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Robert of Viva Barok
BLA BLA BLA...
On the surface, the local band scene in Central
Aurora is basically pay-for-play. There is the nightly generic female bands at Maharaja
and Cocohut discos playing pop covers and the government sanctioned Capitol and
Sangguniang Panlalawigan bands doing the rounds of every Barangay Fiestas in Aurora. These
are all pro groups that honed their "pondos" to perfection and can be traced
back to the times of Amihan Band in the early 80’s, probably the first money-earning
band in Aurora.
Rudymar Querijero of Viva Barok
In the early 90s, the resurgence of the rock scene in Manila rippled through the Sierra
Madres and reached the province. The local FM station started playing more pinoy bands
prompting high school kids and rock star wannabes to start their own bands. Soon every
school events, be it JS proms, foundation days, Christmas parties, or PTA meetings are
interrupted by recesses with these kids playing off-key covers of their fave rock songs
learned from songhits with wrong lyrics or raw earpower, using improvised drumsets,
rusting guitars, plugged into karaokes or tech-school assembled amplifiers. Original
pieces starts sprouting when a local radio DJ started giving airspace to these creations.
But all these soon disintegrated when the rock scene ate itself, became bloated and
imploded. All that remained of this flash of musical rave were battle of the bands staged
by SK officials taking a break from their routine "paliga" and tree planting
acts or old people who were more inclined to ballroom dancing and chorales than rock music
(so the pseudo-rock band from Pingit singing No Arms keeps on winning).
Bitoy of Dead Trees
The biggest band pageant staged by these dancesport fans was the Aurora Day event in
February 2000. The rocking kids were not dead after all. They were just waiting for the
moment. Then there’s this Mega Band Explosion where they rocked, but all we heard was
collective noise. All the instruments, including the vocals sounded like a transit mixer
regurgitating mixed concrete.
The Impatience Band
This February’s My Generation staged by young people for the young,
provided the right venue, the right attitude, and the right atmosphere for local rock. And
so while the kids in the city are going ecstatic over the rave scene - we also raves with
them, but we still rock. A place isolated by mountains and seas, celebrating diversity.
Diego of Impatience
WHAT HAPPENED
Eight bands were corraled to play in this rockfest, organized by the ASCOT Outdoors Club
to raise bucks. But the real meat of this project is to showcase Aurora’s best bands
minus the real pros playing for money. It was mainly a high school and College kids fare
mostly from ASCOT, Carmel and Science High.
Jonjon Cruz of Caimito Aftermath
All these bands, except for free beers, empanada and spaghetti, played for free. They just
wanted to rock. Some were old players and others were formed only for the occasion. For a
gig that was planned and executed for about three weeks, this turned out to be well-baked.
The sound is audible and the instruments are first class - courtesy of the SP Band. The
crowd started pouring in at 7:00 and all the bleachers were full when the program started
at 9:00.
Rowie and Ronimel of Caimito Aftermath
The gig started with rock - no host, no speeches. Impatience, a band from
Maria Aurora played a barrage of foreign and local rock favorites that started with
Live’s Selling the Drama and ended with Goo Goo Doll’s Iris. Not bad for a
starter. A taste of what to expect throughout the evening. No Westlife, please.
Jeffrey and Barok of Viva Barok
Caimito Aftermath, formed two weeks previously by an all ASCOT Outdoors
Club group, and earlier during the day was planning not to play, turned out to be a crowd
pleaser, maybe because most of the crowd were ASCOT students. The rhythm section of Ronron
and Rey Navarro anchored a solid set of five songs ranging from Saga’s Berto to When
I Come Around to Lightning Crashes. This set revived AOC President Ronimel Mora’s
return to rock’s way and lead guitarist Jonjon Cruz’s debut performance. Rowie,
as proved by Ethel Fumar’s love shrieks, turned out to be a good frontman.
G.A, Rudymar, and Ronron of Viva Barok
Isis, also known as Capitol Band Group 2, fronted by Eric Sindac dished
out 30 minutes of well-honed pieces that ranges from Toto to Pearl Jam covers. They were
the only pros in this brood and the audience were pleased to hear audible ballads after an
hour of ear-splitters. They were the only band who used a keyboard and a lyric book on an
easel (a new rock equipment). Their version of Santana’s dance-o-rama Smooth is
spotless. It turned out as a well placed interlude for the next band, VIVA BAROK
a month old band with attitude.
Rehearsal at Maria: Jenkin of Dead Trees, inset: Patrick and Edrey
This group of high school and college chopsueys from Carmel, Science High and ASCOT
recently won second place in an SK megged band war a month ago. They lost to the guys from
Pingit who played No Arms perfectly. They started their set as Limp Bizkit wannabes and
ended it as Parokya ni Edgar’s understudy. They have two vocalist, one was Barok, the
wiper-eyed kid from whom the band was obviously named from. Ronron, who moonlights as
Caimito Aftermath’s bassist is also part of the posse. Without the Nature Trippers to
beat their collective asses, this turned out to be their night.
