BISIKLETA PRODUCTIONS

REMEMBERING JANUARY 18, 2008

2012-01-17T08:44:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow will be the 5th year death anniversary of Luis "Weslu" Guiang drummer of seminal punk rock bands Private Stock, George Imbecile and The Idiots and the finest ska band in the Philippines Put3ska.

Not a single day goes by that we think of you dearly, We miss you my friend.

GIGS TO GET PISSED DRUNK AT THIS COMING NEW YEAR

2011-12-30T00:35:00.000-08:00

Question: What do Einstein Chakras, Halfmast, Nevertheless, PinkCow, The Strayguns, Steady Movin Beat' and The Exsenadors have in common?

Answer: These bands have all been part of the Bisikleta Productions family in one way or another. And what better way to celebrate new year is to be with FAMILY.

As you have supported Bisikleta Productions in the past years, please support Indokumentado Productions and D' Kwatro Productions this coming new year, these groups are the keepers of the faith, they are keeping up the good fight please help them keep the fire burning. Mabuhay kayo!

I'VE GOT FOUR WORDS FOR YOU: MALABON NAVOTAS HARD CORE

2011-12-12T02:59:00.000-08:00

Besides Dolor's kakanin, the iconic pansit luglug, jazz legend Angel Peña and poet Ophelia Dimalanta. The twin cities of Malabon and Navotas is a hotbed of talented artist and musicians that played out a pivotal role in the emergence of one of the most important form of rebel music as well as its subculture in the 80's non other than punk rock. These cities had produced some of the infamous bands this side of Asia the likes of Third World Chaos, Dead Ends, Private Stock, and G.I. and the Idiots to name a few that had swept underground Manila during those years giving birth to the Malabon-Navotas Hardcore scene.

In case you readers do not know, it is a wide known fact that Malabon and Navotas were two of the several important regional centers fostering the spread of hardcore punk in the Philippines. Their contribution to this subversive type of music is hard to deny it is still significant today as it was back then. Suffice to say that the Malabon-Navotas Hardcore scene in one way or another had influenced countless new school hardcore bands of today.

On December 17, Saturday come and witness the rebirth of this mighty hardcore scene in the northern coastal town of Manila. Featuring the twin city luminaries Throw, The GoSignals, Against Man and Nekbu. Joining them are Hard K, Wolfshaman, Class Bunkers and Red Corpse. This event will be held at The Spot in Rosas Arcade, Concepcion, Malabon City and is lovingly produced by my good friends who stayed true to the game hardest to the core since day one. Long live Tambobong and Nabutas! Don't forget your roots, hardcore for life!

ELEANOR'S TRANSFORMATION

2011-10-29T00:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning while I'm on my way to work a friend of mine suddenly had sent me an SMS informing me that my scooter had just arrived from the workshop freshly painted. That message I had gotten have somewhat lifted me away from the rat race that I've been experiencing from my everyday life for a single second the sun seems to shine brighter. I was ecstatic about the news that I immediately planned to get off from work early that day and celebrate.

I was so excited to see her again that I checked my watch almost every minute that i can mentally hear the rhythmic sound of the clock ticking away waiting for my dreary 9 to 5 job to end. After hours and hours of waiting for my work at the office to end I hurriedly rushed back home and freshen up myself a bit. My friend picked me up at around 7PM from my home and we drove stylishly on his red Vespa for about 15 minutes or more to were Eleanor was.

After a few moderate traffic jams, we finally arrived at Tu Trung's Vespa workshop and immediately proceeded to take a look at my scooter. It was almost a month since the last time I saw her and now slowly my dream of seeing Eleanor being bought back to life completely was beginning to take its shape little by little. The paint work was expertly done as well as the engine. After a hard days work at the office, seeing Eleanor yesterday was a good day. Thank god it's Friday.

Top to bottom: Restorer extraordinaire Mr. Tu Trung; Going for the Mod look - Eleanor's frame, cowl & headset. Sandblasted engine waiting to be re assembled.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE THE WHOLE OF VIETNAM ON A SHOE STRING BUDGET?

2011-10-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what it feels like to be Ewan Mcgregor in his motorcycle adventures for a week? Now here is your chance to be like him except this time onboard a stylish Italian scooter and minus that Stereophonics song. My friend Da Nguyen of The Scooterist Blog is offering a journey not like any other a wild, pure, unrestricted and best of all a very affordable travel starting next year Thursday, 26th of January.

Join him along with some of the finest Vietnamese Vespa enthusiast and seasoned long distance riders to a journey across Vietnam and discover the local's best kept secrets, savor the sights, tastes, smells and sounds as they take you off the beaten path and away from the tourist traps. You can't say you have seen a country unless you have seen it with someone who's in love with it and nobody else can help you get up close and personal with that than them. Live the country with the eyes of a local.

The itineraries includes The city of eternal spring Da Lat, The friendly small town vibe of Nha Trang, The port city of Da Nang, The attractive city with a badlands feel of Dong Hoi, The mountainous regions of Thanh Hoa, The grand old dame Hanoi and The incredibly picturesque village of Sa pa.

In case you are wondering how you can be a part of this one of a kind experience, Da Nguyen is offering a scooter rental for only 30 dollars a day! Along with a convoy of able mechanics specializing only on Vespas In unlikely event that you experience a problem with your scooter.

Words of advice for the uninitiated: this journey is very hardcore, this is not a run of the mill over priced standardized tour package with tight schedules were you hop on a bus with a tour guide complete with food and accommodation. This is pure D.I.Y. folks! Just you, your scooter and the freedom of the open road. And if you're the kind of tourist who is scared shitless of exploring new and uncharted territories and you favored being pampered then this is not your thing, but if you are a traveler and want to experience the real deal then this is tailor made just for you.

For more information and inquiries on how you can be a part of this awesome mind expanding adventure and how to get a hold of your own classic Vespa scooter during the week long exploration kindly email Da Nguyen at tigernguyen1512@yahoo.com or go visit his blog at http://thescooterist.blogspot.com/

FALLING IN LOVE WITH AN ITALIAN IN VIETNAM

2011-10-08T00:45:00.000-07:00

As you may well know by now that I have a fatal attraction with an Italian beauty. For years and years i had dreamt of having one of my own but price is a determining factor. I have to live within my budget and buying one of these scooters in my country could be very costly. But then after years of hard work things finally paid off. The Singapore based company I was working for had asked me to go to Vietnam in 2009 to help out my colleagues there with some important projects.

This is a new and exciting adventure for me. All i knew about Vietnam is that the French got their ass kicked and those meddling American imperialist reared their ugly head which resulted to a lot of casualties from both sides and a damage that is felt even today courtesy of Monsanto Corporation and Dow Chemical. Never did i know that this country made famous by Chuck Norris and Oliver Stone turned out to be a land full of Italian beauties. No wonder Anthony Bourdain fell in love with this country and Jeremy Clarkson bought a green Piaggio Vespa but that's another story.

GETTING THE BEST BANG FOR MY BUCK
The first thing that came into my mind when i got the good news is that i can acquire a Vespa quite easily there and the most important part is that it's affordable given the fact that Lambrettas and Vespa models the likes of Sprints, VBB's and Super were largely imported in Southeast Asia it's the law of supply and demand. When I was there I've spent my free time drinking copious amounts of ca phe sua da and trying to converse with the locals with my Tarzan Viet to inquire. In this country were relatively little English is spoken, It can be a daunting task to ask questions about these two stroke beauties where, especially when you don’t know the language and you don’t know anyone there who’s got the inside scoop you're bound to get bemused expressions on their faces.

What i got from my queries were nothing but a bunch of furrowed brows and a lot of shrug shoulders. The people that i talked to even advised me not to own one, the reason was these scooters were too old for the young market plus the ladies prefer men with shiny Japanese made bikes. My only solution to acquire one is to go online and read some American and European scooter forums but then again they advised me to stay away from Vespas originating in Asia mainly Vietnam and other Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and even my mother country Philippines probably due to the fact that there are plenty of the greatly debated Indian LML Vitto in our country being rebadged as a Vespa PX which are being frowned upon by purist.

The reason for the advisory is that many of the people who bought these scooters online in Vietnam got swindled, They thought that they had hit a goldmine due to the dirt cheap prices that these shady websites had offered. Little do they know that the scooter sold to them turned out to be replicas, bodges and death traps. So for awhile I put my mind to rest not to get one due to those appalling stories. But there are two websites that begged to differ and these were the highly recommended and trusted classic scooters and spare parts dealers - Saigon Scooter Centre which sad to say is closing down after decades of putting out quality scooters and ScootRS.com that puts out cutting edge top of the line parts (the only pet peeve i have on the latter is that they don't have a Saigon local number) but still buying from them will cost me an arm and a leg. I need a scooter without breaking the bank.

OPPORTUNITY HAD KNOCKED TWICE
After a few months stay in Vietnam I was sent back home and after awhile i started having recurring dreams about those lovely Italians that I frequently saw passing by me in the busy chaotic streets of Saigon. Hearing their unique engine sound revving up with excitement makes me want to mount them. One year later, opportunity had knocked twice I was offered another tour of duty by the same employer that i worked for during my short stint. Now this time I finally decided to stay indefinitely to achieve my dream of owning one. After a few months of online research and checking out local spots I hit pay dirt. It lead me to a Vietnamese guy talking about Vespas on a Philippine scooter forum and turned out this guy got considerable amount of contacts on the local scooter scene and has his own scooter shop. I finally decided to email him and ask if he can help me out on finding an unrestored Vespa.

FOR EVERY CLOUD, THERE IS A SILVER LINING.
After a months worth of research, consultation, beer drinking and a handful of SMS, he finally took me to a place where an old guy near my place is selling a VBC 1966 Vespa 150 Super. After a few checks I bought it immediately out of gut feeling that she would turn out exactly what i imagined her to be. It was love at first sight, beneath that hideous yellow seats, fake sprint badges, grotesque blue color, fugly black side mirror and that ubiquitous Viet bodge yellow rubber center stand boot facade is an unseen beauty of purity and grace an untamable unicorn. It took me almost a month getting to know this pretty lady and just like any other girls Eleanor is temperamental I had a hard time training myself on kick starting, shifting gears, maneuvering and not to mention some bumps and bruises along the way. I slowly learned and realized that riding a bicycle is completely different from driving a scooter. It's been fun getting to know her, admiring her beautiful curves everyday of the week. And now I wanted everyone to see and appreciate her but before i could take her out to the streets, she needs a complete makeover. She has to look pretty from the inside out and in order to do that i need a top notch restorer and not a refurbisher to bring her back.

After a couple of months of constant searching for a competent restorer, I had chanced upon a guy on a social network who happen to be a Vespanatic like me and has a blog documenting his daily adventures with her red beauty at www.thescooterist.blogspot.com. He kindly offered his assistance and told me that he can help me out with my problem, and immediately he did so! I was so lucky he introduced me to a restorer in Saigon named Tu Trung. He's known as the doctor and he's a legend, go ahead Google it! Vespa enthusiast from all over Vietnam knew him.

THE TRANSFORMATION BEGINS
Below is the documentation of Eleanor's transformation. I named her after the Shelby GT in Gone in 60 second flick. And like Memphis GT this Italian classic is my unicorn. I know that a bunch of overzealous, elitist, highly opinionated scooter geeks with their snarling criticism will comment about the workshop were she's being overhauled that it's not up to European standards. Where in a workshop is supposed to be equipped with the latest in high technology and state of the art gadgetry. Well here's what i am going to say to you "Mister I know better than anybody else around here" thanks for the advice but screw you and your nerdy beliefs! This is a third world country, they do things differently around here and I bet the mechanics here in this shop can be at par or even surpass even those well trained European mechanics when it comes to skills and good old ingenuity think of them as an Asian version of MacGyver. I do not care about your witty remarks, all i know is that by far this is one of the best decisions I made so far. I must admit, I am not an expert when it comes to the inner workings of a classic scooter but I can tell from the eyes of this famous restorer that he is a passionate man and loves his craft dearly his years and years of experience and expertise is second to none in Saigon and that's more than enough assurance for me to entrust her with his loving and capable hands.

TRUTH HAS TWO SIDES
And for the people who has second thoughts on buying a Vespa in Asia and trying to avoid it like a plague. My advice is do not buy these scooters from the internet Are their Vespa’s as good as advertised from the internet? From the local perspective they probably are but from a western perspective, maybe not. Do not believe everything that you had read or what you had heard about. It's true that most of the scooters here are in really bad shape because they serve as an everyday workhorse for the common Vietnamese people back in the day. These scooters had survived from years and years of abuse on the road since the Vietnam war and the locals will do anything and everything they can to make it serviceable again and has a lot of safety issues. They were often repaired without the appropriate tools and some parts had to be hand built and manufactured with whatever was available at the time. It's akin to the classic American cars still cruising the streets of Cuba and finding an unmolested scooter will be a very difficult task. You have to sift through the dross before you get to the gold nuggets.

Always remember that every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either, Keep in mind that there are also bodge scooters coming in from the American and European market including Frankenscooters wherein these lovely Italian scooters are being chopped up to death and overly upgraded to the point of loosing its charm and soul.

MY TWO CENTS WORTH
First and foremost Vietnam is a beautiful country, It has a wonderful old charm that i absolutely adore. So before jumping onto conclusions better to experience it first hand, talk to the locals establish a friendly relationship with them, gain some trust and soon these people whom you hang out with will point you to the right direction and they might even reveal to you their best kept secret spot.

And one more thing, if you thought that what you had bought is a good looking scooter for a cheap price in the internet please always remember this - if you pay peanuts you get the monkeys.

I had checked the frame and engine number of my scooter at www.scooterhelp.com and it turned out that I have a 1966 VBC1M Vespa 150 Super. Special thanks to Manh Tran of VNScooters, Da Nguyen of The Scooterist Blog, Ly To and Chu Tu Trung without these people that i had met along the way none of this would be a reality.

T.S.A. UP THE ANTE

2011-10-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

Singapore based all Filipino hardcore band T.S.A. is always one step ahead of the game this time they had outdone themselves again. The last time they wreaked havoc in Denmark waving the Philippine flag proudly slaughtering the Danes in its path. And this time around the Yanks took notice.

New York street punk band The Casualties had chosen T.S.A. as support act for their Singapore leg of their Asian tour. From the multitude of local hardcore acts scattered all around Lion City, T.S.A. had stood out from the rest and that goes to show that they are nonpareil. The best hardcore band there is in Singapore turned out to be Filipinos. This band packed a heavy punch much like Pacquiao beat up those Mexicans to a bloody pulp.

These mighty Bulakenyos will go on head to head with The Casualties in conjunction with their 8th studio album - We All We Have under SideOneDummy Records. The event will be held on the 17th of November at White Studio Fort Canning Park, Singapore.

If you happen to be in Singapore on that said date do drop by and experience their very own take on what true hardcore should be. See and hear T.S.A.'s brand of hardcore, a no holds barred - take no prisoner approach - brutally short, angry and furiously fast, leaving you a casualty once their music hits you. This is the way hardcore should sound like.

This event is brought to you by Bone Crusher Productions.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR SEPTEMBER 16, 9:00 P.M.

2011-09-09T01:37:00.000-07:00

THE GOSIGNALS ALBUM LAUNCH UPDATE

2011-09-02T17:58:00.001-07:00

Good news for the weekend offenders, the date had been move to Friday! September 16 plus a slight change of line up to support The GoSignals album launching. Bands included will be The Steady Movin' Beat, The Flippin' Soul Stompers and Pink Cow. Time for you ladies and gents to spend your hard earned cash on their debut album and a truck load of booze.

Support local independently released album.

READY, SET, GO!

2011-08-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

Dress sharp and rev up your scoot, it's time for all you mischievous gents to spend your hard earned money and haul your ass off to Quezon City to watch one of the bands that supported Bisikleta Productions. Experience their exceptional brand of equal parts power pop & punk rock with a dose of soul and aggro.

The GoSignals will lunch their long awaited debut album entitled Secrets & Lies this coming September 15, Thursday at Skarlet's Jazz Kitchen (formerly Ten 02 Bar).

With support acts Coffee Break Island, Flippin' Soul Stompers and Pink Cow. Entrance is P150 album included.

Note: This is not a Bisikleta Productions event, keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for the reboot. It's going to be a jamboree!

LAMMY'S BACK!

2011-04-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

After an absence of thirty-eight long years, the legendary Lambretta is finally back in Italy.

Milan, the city where one was born in 1947, born from the intuition of Ferdinando Innocenti and the engineer Pier Luigi Torre’s expertise.

Now with virtually the same lines as back then, a unique design that has contributed significantly to its success.

Lambretta, from the 50's to the 70's was a part of Italian’s custom. Sleek, sporty and nonconformist, the Lambretta revolutionised the way we travel, making scootering more agile, practical and economical.

Throughout her life, Lambretta has obviously undergone several metamorphoses dictated by changing times, but has always kept the soul of a scooter compact and safe, although we must not forget its excellent performance.

The Lambretta was loved everywhere. Just think of England's phenomenon, the Mods, young trendy people who in the 50's and 60's chose to identify themselves by two symbols: the British Air Force and that of Lambretta. Those were times of glory, great satisfaction and national pride.

Today Motom Electronics Group SPA has an all-Italian project, that aims to revive the legend after a long absence.

For 38 years, Lambretta has survived only in museums, in clubs and among scooter collectors . Now she‘s back on the road.

Welcome Back Lambretta!

THE MYTH GETS BACK TO GEAR

2011-04-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

Funny, timeless, never out of fashion. E ‘Vespa, PX, that they grew up and have cut their teeth, sometimes rompendosele, thousands of kids. Although out of production a few years ago, the timeless myth of the Vespa has not experienced crises of any kind.

So much so that the Piaggio Group, following the success of sales achieved by the manufacturer under license Asia has continued to produce the means under another name, has decided to put it back into production. An operation that brought in the assembly plants of Pontedera molds needed for its achievement.

Two engine variants: the classic 150 cc and 125 cc, air-cooled forced circulation. A touch of modernity, thanks to the arrival CDI electronic ignition and electric starter. Does not disappear in any case, the crank to start.

Four-speed to burn, literally, in with the classic double. The Vespa PX remains the same. The front brake optional, meaning that the disk of 200 mm does not stop in its relatively short. To stop the vehicle in emergency maneuvers should press on the pedal back in time.

In contrast, the rear drum of 150 mm is well modulated, providing adequate power for a good performance of the vehicle.

The suspensions have improved, but all the potholes in the cobblestone capital of the two “wheels” 10 “are little. But this is the PX. The usual solid metal, and that conveys a sense of solidity, reliability, durability. He prefers driving soft, relaxed as the congested traffic of Rome, chaotic yet serene. No warlike intention, anyway.

The engine, once roaring, noisy, has submitted to Euro 3 standards. If they claim a Vespa brighter, modern, or just different, you have to navigate the special series: Vespa Touring, Sport and fashion streets.

Article taken from www.autonewblog.com

THEY ARE GOING TO A NICE PLACE.......AND THEY WANT YOU TO COME ALONG...

2011-03-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

Join the groove merchants of soul for their last performance happening on the 9th of April at B Side, Makati. Its time for them to say good bye. Keep on keepin' on!

