Ride the Rock Xpress

Beneath its austere beginnings during the martial law era, Pinoy rock has been bright and kaleidoscopic, with bands like Juan Dela Cruz, Sampaguita, Asin, Maria Cafra, Anakbayan and a whole lot more — all of which started a revolution in every hippie’s head, leaving a lasting mark on our history.

To keep this rock dream alive, mobile brand Nokia brought the best of local music with the Rock Playlist party at Teatrino, Greenhills Promenade. The event featured rock icons and their portraits photographed by goth chick Wawi Navarozza while playing tunes from their Nokia 5310 XpressMusic phone.

“Nokia presents its latest device or music player. The XpressMusic in black or candy gothic pink ceases to be a phone,” says Mitch So, marketing manager of Nokia. “With an expanded memory of 3,000 songs, it will definitely encourage users to download more songs and create their very own playlists.” 

Perhaps the coolest thing about the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic is that it is loaded with dedicated music keys for easy playlist access, crystal clear audio, an expandable 4GB card, stereo Bluetooth and a built-in 3.5mm AV jack for wider compatibility with Sennheiser headphone. Oh, you can even add the JBL On Call 5310 external speakers to make music your exploding universe of songs. 

Nokia’s Rock Playlist gig started with tandem pair Diego Mapa and Raimund Marasigan of Pedicab. Raimund’s playlist included songs like Shake Your Rump by The Beastie Boys to Just by Mark Ronson featuring Phantom Planet.

As Pedicab sang their hits FX, Ang Pusa Mo and Dito Tayo Sa Dilim, they also played Daft Punk is Playing in My House by LCD Soundsystem and The Hand That Feeds by Nine Inch Nails. While Diego was making serious loud noise with the megaphone and Raimund was dancing and tinkering with the Roland keyboards, the highlight of the band’s performance went to guitarist Jason Caballa for making fast pitches with guitar riffs à la Bloc Party.

Great sound of the South, Urbandub’s vocalist and guitar player Gabby Alipe keeps his playlist filled with old and new tunes like Depeche Mode’s Home, Jeff Buckley’s So Real and KT Tunstall’s Drastic Fantastic — songs that express his versatile, unrestricted musical inclinations.

So, when Urbandub played their songs Evidence, Guillotine and The Fight Is Over, I noticed that John Mendoza wore cute earmuffs while banging the drums. Plus, I also loved how Lalay Lim slapped her bass during Sade’s No Ordinary Love and Lauren Hill’s X Factor.

Going back to the Eighties now with The Dawn. Francis Reyes enjoys listening to Stockholm Syndrome by Muse, Subterranean Homesick Alien by Radiohead and The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room) by Flight of the Conchords.

Since it was Kiko (in a Coldplay-ish Alexander McQueen jacket) and Jett’s birthdays, the lads from the new Dawn opened with Tulad Ng Dati, Message in a Bottle by The Police and Iisang Bangka. Oh, how I missed Tito Caloy (former Dawn bassist). Too bad he retired from the band but at least he’s enjoying much-wedded bliss. The crowd went into a major karaoke mode with U2’s Pride (in the Name of Love) as Jett added talking verses like in Bad. The band ended with their most memorable song, Enveloped Ideas, for which Kevin Roy of Razorback joined in to sing a few lines. 

A blues-based rock band that channels Deep Purple’s energy, Razorback still kicks some hard ass. Kevin Roy digs Wait by Cynthia Alexander, All Night Thing by Temple of the Dog and Pursuit of Happiness by Nuno Bettencourt. At this point, I was already buzzed. My friend Martin Arnaldo dragged me to hang out with his lovely Elena and photographer Wawi Navarozza while listening to Daan-Daang Dahilan, Voodoo Hoodoo, Manna and Wolfgang’s Natutulog Kong Mundo. Louie Talan did an incredible bass line with Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love to cap off the performance — it felt like John Paul Jones was really there.

Joey Pepe Smith, the godfather of Pinoy rock like our own Mick Jagger and Keith Richards rolled into one, should be given an award for his outstanding contribution for music. National Artist, perhaps? Well, his playlist includes stuff from Dylan, Lennon to Elvis, Bobby Gonzales and even Lupang Hinirang by Julian Felipe.

Pepe did a solo stint playing JDC’s Mamasyal Sa Pilipinas and Titser’s Enemy No.1 and Little Red Rooster by Muddy Waters. Before he sang Buddy Holly’s Not Fade Away, he turned an alcohol flask handed to him by a bouncer into a guitar slide and said “I hope I never fade away.” He kept making the audience laugh with funny lines like “Don’t let me catch you taking drugs, boy.” Amen to that.

Salud to Pepe as he ends with Juan dela Cruz’s Ang Himig Natin (a song my boyfriend Igan would like to listen to in blind orbits for all eternity) performed with other icons like Kevin Roy, Gabby Alipe, Francis Reyes and Tirso Ripol, by which time the audience was singing Pinoy rock’s National Anthem.

After all, it’s our version of rock ‘n’ roll.

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E-mail love-hate whatever things to becca_rodriguez@yahoo.com.