Edrey of Dead Trees
Next is the rock pride of Science High, Underground Chicken Sound.
Formerly called Liver Spread, this is the proof that when it comes to rock, age
doesn’t matter. This "small" contingent from Ms. Montes’ turf did
remarkable covers of Butterfly Carnival, Brainstew, All The Small Things (a tribute to
their small guitarist), and other rock favorites to the delight of their school mates who
sneaked out of their Foundation Day Ball to see them play. If these kids don’t stop,
they could be a force to be reckoned with a few years from now. Another band from Science
High, an all-female ensemble named Chemically Combined (with an obvious touch of
Chemistry) was included in the line-up but begged-off during the rehearsal for reason of
stage fright. With them ended the prospect of hearing Corrs, Natalie Imbruglia and M2M
copies.
Dong and Okoy of Diego 9.5
The Dead Trees, an all San Luis delegation was last Baler Fiesta Battle
of the Bands’ grand winner. Their fiery set proved why they won aside from the reason
that the Pingit favorites probably did not join that contest. They did the honor of
playing the moment’s rock favorite - the Pepper’s Californication - prompting a
rampage of all the high school rockers in the audience. They started a fit of stage
slamming that peaked when the band did Last Resort by Papa Roach. Jenkin provided the best
set of vocal chords in this night’s gig and the guitar ensemble of Patrick and Edrey
were solid as John Paul’s skin bashing.
Dong Mapindan of Diego 9.5
Midnight turned the stage to the surfer boys DIEGO 9.5, named only for
the occasion after a legendary long-haired local waverider. They were the only group who,
true to their surfboy lifestyle, provided a tint of reggae and ska in the night. They did
veritable covers of Sublime and Red Hot Chilli Peppers hits with Rivermaya and Live’s
seasoning thrown in. Rommel ‘Okoy’ Rojo, a national surfing champ, showed that
he’s not only a master of the wave but also of strings and vocal chords. Dong
Mapindan played the bass and Roy Angara throws in the guitar licks. Bheng the drummmer,
hooked everything into a wonderful set.
Kuhlafuh
KUHLAFUH, a posse of boys from everywhere capped the night’s event.
These boys are slammer-pleasers. This band is in existence for three or more years with
members shuffling like deck of cards in a tong-it game. From kids singing out of tune
derivative of Awit ng Kabataan, they are now into shock rap-rock enjoying recreations of
Slapshock, Cheese and Rage Against the Machine. By the time they invaded the stage all but
their fans left the complex most of them frustrated from not hearing My Love or Shape of
My Heart. Their set was a slamfest. Looking at them makes one wonder about the state of
today’s generation. The band, the laudest in this brood served as a fitting ender for
this all-rock gig.
Alvin Morada of Kuhlafuh
The concert ended at 1:00 am, right on the buzzer. So the money-counting began with
expectations of millions to fill the buckets of this outdoor-loving kids. It turned out
that although the event was a roaring success, it mereby broke-even financially. Perhaps
most of the audience turned invisible at the gate. But the gig promised fun and fun it
gave. Surely this will not be the only event of this kind. The organizers will not stop
until Ronnie Mel become famous. There are already plans for My Generation 2 and who knows
maybe those award-winning guys from Pingit will be on the lineup. Along with the Pangkat
Kawayan and Mr. Galban’s Capitol Choir. One should not be imprisoned by tunnel-vision
syndrome. Surely music exists in many forms and every genre deserves to be heard. How
about Giovanni Gregorio singing Ikaw backed-up by Kuhlafuh, with ballet renditions by
those good dancers of MCC, a rap interlude by Barok, and a choral finale by the Munting
Tinig kids of the Parokya ni San Luis Obispo’s Sunday Mass. Can’t wait, man.
Can’t wait.Thanks:
The Municipal Government of Baler
Vice-Gov Totoy Noveras
Mr. Nandy Ferraren
SP Band
Baler Sports Complex
Aquasoft Mineral Water
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Paktura
ng Beredem
:: Highway Rock
February 19, 2003
Quezon Highway
:: Jamming sa Bilyaran
December 29, 2002
Sarap Mag "B"
:: Konsyerto Para Sa
Turismo
December 23, 2002
Baler Sports Complex
:: Chiqui's Anib
November 4, 2002
Chiqui's Billiards
:: Mismu Konsert!
Bay's Inn Surfing
Challenge
October 2002
:: My Generation 2.5
September 21, 2002
Tita Guding's
:: Battle of the Bands
August 2002
San Luis Fiesta
:: Sarap Mag Banda
August 2002 Bay's Inn
Baler Fiesta
:: My Generation 2
March 23, 2002
ANSHS Training Center
:: Aurora Surfing Cup
February 2002
Bay's Inn
:: My Generation 1
February 9, 2001
Baler Sports Complex |