LAST LEG OF PINKCOW'S BAR TOUR & BACK TO HO CHI MINH CITY

2011-03-17T22:33:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be the end of PINKCOW'S bar tour and this one will be a heck of a show. On stage supporting the lads will be THE GOSIGNALS, (heard their rough recorded stuff and it was fucking great! keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for the debut album coming out real soon) THE SNEEKERS, THE STEADY MOVIN' BEAT, THE EXSENADORS, CROOKED BEAT, THE STRAYGUNS, UMBLE UNO, THE NEW TREND and MASSIVE FOR ACTION plus supplying the soundsystem will be the Angono rude boys, on the wheels of steel SOUNDBLASTERS and yours truly A BOY NAMED HIL playing all strictly 45s from punk, ska and northern soul.

And on the 23rd of this month i bid you all adieu as i am off to Vietnam for an indefinite stay. Do not worry for the peddling of good music and great vibes will continue even though i am away . The events will be handled by our mainstay bands. See you all tomorrow at HADES BAR.

THIS SHOW MUST GO OFF AFTERMATH

2011-02-24T17:19:00.001-08:00

Photos courtesy of Mina Cruz of taking the blue pill blogspot and video courtesy of Jep Peligro of Konspirazine.

YOU NEED CALCIUM

2011-02-24T02:14:00.001-08:00

As Manny Pacquiao's mom always said "DRENK YOUR MAGNOLIA MELK FERS". Bisikleta Productions is advocating a Melanin free dairy diet to help you keep those sugar daddies bones strong and away from osteoporosis. Join us this coming March 19 at Hades Bar in Timog, Quezon City as we support one of our mainstays, Pinkcow's debut album.

Joining them will be The GoSignals, Steady Movin' Beat, The Sneekers, Crooked Beat, The Strayguns and The Exenadors. Plus sound atmospherics will be supplied by Angono's Soundblasters and yours truly A Boy Named Hil playing strictly 45s. Expect to hear tons of great music from the bands as well as from the DJs themselves

THIS SATURDAY AT HADES BAR

2011-02-10T02:18:00.000-08:00

This coming Saturday, Bisikleta Productions in cooperation with Music Speaks and Trash Radio Manila is bringing once again the kings of Bulacan hardcore strait out of Singapore, live and direct at Hades Bar together with a veritable showcase of who's who in Philippine punk rock and hardcore scene period!

Show starts at 8 in the evening, for only 60 bucks you'll get an ice cold beer and loads of in your face righteous angst.

GOT MILK? PINKCOW AT HADES BAR

2011-02-03T04:20:00.001-08:00

PINKCOW ALBUM LAUNCH

2011-02-01T17:45:00.001-08:00

Finally one of the Bisikleta Productions mainstays that wreck havoc on the dance floor every time they play is releasing their debut album on February 4, Friday. at 7 in the evening hosted by the (In)famous one of a kind limited edition shirt shop THE with support from the Dirty Shoe Collective, Ohh Lala Productions, Circle Skate Crew, Bisikleta Productions and performances by Steady Movin' Beat, Einstein Chakras, Distrungka, Umble Uno, The Sneekers, BeeEyes and Coffee Break Island.

The show is absolutely free for all! All you have to do is bring your tolerance with you, drink copious amounts of alcohol, don't be a fucking bonehead and buy the album and the special limited edition PinkCow shirt done by THE.

TSA IS BACK

2011-01-25T20:44:00.001-08:00

A MOMENT OF SILENCE

2011-01-17T01:28:00.000-08:00

WE ARE TURNING FIVE ON SATURDAY

2011-01-13T03:29:00.000-08:00

ofThis coming Saturday join us as we celebrate our fifth year anniversary at Hades Bar, Timog, Quezon City. We will also be remembering the life and times of our fallen comrade Luis Guiang the founder and creator of Bisikleta Productions.

ANOTHER ONE NIGHT STAND

2011-01-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

These are some of the bands that help shaped Philippine punk rock. This is the REAL Brave New World! THE JERKS! BETRAYED! THE GO SIGNALS! what more can you ask for? and best of all its free!

CRAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL

2011-01-06T18:05:00.001-08:00

Its been awhile since i updated this blog my apologies for the delay last year a few months ago i was hounded with so much trouble both personal and public, one included was that Bisikleta Productions lost its home at Sazi's Bar due to some issues you may all well knew by now. However the year end salvo KAPOW! turned out quite good even though things did not go well exactly as planned but heck it was fun.

Its 2011 another year has passed and now its time to start a new beginning...again! But up to now i am still feeling quite unsure about what the future might hold and i kept telling to myself whether or not to throw in the towel or to roll with the punches. Should i stay? or should i go doing this? ....Well maybe i should go...go on and continue what has been started and do it better. Its time to ride on the bike once more and see what lies ahead.

This year we have some things lined up for you starting this January 15 as we celebrate our 5th year anniversary as well as founder Luis "Weslu" Guiang's 4th year death anniversary at Skarlet's new bar called Hades Bar located the 2nd floor of ANDROSIA along Timog, Quezon City near Tomas Morato Rotonda.

Then coming February Singpore's finest hardcore heroes will be here. My good friend Ojie was recently here last December and we met then told me that T.S.A. will be coming home this Chinese New Year!

And on April Keb Darge will be coming to the Philippines along with Swampcat Caz to give us another dose of that fine sweet real rhythm and blues, jump blues and rockabilly. Stay tuned for other future projects inline we are also in the midst of doing another Bicol tour..so keep your fingers crossed and thanks for the bands and the people for your unwavering support and love. CRAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

SHAKE A LEG THIS FRIDAY NIGHT

2010-12-15T00:54:00.000-08:00

This coming Friday swing on by to HEADSTOCK on Quezon Avenue corner Araneta Avenue and shake a leg this weekend. Bisikleta Prduction is bringing you a heavy hitter with KAPOW! a night full of ska, mento, punk rock, oi! and psychobilly music for your ear to your musical rear we will get you in gear with some rocket punches by COUNT KUTU & THE BALMERS, EINSTEIN CHAKRAS, TARTARS, MOBSTER MANILA, CROOKED BEAT, BARRIO MORNING GLORY and THE EXSENADORS.

Starts at 8 so do not be late mates! 60 pesos will give you one ice cold beer and a fistfuls of good vibes!

AN APPEAL FROM OUR TEAM

2010-12-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

Mabuhay!

The Philippine National Men’s Football Team would like to offer to every Filipino this great triumph achieved in the football fields of Vietnam.

In the 14-history of the Suzuki Cup, the Philippines only qualified twice in the biennial competition that is at once the most prestigious tournament in the Asean region.

To get through the final rounds competition in Vietnam, we played three qualifying matches Laos where we finished second to the host country to advance to Vietnam.

And for the first time, we have advanced to the semifinals where the Philippines will play Indonesia in a home and away series where the winner, determined through the aggregate goal score, will play for the championship.

As we drew 1-1 with mighty Singapore and beat the defending champions Vietnam on their home turf 2-nil with 40,000 people in the stands cheering them on, we got word of how you, our fellow Filipinos watched us, cheered us, and sent us messages of support.

Believe us when we say that it was fantastic to hear and see all of that considering how the sport has largely gone unnoticed back home. We hope that this will be the start of football taking its rightful place as a premier sport In the Philippines.

As we drew Myanmar in a scoreless affair that saw us finish second to Vietnam in our Group, we received word that the Asean Football Federation has deemed that our homefield of Panaad, Bacolod to not be up to the requirements of the AFF Suzuki Cup after consultations with PFF President Jose Mari Martinez and therefore our hard-fought “home game” will be played either in a neutral venue or at the homefield of the other semis winner.

We deplore this decision that was arrived at without consulting the national team management team or even having the facilities inspected. We believe that this is an opportunity to provide Filipinos with a chance to watch some world-class football action that will inspire our countrymen to take up the sport and break new ground for the Philippines.

Just as you were all on our side when we were playing in Vietnam, we ask that every Filipino and football fan out there to express this indignation with regard to this decision in every venue, fora, or media so that we may treat the country to Azkals football. We implore you to express yourself on twitter, facebook, messenger, and everywhere else.

After all, the home field game is rightfully ours.

The Philippine National Men’s Football Team

The Philippine Men’s National Football Team to the 2010 Suzuki Cup: Ian Araneta, Jerry Barbaso, Yanti Barsales, David Mark Basa, Joebel Bermejo, Alexander Borromeo, Emelio Caligdong, Christopher Camcam, Jason de Jong, Anton del Rosario, Neil Etheridge, Mark Ferrer, Roel Gener, Robert Gier, Christopher Greatwich, Peter Jaugan, Ray Jonsson, Nestor Margarse, Reymark Palmes, Kristopher Relucio, Eduard Sacapaño, James Younghusband, and Philip Younghusband.

Coaching staff and management: Simon Alexander McMenemy, Edwin Cabalida, Edzel Bracamonte, Rolando Piñero, Walfred Javier, Josef Malinay, and Dan Palami. The team’s media officer is Rick Olivares.

DECEMBER 17, FRIDAY

2010-11-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

This December 17, Bisikleta Productions have found a new place to hold an event after a not so great shindig that had happened at the last venue that has been home for us for several months now it is time for us to move on to a new location. The Rude Maynila Sessions will take on a back seat for now.
In the meantime we bring you KAPOW! a night of ska, mento, punk rock and oi! music. Featuring heavy hitters COUNT KUTU & THE BALMERS, STEADY MOVIN' BEAT, THE STRAYGUNS, EINSTEIN CHAKRAS, CROOKEDBEAT, MOBSTER MANILA, THE EXSENADORS and BARRIO MORNING GLORY.

Please do come and support the show and please if you are carrying with you some liquor and food please do not consume them inside the bar's premises.

Show starts at 8 in the evening a great place to end your week of days work. Headstock is located at 3rd floor, City Life Square Building, Araneta Avenue corner Quezon Avenue, Quezon city. The venue is smack down MMDA footbridge and across it is the Sanctuarium where the roof looks like the Vatican.

The beer is dirt cheap just like the previous bar where The Rude Maynila Sessions used to be held so be there. This will be Bisikleta Productions initial offering at Headstock and will be its last for this year.

NEO ANGONO ARTIST COLLECTIVE'S SOUNDTRAP SUMMIT & THE FEAST OF SAN CLEMENTE, WHEN GIANTS WALKED THE EARTH

2010-11-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

This coming November 22, Monday will be the start of Angono's HIGANTES FESTIVAL in honor of San Clemente.

The tradition began last century, when Angono was a Spanish hacienda. The hacienda owners concerned about costs prohibited all celebrations except for one annual fiesta. The townspeople concerned about enjoyment decided to make the best of a bad situation. Using an art form brought from Mexico by Spanish priests, they created larger-than-life caricatures of their Spanish landlords. In typical Filipino fashion, the fiesta become in equal parts, a stunning spectacle and a tricky inside joke.

There too was a story that a French man happened to pass by this coastal town of Laguna de Bay as he cruised from Manila Bay. Captivated by the town being divided by a river, he predicted that someday giants would come out and become famous. True to his words, Angono can show off of two giants, national artists - Carlos "Botong" Francisco in the field of visual arts and Professor Lucio D. San Pedro in the field of music.

On Monday two worlds will collide in the field of music and visual art as the gigantic sons and daughters of Angono - The Neo Angono Art Collective will host a music summit in honor of their hometown (this will be their 7th year of doing this musical event). Featuring the local ska heroes Neighbors with guest bands from punk rock to indie to experimental and ska. Featured on this summit will be renowned punk rock veteran and established art painter Bobby Balingit of the Wuds under the guise of Juan Isip. And also on the bill will be the experimental noise band Elemento, political punk rockers Einstein Chakras and from the ashes of Tologuez Death Squad Distrungka, trad ska band The Strayguns and ska punk band PinkCow and many more.

If you wanna see the Higantes march the streets or browse some exhibits from the local galleries (the place happens to be the capital of the Philippines for all things art related) and catch the bands play please do carry with you some protective gear like an umbrella, an extra clothing in hand and some waterproof protection for your cameras and of course lets not forget your tolerance because as tradition goes there will be a splash fest ala San Juan Town Fiesta without the free for all water fight during the course of the celebration.

Professor Lucio D. San Pedro and Levi Celerio's well known composition Sa Ugoy ng Duyan performed by Calasiao Children's Chorus. (Above)

Carlos Francisco's apprentice Salvador Juban talking about the artist known as Botong (Below)

WAG KALIMUTAN ANG INGAY

2010-11-19T00:41:00.000-08:00

Grab Throw's Wag Kalimutan ang Ingay today!. You can download the digital files by logging on at Facebook and search Throw's page for the link. They will then in turn give away limited copies on CD via their gigs in the near future so keep your eyes peeled and your ears wide open.

RESPECT

2010-11-11T17:27:00.000-08:00

Last Rude Maynila Sessions according to my friends came out quite good but unfortunately the line up was not properly coordinated due to the fact that i was so fucked up drunk that day. I started drinking last Friday night it was not planned at all i was at home when suddenly my phone rang and i heard a familiar voice, It was Bimboi San Pedro guitarist of Bulacan's finest hardcore band the T.S.A. he was here in Manila and was due to go home to Singapore on Saturday and he asked me if i would like to go and watch The Jerks at 70's Bistro so i immediately said yes to his request. After watching The Jerks rocked the stage we proceed to go to Malabon to attend to Al Dimalanta's mom Dr. Ophelia Alcantara Dimalanta's wake. Then after that i drank some more at home and at Monkey Man a shop run by Ompong drinking with The New Trends.

That faithful day i lost touch of whats going on during The Rude Maynila Sessions I tuned in, turned on and dropped out, all i could remember was that most of the personnel at Sazi's Bar were all new except for the guy i gave the ticket sales too. Before the show started I've notice one of the new personnel hanged a sign that says 300 pesos corkage. When i saw that i began asking them politely not to hang that sign for the reason that a potential customer might mistakenly thought that the 300 pesos would be Bisikleta Productions door charge, which on our case we never go beyond 60 bucks.

And if they think that the 300 pesos is our door charge they might shy away eventually a potential customer will be lost. So one guy from the bar told me if they ever saw one with a food and a liquor in hand not bought at the bar they will charge the person that carries it with the said corkage and i told them that they should really charge them that because i for one don't like people carrying liquor and food not bought inside the bar, but that wont be my job instead they should be the ones looking out for people whom they suspect as policy breakers since they worked there.

After that discussion I told Nani of The Exsenadors to take charge of the door (while i zoned in to slumberland) and frisk the crowd coming in to see if they are carrying any items that are deemed for corkage. And i sent SMS messages to people who i personally knew carrying their own food and liquor and asked them not to carry it inside and requested them to consume the goods not bought at the bar outside the bars premises.

The reason why i am writing this is to let you all readers know about RESPECT. As you may well knew that i always tell people to take care of the bar because they supported the scene too in so many ways the bar provided a venue to express ourselves through our music. To me Skarlet's Ten 02 Bar and Resto and Sazi's Bar is my home. Ten 02 Bar and Resto is a place where i held so many important events, special events that are memorable the last one was Keb Darge This is a place that holds dearly to me. The second one was Sazi's Bar to tell you the truth its been hard to stage a regular monthly gig at this famous place getting one is no easy task. But i eventually bagged one thanks to the help of Bing Austria but sad to say after the last Rude Maynila Sessions it seems that we are walking the thin line from getting another one to loosing our slot. Due to the fact that some of us still do not view Sazi's Bar as their home.

I got an SMS message from Bing he forwarded to me Sazi's message stating that we went out of line this time. People came in with a liquor and food in hand. I don't know why that some of us are still doing that sort of thing for a mere fact that the beer over there is dirt cheap even the food are reasonably priced. We all knew that all establishments charge corkage every time you bring in goods that are not purchased within its walls. But why the fucking hell are you still doing it? Its cool for me for you guys to bring along your choice of liquor as long as you drink it outside of the bar but bringing it inside is totally uncool.

Right now we are fixing this incident but if things did not go well as planned we might as well move out and look for a new home. If we did get a new home for The Rude Maynila Sessions please be responsible for your own actions and be responsible to the person you're with. Respect bar policies. Do not shit on your own backyard. Please do not let these things ever happen again i urge you to support the bar by buying beer from them not from 711 because they are supporting us, they are giving us a chance to propagate our community.

TOMORROW NIGHT @ SAZI'S BAR

2010-11-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

FUNK SOUL BROTHER

2010-11-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

It was early 90's when i first listened and fell in love with jazz, latin boogaloo and funk. The first time i heard funk was when I was as a child watching Sesame Street, (remember the pinball count animation with The Pointer Sisters singing?) The Electric Company and some Pinoy action and spy flicks. Then during my teen years i forgot about the funk i was introduced to punk rock via Howlin' Dave's RJAM and hip hop by my b boy friends in the mid 80's (Grand Master Flash was the bomb!). As years progressed i started to listen to different kinds of music from hardcore to metal, to new wave to no wave, to ska and reggae.

Then the mid 90s came and there was grunge, death metal, and alternative music what caught my ear was these three bands that meld metal, ska and funk into one cohesive music and that was Fish Bone, 24 7 Spyz and The Red Hot Chili Peppers they were different from the rest. Those three bands brought me back to soul train via heavy metal and after hearing them I began to wonder who had influenced these bands to play their brand of funk besides the obvious sabbath and zep rock linkage. And during my search I also rediscovered funk through hip hop samples done by Dr. Dre (N.W.A.'s Express Your Self has a sample of Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band) these further wet my appetite to find out what had been lost in my subconscious mind.

First thing that I did was to read a lot and research for bands and artist that had a link to funk. I listened to a bunch of artist on a UK label called Acid Jazz owned by a mod named Eddie Piller with bands like The James Taylor Quartet, Jamiroquai, The Brand New Heavies, Snowboy with his latin jazz dance groove and other great bands showing their funk influences proudly on their sleeves. Back then i never knew who Idris Muhammad, Roy Ayers and the godfather of soul Mr James Brown was until this record label introduced me to these magnificent artist.

But as time progressed i began to dig deeper and slowly learned that there's more to funk than just James Brown, Sly Stone and George Clinton. I had barely just scratch the surface. I learned that there are unknown artist that can give these distinguished men a run for their money the likes of Arthur Monday, Lee Fields and many more, this is deep funk at its finest. DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist re introduced me to the real hip hop via their Brainfreeze mixed CD a heavy heavy funk turntable antics done strictly with funk 45s, through this i learned about a hip hop label called Stones Throw records that had put out a compilation of independently run record labels with unknown artist from the 60s. The compilation was called The Funky 16 Corners and then through DJ Shadow i learned about Keb Darge with their Legendary Deep Funk compilations.

Keb Darge is a critically acclaimed northern soul and funk DJ and when it comes to funk he is king. He is influential to the so called new funk scene. Producing One Note Brown for The New Mastersounds a record that now fetches for some serious money. The new funk scene had brought life to old forgotten artist the likes of Sharon Jones and Lee Fields and birthed new bands like the Dap Kings, El MIchels Affair, Poets of Rhythm and so much more. The scene started out in the UK had slowly spread across Europe is more keen on the raw and dirty funk sound rather than the polished acid jazz funk sound in the 90s.

Its kinda fascinating that the British folks are more attentive to American black music rather than the Americans themselves, with exceptions to some bands like The Breakestra, Coney Price and the Keystones and The Dap Kings. The Brits studied the music with all their heart and then spits it out to the American buying public. If you take a look a close look at it The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones copied American Rhythm and Blues tweaked it a bit and presto! America loved it. And now The Brits are doing it again this time with FUNK. And now you could hear it all again the funk is alive and well a good example of that is a band called The Aggrolites you could hear some serious funk in their music amidst those reggae beats.

