DECEMBER 2009 VOL.3 NO.12 The List Goes On / Red Habagat / Living in the Future / Hi-C Interview / Book Review: Dating Larry / Album Review: Tiger Pussy and more‌
UNO Tambayan Sa Outpost Episode Airs December 9-23 Catch Them Live December 18 at The Outpost Juress Tambayan Sa Outpost Episode Airs December 23-January 6, 2010 Catch Them Live january 8 at The Outpost
big red one Those who will remember the time when the mobile phone – or, in the Philippines, the texting machine – was just a fixture in The Jetsons (was it?) will remember the big red one.
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Quickly, the big red one is the code for the fire chief or his vehicle. This most likely is no longer used. Likely, because fire trucks are no longer uniformly red. At least in our part of the fire safety world. They now come in all colors, with the exception of the Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade. But that’s because the Chinese have a special affinity for red. And not just the commie Chinese either. With that, we are here reintroducing the Big Red One. This time, for the big C. No, not that big C. Christmas, we mean. It’s big, it’s red (overwhelmingly so), and it’s the only one in a year, though, here, arguably the longest in duration than in other parts of the Christmascelebrating world. It’s also big and red because at this time there is another – and for many, the most important – big C: Consumption. We’ve seen in some shops: If We Don’t Have it, You Don’t Need It. In most shops, however, though not explicitly stated but it is there, the obverse: If We Have It, You Need It.
DECEMBER 2009 VOL.3 NO.12 The List Goes On / Red Habagat / Living in the Future / Hi-C Interview / Book Review: Dating Larry / Album Review: Tiger Pussy and more…
Cover Star
HI-C Photography by
Mark Yap Cover Graphics
Lucille Umali Make-up
What will it be for this big red one?
Romero Vergara
Have a big one, whatever it is. THE FRONT TEETH
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the list
The long list of what you should have done and what you still can Illustrations by: deformindustry x spine x epjey
6 / ZOOMIN
The quintessential Cebu experience. Culture course.
1. Buy a candle from the ladies outside Sto. Nino church 2. Eat masi from La Fortuna bakeshop 3. Drink fresh milk by the Cebu Dairy 4. … Try to finish the 1liter bottle of milk before it expires/turns sour 5. … … Keep fingers crossed that you’re not lactose intolerant 6. Watch the city lights come on from Marco Polo Hotel’s Blu Bar 7. Offer to take pictures for Korean tourists 8. Visit Fort San Pedro 9. … make sure you don’t fall into the large hole of construction works 10. Check out Museo Sugbo 11. do a street scene painting. Cover up all the yellow bits (railings, road signs) with grey to mimic the pollution 12. … write to your city administration to complain about the pollution 13. Have your photo taken and find it weeks later in a magazine 14. Ask for a receipt from a taxi driver 15. … haha yeah that’ll be a laugh 16. Take the yellow airport taxi (no haggling!) 17. Take a habal-habal to Tops 18. Take a jeepney ride in rush hour 19. Eat Lechon from CNT 20. … buy a gym membership to burn off the calores 21. … … and go back to eating lechon 22. Photograph your neighborhood graffiti before it gets painted over 23. … don’t become a part of the graffiti 24. Attend an Arts Council event 25. intern at BITE magazine 26. Go on a date with a local celebrity 27. … be a local celebrity 28. Try obeying the traffic rules, it really helps 29. Call the LTFRB for smoke belching vehicles and bad drivers 30. Attempt to define Cebu culture every time you’re drunk
ZOOMIN / 7
History lessons. Learn a little.
1. Ask a elderly person about their war time stories 2. Explore carbon area, smell the love 3. Learn who are the faces on your bank notes and coins 4. Remember the losers in the previous elections 5. … maybe vote for those losers this time 6. … … see if that makes any difference 7. Read “Boljoon, A Cultural Sketch”
Shopping. spend, spend, spend.
