Monday, November 24, 2003
back at the playground
I was at the rock radio cafe the other night for the anniversary of 'Admit One', and i was once again rudely reminded of how old i was. the entrance was teeming with people who are at the age with which people of my age would derisively snort, 'kids.' we came in to some band who played RATM covers and other screaming-rock-funk groove hybrids reminiscent of EARLY (emphasize!) incubus. one of my friends actually said they weren't so bad (hmm, coming from a girl who likes sarah mclachlan, billy joel, and has never heard of incubus. i'm not joking.)
next came a band called matilda. and then it got weird. i won't discuss, but let's just say i'm just not a fan of whatever it was they were pulling on stage. so i passed on that, instead talking and watching people (two of my favorite pastimes with friends) outside the joint. frankly i don't remember if i missed any other bands because i was back in soon as violent playground went on stage.
violent playground released an album, 'primordial soup', back in 1996, around the boom of the pinoy rock scene. Aside from the ones that have lasted (Wolfgang, Razorback, Rivermaya, the re-grouped The Dawn), there were other cool groups like Ethnic Faces, Bonehead (aiight!!!) Indio I (aiiight again!!), and Violent Playground. VP were different, in that they had more than just hand-drawn album art (Webby award winner Dino Ignacio designed their album art) and had songs that had slicker production, much cooler riffs, and lyrics that actually made some sense. however, their music didn't take off and 'soup' turned out to be the only LP they ever released. one of my major regrets is having procrastinated buying their CD until i finally couldn't find it anywhere. ditto for labuyo's album. that's what i get for ignoring OPM.
back to the gig. they started with the anthemic 'Starvation Army', then followed with 'Humble Pie', 'Moist', and a song they recently recorded whose title i don't know. a mini-mosh pit had formed in front of the stage and it was funny, as mosh pits are reserved for slapshock, cheese, et. al. but here was a small group of people, soaking in what was (likely) the first violent playground gig of this millenium. you could tell the band was having fun, as the singer was laughing, joining in the mosh pit banter (saying, 'shut-up!' when they were joking around), and even helping himself from a pack of chichiria that was offered from a hand in the crowd. everyone could just feel the vibe, nodding their heads and singing along as the reunited band took the stage once again. as they started the opening chords of their closer, the singer broke in, 'well, i hope we don't make this a habit... see you in another three years.' And the crowd just snapped and rocked to 'Never The Bright Lights'.
i left soon after (missing Fatal Posporos and Chico Sci almost entirely), and i noticed that a lot of kids were still milling about outside after set (probably waiting for cheese), and that i was surrounded by people my age and by the band members of those who would follow. everyone in the place during VP's set was just cognizant of the fact that here was a group with music that's been forgotten by all but a select few. though they may never rock again for another couple of years, every so often they come around to make those who remember feel young, rock in their own way, and relive their time. our time.
p.s. further proof
the group i was with was composed of 4 twenty-somethings (ha! i'm not gonna say!) and the 4th year HS cousin of one of us. we left jeffy ('the kid') inside during the set of matilda, and after VP's set i noticed he had bought a CD in the club, i got it and jokingly said, 'thanks'. jeffy goes, 'that was matilda, d'you hear their set? galing, noh?'.
i looked at the CD again, and wordlessly handed it back to jeff.
I was at the rock radio cafe the other night for the anniversary of 'Admit One', and i was once again rudely reminded of how old i was. the entrance was teeming with people who are at the age with which people of my age would derisively snort, 'kids.' we came in to some band who played RATM covers and other screaming-rock-funk groove hybrids reminiscent of EARLY (emphasize!) incubus. one of my friends actually said they weren't so bad (hmm, coming from a girl who likes sarah mclachlan, billy joel, and has never heard of incubus. i'm not joking.)
next came a band called matilda. and then it got weird. i won't discuss, but let's just say i'm just not a fan of whatever it was they were pulling on stage. so i passed on that, instead talking and watching people (two of my favorite pastimes with friends) outside the joint. frankly i don't remember if i missed any other bands because i was back in soon as violent playground went on stage.
violent playground released an album, 'primordial soup', back in 1996, around the boom of the pinoy rock scene. Aside from the ones that have lasted (Wolfgang, Razorback, Rivermaya, the re-grouped The Dawn), there were other cool groups like Ethnic Faces, Bonehead (aiight!!!) Indio I (aiiight again!!), and Violent Playground. VP were different, in that they had more than just hand-drawn album art (Webby award winner Dino Ignacio designed their album art) and had songs that had slicker production, much cooler riffs, and lyrics that actually made some sense. however, their music didn't take off and 'soup' turned out to be the only LP they ever released. one of my major regrets is having procrastinated buying their CD until i finally couldn't find it anywhere. ditto for labuyo's album. that's what i get for ignoring OPM.
back to the gig. they started with the anthemic 'Starvation Army', then followed with 'Humble Pie', 'Moist', and a song they recently recorded whose title i don't know. a mini-mosh pit had formed in front of the stage and it was funny, as mosh pits are reserved for slapshock, cheese, et. al. but here was a small group of people, soaking in what was (likely) the first violent playground gig of this millenium. you could tell the band was having fun, as the singer was laughing, joining in the mosh pit banter (saying, 'shut-up!' when they were joking around), and even helping himself from a pack of chichiria that was offered from a hand in the crowd. everyone could just feel the vibe, nodding their heads and singing along as the reunited band took the stage once again. as they started the opening chords of their closer, the singer broke in, 'well, i hope we don't make this a habit... see you in another three years.' And the crowd just snapped and rocked to 'Never The Bright Lights'.
i left soon after (missing Fatal Posporos and Chico Sci almost entirely), and i noticed that a lot of kids were still milling about outside after set (probably waiting for cheese), and that i was surrounded by people my age and by the band members of those who would follow. everyone in the place during VP's set was just cognizant of the fact that here was a group with music that's been forgotten by all but a select few. though they may never rock again for another couple of years, every so often they come around to make those who remember feel young, rock in their own way, and relive their time. our time.
p.s. further proof
the group i was with was composed of 4 twenty-somethings (ha! i'm not gonna say!) and the 4th year HS cousin of one of us. we left jeffy ('the kid') inside during the set of matilda, and after VP's set i noticed he had bought a CD in the club, i got it and jokingly said, 'thanks'. jeffy goes, 'that was matilda, d'you hear their set? galing, noh?'.
i looked at the CD again, and wordlessly handed it back to jeff.
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