If you thought that this music is retro think again renowned UK deep funk band The New Mastersounds is doing a feature film documentary called Coals to Newcastle - The New Mastersounds: From Leeds To New Orleans, considered by many as the birthplace of funk and home of the Meters, Eddie Bo and Lee Dorsey. The film was shot during the post-Katrina New Orleans Jazzfest in 2007. The documentary gives a compelling portrait of New Orleans' struggle to retain its culture in the face of the hurricane's devastation.

Here is the trailer:

THE RUDE MAYNILA SESSIONS THIS NOVEMBER

2010-10-26T01:28:00.001-07:00

Its time once again boys and girls to be rude and reckless.....

I'M NOT LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE

2010-10-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

I remember my early childhood days that my Dad had instilled in me to dress and look sharp. I remember him taking me to his local barber for a haircut then to his exclusive tailor in Escolta and he will asked his favorite tailor to do me a bespoke trousers and button down shirts to accompany my Luciano custom made shoes.

At first i thought that it was an ordinary routine for me and my dad to do this kind of thing. But as time progress I've noticed that he has an affinity for good clothes and he wanted me to do the same which is to look good. I used to see him wearing tailor made trousers a dozen pair of Levis jeans bunch of different Adidas rubber shoes and some Italian leather shoes but what caught my eye was his plimsolls and his shirt with a big embroidered laurel leaves. And i can't help to ask my dad what it was and he told me that the laurel leaves on the shoe and shirt was a symbol of achievement and he told me that the brand was Fred Perry Back then looking dapper was not on my list of priorities little did i knew then that later on in my 39 years of existence that the father and son bond and his shirt will have a profound impact in my life And now i am teaching my kids how to dress properly and even bought my youngest one a white with pink twin tipped shirt last christmas.

The famous shirt came into fruition when Tibby Wegner an Austrian footballer approached Fred Perry to design a shirt with form and function which is durable, looked great and very comfortable. They introduced the M12 polo shirt, known as the first shirt to carry a collar tipping to the sporting world. Its popularity with football fans saw West Ham fans request their own custom colorway in maroon and blue.

Unwittingly, the company had also produced the perfect accompaniment to the fledgling Mod movement, whose members were quick to pick up on the shirt’s suitability for their nocturnal activities. It was bloody stylish and could be worn under a suit, cardigan or jumper and durable enough to wear all-night and still look good when the sun came up the next morning. From there, Fred Perry made its way into subcultures such as Northern Soul in ’63 and Punk in 1976.

The shirt instantly changed from sportswear to street wear it became one of the most iconic brands to be embraced by mods to skinheads, punks to soul boys, indie kids and almost everyone in between. It started one of the longest relationships between British youth culture, steadily spreading out across Europe and the rest of the world.

And now to celebrate the unique street and music relationship. The most beloved brand in the world is launching a campaign called TELL US YOUR STORY showcasing the brand’s heritage and link with various music subcultures these past 50 years. if you have photos or videos of any images that illustrate the brand’s unique relationship with music and street culture. then submit a video of yourself wearing the iconic shirt add a short story about your own memories of a true fashion classic. Log on to www.fredperrytellusyourstory.com. for more details.

FIVE THINGS ABOUT FRED:

1. Before Perry's first semi-final appearance at Wimbledon in 1931, he was hounded by a practical joker who stole his clothes, organised phantom photoshoots and even started buying a house in Perry's name. He never found out who the culprit was.

2.Perry had a screen test for the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie Top Hat. That was as close as he got to a Hollywood career.

3. Perry never voted in an election, despite his father being a highly regarded MP. He blamed his mother's death on the pressure of electioneering and vowed never to cast a vote.

4. Perry was married four times in 17 years - to an actress, a model, an alcoholic socialite, and the daughter of a Surrey stockbroker - although he kept the first three quiet in later life. He also dated Marlene Dietrich, above, teaching her tennis "with rapid kissing between flying balls".

5. The Fred Perry logo was nearly a pipe rather than a laurel wreath. The inveterate smoker's business partner talked him out of it on the grounds that "the girls" wouldn't like it.

GIGS FOR OCTOBER AND BEYOND

2010-10-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

Are you bored? Got nothing to do this month? Then why wont you get up your ass stop masturbating and go here:

RUDE OCTOBER

2010-10-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

Its been a while...my apologies to all the readers of this blog for the rather late review of last October 9th's The Rude Maynila Sessions. I've been very busy lately at work and i barely have time to catch up on the latest current events. Anyway what had happened last session was the same as it ever was but this time it was better. Non stop dancing ensues and it was always inevitable. All of the bands did what they did best and that was to give the crowd a hell of a good time.

Juan Pablo Dream served the crowd with some four on the floor beat heavy soul. The Mighty Kids from Bulacan blew the crowd with their weapons of brass destruction. Mobster Manila with their two tone beat, Neighbors showed no mercy as they pounced on the crowd with their own version of Yuji Ohno's Lupin the third resulting to a frenzy of bodies moving madly. The Strayguns kept the pace with their brand of trad ska spiked with a punk flair. G2 and the Bundocks gave the crowd some sunny Cali reggae head nodding vibe just in time for Earthlings danceable beat that ended the whole show. Every band is top notch but The band that stole the show was Count Kutu and The Balmers these lads composed of PinkCow and The Sneekers brought the house down with their brand of Mento. Even up to now one of my friends swear that Mento stuck like glue in his head for days and he cant get enough of it.

If you were not present that day shame on you to missed out such a great night. Hope you wont miss the next Rude Maynila Sessions this coming November 13. Now enough talk here are some of the highlights of what had transpired that night. (Photos courtesy of our unofficial Bisikleta Productions photographer Michael Alvin Gianan)

THE RUDE MAYNILA SESSIONS THIS OCTOBER

2010-09-30T00:24:00.001-07:00

The Rude Maynila Sessions is back this October. Join Bisikleta Productions as we feature some of Manila's finest as well as most promising up and coming bands to look out for. This 9th of October, Saturday at 8 in the evening we will be bringing the groove merchants of heavy soul JUAN PABLO DREAM originally the brainchild of Tropical Depression and Put3ska keyboardist Bing Austria. His main goal for his band was to take on Hitsville USA employing the help of some of the talented musicians of Bulacan's third wave ska scene. (Bulacan by the way is a goldmine when it comes to third wave ska and a mecca for hardcore) After a few years and a couple of albums later they are back from a brief haitus from the scene and will be performing again together with the rude boys of Angono non other than NEIGHBORS also known as Neighborhood back in the 90's. Speaking about this band, As I vividly recall Luis "Weslu" Guiang (he and original Put3ska vocalist Raymond used to hangout in Angono with the boys) and I talked about these lads way back in the mid Y2K over a cup o' joe whilst listening to some Italian ska band in my house and him saying that this is the next ska band to watch out for during Put3ska's peak in the 90s justifying that the band has the musicality and knowledge of what ska is all about including a vast record collection of Jamaican music to boot .

It's kinda surprising if you take a look at it, Put3ska and Neighbors is somewhat similar to The Specials and Madness. Put3ska has been marred with lawsuits and internal conflicts between band members and constant line up changes occurred after the release of their sophomore effort and so does The Specials, while Madness on the other hand goes on a different path they take a break and whenever they felt like it they regroup cut an album and even organizing an event called Madstock exclusively dedicated to all the Madness fans worldwide.

Neighbors is doing just the same, they are just bubbling underneath the surface, they had gone on an indefinite leave of absence, And every year they usually celebrate their anniversary performing under the radar undetected just within Angono and nearby towns. They are collectively and individually active in the scene via organized events called Rudies All Around featuring local ska and reggae bands within Angono and nearby towns with Neighbors at the helm of that event. They do scooter events under the guise of the Angono Round Up. And they are actively participating in the local underground DJ scene as Sound Blasters via Manila Soul All Nighter giving the Mods, Soul Boys and Rudies a dose of ska, soul, reggae and everything else in between and now they are back to give us what Angono Ska Explosion is all about.

If you think boys and girls that we are just giving you these two great bands think again....BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!!! PinkCow and Steady Movin' Beat's side project THE STRAYGUNS will be playing their own take on traditional ska with a punk twist, don't call this Ska Punk because it ain't ska fused with punk, just imagine a bunch of punk rockers going to JA and messing up the instruments at Studio One and you will get the picture. The Sneekers other band called COUNT KUTU AND THE BALMERS will also be there serving us the flavor of the Caribbean in the form of the grand daddy of ska, Mento music. And also on the bill MOBSTER MANILA (A little unknown musical fact about this band, some of the members were nephews of the late self taught jazz great Bobby "The Wildman" Enriquez.) these cats had been in and around doing the underground and mainstream routes peddling ska music to the unsuspecting masses since the early 2000.

Also on the bill are street punk rockers TARTARS from Bulacan, G2 & THE BUNDOCKS from Angono bringing their sun drenched Cali reggae vibe best known for their song Dream Cloudy featured on Jam 88.3's Doobie Nights reggae compilation CD. Indie darlings THE PINSTRIPED REBELS (with Sid on drums of the politically charged punk rock band Einstein Chakras) THE MIGHTY KIDS representing Cavite City bringing their brand of ska punk, and last but not the least the rude girls and rude boys of Skaville Malabon EARTHLINGS.

The Rude Maynila Sessions is produced by Bisikleta Productions this is a monthly event held at the infamous Sazi's Bar formerly Mayric's a cozy little place were bands gained legendary status. Held every second Saturday of each month featuring well respected veterans as well as new bands that plays ska, punk, mod, soul, oi! and music that we feel like featuring. Regardless of what others might deemed a bit off in this kind of setting. We don't fucking care. We are giving you what you need not what you want. So if you feel you are one of them, then sod off!

For a measly sum of 60 bucks you will get an ice cold beer, loads of great music, no bollocks just a ton of positive vibes plus the beer is dirt cheap, the pub grub warms the belly and the folks who maintains this place is like family. Let us support these great bands and hope to see y'all there. And by the way, we are giving away Bisikleta Productions compilation CDs selected by A Boy Named Hil to the 20 early patrons.

PUNK O' RAMA

2010-09-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

I come from a background of liking different types of music that took a different route instead of gaining mainstream airplay they choose to get off the beaten path and choose to go underground because of their do it your self ethos.

I always experienced some issues regarding the underground scene some say that in this day and age of the worldwide web and the Ipod generation the scene had began to go mainstream and that D.I.Y. no longer exist. I understand such reactions and criticism to a degree. While some of you readers out there may or may not agree to what I am saying about this long standing debate that the scene still exist or no longer does. Here are some points that the underground music scene will still thrive and will continue to do so as long as there will be conventional norms existing there will always be a counterculture that reacts against it.

While the term comprises a range of different musical genres, they can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity. Underground artist are allowed to make whatever the hell they want without mainstream record labels pushing them around.

Underground music have a non-conformist reputation. It is different the fact that hardcore, metal and ska gives things you just generally don't get from other types of music. Their songs can be moving in ways and at levels that other music types virtually never are. It is true that some of the artist from the underground scene had gone mainstream and is commercially viable. But just because the mainstream had caught up with the music that does not mean that the underground music scene is dead one example of music is Ska.

Ska has arrived in three musical waves, beginning in Jamaica in the 1950's and 60's as a home-grown version of rhythm-and-blues performed by collectives of former jazz musicians like the Skatalites. The music traveled to England along with Jamaican blue-collar laborers, quickening its tempo as it mixed with punk and working-class youth sounds in the 1970's. A second wave of interracial ska bands, including The Specials, The Selecter and the English Beat, first appeared on England's Two-Tone label a label that successfully melded punk and ska in the 80s, registering in America as a quick spark on the pop charts that spark gave way to the 90s third wave that slowly ignited an international fire. But as popular as ska is getting, it's still surprising how many people don't know it. And most major record labels doesn't know how to market this type of music. So the people behind the third wave scene began marketing the music themselves which gave way to some trusted record labels like Moon Ska, Jump Up and Stubborn records which is a real, honest-to-goodness, truly independent DIY label.

Today Ska is probably the biggest underground network going right now There is punk and anger and frustration in it. And now it's still growing and going off in different directions next to punk rock but instead of going with the tide some artist tends to choose the slower, rootsier side of finding success. The other ones that choose to go with the flow and go mainstream eventually ending up as a flavor of the month. One of the strengths of ska is that the foundation is so simple but so effective that it can endure a lot of changes but still maintain a relationship to the original style. Ever since the birth of Ska in Jamaica you can see the Do It Yourself ethic during the glory days of the sound system in order to get the most attention from the audiences at the dance halls you have to play the most updated, rare music on hand, hence Studio One was conceived releasing records locally and independently devoid of any outside major label backing eventually gaining mainstream recognition but during its early days in the U.K, BBC radio wont play any Jamaican music because they deemed the music crude little did they know that the working class youth of England will embrace this music and will call it their own. Its popularity can be credited to the west indies settlers who brought the music and the working class British youths - The mods who bought those records through small record labels like Blue Beat and small independently run record stores like Peckings in London, But despite all the attention it got the music's popularity is minimal compared to pop music that gained worldwide success that so much so that it retains it street credibility up to now and still loved by the people in the underground music scene. I doubt without the mod movement people like Bob Marley and other Jamaican artists would have become the stars they did and that in some way they helped the music to become so popular around the world.

Underground communities can be particularly sensitive to environmental changes because their core principles are often difficult to clearly define. To some, DIY is artistic, heartfelt music made by people that have a sense of their influences done in a setting that is not aggressively commercial There is no grand philosophical consensus as to what constitutes DIY music, but scenes are birthed when local population agree on what “it” should be, and who “yourself” is ought to be. People congregate, networks are formed, ideas are exchanged, and art flourishes.

Today D.I.Y. still flourishes globally and here in Manila the underground music scene is alive and well contrary to some people whose belief is that the scene is dead and had gone above ground. One testament to that is this collective known as NO PUSH COLLIDE they have been doing the rounds since early 2000 with no major backing, no commercial media write ups, no corporate sponsors what so ever just pure do it yourself. They will be doing an event called PUNK O' RAMA, this coming Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at Headstock Bar located at G. Araneta, corner Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.

Featured in the show are some of the well known bands within the underground punk and ska community as well as some of the well respected bands that have break on through the mainstream music scene but still has their roots firmly planted in the underground scene. and giving back to the community in which they came from Bands included on the bill are EINSTEIN CHAKRAS, BAD OMEN, THE OUTCOME, GOOD ITEMS, THE SNEEKERS, GOOD FRIDAY, SHUFFLE UNION, THE EXSENADORS, COFFEE BREAK ISLAND, THE STRAYGUNS, UMBLE UNO and THE STEADY MOVIN' BEAT.

The event is absolutely free but due to an unfortunate incident No Push Collide is urging those who will attend the show to bring along some relief goods for the Robleza family mishap The family is well known within the younger generation of punks in the community, their house is a favorite local hangout for graffiti artist, punks and musicians alike located in Karapatan Street, Blumentritt, Manila dubbed as 4th Door, Unfortunately it got burned down last week. Please do come and show your love and support. for the community as well as for the Robleza family Show starts at 8PM. the show is free but please bring your tolerance with you.

NATTY UP DEM HEAD

2010-09-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

“Mi si nuff a dem a natty up dem head fi get exposure, But a real Rasta Man nuh run down riches like Dover, Dem impersonating Rasta, But mi Rasta friend dem seh bun up a Rasta imposter Natty up dem head fi ketch a hype up, Seh dem a rasta, but Rasta livity dem nah hoist up, Wha’ kind a food that dem a bite up, Dem seh dem a Ras, what kind of girl that dem a wife up” - Konshens

A documentary of ABS CBN's The Correspondents entitled Pinoy Rasta which tackles the so called Rastafarian culture in the Philippines. This was banned by the MTRCB for featuring the actual smoking of marijuana of a young man in the presence of his father who, in turn, confessed that he smoked marijuana with his son occasionally.

The documentary was about a movement called Rastafari, a Jamaican religious practice adopted by some Filipinos as a way of life. Those interviewed were reggae artist from Budoy of Junior Kilat, Papadom, Reggae Misstress, Brownman Revival and Eurasia. They say that reggae goes hand in hand with the Rastafarian culture which was founded in Jamaica in the 30s.

At the course of the documentary people were interviewed randomly in reggae bars. and it clearly shows that they are misguided. These individuals doesn't knew what Rasta really meant they just went there to experience the vibe. Eurasia the first Filipino band to play reggae music in the late 1970's said that there are some misconceptions regarding this movement. Some people think that rastafari is all about Bob Marley worshiping and ganja smoking. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Most shallow minded folks took it as a fashion statement and wear wristbands the color of the Jamaican flag without even knowing what it meant. The colors of the flag meant that red stands for the blood of the martyrs in the black struggle for liberation, gold for the wealth of their African homeland and green symbolizes Ethiopia's beauty and lush vegetation. These individuals also uses ganja under the religious justification defense and all the monetary benefits one may get from this has caused it to become a fad and had given the rastafari movement a bad reputation due to these misguided rent a dreads.

When some of them were asked why they are sporting a dreadlock the reply was that they just wanted to look cool. Rastafarians grow their hair into dreadlocks because it is a part of the Nazarite Vow. though not universal among, or exclusive to, its adherents Rastas maintain that locks are supported by Levicticus 21:5. To them the hairstyle symbolizes the mane of the lion in the Lion of Judah.

The most famous practitioner of this movement was Robert Nesta Marley of The Wailers. This monotheistic new religious movement that arose in a Christian culture in Jamaica in the 1930s is said to believe that Jah is a being in the form of the Holy Trinity they say that Emperor Haile Sellassie I of Ethiopia is a manifestation of Jesus Christ. They hold that the smoking of cannabis enjoys Biblical sanction, and is an aid to meditation and religious observance.

Most people used rasta as an escape goat to use cannabis and this is in fact true. Some of the people in our country use that excuse without even knowing the ideology behind it. If they believe they are "rastas" then they should be strictly vegan and rejects the use of alcohol kinda like a punk rocker that adheres to the straight edge lifestyle, but unfortunately most of them are carnivores and drank like a fish.

Reggae music was the voice of the people a voice coming from the heart as they say. This music shouts for change in our society not only in Jamaica but the whole world in general. It is quite disheartening that some had misused reggae as a fashion, Reggae music is what took Rastafari to the world and Rastafari took Reggae music to the world. The people who have used rastafari as an excuse to abuse cannabis reflected a negative image for the movement but for Chang of Reggae Mistress she was optimistic and glad because of the boom in the scene telling the interviewer "that it is good that the music is here rather than not having it here"

Even though the sound and the message is different, referring to old OPM songs that were revived and turned into reggae versions. Brownman's front man reacted to that and said that they are just going with the tide and are just doing songs that the masses wanted to listen to, "if people wanted love songs so be it, let us give it to them." All of the personalities behind the music agreed in one point that there is no such thing as a real Pinoy Rasta, that devoutly follows what the rastafarians do all over in Jamaica.

Dino of Brownman Revival confessed that he is not associated with the Rasta, movement Papadom of Tropical Depression said "i tried but i really couldn't do it". All these people who are associated with reggae and rastafari movement all wanted one thing, and that is they don't want the people to forget what the true message and purpose of the music is which is peace, love and social action. So to the guy who sports a dreadlock and lights up a big spliff and think that rastafari is a fashion statement think again don't pretend to be what you are not. Rastafari is cool a poser is not. If you wanna bun a one just be yourself and make sure to pass that kutchie.

