October has already come to a close and November had just begun 2014 is just around the corner and as usual for every new year we expect something new coming in. And upon hearing news for Neighbors call for monetary support on their planned new album for a Filipino expat like me this is a sign of a brighter day ahead.
This is positive news and something to look forward to in 2014. But this may not come to fruition if all of you ska music loving maniacs out there in the Philippines would not support their financial needs to record new material. Neighbors are one of the surviving ska acts next to Put3ska in the 90s. They are the main proponents of Eastern Town Ska. These Angono rude boys are planning to record their new material with Mr Rhanny Torres of The Lost Boys, Ethnic Faces, Ocean Zoo and Brown Beat All Stars fame.
The Ska scene in the Philippines is up to now still minute compared to other parts of the world like Spain, Japan and America where labels like Liquidator, Jump Up and Stubborn Records had flourished due to their rabid supporters who happily shelve out their monthly worth of wages for every records these labels had put out hence their scene is so vibrant and healthy. And to add to that longevity are the tireless music promoters. You maybe wondering why the country I have mentioned can invite Jamaican greats as well as well known 3rd wave ska acts (when i said 3rd wave i don't mean that it is ska with trashing guitars and blaring horns, that is not fucking ska) in their shows is that they as well as the audience are willing to pay for it.
Unfortunately on our case, some of you are proudly trying to hide behind that misinterpreted punk ethos of "punk not profit" shite that we resort to downloading records that Neighbors, Shuffle Union, Coffee Break Island and along of a dozen local hardcore and punk bands had put out with their own money from their day jobs and forced nightly music prostitution gigs that you often accused them of selling out. (Hey ya dumb fucks! they have to put food on the table.)
Unfortunately on our case, some of you are proudly trying to hide behind that misinterpreted punk ethos of "punk not profit" shite that we resort to downloading records that Neighbors, Shuffle Union, Coffee Break Island and along of a dozen local hardcore and punk bands had put out with their own money from their day jobs and forced nightly music prostitution gigs that you often accused them of selling out. (Hey ya dumb fucks! they have to put food on the table.)
The problem I had noticed is that some of the people who supported the underground scene, be it from ska to punk rock is that they always wanted the shows to be free. The reality of the matter is that these bands who often played for free for us and you...yes you - the audience in attendance is that they would go to these gigs using their own money to pay for transportation often riding unsecured on a thief prone vehicle the likes of jeepneys and buses and worst they pay for their own beer. While you on the other hand can not even pay for a measly sum equivalent to a days worth of mobile phone load and sometimes resort to haggling or worst begging to get in.
Now my point is if we really love the scene then we should start using money to pay for the entertainment these bands are doing for you. And if you like the bands music being showcased in an event then please avoid downloading their album. Support them by buying their records so they can put out more and more records for our listening pleasure.
And now on the subject matter of NEIGHBORS plan to release new material its 59 days to go please devote a bit of cash to their needs. They will need P100,000 for the cost of the entire recording. Let us try to fill up the gap (as of this writing they had collected close to half of the target amount).
Please donate a bit of your hard earned or in some cases stolen money from your parents wallet, and borrowed money to Indian launderers to them. Just go to www.artistconnect.com for more information and type in N E I G H BO R S.
Please donate a bit of your hard earned or in some cases stolen money from your parents wallet, and borrowed money to Indian launderers to them. Just go to www.artistconnect.com for more information and type in N E I G H BO R S.
Let us hope that next year we can expect new recorded material from them. Meanwhile enjoy this video of them playing with Eddie Ocampo of Stubborn All Stars and Korey Kingston Horn of Hepcat, Suedehead and Aggrolite fame during Bisikleta Productions shows.
