Punk philosophy 101

It’s almost midnight and the place is packed with a horde of people. It takes me a good five minutes to cross the floor from the door to the bar, a distance of about four or five meters, to get another beer. This is an excellent time for me to scope the crowd. There is a whole assortment of them tonight. Clad in their Ramones T-Shirts and sporting sweaters that say: "Punk’s not Dead," these fellows are right up at the stage, standing, shouting; waiting impatiently for the next act. There are those similarly dressed, quiet, and patiently sitting on the floor. And of course, there are the chicks. It’s nice to walk through the crowd.

I get my beer and in mid-gulp, I hear that the next band is done setting up, and is ready to play. I find myself a little corner and get ready for what I am about to experience. The next band is called Too Late the Hero. And I feel a bit stupid, ignorant and uneasy, because I know nothing about punk rock.

The experience left me with a whole lot of questions. Two weeks later, I find myself on Katipunan, having a few beers with the members of Too Late the Hero, trying to deconstruct the experience I had previously experienced.

Prior to watching their gig, the whole punk experience had been something I was only a spectator to. I had never been to a real-live punk rock gig before, and it was quite different. Listening exposure to bands like The Clash, The Ramones, some NOFX and some Rancid was all the punk I ever had. Up until that point, my knowledge and perceptions of the punk culture were limited and constrained to a mere compact-disc-into-CD-player experience.

Some research about the punk culture shows that it is actually, like all other musical genres, a way of life apart from the music. "Punk" stands for the counterculture – the antithesis to whatever is deemed right and good. In this light, punk looks like a bad thing. But it isn’t. The punk culture only aims to do things differently- with different methods of execution and delivery. It aims to do something different about any given situation in an unorthodox way. Mediums for communication of this punk mentality are in the manner of dress, and of course, in the music that is made.

I am droning on about punks and punk culture, but I just realized that Too Late the Hero is not exactly a punk band. They have their roots in punk rock, but they don’t call themselves a punk band, per se.

A little history lesson before we continue on with their story and further my knowledge of the punk. Too Late the Hero started as a four-piece punk rock band in 1998. There have been several lineup changes since then, and the current lineup has been together for about two years now. Fronting the band is Joemar "Joe" Salazar; current axe-man is Peter Irving Ferrer; bass thumping duties belong to Diego Abad; and last, Miggy Abesamis at his post as solid drummer. Remembering their performance in Makati makes the place we congregate in look like a children’s party. There is no loudness, there is no energy. They seem to be out of their natural element, but nothing a few beers can’t fix.

So the interview begins.

Going back to them not exactly being a punk rock band will explain a lot of things in their inner workings. Why, perhaps, their music has melody, something that is not at all that much present in traditional punk, as we know it. Or why they have a positive vibe about their music, when much of punk rock is quite angry in its own way. Their roots in punk rock, ultimately, define how they all think, and how they all create their music.

Answering my question about what genre they play is Diego, who answers with a wishy-washy, "melodic punk-rock. The elements of punk are present, but the melody just sort of sneaks itself in." Again, he and the rest of the band explain how melody and punk-rock are a bit of an unlikely mix, and that is why they themselves can’t categorize their sound into a particular genre. Joe follows up by saying: "Our music explains our internal energy, and so we play it out. It’s vague, but really, I don’t think any of us can explain it. Still, I want people to take our music seriously."

Sounds like a punk answer to me. Besides, trying to describe your own sound is quite an arduous task, so let us just understand that they are rooted in punk rock – with a melody. They also explain that they, as individuals and as a band, listen to a lot of different music as well. "The melody just comes out of nowhere. It’s probably our other influences coming out when we jam or when we play," says Diego.

Making music for them is something that cannot be replaced by anything else in the world. For Too Late the Hero, making music has already become a crucial part of their lives. Emphatically, Joe answers and says: "I wanna cause change through our music – connecting to people, saying that things are better than they seem." His is an optimistic outlook on life, shared by the rest of the band. "I love it. It’s a way I can express myself. Other people play sports, I like to make music," Diego says with confidence. Miggy gives an apt drummer’s response: "Basically, it’s all about playing my drums and staying positive about my music." Sounds like philosophical words from the guy who lays the foundation for all their music.

When asked about how it is getting together, making and maintaining a band, Too Late the Hero has one common answer: "It’s a struggle, man." All the band members express that it is very hard work, especially now that they were able to cut a CD, which I hear is of excellent recording quality. Recording for the CD took almost two years because they took their time. Aside from recording a CD, the members of the band had other priorities. But it’s a reality all of them were ready to face. Besides, the rewards from it all were more than enough, and they are proud to say that they did this all on their own – no big-time sponsors, just themselves and friends willing to help out. Looking forward, Too Late the Hero is also looking into launching a music video soon.

As always, there are certain people ready to bash things that they don’t like because they don’t understand them. Miggy succinctly calls them "The Haters," and he follows up his response by saying that there will always be people like that out there. "You can’t please everyone. I don’t wanna be a hater and spread the bad vibes either. So just always have something good to say." I think that’s a good way to go about things. I’m not sure if it’s counter-cultural in its approach, but who cares? It sounds effective anyway.

Although their band is rooted in punk rock, some of the members want to involve themselves in other musical projects. Currently, Miggy is also the drummer for another band, Basi, which is quite the opposite of punk rock. "I want to be able to put my personal stamp on everything, and try other things too," he says with a chuckle. Diego shares the same sentiments as Miggy: "I listen to a lot of other things other than punk, and I wanna widen my musical horizons."

I got a very punk answer from Diego when asked who they play for. He quickly answered, "The skater crowd, and for anyone who really digs our music." Then he immediately took it back and said: "Actually, they don’t even have to like our music!" That is pretty punk in itself – people don’t have to like what they say in their music or how they play it, but they’re doing it anyway and playing their music as they please.

When asked on their personal thoughts about their band each member has a different response. Joe begins by saying: "It’s kinda hard to change the world. But if there’s one person who believes in hope because of our music, then that’s immortal." Eager to take the floor is Diego who says: "If you have dreams, then follow them. Don’t be afraid to express yourself." After a couple of swigs from the bottle and resets of his quote, Miggy comes up with one that is short and sweet: "Just do your own thing and always have something good to say."

My favorite answer, however, comes from Peter. After I heard this, I had a better idea of what punk was, and a better idea of Too Late the Hero.

PETER: "Punk rock will never die… But you will!"

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Too Late the Hero plays in Freedom Bar, Mayrics, Simmer Down, and Saguijo.

Watch out for Too Late the Hero’s official album launch, tomorrow, Oct. 22, at Simmer Down on Katipunan Extension (next to Tapika and the old Cabalen).