LAST SEPTEMBER 11TH @ SAZI'S BAR

2010-09-20T01:28:00.000-07:00

After the much applauded PiliSkaPinas' 2nd Manila Ska Fest its seems that people cant get enough of the skanking rhythms that reverberated at Cubao X last September 4th, still fresh from their hang over from that shindig people trooped down and swarmed in at Sazi's bar last September 11th to attend The Rude Maynila Sessions to get their monthly dose of ska, punk rock and oi!

Present that evening were regulars and newbies anxious to see and hear the featured bands for this month as new band hailing from Cavite City, Finger Trap opened up the nights festivities as they deliver their own brand of 3rd wave ska to the masses the band has chops considering its been only a month or so since their formation.

Next to be on stage were Bulacan based street punk band Tartars formed during the late 90s this band had gone through several line up changes and usually when this happen some of the music that the band dishes out are lackluster. but despite the changes the band still packed a wallop and retain its intensity the skinheads in attendance can attest to that with raised fist and football chant like sing along.

I cant keep track of the bands that was on stage because i was all over the place trying to keep things in place and taking care of the door so i can not give you readers a blow by blow account of what transpired that evening but all i knew is that The GoSignals rocked the house! I had heard their new originals and it was fucking magnificent. Better watch out for their upcoming album hopefully to be released this year so lets keep our fingers crossed.

Tagaytay based ska band GoForTheGoat did an awesome set that the crowd started to haul their ass from their seats and started to skank and Francis from PinkCow got too drunk and was unable to play the guitars and do the vocal choir resulting to a microphone for all melee and uncontrollable all girls body slam and pushing on the part of the female crowd so i had to cut short PinkCow's set.

Anyway here are the pictures from the last Rude Maynila Sessions taken by Michael Alvin Gianan. This coming October 9 at Sazi's Bar we will be featuring NEIGHBORS, G2 & THE BOONDOCKS, MOBSTER MANILA, THE MIGHTY KIDS, EARTHLINGS, COUNT KUTU & THE BALMERS, TARTARS, THE PINSTRIPED REBELS and possibly the band that's composed of former members of The Sex Militants, Deceased and Put3ska will be playing in the next Rude Maynila Sessions so see y'all there.

THIS IS BOSTON NOT LA

2010-09-20T01:05:00.000-07:00

This a documentary film that explores the early Boston Hardcore music scene from the years 1981 thru 1984.

For information about xxx ALL AGES xxx, visit the film’s fan page: www.facebook.com/AllAgesTheFilm

THE MOST EXPENSIVE SOUL RECORD EVER

2010-09-19T03:54:00.000-07:00

This is the story of the rarest, most-wanted soul record in history and the fascinating journeys that the two known copies of the record have taken since one was borrowed from the Motown record library in 1976 by a notorious Los Angeles based bootlegger and the other was purchased from the original pressing plant, ARP in the late 1970’s by a legendary Motown collector. Both copies have gone through a total of 9 different owners over 31 years making it one of the most fiercely collectible records in history.

In April 2009, one of the two known copies in existence is being put to auction where it is expected to become the most expensive record ever auctioned.

A Brief History

In the early to mid 1960’s Frank Wilson was a moderately successful Producer/Artist/Singer-Songwriter who was working with West Coast acts like Mary Love, Connie Clark and the Autographs plus early Motown acts like Brenda Holloway, her sister Patrice Holloway and Chris Clark. By mid 1965 Frank was just about to embark on what he thought would be a successful career as a solo artist for the increasingly powerful Motown group. His first release, “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” was scheduled to be released in December 1965 when Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, decided that Frank would be better suited as a Producer/Singer-Songwriter working behind the scenes at the busy label. Frank reluctantly agreed realising that to disagree with Berry would effectively kill his career anyway. The pressing order at the ARP pressing plant was haulted immediately with orders that the initial pressing run was to be destroyed save for a reputed 3 copies which were sent to Detroit and a further reputed 3 copies which were to be retained by the pressing plant. Frank then embarked upon a highly successful ‘behind the scenes’ career as a Producer and Songwriter at Motown working with acts like Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Brenda Holloway, The Temptations and Diana Ross & The Supremes amongst others whilst writing or co-writing such successful songs as “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy”, “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”, “Up The Ladder To The Roof”, “Stoned Love” and many others.

The unreleased Frank Wilson record(s) then got filed into the Motown Record Archive with the remaining three other copies retained at the ARP pressing plant.

Motown Records eventually moved to Los Angeles in 1972 and the Record Library was re-located to the West Coast headquarters of Motown, where, out of the 3 copies which had been sent to Detroit in 1965, a single copy remained in the master library.

In the summer of 1976 a UK based Northern Soul DJ called Ian Dewhirst moved to Los Angeles and met up with an L.A. based Record Dealer/Collector called Simon Soussan. Soussan was notorious for previously bootlegging Northern Soul records but had re-invented himself as a legitimate businessman and fledgling record producer. Dewhirst and Soussan decided to collaborate on co-producing a Disco record – a medley of old Motown tunes which was eventually called “Uptown Festival” with the name Shalamar given to the studio group.

In the course of trying to get the record signed to a major company, Dewhirst dropped in to the Motown offices to try and make an appointment (as “Uptown Festival” was a Motown medley). Whilst he was in the reception he met a young Promotion assistant called Tom DePierro. Tom invited Dewhirst into his office where they played the Shalamar record which Tom then passed to Suzanne DePasse – the then Head of A&R at Motown. Dewhirst and DePierro agreed to keep in touch until they heard back from Suzanne.

In the intervening weeks, Dewhirst’s 6 month visa was about to expire, so he instructed Soussan to continue the talks with Motown. Soussan subsequently met DePierro and had a couple of meetings with him before Motown declined the Shalamar track (which was eventually signed to Soultrain Records where it subsequently became a million-selling hit). . However, Soussan remained in touch with DePierro following the success of the Shalamar release realising that DePierro had access to the Motown vaults. On one of his subsequent trips to the Motown offices, Soussan managed to get access to the Motown archive library where he then ‘borrowed’ a number of recordings and acetates. Among the records he ‘borrowed’ was the single promotional copy of Frank Wilson’s “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” which was from the master library. It would be the last time that Tom DePierro or Motown would ever see the records and acetates again.

When Soussan got home and listened to the record, he realised that he had a major Northern Soul hot property which had never been heard. Within weeks Soussan had some acetates cut and sent the record to some Northern Soul DJ’s in the UK under the title “Do I Love You” by Eddie Foster. The record immediately took off in the UK and became an instant hit on the Northern Soul scene, primarily via plays by Russ Winstanley at the UK’s biggest Northern Soul venue at the time, Wigan Casino. Soussan subsequently then bootlegged 2000 copies of the record on his Soul Fox label and sent them to the UK where they quickly sold out. Meanwhile Tom DePierro was unaware of this activity and was being rebuffed by the smooth-talking Soussan whenever he requested the items to be returned (it should be noted that Simon Soussan had a long history of obtaining goods and records by deception and was notorious within record collecting circles for his devious tactics).

By the early 1980’s Soussan’s luck was beginning to dry up, his record productions were less successful and he required some urgent surgery for a stomach ulcer which had plagued him for years. In order to raise some quick cash, he agreed to sell his record collection to a UK entrepreneur and business associate called Les McCutcheon.

Les eventually acquired the records and promptly forgot about them for several years until a chance meeting with Nottingham record collector called Johnathan Woodliffe resulted in Johnathan buying the record and discovering that the Eddie Foster record was actually Frank Wilson. Johnathan realised that he had one of the rarest records of all time and kept it for a while before eventually selling it to Northern Soul DJ and entrepreneur Kev Roberts.

Kev then kept the record for 10 years before eventually selling it to his then partner in Goldmine Records, Record Dealer and Collector Tim Brown, for a then mouth-watering £5,000.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, legendary Detroit Collector, Motown engineer and archivist Ron Murphy managed to obtain a 2nd copy of Frank Wilson from the owner of the ARP pressing plant, where the initial handful of copies of “Do I Love You” were first pressed. Ron was informed by the owner of the plant that only 6 sample copies had originally been pressed with 3 copies sent to Motown and the remaining 3 kept in the archive at the plant. However, of these 6 copies, 2 were destroyed when the plant was told they only needed to retain one copy of each record in the archive and to save space they destroyed all but one copy each of everything they’d manufactured. This last remaining copy was the one which Ron purchased from the owner of the plant. Ron eventually sold the record to Toronto based Record Dealer and Collector Martin Koppel who eventually sold his copy to his UK partner and fellow Collector Tim Brown, who by now was in possession of both of the known copies of “Do I Love You”.

Tim then sold the copy obtained from Ron Murphy via Martin Koppel to DJ and Record Collector, Kenny Burrell for the then-staggering sum of £15,000 in 1997.

Now, after a further 12 years, Kenny’s copy will be auctioned by the world’s premier Record Dealer and authority on rare records, John Manship.

Since the original discovery of the record in 1977, only two known promotional copies of “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)” have ever surfaced – both of them being ‘relieved’ from Motown’s library and Motown’s then pressing plant. No other copies have ever emerged despite the record being the most sought-after record ever on the collecting scene.

The history of the record would indicate that it has every chance of establishing the Guinness Book of Records highest price for a 7” legitimate record (as opposed to an acetate).

KEB DARGE & LITTLE EDITHS LEGENDARY ROCKIN' R&B ALBUM

2010-09-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Another rockin' compilation has been put together by celebrated crate digger Keb Darge the man who is always ahead of the curve of the taste makers with the assistance of his wife, Little Edith and between them they've selected a set of tunes that are raw and dirty. The album is out to expose lesser known or forgotten lights of R&B music from the 50s and 60s.

Here's a sample of whats in store for all you R&B freaks.

BRING BACK THAT WARM ANALOG SOUND

2010-09-18T01:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered why vinyl records sound so great? There are some factors that contribute to a great classic record. One is that its sonically done in analog and you cant argue that in the 60's and the 70's some of the best sounding albums were recorded in analog.

In today’s musical climate, where heavily produced pop songs dominate the charts and airwaves, Digital equipment makes things faster, which can cut down on studio costs the main appeal of digital is it’s quick and easy to edit. But for a lot of people the faster editing capabilities of digital tend to outweigh the fact that the recordings themselves lack the character hence digital takes the soul of an artist.

Some bands and hip hop groups are now going against the grain and trying to replicate the classic sounds from the early 60s through the 70s bands like The Aggrolites, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, The New Mastersounds and People Under The Stairs their records drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax. If you think those bands are retro think again they are just bringing back the soul that was lost in the process when digital took over.

One particular person that is championing the analog sound is Liam Watson, owner of Toe Rag Studios, The studio began in 1991 the idea is to build a studio like it was in the 60s with all the analog stuff and vintage music instruments. Nostalgia perhaps? Maybe not He isn’t interested in what’s trendy, his techniques reflect the sounds of the 60s and 70s and haven’t changed since.Toe Rag along with a bunch of analog studios the likes of Tardis, Akron Analog & Echo Mountain is unusual in that it specializes in recording in the traditional, old-fashioned way that just goes to show that you can't mess with old school. In the sea full of sewage Toe Rag Studios smell like roses.

TONIGHT AT SAZI'S BAR

2010-09-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Tonight at Sazi's Bar we are bringing you 12 bands of ska, oi, punk rock and mod. The Rude Maynila Sessions will be featuring THE GOSIGNALS if you are not familiar with this band, well you are one sorry ass poop. The band is a favorite amongst the mod scene their music is an equal mix of mod, power pop and punk. If you still don't know them by now, well it 's time to name drop some bands in which they came from, the band consist of Private Stock and Throw members. Now that's something worth hearing and seeing don't you think so?

Next on the list is a band that was formed during the mid 90's EINSTEIN CHAKRAS A politically charged punk band that is so diverse that they can be seen performing along side protest / folk singers the likes of Jess Santiago and Noel Cabangon.

Also on the bill are new bands coming in to add flavor to The Rude Maynila Sessions community. Ska band from Cavite City called FINGER TRAP, Manila's ska punkers 12xU, and Oi! band from Bulacan TARTARS. And of course the mainstays PINKCOW, STEADY MOVIN' BEAT, THE SNEEKERS, THE EXSENDADORS, EARTHLINGS, THE OUTCOME and GOFORTHEGOAT.

For a measly sum of 60 pesos you will get to hear these bands plus you will get one ice cold beer for doing that. So swing by at Sazi's Bar tonight to see whats the fuzz is all about. One more thing PiliSKApinas goodies will be on sale at the gate so if you missed last Saturday's Ska Fest now is the time to make up for it. Show starts at 8 see y'all tonight.

KEEPING THE FAITH

2010-09-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

Another round of floor stompers coming your way on October 2 at B Side stay tuned.

THE RUDE MAYNILA SESSIONS THIS SEPTEMBER

2010-09-07T04:40:00.000-07:00

If you still cant get over last Saturday's PiliSKApinas' 2nd Skafest we are giving you another blast of The Rude Maynila Sessions this coming Saturday, September 11 at 8PM. Swing by at Sazi's Bar to hear and see The GoSignals, Steady Movin' Beat, PinkCow, The Sneekers, Finger Trap, Earthlings, GoForTheGoat, The Outcome, Einstein Chakras, 12xU, The Exsenadors and Tartars live and direct.

The show will be a mixed set of Ska, Punk and Oi! So be there!

BEERS AND CHEERS TO PILISKAPINAS

2010-09-07T03:49:00.000-07:00

PiliSkaPinas had done it again raising the bar last Saturday night as I hold witness to a historical musical event that unfolded. The event billed as The 2nd MANILA SKA FEST. The first one was held last 2008 if I'm not mistaken as I fondly remember that rainy night that they asked me to emcee the show.

And now I am back for another round of duty, hands down to the folks at PiliSKApinas , mainly Mae of Shuffle Union for upping the ante! I had noticed that the vibe is somewhat different this time around because during the first year it was somehow tense, nervously waiting for something unnecessary to happen, a fucking drunk bonehead moron almost ruined the show last time. But now it's much more relaxed probably because a camaraderie amongst the people within the scene is slowly building up that I felt kinda at ease now rather than before. This is a good sign for the things to come that evening. With a bottle of beer in hand i surveyed the surroundings and lo and behold! Cubao X was once again invaded by skinheads, rude boys, mods, casuals and punk rockers as the regular patrons of the place mainly hipsters and fashionistas and wannabes with their 80's throwback threads, glow stick electro muzak and cowboy boots stood in awe.

As sharply dressed people spend their weeks worth of wages dancing and singing along to the bands as they laughed and drank copious amounts of alcohol. I saw long lost friends that i knew from way back passed by me as I nodded and shook their hands and giving them high fives. Old faces abound and so does young bloods as far as my eyes can see with their Fred Perrys', Ben Shermans', Lonsdales' and Doc Marten boots. The whole place was beaming with nothing but fun fun fun! Take note that the beer at Mogwai and the other shops that sold beer was already gone before the whole shebang ended. I've noticed that these always happen when the sort of people who loves ska and punk rock comes along Cubao X. (case in point Bisikleta Productions and Trash Radio Manila's Louie Louie event and PiliSkaPinas's 1st Manila Ska Fest).

For those of you who have no idea what ska is all about you can easily Google it and watch it at Youtube but there is nothing much satisfying and much more enjoyable when you experience it first hand instead of staying at home, sitting in your chair staring at your computer screen and dream and drool about it I strongly suggest you get off your ass and buy some records and go and support your local ska band.

But just to give you a hint here's a little information about how this music began in the Philippines and the birth of ska and Jamaican music in general. During the 60s you can hear the great comedians Panchito Alba and Dolphy singing a song about family planning under the guise of Toots and The Maytals's song called Monkey Man and the star for all seasons Vilma Santos rendition of Millie Small's version of My Boy Lollipop done originally by Barbie Gaye and Vilma Valera a Filipina singer and actress sang a Desmond Dekker tune (go figure it out). and in the early 80s a group of pre teen singers named The Nailclippers sang Pass The Dutchie a song originally done by The Mighty Diamonds then in the 90's you could hear ska at the movies where in Vic Sotto together with the late great hip hop artist Francis M, Michael V and Richie D' Horsie spoofed Prince Buster's produced song Oh Carolina by The Folkes Brothers and of course not to forget Yoyoy Villame's original version of his hit song Magellan with his band The MB Liner Rondalla is influenced by ska's grandaddy - mento. The music itself in the beginning when it landed to our shores was more of a novelty thing but Reggae on the other hand is more on the serious tip since day one bands like Eurasia, Coco Jam and Tropical Depression sang about politics and everyday life of the common man but as the years progressed what had been deemed as a novelty thing it would later evolve into a more serious form of music picked up by the people who loved Jamaican music mainly the skinheads and punk rockers.

In the 80's as punk rock took a hold of Asia the music began to take shape via Brave New World Concerts, groups like The Lost Boys who arguably is the first ska band in the Philippines during that year. Punk band Betrayed were the very first to embraced reggae, Skavengers and Skalawags embraced ska. (members of the band consist of Tropical Depression, The Jerks and Tame The Tikbalang) These pioneering bands planted the seeds of ska. This music would eventually gain more local adherents in the 90s through the greatest band that consolidated it was none other than Manila's finest Put3ska comprised of Philippine's punk and reggae stalwarts that things starts to fall into place.

Fast forward to 1998 A couple of British expats namely Northern soul enthusiast Shane Cosgrove and Darryl Skataba Orchard along with members of Put3ska developed a monthly event called Club Ska Manila through this endeavor the ska scene was further developed This music was worshiped by its new found disciples and clubs like Mayric's (now called Sazi's Bar) and Club Dredd went from strength to strength as if there was no end in sight. The type of people who attended these venues is crucial importance to the scenes strength and future development. They were generally like-minded escapist who refused to be directed by the music and fashion barons that proliferated the airwaves. They had their own ideas of what good music was and what shit was. Ska bands slowly coming out of the woodwork eventually due to the tireless efforts of the men and women behind Club Ska Manila some of the bands that came from that time period will eventually put out independently produced records by the time Y2K had started groups like Jeepney Joyride, Skabeche, Shuffle Union and Coffee Break Island to name a few. Through this the scene burst wide open gaining commercial ground a sign of a bright future to come but the scene had a bad reputation during those days violent fights broke out too much aggro threatens to halt its growth.

As the years progress so does the scene continue to flourish gone were the days when some people have second thoughts on going to a gig to watch a great a ska band play that's because of the tumultuous past it had represented back in the day. Today the torch bearers spearheaded by like minded people consisting of the old and the new have picked up the pieces and learned from the past mistakes and is now determined to keep it from happening again.

The fire is still burning as the scene had sprung from left to right from north to south, east to west you can hear ska music from Cebu City, C.D.O. down to Bicol region and Baguio City. The Rudies All Around from Angono started to do events, Bisikleta Productions and Skamax, Tellayouthska crew from Batangas City and To People Who Ska from Bulacan and small underground collectives scattered all around Metro Manila. They are now the keepers of the flame they helped propagate this addictive form of music for us to enjoy now and hopefully the next generation will pick up and then pass it on to the next.

The seeds were sown by these people who took Jamaica's finest export and called it their own. Big thanks to the people who had bled, lived, breathe and fight 24-7 365 days of the year for this music in keeping it alive and well. Last Saturdays festivities is a positive sign that the bad things that had happen in the past is best kept in that era. I hope things will be much bigger, brighter and better in the near future, time to move forward everything is changing but let us not forget the tradition that had kept this scene alive for years and is continuing to do so.

