Rebel yells and other NU uprisings
Should we longhaired guys start cutting our locks now for fear of soldiers doing an impromptu number on our crowing glory? Should The Fort revert to being a real Fort? Should we start lining up for national identity cards that remind me of how Nazis in movies always prompt people with, “Ver are your papers?” before the shooting begins? What could happen to our dear and dreary city is far more frightening than the prospect of another bossa nova cover from Sitti.
Those who love rock n’ roll as much as our rocky republic trooped to the World Trade Center last week for the 2007 NU Rock Awards. It was explosive as always. Well, not just because of the presence of sultry Brazilian models, which Lourd De Veyra was able to kiss onstage (that lucky bastard, he-he). But simply the thought that despite the preempted military takeover given a dramatic blow-by-blow account by Dolan Castro, we Filipinos could still celebrate what’s really essential: the freedom to express ourselves.
We’re tired of politicking in this nation where everything happens but nothing really changes. Full of sound and fury signifying zero, said the two Williams (Shakespeare and Faulkner). We still get taxed to the max. We still are underemployed. We still hear of kickbacks, whitewashes and bribery allegations. We are still getting by and moving on. We still rage against the machine, while the machine rages back. We still love Pinoy rock n’ roll, and Pinoy rock n’ roll loves us back.
NU networks operations head Cris Hermosisima declared, “The Rock Awards is an indication that the local rock scene is very much alive. Not even a coup can stop us from rockin’ and rollin’.”
The brains behind the whole enterprise Atom Henares agreed. “After 14 years, despite storms and coups, the NU 107 Rock Awards endures, and manages to be fresh, fun, crazy, cool, edgy, happy, controversial and exciting. We love it!”
During a presentation, Lourd made a quip that he was wearing barong Tagalog because he just came from the Manila Pen, and then proceeded to tell his female co-presenters onstage how he loves cats that’s why he “loves pussies.” Afterwards, the guys from Hilera brought the noise (as Public Enemy would say), the much-needed noise. Hilera, by the way, won Best New Artist.
Kat Agarrado won Vocalist of the Year (joining Ira Cruz as Best Guitarist, Nathan Azaron as Best Bassist and Vic Mercado — along with Mark Escueta of Rivermaya — as Best Drummer), preventing an all-Bamboo sweep in the band category.
Escueta couldn’t help but say, “Ang lakas ng Maya kay Lord grabe, ’no?! Over the past year, alam ninyo naman ’yung napakabigat na mga pangyayaring dinaanan namin pero nandito tayo ngayon, nagse-celebrate. Up to this moment, we are constantly being tested, but He has never let us down.”
The always-quotable Rivermaya manager Lizza Nakpil whispered to me how Nathan Azarcon did a jig in front of her while screaming how he won over Rivermaya’s Japs Sergio. Lizza said, “I just thought it was cute that he still cares. Touched ako. I secretly like it when guys carry on as if they were boyfriends who have been dumped.”
More Molotov cocktails from Madame Nakpil:
“Well, it was a guilty pleasure having all four of the Eraserheads under one roof. That alone is a historical moment. Never mind that none of them were speaking to each other. Atom Henares worked so hard behind the scenes. At the end of it, he declared, ‘Gosh, we all work so hard to make the Rock Awards perfect — this is the one night of the year that I don’t think of getting laid.’ Cris Hermosisima thought of dubbing NU disc jockey Pontri as DJ Pontrillanes. Quark Henares directed the show brilliantly. This is his first time to direct the NU Rock Awards. I loved the lipstick cams he put on Japs’ mic and bass.”
Lizza also raved about new Rivermaya brother Jayson Fernandez who had his baptism of fire at the NU gig. “Would you believe he’s just 18 years old and half-Spartan? I looked up the birthplace of his Greek father, and it’s the island where Aphrodite was born. O di ba?” she said.
The guys from 6CycleMind got up onstage. I reached for a Red Horse beer, and tried to drown them out as they played a tune with a dark thundering riff, a dark thundering drumbeat, and lyrics that cheerily go, “Magsasaya ang lahat.”
Kat and Sinosikat? performed. We could listen to them all night. Razorback played something razor-sharp, while Kwjan played something mellow, catchy and island-breezy (like a reggae cover of The Cure) as Mark Abaya held up the Philippine flag. What nationalism has to do with that song titled One Look that talks about being “mesmerized by your eyes,” I don’t really know. If they played Take the Power Back, now that calls for a flag ceremony.
One of the highlights of the evening for me is when Bamboo jammed with Buklod on Tatsulok. Great to see Noel Cabangon exchanging a few bars with Bamboo Mañalac. I think the NU Rock Awards should do more of those past-meets-present performances. What do you think, Atom?
Two excellent musicians Mike and Angelo Villegas were given the Hall of Fame Award. I used to watch these guys at Mayric’s — Mike with Rizal Underground, Angelo with The Jerks — and marvel at their musicianship.
Pupil played, so did Sugarfree. DVD-X directed by Marie Jamora, a filmmaker I admire along with Quark Henares, won for Best Music Video. I love that Sandwich video with the killer cameo by Edu Manzano liquidating all those blasted pirates.
When the guys from Radioactive Sago Project took the stage all dressed in barong (along with that comic genius Ramon Bautista), I braced myself for irreverence at last. “Mabuhay ang bagong kasal!” quipped Lourd. From Roll Out the Barrel they segued to Wasak na Wasak. In a matter of minutes the Sago guys described the state of the nation: still smiling through the wreckage, the irreversible damage.
Hey, that’s how the 2007 NU Rock Awards will forever be etched in my memory. Dressed in barong, gazing with sickness and dread at the future of the country, while kissing Brazilian girls while rolling out the barrel of fun.
* * *
For comments, suggestions, curses and invocations, e-mail iganja_ys@yahoo.com.