1. Wait for sales and discount promos 2. Take reusable shopping bags 3. Have more than one reusable shopping bag 4. the Blood Red ones are particularly cool 5. Observe “buy nothing” days 6. Own a genuine Louis Vuitton bag 7. … and a disposable sex toy 8. Buy legal, don’t do piracy 9. Try all the free make-overs in the department stores 10. Watch people watching you having your makeover 11. Go ukay ukay shopping for some designer clothes 12. … and handwash them even if they say “dry clean only” 13. Buy a python as a pet. Then make it into a bag and shoes when it dies. 14. Go shopping and buy nothing for yourself 15. Buy hardbound books at Powerbooks 16. Do a value comparison of the department store rewards cards 17. See if you can burn more fireworks and money than your neighbour at new year 18. … then do it again for Chinese new year 19. Apply for credit cards to get the free gifts 20. Cancel those cards before they turn a year old 21. Spritz yourself with perfume testers at Rustan’s beauty department
Food & Drink. Try before you die. 1. Go for pre-dinner drinks at Z Bar 2. Gorge in style at the Marco Polo buffet 3. Try the dessert at Maya in Crossroads, Churros are our favourite 4. Have some bakasi across Crown Regency
8 / ZOOMIN
5. Eat your vegetables 6. Eat fruits everyday 7. Aranos is the best value Spanish restaurant in town 8. Order a bucket of beer and don’t share it with your friends 9. Try a new restaurant every month 10. Have a fruit drink from Thirsty – they’re goooood 11. Try beer below zero 12. … sucking frozen beer is not fun 13. … … and don’t be annoyed when you see the beer frozen stuck in the bottle 14. You gotta eat the ice cream from Gelatissimo 15. … pig out and have a second helping 16. Sample each and every beer the Gustavian has on offer 17. Learn to drink the free wine at parties 18. Attend free hotel seminars for the free buffets 19. Drink kapeng barako 20. try muscovado sugar
Nightlife! Assuming you can remember it…
1. Go big on New Year celebrations 2. Dance to your favourite band in Soundlounge, because you can 3.Spend a romantic evening at Tops 4. … then wish you brought a jacket and umbrella 5. Buy several beers from C24 and drink it on the street 6. … have several more and go party in Club Pump 7.… … then run naked around Gorordo Avenue to mimic the Oblation Statue 8. Gloat at the call center people going to work at 10pm 9. Sit outside a Mango Ave girlie bar and take pictures of all the patrons coming in & out 10. Spend a night shooting the breeze with backpackers at Kukuk’s Nest 11. Get a Crol’s tattoo 12. … then wonder why you chose that design 13. Donate blood before your tattoo 14. Go to Vudu 15. … then go to Penthouse 16. … … and then go to Level 8 17. Watch all the sports channels at Sports Exchange bar in Mango Square 18. Throw up on a late night jeepney going home 19. Watch the markets come to life at dawn 20. Eat taho when you get home
Try just for the heck of it.
1. Scream your heart out at the Edge Coaster & Skywalk 2. Cancel your cable tv subscription and watch shows on Watchpad ZOOMIN / 9
3. Join the screenwriting workshop in January 4. Act in a local film production 5. Start a fashion blog 6. Watch videos by Redhabagat 7. Intentionally leave your mobile phone at home one day 8. Mimic the sculpture at Ayala Malls’ sports section 9. Impress yourself and learn to do the jobs of your helper 10. Eat an entire box of chocolates 11. Buy a car sat nav 12. … then realize it’s not hard to become lost on an island 13. Buy sexy underwear for your date 14. … try to find a store that sells sexy underwear 15. Run up the down escalator 16. Play old school arcade games all afternoon 17. Line up for something free (the longer the queue the better) 18. Give the number of your ex to a local phone-in radio station 19. Bet your life savings on a random rooster in a cock fight 20. Make one of your new year resolutions “thinner, whiter, richer” 21. Wear the same shirt as your boyfriend/girlfriend and parade about town 22. Conduct a water test at your local drinking water supplier 23. Teach a foreigner a dirty word in Bisaya 24. Be a backseat driver in a taxi 25. Say good morning to the first person you meet 26. Learn a foreign language 27. … before you leave this country 28. Have a picnic on your city hall grounds 29. … if told to pack up, tell them they owe you a pulic park or two 30. … … can’t we all see your city belongs to you 31. Believe everything your feng shui master says
Give back. be good.