As i have said last Saturday that its much fun and much better if all of us can get along this time around. Now is the time to stop the hate and the petty bickering within the scene. Now is the time to give the middle finger to the outside forces that threatens to malign the scene that we all love. The Specials sang that It doesn't mean you've got to hate him It doesn't mean you've got to fight. Being mean and intimidating doesn't earn respect in my mind bullies are intolerant of contrary opinion, domineering and rather cowardly so please stop it now. After all you are not that different from the person beside you, who love listening to ska, punk rock, reggae or whatever music he or she is listening to. If you take a closer look at it is all the same. All things are related in one way, shape or form all we have to do is to respect each other through this it will guide our morals and eventually gain respect. As Desmond always say U-N-I-T-Y. and so does Sham 69 shouted if the kids are united we will never be divided.

Big up to PiliSkaPinas for the uber wonderful night! And thanks to the bands and the crowd who kept their cool. Nuff' respect! I raise my beer to all you mates! CHEERS!

if you wanna know more about what PiliSkaPinas is all about its humble beginnings and where will it be heading in the future do check this site: http://clubskamanila.multiply.com/journal/item/1

RUDER THAN YOU

2010-08-26T00:55:00.001-07:00

WE ARE HERE TO STAY....SEE YA'LL THIS SEPTEMBER

SECOND SATURDAY NIGHT OF AUGUST

2010-08-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

Every second Saturday night of the month Sazi's Bar in Espana, Manila comes to life when the rude boys, skinheads, punk rockers innocent bystanders, casuals and weekend offenders flock together hang out drink, dine and dance and be merry. Bisikleta Productions have been hosting this event ever since A Boy Named Hil arrived from a job stint a few months ago in Vietnam and slowly but surely its gaining quite a considerable amount of attendance from like minded individuals who just want to drink copious amount of alcohol, listen to music and basically having fun and not looking for a fight.

Last Saturday was another fun filled night as the bands entertain the rowdy crowd with so much fervour that resulted to an all night skanking, slam dancing. and never ending infectious smiles on their faces. The beer soaked floor and sweaty bodies did not stop the crowd from singing along to every tune that the bands are dishing out. See you again this coming September for another fun, fun fun Saturday Night!

THIS SATURDAY

2010-08-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

This Saturday August 14, 2010 The Rude Maynila Sessions at Sazi's Bar is back with THE STEADY MOVIN' BEAT, PINKCOW, EINSTEIN CHAKRAS, THE PINSTRIPED REBELS, CROOKEDBEAT, TOLONGUEZ DEATH SQUAD, THE OUTCOME, LESS THAN JUAN, THE SNEEKERS and THE EXSENADORS! Expect to hear Ska, Punk, New Wave and Oi! music.

RETURN OF THE SELECTER

2010-08-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

After an awe inspiring 30 years, Original founder & songwriter Neol Davies, returns as The Selecter. Until recently, Davies had ceded The Selecter spotlight to Pauline Black While the band's 30th anniversary came and went in 2009 without a formal reunion, Black has been carrying the flag for the band and its contribution to 2-Tone, performing shows across the globe.

Neol Davies had unveiled his new version of the band at the Hoxton Bar & Grill in London last July 29, 2010 with a brand new frontman and all female horn section. Expect to hear more of the band and possibly some new recordings in the near future, meanwhile watch the video below.

STUDIO ONE & COXSONE DODD

2010-07-30T03:05:00.000-07:00

PUNKY REGGAE PARTY - WHEN THE TWO 7's CLASH

2010-07-30T00:49:00.000-07:00

"Don letts wasn't the bringer of Reggae. Paul was into reggae, Joe was into reggae and John was into Reggae. They were turning me onto tunes. It wasn’t always the other way around. It was one of the reasons we got on. Don’t forget that early skinheads were into reggae, Trojan and ska. Black music was and will always be rebel music. The stones were into Bo Diddly and Howling Wolf. While the UK had reggae the US were getting into and being influenced by hip hop. Both reggae and punk was rebel music."

- Don Letts

1977
The relationship was essentially a London thing reggae and punk were thrown together by being mutual outcasts, two fingers against authority and a sense of an established order breaking down. Both were rebel music.

1977 was to be an apocalyptic year in reggae terms...and so it was in music fashion and society generally as white and black street culture found itself with the same aspirations for possibly the first and last time. Punk and reggae became further intertwined because of two of punks most influential figures, Mr Rotten and the boys in the Clash. reggae was very much a part of their musical scene and growing up and each vied to say they loved it more than the other as an influence.

For the Clash they covered Junior Murvin’s Police & Thieves, wanted a Notting Hill riot of their own, had Lee Perry produce one of their finest singles Complete Control and worked alongside Mikey Dread on their sprawling Sandinista album while wearing initially clothes with Prince Farianisms like’ Heavy Manners’ sprayed on them. Jah Wobble in PIL would utililise the pounding reggae bass on a many a tune and as Haile Unlikely Vs the Steel Leg recorded his own groovy 12”. Contrasting this is the two very different experiences of the boys visiting Jamaica. For the Clash it was a heavy trip resulting in the song ‘Safe European Home’. For Rotten, him and Letts spliffed out to sound systems and generally had a good time at Virgin’s expense.

The relationship was further cemented as bands like Misty in Roots and Steel Pulse appeared on shared stages at Rock Against Racism gigs with Bands like Generation X .

2010
The relationship between punk and reggae is very much alive and well you can hear it from bands like Rancid, The Aggrolites, The King Blues and many note worthy artist. Now the long awaited testament to the Punk Reggae alliance has been realigned! English Zimbabwean Paul Hussey. A member of F.O.U.R (Factory Of Unlimited Rhythm) a losely knit, innovative new crew of artist, writers, musicians, and ideas people. F.O.U.R.'s members include Peter Couch, Brian Johnson, Suzanne Couch had produced Kingston Calling.

This brave and creative compilation of punky reggae tunes features a host of top Jamaican artists including Toots, CeCille, Anthony B, QQ, Chezidek as well as introducing some new stars. The album is due for release in September 2010 for some mighty tunes do check out www.myspace.com/kingstoncalling

MENTO - SKA & REGGAE'S GRANDFATHER

2010-07-30T00:06:00.000-07:00

What is mento?

Here's a short answer: Mento is a style of Jamaican folk music that predates and has greatly influenced ska and reggae music

Mento is the grandfather of ska and reggae (along with rhythm & blues which is the grandmom of ska and reggae) . Mento draws on musical traditions brought over by African slaves. The influence of European music is also strong, as slaves who could play musical instruments were often required to play music for their masters. They subsequently incorporated some elements of these traditions into their own folk music. The lyrics of mento songs often deal with aspects of everyday life in a light-hearted and humorous way. Many comment on poverty, poor housing and other social issues. Thinly-veiled sexual references and innuendo are also common themes. Although the treatment of such subjects in mento is comparatively innocent, their appearance has sometimes been seen as a precursor of the slackness found in modern dancehall.

Originally a country people music with the banjo, maracas and rumba box needing no electronic amplification, but that somewhere along the timeline of Jamaica’s popular musical development, though, it became relegated to ‘tourist music’, the floral-shirt-clad figures beaming under straw hats and warbling ‘Yellow Bird,’ a far cry from and sad caricature of irreverent, bawdy, witty and extemporaneous mento.

Among the best known original purveyors of mento, that comes to my mind was Lord Tanamo who fronted the Skatalites with his hit I'm in the mood for Ska, Lord Flea and of course The Jolly Boys.

The Jolly Boys were the house band for Hollywood legend Errol Flynn who hosted huge parties at an estate he owned in Port Antonio, Jamaica in the 1950's. Flynn is responsible for the band's name as well, as he was moved by their upbeat songs about drinking, work and women. The Jolly Boys used their house band to the Hollywood elite status to launch a career that has lasted nearly 50 years.

Almost 50 years had passed The Jolly Boys remained to be a driving force behinds mento's staying power they are the house band for GeeJam a then residential recording studio in which they entertained artist working there the likes of No Doubt, The Gorrillaz and Amy Winehouse to name a few. The quality of their performances and particularly the strength and charisma of The Jolly Boys lead singer Albert Minott led GeeJam’s co-owner Jon Baker to co-produce an album of rock covers done in a "modern" mento style.

And now they are back with a new album called Great Expectation. Now all in their 70's and 80's the band is enjoying a resurgence thanks to John Baker. He's helping to revive and reinvigorate the band by positioning them as Jamaica's Buena Vista Social Club with a twist. He's steered them towards an updated sound called 'Modern Mento'. The album includes covers of songs by The Clash, Amy Winehouse, New Order, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and The Doors among others .

Above Video is a sample of what is in store on their newest album coming out this 20th of September.

WILD IN THE STREETS

2010-07-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the infamous Black Flag show at Polliwog Park in Manhattan Beach that turned into a storm of thrown foodstuffs, shouted obscenities, and angry picnickers, and the exhibition of punk-rock art that’s scheduled to grace the walls of the Hermosa Historical Museum next month, we asked Keith Morris to share his thoughts on growing up in Hermosa, the earliest days of the local punk-rock scene, and what he’s doing now (working on the first new Circle Jerks album in 14 years).

Morris lived in Hermosa for 16 years, until he left Black Flag, the seminal SoCal punk-rock outfit he co-founded with Greg Ginn. After leaving Black Flag he formed the Circle Jerks with former Red Kross guitarist and Hawthorne high alum Greg Hetson, bassist Roger Rogerson, and drummer Lucky Leher.

The Circle Jerks’ debut album (1980′s Group Sex) and their performance in The Decline Of Western Civilization documentary — filmed at the Fleetwood in Redondo Beach — sent them on a punk-rock odyssey that spanned four studio albums (Wild In The Streets, Golden Shower Of Hits, Wonderful, and VI), several personnel changes, and an appearance in the 1984 cult film Repo Man, before the band splintered in 1989.

Six years later, Morris and Hetson — who’d since joined Bad Religion — revived the Circle Jerks for Oddities, Abnormalities & Curiosities. But the band again imploded shortly after the album hit the streets. Since then, Morris has survived a 2000 diabetic coma, a stint as an A&R rep for V2 Records, and sporadic Circle Jerks reunion tours dating back to 2001.

Flashback

“I was born at Kaiser Permanente at the southernmost tip of Los Feliz,” says Morris. “We moved to Hermosa Beach when I was seven-and-a-half, so I started third grade at South elementary school on Monterey. We first lived on 2nd Street and Hermosa, then we moved to 10th and Monterey, then to north Redondo over by Aviation and Artesia, then we moved to 9th and Beach Drive.

“My junior high was right there at Pacific Coast Highway and Pier Avenue, where they have the community center now. That’s where I started smokin’ pot and skateboardin’ and listenin’ to music and doin’ all the things that teenage kids do.

“Then I went to Mira Costa High School. I worked at my dad’s fishing tackle store, Hermosa Tackle Box, down on Pier Avenue. It was right next door to the Rock & Gravel record store, which was kinda cool.

“But there was also the Record Hole, which was one of my favorite record stores ’cause they specialized in English imports. It was a tiny little store on Hermosa Avenue, two and a half blocks north of Pier Avenue. Right next to a Winchell’s donuts and this pizza place that made this thing called the ‘pizzaco’ — half pizza, half taco.”

“Yeah, that was good ’cause there was also a Foster’s Freeze right there. You get the root beer freeze and a couple of ‘pizzacos’ and the world is totally happening.

“And there was Rubicon Records, up on Pier Avenue, which was run by Michael Piper, who looked like Michael Bruce — one of the guitar players in Alice Cooper. He played a major role in corrupting my musical mentality. He was the guy who turned me on to Genesis, Gentle Giant, Trapeze, the Tubes …

“Michael was also insanely in love with Greg Ginn’s younger sister, Erica, who’s (artist) Raymond Pettibone’s twin sister and was like this goddess. Erica used to come into Rubicon to hang out and flirt with Michael and Greg would tag along ’cause he was interested in music. At this time, Greg was a big Grateful Dead fan. He was one of those guys who’d get in the VW van or the Toyota station wagon, load it up with all the other Hermosa Beach hippies, and go see the Dead.

“Anyway, they would show up and Michael would be playing Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, the Eagles — something out of Laurel Canyon. The heaviest thing he would play would be like the first Heart album. I’m not badmouthing these artists because they all have their time and place. You certainly don’t wanna listen to Black Flag when you’re makin’ love, right? I would reserve that time for Marvin Gaye

Polliwog Park breakthrough

“So Greg is now all of a sudden becoming a major person in my life, just based on him coming into the record store two or three times a week. Michael and Erica would split to go hold hands and make out and do whatever young people like to do and I would be in charge of the store. And that would be when I’d put on Ted Nugent, Black Oak Arkansas, Mott The Hoople, David Bowie & The Spiders From Mars, the MC5 or the Stooges. Michael would come back in and he would be steamin’, like ‘Why are you listening to this?’ and Greg and I would be laughin’.

“Eventually we started going to concerts. Michael, Greg and I would get in my Chevy Impala and head to the Santa Monica Civic to see Thin Lizzy and Journey. And that’s where the seeds of Black Flag were sown.”

“When we started Black Flag, the local scene was terrible,” Morris continues. “There weren’t any original bands. We’d go to a dance and it’d be a band doin’ Doobie Brothers covers or some chick tryin’ to sing like Robert Plant.

“We weren’t punk-rock guys. We were just guys that were bummed with the musical landscape in the South Bay — and even up in Hollywood, it was slim pickin’s — that channeled our angry energy and turned it into what we turned it into.

“We were the guys who were always picked last in P.E., the guys that were turned down by the girls, the guys that the jocks would pick on. And maybe it was our way of sayin’, ‘Hey, fuck you.’ It wasn’t like we were hopin’ to get harrassed by the Hermosa Beach police, but everytime we turned around they were like breathing over our shoulders …

“Right now, I’m looking at that photo from Polliwog Park that ran in Easy Reader, which is pretty amazing ’cause it was taken from behind us and shows the crowd. So there’s Medea, who was Greg Ginn’s girlfriend, and there’s Jeffrey Lee Pierce [from the Gun Club], Dianne Chai [from the Alleycats], and Jay Bentley from Bad Religion. His dad lived in Manhattan Beach and said, ‘Let’s go to the park’ and it just happened to be the Sunday we were playing. The opening band was the Tourists, who were Red Kross before they became Red Kross, then Eddie & The Subtitles from O.C. [Big Wow, according to the Easy Reader story], then us. It looked like there were 500 people in this bandshell.

“I really felt sorry for Robo ’cause he was sitting behind his drum kit and had no where to go. The rest of us were able to dodge whatever trash — chicken bones, watermelon rinds — that the people who didn’t like us were throwin’.

“I remember the guy from the park was really bummed and he was making us stop every 10 minutes so he could sweep everything up. I basically look upon that gig as our baptism. That when we knew that we made it. That’s when we got under a few people’s skins. We didn’t set out to do that. We just wanted to get out and play, do our thing.

“But the Black Flag gig with the Alleycats and Rhino 39 at the Moose Lodge on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo was pivotal for us ’cause [KROQ DJ] Rodney Bingenheimer was there with [Dead Boys frontman] Stiv Bators and they both were like, ‘Wow, there’s serious excitement happening here.’ That’s when Rodney started playing the Nervous Breakdown EP on Saturday night.

“That really helped out. ‘Cause a lot of people in the music community up here [in Hollywood] looked at us like ‘What are these fucking hippies doing here?’ ‘Cause we looked like beach rats. We looked like roadies for Peter Frampton. We didn’t look like we were part of the punk-rock community. We didn’t look like we were from England. That wasn’t our concern.

“We played the EP at a party up on Fountain and [Masque founder] Brendan Mullen and Claude ‘Kickboy’ Bessey from Slash magazine were there and they were like, ‘What the fuck is this? You guys did this?’ They were goin’ apeshit over it. And it completely changed their mentality toward us. They knew that we were real.

“We made that record at Media Art Studios, which was on the northeast corner of Pier and Hermosa. I remember when we were recording a band was playing in Shenanigans, the bar downstairs, and it was bleeding through, but we were playing so loud it didn’t really matter.

“We put that record out ourselves ’cause we got a two-page contract from [local indie] Bomp Records and Greg read it aloud and we were all just like rolling on the floor. We’re gonna pay for the recording, they’re gonna press it up, and give us like a nickel for every one that’s sold? Are you kidding me?

“And it wasn’t like we were gonna get any kind of better deal from any record company at any level. We put our own record out ’cause we didn’t have any choice — and we didn’t know any better.

“By this time we were living in the [former Baptist] church on Manhattan Avenue, directly across the street from the Altadena dairy, which was like our convenience store. Jim Lindberg (of Pennywise) used to work there. They leveled the church and turned it into this place called Einstein’s [Now Union Cattle]. Some kinda yuppie, happy hour, hang-out kinda thing.

“It was an abandoned church that they were renting spaces in. It was basically a hippie arts community — one guy was a potter, one guy did metal sculpture — that lived in the building. Greg was already renting a big room at the very back of the church and that was where SST Electronics was going down. Greg was manufacturing an attenuator, which soups up the power of your ham radio, so you can pick up who you need to pick up easier. That would’ve been ’78. [And he was writing music reviews for Easy Reader.]

“The church became almost like a flophouse. It became the place to go in the community for all the have-nots, the miscreants, all the kids that are getting picked on in school. I lived in one of the rooms. Ron Reyes [who replaced Keith as Black Flag's vocalist] was living in the basement. All of the punk rock people in the South Bay knew that the church was happening. Red Kross rehearsed in the basement; we rehearsed upstairs in the janitorial storage space, so we’d occasionally throw parties.

“Jill Jordan, who was a backing vocalist in the Flesh Eaters and is now a really popular tattoo artist, was from Hermosa. The Nolte brothers [Dan, Joe and Mike] are Hermosans. We didn’t really know them until we became fans of the Last. They were a big influence on Black Flag, but you wouldn’t be able to tell it by either one of our bands’ music.

“And the Descendents were from Manhattan and Redondo Beach. Billy worked for my dad and our conversations would be like, ‘What are you listening to? OK, why doncha listen to some stuff you’re not listening to? Here’s your homework assignment: Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath … ‘ And he would come back and say, ‘Keith, thank you for turning me on to all of these bands, I like all of them.’”

On the road
“When I left Black Flag, I moved to Inglewood, so after 1979 I didn’t spend a lot of time in Hermosa. Greg [Hetson] and I formed the Circle Jerks and all of a sudden we’re off in the van, goin’ to every little place in America. Goin’ out there without any machinery — no manager, no booking agent, no publicist, no Internet. We’re playing in these clubs to four people, 12 people, a 100 people — that would be a success. Driving two days to get to a place and the only people there are the bartenders and the guy that’s working the door. Doin’ the same thing that Black Flag was doin’, mapping out the route that all these new bands have to travel.

“Like Pennywise, who are from Hermosa. They’re like the ultimate, punk-rock party band. They’re one of the Warped Tour bands. And that’s a whole new generation of kids, who are all tapped into the computer and MP3s. Plus, they were on Epitaph Records and that label certainly knows what they’re doing.

“The Circle Jerks played a Warped Tour a couple of years ago and we were on the old-school stage with the Adolescents, the Dickies, Fear, and all these wonderful bands. Pennywise played with Bad Religion on the main stage and I was just like in awe. There were people who weren’t paying attention to the bands who were playing on the stages in front of them because they were facing the stage where Pennywise was playing. We’re talkin’ like 15,000-18,000 people watching Pennywise.

