inclusive of a bottle of beer. Watch out, too, for the First Manila Ska Festival set on July 24-25 (July 24: photo exhibit, July 25: actual gig). I shall be filling you in with the details soon.

By the way, I got a good number of positive feedbacks in reference to the Grrrl!!!!! playlist. As such, I am presently concocting Grrrl Part 2. Do watch out for it, hunnies.

That's it for now. As for me, I'm about to go to this other world where I can at least satisfy my TP cravings to my heart's content. [IM me or send me NC if you care to join me....]

Photo: A spirited Nomer of SU

Scene Report: Sound Off!, February 20, 9 Mile

For our first "guest" article, here is a report of last Friday's gig courtesy of Jan of Shuffle Union. She also provided us with some photographs. Hana has tipped us off with her own set of pictures which she uploaded in her Multiply account; two of these pics appear in this post. Also, do check out Hana's album of pictures of the Louie Louie gig here. Thanks to Jan and Hana for their inputs.

Aside from articles, you may also contribute mixtapes and playlists, too. Just send them in mp3 format to trashradiomanila[at]gmail[dot]com or hand over a cd copy. Snail mail will do, too: P.O. Box 2999, Quezon City, Philippines. Ok, I'm done, you people now read on.

SOUND OFF!
by Jan Bautista
Photos courtesy of Jan and Hana

The night was inexplicably hot and humid, and with the season being indistinct of late, it was a sure sign that summer has finally arrived. Still, this did not stop people from trooping over to 9mile Bar in Kalayaan Avenue last Friday for SOUND OFF. Featuring bands from the ClubSka Manila scene of old, “Sound Off” was an effort to simply gather bands, play music, and have fun. This explains why, once inside, we noticed that most of the people and the bands themselves knew each other. Inside, a small crowd has gathered, chugging beers and mopping off sweat by the bucketful. It was the usual mixture of casuals, skinheads, and rudies as well as a few brave souls who dared go out that night.

First up was Rocket Punch who did a fantastic set of skinhead reggae covers. From being a 3rd wave ska act, these guys have undergone transformations and line-up changes, eventually settling into the heavier groove of early reggae. As always, this reviewer enjoyed their bass-heavy set.

Next up, delivering something from the other end of the skinhead musical spectrum was The Mighty Contras, promising to bring back the attitude that has brought them some degree of fame or infamy, depending on who you are talking to. Despite the line-up change, the in-your-face attitude has remained, as they played a blistering set of covers and originals.

Touted as the next best band to have come out of the local ska scene, the lads of SteadyMovinBeat next took to the stage dishing out 2Tone gems. Don’t let their boyish demeanor trick you into thinking they cannot play well because they are technically good. Their first attempt on an original demo was quite decent. In fact, I look forward to more original songs from these guys.

Last but not least, Shuffle Union played their set of covers and originals, with their “crowd sing-a-long” version of “Dance With Me” ending the night with heavily sweating (and heavily drunk?) attendees, enjoying music and the company of friends.

Frozen moment: Rocket Punch, Steady Movin' Beat, Contras, Shuffle Union