1. Adopt a dog or cat 2. Unless your neighbour happens to have some noisy ones 3. Stop buying clothes that need ironing 4. Stop ironing your clothes 5. Chat, don’t text 6. Clean your closet, fridge, bathroom and mouth 7. … not necessarily in that order 8. earn a new word 9. Skip the elevator. Take the stairs. 10. Take lots of pictures 11. … Remember to share those pictures 12. Tell the jeepney drivers to stop at jeepney stops 13. Prepare your 25 centavo coins 14. Wear comfortable shoes 15. … actually walk in your comfortable shoes
10 / ZOOMIN
16. Be polite to your waiter/waitress (your food comes from them first) 17. Clean out your girlfriend’s closet 18. … donate her clothes to the victims of typhoons Ondoy & Pepeng 19. … … donate your own clothes too 20. Support Tsinelas Association to help students in mountain barangays 21. Walk to work, walk to school, walk to the shops 22. Insist your city administration fixes the sidewalks 23. Bike to work, bike to school, bike to shops 24. Tell your city administrator to create bike lanes 25. Visit your local barangay hall 26. …ask what you can do to help 27. Give up any shark’s fin food 28. Stop for pedestrians who want to cross the road 29. Don’t throw your trash around, take pride in your city 30. Stop shutting the elevator door on people 31. Plant a tree 32. … then plant another tree 33. Hire the Eco Couriers to do your city deliveries 34. Get out of the way of ambulances and fire trucks 35. Wear your seatbelt
ZOOMIN / 11
Hi C, I’ve been watching your progress and an incredible amount has happened within a fairly short time. Solo album ‘Body Talk’, single ‘Physical’, plus music videos, some major modeling – Playboy, FHM etc. and also your acting debut in the critically acclaimed ‘Tribu’ movie. Maybe we could start off with the first childhood memory of your attraction to music/performing and your subsequent evolution from Honeyleen Concepcion to Hi C. I always loved music, right from the beginning in school programs, I always took all opportunities to dance or sing, as my way of expressing myself. Then I eventually met DiCE who then helped me every step of the way from the creation of Mobb Music up to my solo career. What were the main reasons for leaving Cebu with Dice & K9 and going to Manila? How easy is/was it to be accepted as Cebuanos in Manilaland, is there any discrimination? The songs brought us to Manila. When we first wrote songs there were no intention of going to Manila, we were happy just doing the songs, hearing them on local radio stations, doing VisMin shows etc. It was like Manila was really far... But then ITSUMO became a phenomenon and it was that which brought us to Manila. I believe it was easier for us since ITSUMO was widely known. We were not one of those bands who go to Manila to find luck, which made us lucky =) Discrimination, is still there, a little. The “bisaya” word is associated with “baduy” and has become a derogatory term used somewhat for Visayans in general. Nevertheless, I’m proud to be from Cebu, a city filled with undiscovered music and great food. Your single ‘Physical’ and the video both seem to be doing well and getting plenty of exposure. The album ‘Body Talk’ did not appear to be a rushed project, was it a good experience and are you pleased with the results and the reaction so far?
12//SOUNDBITE SOUNDBITE
A Journey Towards Divadom? Interview by Paul Dean Photos by Mark Yap / Dice & K9
Thanks. It was actually pushed back three times because the timing was critical and overall it was a wonderful experience. I always wanted to do a solo album and now I finally have one. Feedback has actually been great; my next single is a fan favourite, so watch out for it. Your modeling has now also taken off in a big way especially with the FHM features and the new Playboy issue. The Philippines on the surface appears to be fairly conservative about nudity etc., so what went through your mind before saying yes, and what was it like doing it? Do you see it as art or promotion or both? Both, It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. I’ve always wanted to flaunt my body for art’s sake and I felt like those photo shoots and features were a great way to do that. It was awkward at first, but I’m comfortable with my body and I feel like it’s the best statement a woman can make. Most people mention these particular shoots, but they are NOT the only shoots I have done. I have also done non sexy shoots as well. My first cover was with Digital Photographer Philippines and I did Gadgets a few months ago. I will also be on the cover of Ms Clavel next Month You have now also made your acting debut in the movie ‘Tribu’. The Director Jim Libiran has said, “Hi-C is a natural, she’s very professional and convincing at the same time.” Is acting something that you really enjoy and would like to
Tiger Pussy All The Way Self-Produced As far as “raw” goes, this could be the pinnacle. “Minimalist” is not a word so easily thrown around this small scene, and even while several bands try to go back to basics, they fail miserably. And as much as I’d like to say “rrriot girl” is a standard scene in this part of the world, Tiger Pussy is really the only local band I’ve heard that fits the bill. While the sound itself is not original in any sense, easily reminiscent of Bikini Kill and even the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, it’s a bold move to bring it down where it doesn’t seem to be ready to make it out alive. Short and sweet, the album is only 20 minutes long – ‘live fast die young’ vibes emanating from every word. I haven’t really gotten the chance to give it more than a few listens, but that might just be for the best, as the overwhelming energy could tire me if I listened any more. Regardless of what you think of the album, let me say this is one band to watch when they’re live. I shit you not, the experience will make whatever effort you expended worth it. This album may seem a little rushed, but I’m sure that’s what “rrriot girl” is all about.