“And as far as stage-diving, slam-dancing, and all that,” Morris continues, “we’re from Southern California, so there’s lots of guys who ride skateboards, ski, surf, skydive, snowboard. We have this gung-ho mentality — just get on whatever you’re going to get on and go for it and see what happens. You see a swimming pool, you’re gonna jump in. That’s where stage-diving originated.

“And it’s not the mosh pit — it’s the slam pit. Mosh pit is what they call it on the East Coast. It started here with the kids on the West Coast. If you notice the motion of a kid riding a skateboard, it’s almost like a jog, almost like a dance. If you remove the skateboard, it becomes a dance, it becomes the slam-dance.

“[Skateboard legend] Tony Alva’s crew used to follow us around. They loved us, they loved the punk-rock thing ’cause it was aggro. It was taking Ted Nugent and Black Sabbath and ZZ Top, speeding it up, and taking it the next step. It was the perfect music for them to do what they were doing. And if you looked at those kids from Dogtown — which was Venice — they didn’t look punk-rock, they looked exactly like us.

“The legacy would be that we just happened to trip and fall, pick ourselves up, and be there. We didn’t know what we were creating. We didn’t know that we were gonna touch people as far reaching as the Black Crowes and Ryan Adams and Los Lobos. We didn’t know that Bill Ward, the drummer from Black Sabbath, was gonna be a huge fan. We didn’t know we were gonna play a role in shaping the musical mentality of Slayer or Megadeth.

We just went where we were allowed to go — Europe, South America, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii — and just made the best of it.

”I tore knee ligaments, got a crushed vertebrae, fractured ribs. Got my nose broken two nights in a row. And I rolled a van in Texas, turned it over like 10 times, crushed the van in half. All the guys survived. The worst thing that happened was we had a sprained ankle and a bruised shoulder.

“And, yeah, the coma. I was looking at death there. Then they diagnosed me with diabetes and I had to spend about a year figuring it out. I have my days where my feet hurt and I have my days where everything’s fine. It’s one of those diseases where it’s what you make of it.”

Full circle

“Right now, the Circle Jerks are halfway through making a new record. It’s with the original members Greg and me with Zander Schloss — who’s played with Joe Strummer, Thelonious Monster, the Weirdos, the Low And Sweet Orchestra, and has been playing bass with us for quite a while now — and Kevin Fitzgerald, who’s from Alaska and is currently touring Europe with Eleni Mandell, playing drums.

“Dimitri Coats from the Burning Brides — I worked with them when I was working at V2 Records — is producing. And it’s gonna sound like what a punk-rock record’s supposed to sound like. Because we’ve gotten away from that with modern technology — this device that makes it sound like tape and this super-duper-duper-dizzer that does this. Fuck that. We don’t need to be adding all this shit. We need to strip off the fat like we did in the beginning and just fuckin’ go at it.

“I don’t know if I could say what made Hermosa Beach so different. Yeah, there was the Lighthouse, which was one of the major jazz venues on the West Coast. My dad’s shop was right across the street and during the summer, they would do early shows and they would open the top half of this double door that they had in front and you could watch whoever was performing. My dad used to go there, but I was never old enough to go in. When I was old enough, at that point in my life, I wasn’t interested in jazz.

“But there was also the surf thing. Three of my dad’s best friends were world-class surfers: Dewey Weber, Hap Jacobs, and Greg Noll. They were like the triumvirate down there and they were like the three points of the pyramid. Greg was this guy who was living in a trailer with three different women and all their kids. Dewey was this rambunctious, really energetic family guy. And Hap was like the real conservative out of the three of ‘em. In the South Bay, those are the guys. It all starts with them.

“And there was the Insomniac coffee house. My mom took me there when I was about eight years old. She was always one of those people who wasn’t afraid to go out there and see what was goin’ on, so here we are inside the Insomniac. No furniture, just a few tables and a bunch of pillows on the floor. It was candlelit, dark, looked like something out of Dante’s Inferno. You can damn well bet that the city council were just losin’ sleep over that.

“And Greeko’s Sandals, which started on Pier Avenue next to John’s Barber Shop. The barber was one of the conservative guys: ‘We can’t have Greeko in our town — look what he’s doing to the minds!’ ‘Cause Greeko is the guy who had all of the Doors and the Shrine Auditorium posters and when Santana or Big Brother & The Holding Company were in town, they’d come in and get sandals made. So Greeko moved around the corner, redid the face of the building, and made the sidewalk in front of his shop like a cobblestone sidewalk. The city apparently loved that: ‘Oh, he’s becoming more conservative! Maybe he’s voting for Ronald Reagan?’

“And they jacked up the rent so high they finally ran the Either/Or Bookstore out. It had been there before I even moved there. You’d think a great city like Hermosa Beach would be very open-minded, but they weren’t. It was like, ‘We can’t have these hippies, these Communists doin’ all this stuff!’

“But they’ve just destroyed downtown Hermosa. Their mentality is they want every weekend to be spring break down there. Every other space is a bar. I was stayin’ down there with a girlfriend on Valentine’s Day two years ago and we were just hangin’ out, walkin’ around, checkin’ it out. And at night there’s just people like ‘I’m walkin’ in the middle of the street; whaddya gonna do about it?’ Just lookin’ for a fight. And the police don’t even show up. What the hell’s up with that? They should change the name to Knucklehead Beach.

“But I already went full circle when I became sober. Goin’ back to Hermosa Beach and goin’ to meetings at the junior high that they’d turned into a community center and a skateboard park — which I don’t mind ’cause that’s productive, that gives the kids someplace to go. That’s where I started doin’ drugs so it was totally appropriate.

“Now I still like eating the cheeseburger at the Mermaid, but Taco Bill’s is gone. That was a Hermosa Beach landmark, just like the Either/Or bookstore. I don’t mind going back to the Hermosa pier and taking a walk and checking it out, but that’s about it. When I think about what they’ve done to the city, I wouldn’t want to live there — and I couldn’t afford it.”

Don Waller grew up in Lawndale and north Torrance. He was the lead singer for semi-legendary proto-punk outfit the Imperial Dogs and an original staffer at the far more legendary Back Door Man magazine. He first met Keith Morris at Rubicon Records when he and Imperial Dogs guitarist Paul Therrio were living at 1450 Bayview in Hermosa Beach back in 1973. He also saw Black Flag play that show at the Moose Hall in Redondo Beach

Story by Don Waller

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

2010-07-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

As the frontman of Madness - which, after 30 years, he still is - Suggs would sometimes go on stage dressed in a fez, pink suit and fur coat. An admirer told him that he brought to mind Tommy Cooper, Robert De Niro and Diana Ross.

Effing hell, thought Suggs, he would never improve on that. Nor has he on this day in Sicily, where he is filming the final leg of his new Sky Arts travelogue, Suggs's Italian Job. Still, he looks pretty good in his white shirt and dark blue cotton suit.

The once-befezzed pop star, whose band, back in the late Seventies, used comedy to wedge itself between the forces of concept-album pretension and punk-rock nastiness, has turned into a legit television presenter. Last year he won a Royal Television Society presenter's award for Disappearing London on ITV.

Admittedly he spoilt things a little with an acceptance speech in which he lightly announced his immediate retirement from the profession, but television eventually forgave him when he said that he was speaking in drink and in jest. The experienced Italian Job production team tell me that they have never worked with a more professional presenter.

The beautifully shot eight-part series is not exactly an intellectual challenge to Kenneth Clark's Civilisation. The only preexisting cultural knowledge you need is that Suggs is driving a Mini because there was once a film called The Italian Job and it featured the same make of car.

Nevertheless, it is still something of a surprise that Sky has chosen him as its face of culture. Thirteen years ago you would have known where Suggs stood on high art. “Pop,” he told an interviewer, “is the only art form over the past 20 years that has communicated to so many people. It can move you to tears or laughter. How many paintings have you actually cried at?”

“That's the great thing about being young,” the 47-year-old explains to me now. “One of the reasons pop music tends to be better when people are young is that they have blinkers on, don't they? If someone's wearing flared trousers, they're shit. You have a very pure vision of the things you like. But no, I certainly wouldn't agree with my 1995 self that the only important thing is pop music. No. Not at all.”

If Suggs has a greater credibility gap as a cultural commentator than would, say, Jools Holland or Jarvis Cocker, it may simply be that Madness were always too funny to be taken seriously. It took, he says, 20 years for a piece of serous criticism to be written about them, and five authors have started and abandoned books about them. Perhaps songs such as My Girl, Cardiac Arrest, Our House, Driving in my Car and Michael Caine simply resist analysis.

Fortified by a lunch of Heineken and risotto balls, Suggs's intellect proves in decent working order this afternoon as he is shown around the Villa Cattolica, a museum that has a collection of works by the painter Renato Guttuso. His son Fabio explains a vast painting of a market scene in terms of a cathedral: Suggs smartly identifies its Madonna.

If he is bewildered by Fabio's explanation of the history of Italian communism or how his father's career echoes Picasso's, he doesn't show it. If anything, I detect in Suggs's mind not undernourishment but impatience. As the furry boom-mike bobs above the two of them, Suggs's eyes dart and his fingers click. Between takes he smokes and chews gum. His presentational style is ironic and relaxed, but I sense tension, too.

Only after filming is complete does he relax - which is more than I do, as Suggs's Mini, now driven by an assistant producer aided by a very confused Italian sat-nav, goes the wrong way up more narrow streets than the original Italian Job Minis. We discuss the Guttusos, papà and figlio. “Nice guy, but he could have paid more attention to his dental hygiene,” says Suggs of poor Fabio.

That evening we meet again in an open-air bar in Palermo. The Peronis stand before us yet again. I suspect that the ruddiness of his face may not be simply a tan. I ask if drinking has ever been a problem for him. Only, he says, when he is very bored.

“Going wild and losing almost every shred of your personality is not a bad thing on occasions. It may have got a bit out of hand in Britain now, but look at Hogarth or however far back you want to go. You've got the Celtic thing mixed into the British and I consider myself part of that, slightly. There is this whole idea that drink can transport you somewhere else, into poetry, magic and lunacy.”

He should know, for his holiday home in southern Italy includes a small vineyard that produces “Suggs Special”, a brew that will get you drunk in a Nordic rather than a Mediterranean manner. Does he ever film with a hangover, I ask. Rarely, he says. “But you just get on with it. It's the Buddhist tenet: drinking is drinking; getting up is getting up.”

That's a new one on me, but the production team have warned me about his serendipitous erudition. For all that, his education, or lack of it, is the background buzz to our interview. An early hit, Baggy Trousers, recalls his adolescence in a tough London comprehensive: “Naughty boys in nasty schools/ Headmasters breaking all the rules/ Having fun and playing fools/ Smashing up the woodwork tools.”

It was, he says, just more exciting at the back of the class, practising hanging his mouth open. Yet in his previous life in Wales he had passed his 11-plus, and at grammar school was “one of the nicer sort of kids”.

He was in Wales because when he was 8 his mother, Edwina, decided that she could no longer cope with raising him alone and sent him to stay with her sister. A failed jazz singer turned barmaid at the legendary Colony Room in Soho (where, decades later, her son records his ITV chat show Suggs in the City), she had been deserted by Suggs's heroin-addicted father.

Mother and son made do in bedsits, which is why Suggs can talk of having “a degree in poverty and hardship”. At Auntie Diana's in Haverfordwest, he did not see his mother for three years. Meanwhile, his aunt's marriage was unwinding. “I began thinking, ‘Why does it all go wrong every time I enter the room?'”

Fortunately he was developing an ability to look at himself objectively. “I suddenly realised that it wasn't my fault and I remember that as a huge release. I could take care of what I was about but I couldn't really be responsible for the grown-ups.”

At 11 he had another revelation, this time in Sunday school. “The geezer would drone on and on and I remember one time he was talking about how lucky we all were. I thought, ‘I don't really think I am lucky. I haven't seen my mum for a while and maybe I don't think these people here are on my side'.

And I remember wondering what would happen if I just suggested in my mind that God didn't exist. I got up and walked out of this church and I have a clear memory of walking down the little path to the gable fence at the end, then going off down the road and thinking, ‘Nothing's happened. I haven't been hit by lightning or anything'.”

Back in London, his mother's spirits having revived, he fell in with some boys from a local school who would know Graham McPherson by his new name, Suggs (after the jazz artist Pete Suggs). By the time he was 17, perhaps subconsciously inspired by his mother's bohemian aspirations to “a champagne lifestyle with lemonade pockets”, Suggs was the lead vocalist of Madness and was enjoying their first residency in a Camden pub called the Dublin Castle.

The ska band, influence as much by vaudeville as reggae, had a hit with The Prince, appeared on Top of the Pops and were soon supporting the Specials on tour.

Despite their chart success over the next ten years, Madness never got rich. Think of a fortune, Suggs explains, divide it by seven band members and take away 40 per cent in tax. It is no longer a fortune. But Madness did enrich Suggs with the family that the only son of a single parent had missed. He says that the group's members are still “ridiculously” close.

I thought he had said over lunch that after a month touring with them he usually felt that he never wanted to see them again? “It's a family but it's a f***ing dysfunctional family. It's all needy kids and no parents.”

Its functionality was first threatened in 1983 when Mike Barson, the keyboard player, quit. “He just got fed up with all the fame business. Bit by bit you'd see he'd be wearing balaclavas to go out and didn't want to be in photographs any more.”

Barson wasn't the only one becoming jaundiced. “We had some great people around us and the record label we were on was very interesting, but they realised that we were a fatted calf and it was just a bit relentless.

We were going round the world relentlessly, and the notion that we were always going to liven up a dull scene got very wearing. Then we sort of fell out ... we were just so tired. It's the old joke, isn't it? We split up for medical reasons: we were sick of each other.”

By now he was married to Anne, better known at the time at Bette Bright of Deaf School, and had two daughters. “You know, it's like the rites of passage. We've been in the forest. We've slain all the dragons and now it's time to go home as a man, not a f***ing juvenile. We were stuck, and I think being a pop star is being stuck permanently as a juvenile. Look at the people who are permanent pop stars.”

Like Jagger? “You said it. And there's nothing wrong with that if that's what you want, but I was very keen that I should get to the next development in my life.”

Despite the good-natured anarchy of his music, Suggs is actually too conventional to be a pop star in the classic mode. Married in church, he remains happily married, although he is having a little trouble persuading his daughters, Scarlet and Viva, to leave their terraced, three-bedroom family home in North London.

His work ethic is not so much Celtic as Protestant. While filming in Italy he has been flying to London at weekends to record Suggs in the City. He returns, his crew tell him, in a filthy mood. But his presenting career, now that it touches history and culture (it started with a karaoke show on Five), seems to have squared some circles for him and is infiltrating his music.

The title song of Madness's forthcoming album, The Liberty of Norton Folgate, demonstrates a knowledge of London history that would please Peter Ackroyd.

“Tommy Cooper was a big factor in Madness. Benny Hill - those speeded-up bits at the end - used to tickle us. You knew it was a bit naff but it was also kind of deliberately anti-intellectual. Then in later life you get interested in other things, like Samuel Beckett, for instance, and get this innate feeling that there's a parallel, and find that there is. Beckett was really interested in music hall and Tommy Cooper and Max Wall - that thin line between abstraction and just being an idiot, you know what I mean?”

At dinner with the crew in Palermo, Suggs is in high spirits - the series almost in the can, the Chianti flowing. Then the director Nick Bramford bowls up with tidings from London. Their PR agency has prepared a script for an on-air promo that will require Suggs to dress as a loutish Cockney skinhead and morph into a refined Italian prat.

The idea of libelling himself, and Italy, in an advert for his own programme does not appeal, and as the evening degenerates he suggests alternative approaches. What about, he wonders, Suggs vomiting over a map of Italy, or burying his head in a pile of spaghetti?

Last week I caught a trailer for the series. It was nothing worse than a jolly selection of highlights. Good. Suggs is better than that. I think he is better than the series, but that is another matter.

Suggs's Italian Job begins on August 11, Wednesday at Discover Travel and Living Channel Asia

This article was taken from The Sunday Times from Andrew Billen's Suggs: far from the Madness crowd

THE RUDE MAYNILA SESSIONS THIS AUGUST

2010-07-26T02:13:00.001-07:00

This coming August 14 The Rude Maynila Sessions is back for another round of Ska music and Punk rock. We will be featuring Einstein Chakras fresh out of a brief hiatus and Steady Movin' Beat will be on board again alongside regulars such as PinkCow, The Exsenadors, Tolonguez Death Squad, The PinStriped Rebels, Less Than Juan (Umble Uno) . And we are welcoming this new band hailing from Batangas City the land of Kapeng Barako and Balisong - Crooked Beat and out from the ashes of T.R.A. comes The Outcome. Please do drop by this coming August 14.

And also this coming August 27 watch out for Bing Austria of Juan Pablo Dream's new endeavor with former Put3ska manager Shane Cosgrove they had put out a collective known as Soul Music Manila and they will be having an event entitled MANILA SOUL ALL NIGHTER happening at B Side in Malugay Street, Makati City. This event is strictly aimed at propagating a dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene that was highly influenced by American Black Music mainly Soul. Expect to hear tons of heavy heavy stompers full of lesser known rare Motown-influenced music.

SHORT STORIES

2010-07-17T01:33:00.000-07:00

10th of July, Saturday...I've seen the people rocking to the rhythm of a Steady Movin' Beat....its that music that had ripped me off my seat..then I started dancing...shuffling my feet to the heavy heavy beat... then I felt the heat so i do some more.....

Photos courtesy of Michael Alvin Gianan and Cindy Aquino

SHUT UP LISTEN AND DANCE

2010-07-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

At first this seem to be of no importance to all of you readers but i think this matter should be addressed by some or even most of us. Yesterday i got a message from my Face Book account from a person i do not knew and asked me if I can squeeze a friend of this certain person who as this person stated belongs to a punk band from a origin of country that i don't know of. The person has an interesting choice of words and that is WHITE FRIENDS. My initial reaction is some what flabbergasted by the way this person addressed them as WHITE. So i told this person about what i felt about the color thing.

The person replied to me and said "i emphasized "white" since i am not sure what kind of people are going to the show..like if some are against white people or something. its more of FYI and more of security in our end.." This further infuriates me on the choice of words that this person used like WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE and SECURITY.

Its kinda funny that this person told me about his punk rocker friends who would like to play this coming July 10th. Going to a punk show is not like going to a fashion show with full on security on every corner of a venue. Punk rock shows always have an element of danger in them don't expect for security if your looking for security stay at home lock your doors and watch MTV!. And may i say that Bisikleta Productions is color blind we don't care if you are white, black, yellow or green as long as you bring your tolerance with you and you're not being a total dick its fine with us!.

And one more thing if you got a friend who is in a band please at least have the decency to say something about the band you are referring to like sending an MP3 or giving us information like a myspace account. And stop reading and watching the news about my country those fucking media writers are giving Philippines a bad name. Hearsay fucks up a good experience.

If you want to experience our community abandon the fear of us heckling your white friends. Drop by on July 10 at 8PM and see what its like to be part of us. This coming Saturday will be a very special day for SkaMax mainstays the STEADY MOVIN' BEAT because they are launching their highly anticipated, long awaited EP on that day.

The band is highly influenced by the 2 Tone movement in Coventry, England and what it represents. And is continuing to echo in all parts of the world were black and white, brown and yellow kids unite to fight racial discrimination and prejudice.