Text by: Dexter Sy
http://www.myspace.com/tigerpussyrawr
ALBUM REVIEW / 13
pursue? Oh yes. I am proud to say I am a better actress than a singer hihihihi There are many things happening for you now – music, modeling and acting – plus you are still part of Dice & K9 and you also have a family. How do you manage it all? Are you prepared to make choices if necessary or would you still like to try and do it all? I am still part of DiCE & k9. I will keep all of them going as long as I can. It’s tiring but fulfilling at the same time. I’m very thankful for all of the people behind me who never let me fall. That’s what makes me feel strong. What do you think is the ingredient in Hi C that has allowed you to achieve all you have done so far and what sets you apart from the many others who try but don’t succeed? Mainly, because I have DiCE. I also have very supportive family & friends plus I also know what I want and I go for it until I get it. Who have been your biggest musical and personal influences and why? Once again it has to be DiCE. He’s been doing music all his life and he open doors for other artists too, just like me. He also builds me up both professionally and personally. I don’t know what I’d do without him. Do you think success changes a person? It depends on the person. Sometimes, it’s the people around you who think you’ve changed, because you get seen in public less and more on television or magazines. They always assume that you have that diva aura. But in reality I’m friendly. I know you’re not keen on labels, but the tag ‘sex symbol’ does seem to crop up often. How has this affected your fan base, any interesting stories? It comes with the territory and it’s inevitable. I get weird stalkers on Facebook, but that’s about it I guess. Whichever way people want to look at it, it has always been a conscious effort on my part from the start. What are your feelings on the Philippines Music Industry and what chang-
16 / SOUNDBITE
es would you like to see? It’s too standardized. They still play ballad crap, but 6000 GOONZ is here to change that. What does Hi C do to relax and wind down? I stay at home usually; sometimes I go shopping or pamper myself at a spa. What advice would you give to new artists? I’m not good at this, but I believe that you should have a good foundation as an artist. Maybe I would just say you must be strong and prepared to go through many difficult things, because at the end of the day, it will all be worth it. What’s been the biggest moment in your life so far? None yet, I still have bigger dreams. Ask me this again in a year. You now have a large following, do you feel a responsibility of having to try and behave in a manner, publicly and privately, that is not going to create waves? I love the attention and I behave like a little girl in public. I don’t attack paparazzi. Kidding! What gives you the biggest ‘buzz’ or ‘adrenalin rush’ in your work? Live performance. I love the buzz of the crowd, the applause and the music! What’s your ultimate goal in life? To be successful in everything I do.
Interviewers Note: I personally believe that Hi C will achieve what she wants, because she has that extra ingredient that all successful artists need. A true belief in themselves and the will and strength to “make things happen” with or without others help. She is a definite “mover and shaker”, just wait and see!
Purcupine Tree The Incident Roadrunner records RR 7857-2 Porcupine Tree, have found a way to incorporate both prog rock’s ‘70s, with its 10-minute-plus suites and bombast, and its more refined, rock heavy ‘80s, into their 2009 effort, THE INCIDENT. The album is comprised of a single long song -- the title track -- that features many different movements, followed by a handful of shorter compositions to close the album. Unlike early proggers who favored meandering instrumentaldoodling over succinct songwriting, Porcupine Tree always favor the importance of memorable songs over flashy solos, which certainly makes the group one of the top modern-day progrock bands. I think Steven Wilson has finally accomplished something he has been attempting for some time, which is to bring out an album that you just have to listen to the whole of, rather than the individual tracks on shuffle. It’s just so well put together, each track moves so effortlessly and subtly into the next that you want to hear the next bit.