This all Filipino band kicks ass. So to the person who sent me a message all you have to do is , come and see the local bands and SHUT UP...LISTEN..AND DANCE...

THE RUDE MAYNILA SESSIONS THIS JULY

2010-06-27T21:30:00.001-07:00

This coming July 10,Saturday at 8PM The Rude Maynila Sessions is bringing you full on ska music and a little bit of Oi! thrown in for good measure.

We will be featuring a long time fixture of Club Ska/Ska Max events - the Steady Movin' Beat as our main act. They are in the process of finishing up their EP hopefully we will get a sneak preview that day so please support this 2 tone ska band along with them are some of the promising ska acts you will ever hear hailing from Bulacan, Pampanga, Tagaytay and Batangas and most specially Manila.

Meanwhile feast your eyes on last June's The Rude Maynila Sessions photos taken by Cindy Aquino.From top to bottom: The GoSignals, Ompong and his merchandise, Bai AKA Count Kutu of The Sneekers jamming with The Strayguns, Skinheads dem a come with Big 5 Ben and some members of The Exsenadors, Barrio Morning Glory's very own Buster Blood Vessel, The Crowd inside, Skankit of The Steady Movin' Beat dancing to Earthlings, The Crowd outside taking a breathe of fresh polluted Manila air, The Strayguns, The Sneekers, Melvin of Jeepney Joyride jamming with the Earthlings alongside Ice of Region 5 Beat from Bicol.

A FLOOR SHAKING NIGHT WITH KEB

2010-06-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

On our way. Lots slow traffic though. - Keb Darge

'Twas 7 in the evening, June 11th and heavy rain pounded the streets of Manila resulting in flash floods and chaotic traffic. I was worried Keb might not make it that night because he might get fucking pissed with Manila's traffic and worst the flood. I don't know why but come school time, every June the fucking government is fixing roads instead of doing it way before the month of June.

Anyway I arrived late and wet at Ten 02 Bar and nervously and anxiously awaits for the man with the master plan. Its been almost over a year since I saw him played rare 45's at the now bastardized Cubao X Thankfully Jon and Teng of the Soundblasters arrived earlier to get things going. And the bands that played warmed up the crowd for the main event.

And then came Keb along with his lovely Filipina wife Little Edith.....and the rest is history....That evening was indescribable the only thing I can remember was Keb talking to the crowd and saying "DON'T JUST STAND...DANCE" and that was it like a snap of a finger the room starts to rumble tune after tune everyone was singing and dancing and it was brilliantly magfuckingnificent!...

Top to bottom: Rare 45's, the man himself, Selecting, Keb teaching Skarlet the Jump and Jive, Juan Pablo Dream, Neighbors, Steady Movin' Beat, Dance!, Keb's lovely wife, Little Edith with a big beat! this waray packs a mean punch!, Dancing.....,And more dancing!

THIS MONTH ON THE BISIKLETA PRODUCTIONS AGENDA

2010-06-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Keb Darge is finally here in Manila! After a canceled event last April due to the volcanic ash fall that came from Iceland, the long wait is over! He will be arriving 10th of June along with his Filipina wife, Edith.

On June 11, Friday, We will be hosting an event for the Scottish man who happen to be a Tae Kwon Do world champion and a man of impeccable taste for the rare and sought after northern soul, deep funk and rockabilly 45's.

This legendary man will be saving us from the evil plague of modern music that most radio stations and music televisions are shoving down the throats of mindless people who thinks that good looks fancy clothes and limited edition sneakers matter most rather than real talent. Do beg, borrow or steal to catch and hear him play some of the timeless classic and lovely lovely killer floorshakers at Ten 02 Bar and Resto. Trainspotters and crate diggers this is your chance to drool over his tasty collections prepare to get your guts kicked out!

And on Saturday, June 12, Independence Day we will be hosting a every second Saturday of every month mayhem at Sazi's Bar (formerly Mayrics) entitled The Rude Maynila Sessions, The Bing Austria Show will take a back burner for an indefinite period of time due to the busy schedule of the groove merchants of soul Juan Pablo Dream.

This month expect to hear a lot of Ska and a little bit of punk rock and some music that we think is much better than the gay emo most kids are listening to nowadays. We got lots of eargasmic goodies in store for you folks in this edition of The Rude Maynila Sessions including the reformed ska punkers PinkCow. For only 60 bucks you'll get to hear a dozen bands and get an ice cold beer to boot! See y'all this month!

SENATE BILL NO. 1112

2010-06-06T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Three Stooges - Moe, Larry and Curly

A DAY before the Freedom of Information Act was supposed to be taken up at the House of Representatives, Speaker Prospero Nograles told media that text messages were being sent and phone calls were being made to ensure that House members would attend Friday’s session for the ratification of the FOI bill.

“We are doing text brigades, we are calling them, we are reminding them to attend the last session all because we want the Freedom of Information to pass,” Nograles told reporters.

The night before, however, a different text message was received by journalists and FOI advocates. Reportedly forwarded by a lawmaker “sympathetic” to the FOI bill, it urged House members not to attend the session.

The message read in part: “In view of the possible adverse impact of the pending Freedom of Information bill on the performance of the basic tasks of the government and the reported big rally of leftist groups at the House of Rep. to coerce congressmen to support said controversial bill, you may wish to join the many congressmen of various political parties who have decided not to attend the last session of the House…”

By that day’s end, the bill was dead – an event foreseen by several lawmakers.

“Gagawin nilang lahat ng puwedeng gawin (They will do everything they can),” Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva told 12 other lawmakers who attended a June 2 caucus at a Quezon City restaurant to strategize on how to get the bill ratified.

According to Villanueva, it was possible that the House leadership would even “sacrifice” other measures that were already included in the Congress’s last-day agenda just so it could block the bill.

“Walang ipapasa kahit ano (No measure will be passed),” Villanueva told his colleagues.

His prediction came true A copy of the June 4 House agenda obtained by the PCIJ shows that eight other measures died alongside the FOI bill last Friday because of a supposed lack of quorum.

Among these were counterpart bills from the Senate awaiting adoption from the House: (1) S.B. 3206 or the Philippine Tax Academy authored by Sen. Panfilo Lacson; (2) S.B. 2020 or the Special Education Act of 2008 introduced by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago; and (3) S.B. 3571 or the Anti-Racial and Religious Discrimination Act filed by senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Manuel Villar, Ma. Ana Consuelo ‘Jamby’ Madrigal, and Pilar Juliana ‘Pia’ Cayetano.

Another three bills needed concurrence from the House after these were amended by the Senate: (1) H.B. 7046 which proposes the conversion of the Quirino State College into a state university filed by Reps. Junie Cua, Cynthia Villar, Exequiel Javier, Jesus Crispin Remulla, Mariano Piamonte, and Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales; (2) H.B. 4361 or the proposed creation of the Bicol State College of Applied Sciences and Technology filed by Reps. Luis Villafuerte, Liza Maza, Luzviminda Ilagan, Ana Theresia Hontiveros, Danilo Ramon Fernandez, Florencio Garay, Guillermo Romarate Jr, Glenda Ecleo, Satur Ocampo, and Arnulfo Go and (3) House Bill 3675 which proposes the creation of the Balanga City National Technical Vocational High School filed by Reps. Cua, Albert Garcia, and Del de Guzman.

Two more measures, which like the FOI bill had bicameral conference committee reports, needed ratification from the House. These were the proposed act on prohibiting and penalizing the pilferage and theft and unauthorized use, interconnection or reception of any signal or service offered over a cable TV or cable Internet system under H.B. 1409 and S.B. 3530; and the proposed Philippine Immigration Act of 2009 under H.B. 6568 and S.B. 3404.

It was Camiguin Rep. Pedro Romualdo of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party — who had once defended the First Couple in their August 2009 lavish $20,000-dinner at Le Cirque restraurant in New York — who questioned the quorum and raised the issue on retroactivity before Nograles banged the gavel and declared the session adjourned.

Based on the House secretariat’s count, only 128 lawmakers attended the June 4 session. But at least an hour before the attendance was checked, Villanueva said lawmakers at the plenary had already reached 137, which was more than enough to muster a quorum of 135.

At the June 2 lawmakers’ caucus, those in attendance had pointed to the matter of having a quorum as a vulnerable point. Observed Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino party: “The quorum is a parliamentary tool. It can be used to pass the bill or kill it.”

“I think that the leadership is already talking about this,” said Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, chairman of the House Committee on Public Information and one of the lead authors of the FOI bill. “I feel that they will question the quorum.”

Abante, regional director of the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, also said during the caucus that he felt that he was being left clueless by Nograles. This was strange, he added, because the Speaker, who is his party-mate, had never done so before.

“In the past kasi Nogi (Nograles) and Art (Majority Leader Arthur Defensor) would call me everytime there was a problem,” said Abante. “But I was kept blind on this (the FOI bill issue) now.”

Annie Ruth Sabangan
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

For more info regarding FOI, go to this site:
http://www.senate.gov.ph/lis/bill_res.aspx?congress=13&q=SBN-1112

THE RUDE MAYNILA SESSIONS

2010-05-29T02:51:00.000-07:00

Starting Independence Day Bisikleta Productions is now hosting THE RUDE MAYNILA SESSIONS every second Saturday of every month at Sazi's Bar. The Bing Austria Show will temporarily seized operations due to the busy schedule of Manilas groove merchants Juan Pablo Dream. Rude Maynila Sessions will continue to promote Ska, Punk, Oi! Mod, Rockabilly and everything that's not involving cute flavor of the month bands that's targeting MTV.

We are giving you what you need not what you want if you don't like it then Sod off!

ROCKABILLY BILL

2010-05-29T01:23:00.001-07:00

Mahalo! on June 3 Bembol Rockers is presenting The Rockabilly Bill 50's Luau Party, featuring some of the finest rockabilly bands Manila has to offer. My good friend and one mean bass slapper Lakshmi Ramirez will bid Aloha this coming month (he's bound for UAE for some R & R with his lovely wife) so please do drop by at B Side in Malugay Street Makati City for some rockin' 'n' rollin ' bop til ya drop good time!

RUDE MAYNILA... A PHOTO ESSAY

2010-05-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

Images courtesy of Cindy Aquino and Alex Medina Hapan.

ARE YOU READY TO GET YOUR GUTS KICKED OUT?

2010-05-24T03:05:00.000-07:00

Due to a volcanic ash fall that came from Iceland and had enveloped the whole European skies that halted the entire flight last month. Bisikleta Productions, Soundblasters and Rookie Records April 25th event was canceled.

Keb Darge decided to master the ancient fighting skills of the orient to avenge his disrupted second coming to Manila. Now no angry volcanoes can get in his way to save us mere mortals from the evils of modern music. Get ready to get your guts kicked out this June 11, Saturday. at 7 in the evening.

As Bisikleta Productions, Rookie Records and Soundblasters bring you the impeccable Scottish taste maker non other than KEB DARGE. Come and hear the sound like you have never heard! sights like you have never seen! and a kick like you've never felt before!

Come and dance the night away with Keb Darge together with some of the hottest soul and ska act Manila has to offer at Ten 02 Bar and Resto located at Scout Ybardolaza, Quezon City, Philippines. See and hear him play northern soul, real r 'n' b and rockabilly of the rarest 7 inchers.

To all the expats who knows Keb Darge's impeccable taste for the rare floor shaking 45's this is your chance to see him live at Ten 02 Bar and Resto located at 43 B, Timog Avenue corner Scout Ybardolaza Street, Quezon City, Metro Manila Philippines (its near GMA 7).

RUDE MAYNILA'S IKALAWANG YUGTO

2010-05-04T02:43:00.001-07:00

Its been 2 years since the first Rude Maynila event happened. It started out as my own way of showing to the world that Manila has some of the tuffest and ruffest ska bands around. Inspired but what i had seen in Singapore back in 2008, there at Lion City the music scene is vibrant with lots of bands ranging from Ska, (3rd wave), to Indie to Hardcore. I was quite please and proud when some of the locals told me that Philippines was (and still is!) the birth place of punk rock in Asia. They look up to our punk rock bands as inspiration. And luckily for them they were blessed with Bulacan's premiere hardcore band T.S.A. to rock the socks off the Singa Pura punks pinoy stylee!

Invigorated by what i had experienced there I thought of putting up RUDE MAYNILA and lined up some of the promising Ska acts this side of the globe. Hence Rude Maynila was born. And now I am bringing it up again as my own ska and punk fix. I miss skanking silly again because i was based for a month a week or so at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (which by the way is a fucking awesome country! I was impressed with their rapid growth and not to mention the food) while I was there i asked the locals if there is any punk scene and lo and behold i was flabbergasted to know that there wasn't any. To me punk rock is my religion and i was saddened that my religion was not present in Vietnam. But its a good thing that a pinoy friend of Mark Zero had established base there peddling his brand of hip hop, real hip hop that is! and other kick ass music! Things are looking good for Vietnam.

To remedy this I resorted to the heroic nerdly ways of the music bloggers (thanks to those damn pirates!) to compensate my longing for punk and ska and other music that fits my taste but as weeks progressed I searched and searched for my religion and ended up with a Filipino show band thats been playing the ubiquitous Bob Marley tune - No Woman No Cry, (its a good thing Green Day's One Twenty One Gun's song was not yet that popular there!)

So i said to myself first thing in my to do list when i get back home to my ugly and beautiful at the same time country is to make love to my wife, have fun with my two beautiful daughters, do a barbecue for my buddies , get really really drunk, and do the second round of RUDE MAYNILA in one of the historical places for underground bands non other than Mayric's now called Sazi's Bar. (the most infamous of course is KATRINA'S).

This coming Saturday if you happen to be near Espana, Manila do drop by and experience Philippines brand of ska, dub, oi! and punk. See y'all there!

RUDER THAN EVER

2010-04-24T20:43:00.001-07:00

ICELANDIC ASH FALL HALTS EUROPEAN FLIGHTS

2010-04-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

"...no flights till Monday. I'm sorry, but we'll have to cancel the gigs this time. I am fully booked in Europe now until the 8th of June. We would have to re-schedule for the weekend of the 11th to 13th of June... " - Keb Darge

Keb Darge wont be coming this April due to nature's wrath. A Volcano eruption at Eyjafjallajokull glacier occurred last March and had envelope European skies with thick ash fall much similar to our Pinatubo Volcano.

Do not be saddened by this news shit do really happen we will re schedule this event on June so lets keep our hopes up and its a good thing that Keb along with his Filipina wife, Edith is safe and sound.

ROCKABILLY 101

2010-04-16T19:55:00.001-07:00

My good friends from the Philippines, rockabilly band THE BEMBOL ROCKERS will be hosting a one of a kind event this coming April 22 and its all about Rockabilly please do come and support them on this bill will include KEB DARGE from UK the scottish DJ is known world wide for his rare compilations on the BBE label as well as his co owned label Kay Dee Records. Keb is well known in the Deep Funk and Northern Soul circuit but one genre he holds dearly is non other than Rockabilly watch him play rare 45s that you've never heard before and I guarantee you that this will blow your socks off.

If you happen to be nearby on the 22nd of April, please do drop in and experience Philippine Rockabilly as its finest and nastiest.

MORONG 43

2010-03-27T17:39:00.000-07:00

On March 31, the Concerned Artist of The Philippines will host an event at Ten 02 Bar & Resto for the 43 health workers at Morong, Bataan that was illegally arrested, handcuffed and blindfolded by 300 armed battalion of the armed forces of the Philippines and were held in isolation for days.

Please do support this benefit gig open your hearts, minds and ears and be aware of the human rights violations that the Philippine Government's been doing.

MUSIC SPEAKS

2010-03-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

Music Speaks is a duo made up of Marika of Trash Radio Manila and columnist Erwin Romulo of The Philippine Star's The Outsider. Marika told me about this venture a week before i left for Ho Chi Minh City. And she told me about its aim and i was glad she and Erwin did this sort of stuff pushing the boundaries of what music really is. Music is Universal, Music is the ultimate language.

I for one am kinda envious about Marika's foray into event productions because Bisikleta Productions is kinda limited to a certain music genre and it caters to a certain type of subculture and at the back of my mind i always thought that it would be a lot better if i introduced some music that's worth hearing, much like Brave New World did. back in the day besides showcasing punk bands they also line up Ethnic Faces which back in the day was different.

But i did some things that i would not normally do like putting AMPON on the bill alongside a hardcore band and let the close narrow minded people that had attended some Bisikleta gigs react and laugh at their stupid comments. For me I have several music genre that i really love besides Ska and Punk. ( I like afrobeat, funk, latin, brazilian, folk, trueschool hiphop, jazz, psychedelic and the list goes on and on) and that i would like to let other people know that there's more to punk and ska music (which by the way if you dissect it got some borrowed grooves from black America and Jamaica) and if you take a real close look at it all the music that you listen to are related to each other in any which way, shape, size or form.

Its about time MUSIC SPEAKS does this sort of thing much like Trash Radio Manila does. it challenges your ear and your mind to open up and let your booty flow.

To Marika and Erwin Cheers!

OFF TO WORK....IN HO CHI MINH CITY

2010-03-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'll be back next month in Manila.....Hopefully.

THE BING AUSTRIA SHOW THIS MARCH 20 SATURDAY

2010-03-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

This March 20, 2010 at 8 in the evening Bisikleta Productions is bringing another The Bing Austria Show happening at Sazi's Bar. Featuring GOODLEAF as our headliner for this month they will promote their debut album entitled DUB PILIPINAS. Also on the bill are the newly formed ska group called THE STRAYGUNS featuring members of Steady Movin Beat, Pinkcow, Hopskatch and Umble Uno.

Besides The Strayguns we will be also having THE STEADY MOVIN' BEAT, THE MARCOS CRONIES CONSPIRACY, EARTHLINGS, PULIKATS, POISONOUS MUSHROOM, TOLONGUEZ DEATH SQUAD and THE YOUNG INSTIGATORS.

And we will be having some guest from the families and friends of the 43 Morong Health Workers to shed light and to ask for our support on the forcibly arrested and tortured individuals collectively known as MORONG 43. Please open your eyes, ears and hearts and let us support them I am asking you to kindly bring some relief goods to donate to the individuals who are still illegally detained.

The 43 health workers were arrested by 300 armed military and police (overkill isn't it?) under a false warrant. Hope to see you all on the 20th of March.

ROCKIN' ROCKABILLY AND REAL RHYTHM AND BLUES

2010-03-04T00:07:00.000-08:00

This April 2010 The legendary Scottish DJ KEB DARGE is coming back to Manila for a brief 3 day DJ stint on April 23rd and 24th to be held at TEAM MANILA in Makati City and is hosted by my good friends from EXPANSIONS and for the last leg of his Manila tour on April 25 he will end up at TEN 02 BAR & RESTO in Quezon City for a Matinee and All Nighter event. Hosted by BISIKLETA PRODUCTIONS, ROOKIE RECORDS and SOUNDBLASTERS

This event will also feature two Rockabilly bands namely Bembol Rockers and Pusakal and for the soul part of the Matinee event the Manila soul pushers Juan Pablo Dream will be playing plus Minister Mark Zero will be there to serve up Funk, Jazz, Psychedelic and other rarities on the wheels of steel.

Expect to hear REAL RHYTHM AND BLUES and ROCKIN' ROCKABILLY and of course some floor shaking NORTHERN SOUL from Keb. So mark your calendars! File your vacation leaves! Make Excuses, Tell a lie anything that you can do to be in this event! For more info regarding the April 25th event please log on to www.soundblasters.blogspot.com.