Text by: M Uppet
http://www.porcupinetree.com/
ALBUM REVIEW / 17
red habagat Pun intended
Text by bakunawa_on_the_loose Photo by Apiong
18 / CREATIVE JUICE
What do you get when you have a primordial mix of testosterone and sweaty underwear percolating into a low-ceilinged basement and agitated by adolescent angst and pop culture? Before long, fermentation will most probably produce a biohazard and your basement will be your own personal giant Petri dish.
right puns on pop culture and infomercials, they have a rawness that is strangely appealing, and their energy is just infectious.
But sometimes, the improbable happens. When you throw in six mischievous self-proclaimed articulate geeks willing to trade on their wit and bodily fluids, prepare to laugh out loud. Just the accident which gave us Redhabagat. So what is Redhabagat? I would be the first to admit that until about a month ago, I had no idea they existed. Neither did I know that while I was living under a rock, their Facebook fans were cracking up because of the Kungfu Masternator, Mankins (For Real Men!), Different Types of Pick-up Punchlines (Asini akung itlog, ‘day) and that you could have a ‘laytseyber’ duel in TC without the security staff knowing. Now you might be wondering what the eff I’m talking about. At this point, I would encourage you to go online and check them out so that you could better relate to this. You can find them on Facebook and Youtube. Be prepared and don’t get suckered into looking for ‘goatse’ in Wikipedia. Get to know Philip, Pidong, Jaru, Dondon, Ryan, Butong at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Redhabagat-Channel/125394817951. I am now officially tempted to sign up with Facebook. I remember feeling envious as I watched Redhabagat’s antics on Youtube. Despite the parodies and out-
CREATIVE JUICE / 19
Here are some details about Redhabagat which have not seen print before this article. When asked when they started to gel as a group, they could peg it when Tekken 4 came out. In SM. Although everyone in the group contributes, it is Philip Bawasanta who’s most usually the director, script writer, editor, and voice-over talent of Redhabagat’s videos. But this does not mean that his is the only funny mania(c) which spews out the creative juice. As mentioned, they are proud to be geeks. They wear their emotional battle scars from being bullied in high school for not being jocks and sharpened their wits to get the girls. They do not use illegal substances but they do like their natural highs, hence, the preoccupation with bodily fluids and how to extract them. If you are wondering what their secret formula is for their videos: Start with the willingness to make fun of yourselves and your friends. Go out on a limb but do no harm. Make sure that your camera’s memory capacity is only 4GB. Use an old model. It doesn’t have to be HD. See humor everywhere. As in literally everywhere. Be really observant. And always be willing to crack up, no matter what. (Be willing to concede that Spongebob is both cool and profound.) Inspiration is everywhere, especially in inane infomercials. Be resourceful, experiment. Fluids, especially bodily fluids, make good props. Make sure that your favorite drink is at hand. As of now, since beer is expensive, Redhabagat’s choice is iPad. Iced tea ug lapad.
20 / CREATIVE JUICE
Take plenty of smoke breaks and drink lots of coffee. They all love Bo’s Coffee and are hoping to get a discount soon. If you fap, you lock. Lock and fap. Fap here is not a medical condition. One other thing, from a viewer’s point of view, it’s worth watching the videos twice, or even thrice. At the surface, their videos might be no-brainers and may be easily discounted as pop parodies. The second time around, if you were not able to get it the first time, you hear details in the script which sets you to thinking. Like when you ask yourself whether you really heard them say “...it is considered a polite gesture to hold somebody’s penis...” or like the pun in the title “Kungfu Masternater.” This probably explains their appeal. But why do they do this at all? It’s not as if they’re in it for the money because there is none (editors’s note: none so far! But never say never.). They do it because it’s fun. And it takes a certain
RIP MY MIND OUT Accessroad Inc. Group Exhibition
On its maiden show in the Gamay’ng Gallery at Turtle’s Nest, Rip My Mind Out, newborn art group AccessRoad presented its first collective portfolio, a rather confusing menagerie of art and craft. Watermarked images from previous photography projects, paintings of varying themes and quality, insipid dresses hung from the ceiling, and sketches of product designs all compete for merit in what seems to be a melee of artistic bravados and hastily conceived work.
amount of innocence for people to be able to do that. They make fun of themselves and although some of their topics and antics may be appalling, it is important to note that aside from having lots of fun, these boys are actually documenting how their identities were and are being shaped. The videos define their boundaries and the expansion of their limits – what they can and cannot do. For sure, there are some Redhabagat videos which don’t quite suit me but it’s much more than what most of us could attest to, or could ever have.