Here is the the main man himself dancing to lack of Afro's Touch My Soul video.

THE BING AUSTRIA SHOW IS BACK

2010-02-25T17:48:00.001-08:00

The Bing Austria Show is back this March 20th at Sazi's Bar for a very special presentation. The event will support GOODLEAF'S debut album called DUB PILIPINAS that was launched last February 20th at Caliente Bar.

On March 20th we will feature these echo maniacs from Malabon City as the main event for this edition of The Bing Austria Show as a sign of support for them we will also be featuring Ska and Punk bands on that said date.

Included on the show will be the STEADY MOVIN' BEAT, EARTHLINGS, TOLONGUEZ DEATH SQUAD, THE MARCOS CRONIES CONSPIRACY, PULIKATS, POISONOUS MUSHROOM and THE YOUNG INSTIGATORS. And also included on the line up are the newly formed band called THE STRAYGUNS featuring members of Steady Movin' Beat, PinkCow, Hopskatch and Umble Uno. Do swing by Sazi's Bar if you happen to be in Manila and nearby municipalities please do come and watch the show and please do support Goodleaf by coming in and buying their self produced debut album.

A LESSON WELL LEARNED

2010-02-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night February 20, 2010 at Sazi's Bar was a blast from the past as old long time friends from way back came in to be part of the revelry as the Singapore based pinoy hardcore band from Malolos, Bulacan launch their much anticipated 3rd album offering entitled BACK TO KINDERGARTEN as they pay homage to the architects of Philippine punk rock.

Present that day consist of a veritable who's who of the underground scene. The pioneers that started it all Arnold Morales along with members of the Sex Militants, Radzon Medina along with members of Hard K, Al Dimalanta, Dennis Maniego, Edmond Araullo, Ricky Araullo and Mel Maniego of Private Stock, Jun Idiot of G.I. and The Idiots, Allan Roldan of M.A.D. with his band Against Man. The Slabs, The Mandalondon Crew, MNHC crew, The Kalookan City punks, and The Tandem /Cartimar Recto Punks.

The vibe in the air was thick with warm smiles, cold non stop overflowing of booze, slam dancing and drunken sing along as bands after bands played with wanton abandon much to the delight of each individual that was there to witness history.

I can not write about exactly what had happen last Saturday because it is much better if you were present that day to experience it first hand seeing and hearing the awesome power of what punk rock really is.

This is what punk is all about. A lesson well learned that i had applied in my daily life. Its a great thing punk had happened because without it everything went unchallenged. To borrow King Blues phrase on punk rock:

" If only the 4 Skins had told us ACAB, If only The Ramones had let us know we were a happy family, If only The Buzzcocks had shown us how to do it ourself, If only Crass had shown us there are things more important than wealth, If only The Vandals had shown us it was OK to smile, If only The Dead Kennedys had helped us put our government on trial, If only Rancid had played live, and brought with them that vibe, If we had Sick Of It All and Madball we could put them all on the frontline, If we had GG Allin we’d have learned it’s OK to be hated, If we’d have had The Refused then we could have innovated, If we’d had Poison Idea then they couldn’t push us over, If we’d had Minor Threat then we could have done it sober, If we’d have had Against Me we could have done it all unplugged, If we’d had Operation Ivy we could have done it then fucked off, If we had The Blitz, The Clash, Disorder, Propagandhi,The Exploited, NOFX and anyone that’s handy, There’s a lesson to be learned, one that I will take home,"

BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

2010-02-09T17:49:00.000-08:00

Singapore based Pinoy hardcore band T.S.A. is back in our native land for the album launch of their album entitled Back To Kindergarten and they will be playing at their hometown of Malolos, Bulacan on February 19 at Park 88 Bar, Bulihan Diversion Road. Supporting them are mostly Bulacan based hardcore bands.

And on the 20th of February, They will be at Sazi's Bar in Manila together with a formidable line up consisting of great old school and new school punk and hardcore bands Make sure to watch them on the 19th and the 20th. This is Bulacan Hardcore!

GIGS! GIGS! GIGS!

2010-02-04T19:00:00.000-08:00

This coming Saturday at Leprechaun Bar NOWHEREBOUND is doing an unplugged punk rock night featuring top notch hardcore acts and will be doing an all acoustic set entitled INCOMPLETE. And this coming February 20 its going to be the album launch of GOODLEAF entitled DUB PILIPINAS expect to hear heavy heavy dub sounds from these Malabon based echo maniacs. And on February 26, Friday, K4th UNITED CREW will be hosting a gig for the people who work hard and party harder called WORKING CLASS NIGHT VOL. 3. at Ten 02 Bar and Resto. It's time for the weekend offenders to put on their boots dress sharp and do the moonstomping.

And last but not definitely the least the Philippines' premiere hardcore punk band, BETRAYED will be having a gig at Grubs Bar in Aguirre Avenue, Paranaque City on February 27 billed as PERMANENT HEARING DAMAGE WITH BETRAYED. Betrayed's got a new bassist named Peng of the Putang Inas this is his first gig with them Make this your first too, but don't let this be your last!

Do go out and watch these bands play and please support local music. Nuff said.

BACK TO OLD SCHOOL

2010-01-31T20:47:00.001-08:00

The Singapore based Pinoy hardcore trio is back once again to launch their latest album called BACK TO KINDERGARTEN. The album is a homage to the punk rock and hardcore music that had shaped their lives it is a testament to their undying love of this culture and for what hardcore means to them.

They will perform on February 20, Saturday at Sazi's Bar. Supporting them are some of the finest punk and hardcore bands this side of asia non other than THROW, TSUNAMI, TSUNAMI, PRIVATE STOCK (yes you got that right Private Stock is back!) G.I. & THE IDIOTS, HARD K, AGAINST MAN and RUSH I.D.

For a mere 60 bucks you will get to have an ice cold beer in hand and a chock full of awesome hardcore music for your ears!

T.S.A.'s album will be on sale at the gate. And please do watch out for another T.S.A. gig at their hometown of Bulacan that would be happening sometime this month. So better keep you eyes and ears peeled!

CHICAGO PUNKS

2010-01-28T21:35:00.000-08:00

You Weren't There – A History Of Chicago Punk 1977-1984 looks back on the impact that the Punk movement had on the Windy City. Though overlooked in the annals of Rock history when compared to media-centric Los Angeles, New York, and London, Chicago served as an important early supporter of this burgeoning and controversial scene.

From what is now considered to be the first Punk dance club in America (La Mere Vipere), to proto-hardcore clubs (Oz, O'Banions), and All Ages DIY scene (Centro-Am Hall), Chicagoans made sure that there were outlets for the genre that was often blacklisted by the mainstream local live music scene. This small, but dedicated scene had to endure harassment from the Police, City Hall, Neo-Nazis, and even the audience, as well as making uneasy alliances with the ever-present Chicago criminal underworld. It was a scene that could be violent and unsavory at times,but always tempered with large doses of humor, art, and intelligence.

You Weren't There talks to the DJ's, musicians, promoters, artists, and fans who were pivotal in creating the Chicago Punk scene. The film also features classic archival footage of such great Chicago bands as Naked Raygun, the Effigies, Strike Under, Big Black, Articles Of Faith as well as lesser known greats Silver Abuse, the Mentally Ill, the Subverts, Negative Element, and many more. This is a rare glimpse into a truly one-of-a-kind American underground music scene.

THE STUDIO ONE STORY

2010-01-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

This 3-hour documentary tells the story of Studio One, Jamaica's most important record label in the history of Reggae.

Filmed in Kingston, the documentary has interviews with many of the artists who Studio One made famous - Horace Andy, Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe, Sugar Minott etc.

The main interview is with Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd, owner and founder, and the documentary tells the story of his life and the impact he has had on Reggae music in Jamaica and the rest of the world.

Studio One is the foundation label of Jamaican Reggae. Often described as the Motown of Jamaica, Studio One is where the career of literally hundreds of Reggae artists began - Bob Marley and the Wailers, Alton Ellis, The Heptones, Ken Boothe, The Skatalites, Burning Spear - everyone! Lee Perry was a handyman there and Prince Buster a bouncer.

The film also visits Trenchtown's old Dancehalls, the Alpha School for wayward Boys (run by Nuns), Tuff Gong Studios and Pressing Plant, Orange street (Jamaica's Tin Pan Alley) and many sites relating to the story.

There is rarely seen vintage footage of musical performances, interviews, Haile Selaisse's arrival in Jamaica and even early music videos (from the 1960s). Much of this footage has rarely been seen outside Jamaica.

THE STORY OF RANDY'S

2010-01-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

Like many of the early players in the Jamaican music industry (Leslie Kong, Justin Yap, the recently departed Charlie Moo), Vincent Chin’s family origins lay in China. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1937, and the son of a carpenter who made the move from China in the 20s, Chin’s schooldays witnessed a burgeoning fascination with US radio programmes, particularly a rhythm & blues show sponsored by Randy’s Record Mart of Gallatin, Tennessee.

Chin’s fascination with the show saw his schoolfriends dub him ‘Randy’ – a nickname that would stay with him for the rest of his life. His first job on leaving school was with jukebox operator Isaac Issa, who had machines across the island, and the young record enthusiast would collect the takings and replace outmoded records with the latest in-demand tunes.

Founded in 1958 by Vincent and Patricia Chin, Randy’s was the first complete package - studio, distribution, sales and most importantly vibes. Producers and artists crowded Idler’s Rest—a famous spot around the corner of Randy’s—to get a chance to record in the studio. Many legends today made their mark at this historic location from Bob Marley and The Wailers’ ground-breaking album Catch A Fire to Peter Tosh’s first two solo albums Legalize It and Equal Rights. According to reggae luminary Pat Kelly, Randy’s had “the sound people want. We can call it the ghetto sound. The real roots sound.”

From the very start, Randy’s linked itself to the popular yet controversial musical styles of the day – particularly ska, roots and dub reggae. Disc One 1960-1971 features the early politically motivated ska tunes “Independent Jamaica” from Lord Creator and “Malcolm X” from the Skatalites, the Bob Marley & The Wailers cover of the Archie’s pop single “Sugar Sugar” and “John And James” by a youthful Toots & The Maytals displaying their spiritual and subtly subversive style. The first album also features musical pioneers like the great trombonist Don Drummond on “Machine Shop”, organ player Jackie Mittoo on “End Dust” and the original sound system deejay Winston ‘Count Machukie’ Cooper on “Warfare”.

From ska to reggae, to dub to Jamaica’s leading singers, Reggae Anthology: Randy’s 50th Anniversary is a history of reggae culture from its beginnings in the 1960s to perhaps its most ingenious peak in the 1970s. This commemorative release puts these influential music-makers in their proper place, the hands of reggae collectors and music fans everywhere. Respect to Randy’s every time.

THE BIRTH OF SKA IN THE UK

2010-01-25T19:03:00.000-08:00

Ska is one of the most underated and misunderstood "genres" of music. This incredible new doc attempts to set the record straight. For more info go to www.gustofilms.com

London in the 1950’s was a cold place in more ways than the obvious. Or so it appeared if you were one of the thousands of newly arrived Jamaicans. Many were overqualified for their menial jobs. Thousands of others quite simply could not get work. Discrimination and racial tensions culminated in fierce riots in both Nottingham and Notting Hill Gate.It was in this environment that the Jamaican soundmen; Duke Vin and Count Suckle arrived in the UK. They both stowed away on a boat from Kingston and brought with them a sound that was sweeping across the small Caribbean island and would later change the face of music in the UK.This was the sound of ska! Duke Vin was the main deejay on Tom The Great Sebastian’s Beat Street system in Jamaica and he built the first sound system in the UK in 1956. Count Suckle started the famous Roaring Twenties club on Carnaby Street in 1962 and Daddy Vego was its first deejay.Daddy Vego would later set up People’s Sound Record Store, a bustling red, green and gold-painted reggae emporium that is the only non-gentrified business on All Saint’s Rd. Forty years ago that same street was rapidly evolving into one of London’s frontlines and a virtual no-go area for the police.Count Suckle’s Roaring 20’s club was the first club that welcomed black people in London and its electric mix of rhythm and blues, soul and ska made it the busiest clubs in London for years, attracting all the leading musicians of the day.Now in their 70’s, Vego and Vin, both continue to do as they have always done, promoting and pushing Jamaican music. Daddy Vego is still running his record store and plays a vital role in the Ladbroke Grove community with his youth projects and street fairs. Duke Vin is still a deejay, playing on sound systems at the Notting Hill Carnival and to packed clubs such as Gaz’s Rocking Blues in Soho.These three men are the last surviving members of a small group of Jamaicans who played an instrumental role in bringing the sound and musical culture of Jamaica to the UK. This is their story and the story of their sound. - Adam Deeves

PUNK ROCK REMEDIAL CLASS

2010-01-20T00:05:00.000-08:00

WE'RE FOUR YEARS OLDER NOW

2010-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Yes folks we are now four years old! Thanks to you people who supported us all these years. Thanks to the bands who graced the stage and had performed for the crowd past and present. Hats off to y'all! Cheers!

STUPID AMERICANS

2010-01-19T00:44:00.000-08:00

Left, Bin Laden in 1998; middle, the FBI image; right, Gaspar Llamazares

This week, the FBI released a “digitally-altered” image showing what Osama Bin Laden possibly looks like now that he’s older. While the FBI claims to have used “cutting-edge” technology to create the image, a Spanish politician has noticed that the poster is a modified version of his campaign photo — he now finds his face in America’s most wanted list. While on the surface it’s an amusing misstep by intelligence agencies, Gaspar Llamazares, the former leader of Spain’s United Left coalition, calls the move “shameless.” His safety is at risk, he told the BBC, and he no longer feels able to travel to America now that his likeness is on a wanted poster: “Bin Laden’s safety is not threatened by this but mine certainly is,” Llamazares said.

The FBI is quoted admitting to the error, saying that the artist found the photo on the web and didn’t know it was of a Spanish politician: “When producing age-progressed photographs, forensic artists typically select features from a database of stock reference photographs to create the new image…it appears that in this instance the forensic artist was unable to find suitable features among the reference photographs and obtained those features, in part, from a photograph he found on the Internet.

The forensic artist was not aware of the identity of the individual depicted in the photograph. The similarities between the photos were unintentional and inadvertent.

” We don’t think it matters that the man in question was a notable politician: Using photos from an image search to create a most wanted poster is surely putting the subject at risk, is it not?

LESSON ONE

2010-01-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

Tradition is the belief of passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation by word of mouth or demonstration. With out it we are clueless about ourselves. Actual traditions aren't important, but it's why you make them a tradition that matters. They are a trigger, a reason to get together, they get you in the right mind set. It is a sense of order. Tradition should be regarded with honor and esteem.

At home tradition is instilled on us and at school tradition is highly respected. On February 20, 2010 The Singapore based hardcore trio known as T.S.A. will give us a lesson on tradition. (yes folk's they are back) They are keeping the old school sound alive by giving us their new album called BACK TO KINDERGARTEN. The album is a homage to their hardcore heroes and they are taking us back to first grade back when hardcore music is pure, simple, heavy, short and fast without those complicated new school shit.

Watch out for these guys next month. I will be posting the details on their 3rd album launching very very soon.

WE ARE TURNING FOUR

2010-01-11T21:13:00.000-08:00

This coming Saturday join us as we celebrate our 4th year anniversary at Ten 02 Bar and Resto in Scout Ybardolaza Street, Quezon City. Performing on that day will be a superb line up consisting of Ska, Punk Rock, Dub, Soul and Surf music. Featuring Tsunami Tsunami, The GoSignals, Juan Pablo Dream, Tango Bitoy, Goodleaf, Life without Francis, The Marcos Cronies Conspiracy, Steady Movin' Beat, Earthlings and Stolen Shots. Please do come and support local music.

And also on the 23rd of January Saturday let us support Throw's 3rd album launching entitled Believe which will be happening at Leprechaun Bar (formerly Purple Haze) Coinciding with the said date is Dead Ends bassist Jay Dimalanta's Birthday. Do come and buy the album!

AN INTIMATE NIGHT AT ESPANA, MANILA

2010-01-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

It was a fun filled evening last Saturday at Sazi's Bar when old long lost friends started to show up for Luis Guiang's 3rd death anniversary. One by one popped up and was surprised to see their pals up and about happily telling stories and cracking jokes on one another. It was heart warming to see them all in a jovial mood. That night is all about a celebration of life, all of us knew each other kinda like a family reunion minus the dysfunctionalities and the drama that comes along with that sort of gathering. Four bands happened to play that night two of those bands was Weslu's former band mates Throw and The GoSignals and the other one was Weslu's friends Against Man and the latter was a sort of sing a long karaoke type spiked with punk rock and a little bit of a hippie vibe thrown in fronted by Veronica Maniego or Bunek as we fondly called her that i am sure Weslu would have loved.

Here are some of the photos from the Weslu gig that was taken from Facebook accounts of Bunek and Racine Anne Castro. Videos to be posted soon courtesy of Weslu's cousin Eugene AKA Hapon.
From top to bottom: Dekdek of Against Man, Al Dimalanta of Throw, The GoSignals, Against Man, Eugene Hapon, Michael, Rommel Xerex and Isko of Smile Plenty, Bunek with Albert of Throw, Racine Anne Castro and Spyk the Punkaraoke Band.

BELIEVE

2010-01-08T01:42:00.001-08:00

On January 23 the undisputed authority on hardcore music non other than MAIM is organizing an event for one of the most well respected Philippine hardcore band THROW. Join them on January 23, Saturday at Leprechaun Bar in Tomas Morato as they launch their third album entitled BELIEVE. Supporting them are top notch bands TAME THE TIKBALANG, TALK SICK, THE GOSIGNALS, S.D.K, STAID, GOO, NEKBU and T.R.A.

And speaking of THROW tomorrow night they will be on the WESLU event happening at Sazi's Bar together with G.I. and THE IDIOTS, THE GOSIGNALS, AGAINST MAN and NEKBU. Please do come and support local music, for a measly sum of 60 pesos you will get to hear these great bands play and with an ice cold beer to boot!

Plus this coming February stay tune for some goodies to come. Including a planned gig for Singapore based Pinoy hardcore band T.S.A.'s 3rd album launch and Juan Pablo Dream's Bisikleta Productions / Rookie Records Angeles City tour! keep your eyes and ears peeled!

SWEET AND DANDY! WE ARE TURNING FOUR!

2010-01-05T02:59:00.001-08:00

This coming January 16, Bisikleta Productions will be celebrating its 4th Year Anniversary at Ten 02 Resto & Bar. Join us for this special occassion as we turn 4. We invited top notch bands to play for you the likes of TSUNAMI, TSUNAMI, THE GOSIGNALS, JUAN PABLO DREAM, GOODLEAF, PINKCOW, THE MARCOS CRONIES CONSPIRACY, TANGO BITOY, STEADY MOVIN' BEAT, EARTHLINGS and last but not the least the STOLEN SHOTS from Bicolandia.

Gate cost at is 50 pesos comes with one ice cold beer. So be there!

THE HEART BEAT BEHIND THE MUSIC

2010-01-04T00:22:00.000-08:00

This coming January 9 this Saturday at Sazi's Bar the slot for The Bing Austria Show will temporarily give way for a very special presentation for a dearly departed friend celebrating the 3rd death anniversary of the man behind the beats of Private Stock, G.I. and The Idiots and Put3ska non other than Luis Guiang. The featured bands will be long time friends of his from his early roots at Malabon City.