The entries of two artists, however deserve some vindication. Lui Wolff’s collection of photos taken in and around Germany is an interesting solo show in itself on the obscure yet beautiful details of places. Joonie Doron’s abstract piece is a consistent but subtle take-off from his thesis show “Aesthesia”. For the rest of AccessRoad, thoughts should allowed to simmer, giving time for quality individual work or at the least, more coherent group shows. Until then, perhaps it would be best to keep their minds intact and to themselves.
And as a last note, there is a freewheeling dynamism to Redhabagat which makes it difficult to capture on paper. The best thing to do is to watch them.
Words by: Russ Lit Gas
http://accessroad.bravehost.com/accessroad.html
ART REVIEW / 21
22 / FUNKY TOWN
Random photos of last month’s what’s on. To download photos visit
www.bitemagazine.multiply.com
FUNKY TOWN / 23
LIVING IN THE FUTUR BITE In A Time Capsule Text by Marquis de Kintolimbo
Friends, here are two interesting ways to make use of your past:
A) Use it as a memory marker. Think of it as a gateway to a
certain part of your life you would like go back to every once in a while. Your own special place in time, something warm and cuddly or painfully soft that might reignite your appetite and passion for the “now”. Such as, “God, I miss those days when rockstars sang about drugs and promiscuous sex.” This is called the technical sappy auto-nostalgic approach. Not very interesting, might I say. On the other hand, you could also
B) Use it as an advancement gauge, a simple tool for progressive enhancement. Mind you, this is the cold-
hearted bitch approach where everything that transpires in your life is scrutinized piecemeal through the creativity lens and then assessed for their merits and demerits afterwards. Although this may appear somewhat brutal, this is actually a more optimistic approach. This is actually a healthy exercise in furthering one’s given talent or skill, and quite possibly the perpetration of the human race as intellectual beings. A good example would be: “This year has definitely been the best year for crappy young-adult vampire films. I hope it gets worst next year.” So why am I bringing up all these? Aside from the fact that it’s almost the end of the year (the part of the year where we offer ourselves helplessly to the gods of crass commercialism as a dismal hope
24 / RANTRAVEANDWHINE
for making our lives better), a few steps before that finish line where we turn over a new leaf and supposedly become new individuals. Aside from that, it is also necessary. It is necessary to use our past because there is such a need for growth, and this is beyond mere speculation. We need to reevaluate and learn from the past in order for us to become fully aware of ourselves. There is something in that nurtured time-capsule that we must be able to understand for us to move forward, if not propel us to the path of mastery. To be able to embark on this odyssey, we are in need of a guide. And what better oracle to consult about the subject of refined taste in music, arts and culture than the opinions of an entity we value the most – this year’s back issues of BITE. In hindsight, this year has been a very good year for the local independent music scene. No, scratch that, it sounded like a major understatement. The year 2009 has been – for the lack of a better adjective – awe-inspiring and by far the most promising year for our music scene. Not only did it open a lot of doors for creativity but it also broke artistic windows and bore witness to many a new birth that had been much needed for our thriving local scene. Let’s try to examine and discuss some of them in the following paragraphs using our aforementioned little enhancement tool/gauge.
RE Numero uno on the list would be the 1st Cebu Reggae Festival” (formerly known as the Bob Marley Day Festival), an event that graced our island with its oh-so-timely conception. An annual gathering of the most talented bands from the most revered genre in the land which surprisingly didn’t get much exposure from this magazine. (Sidenote: Aside from the one-page ad they put out on the April issue, for some reasons unknown, no further coverage, not even pictures, were made in the succeeding issues. But they did do The Definitive Budoy Interview. Okey. ) This event is not actually new but renaming it made it appear more quintessential and more principally at-home with the local rasta dudes. And if there is one thing that the June issue of BITE has actually taught us, is that we have to “Wear Our Pride!” dudes and dudettes. And what is Cebu if not the Reggae Capital of the Archipelago? Employing our little criteria for the “advancement yardstick”, it is hard for me to judge this event since I was not present. But suffice to say that, if you remember you were there in that event and can’t, for the love of Mary Jane, muster any recollection of it, take it is a shout of approval that it must have been irie good. Second among the list of births is actually a rebirth. And it is none other than the rebirth of NU 107 Cebu which happened last June. The relaunching kicked off with a rock n roll party fronted by some of the loudest upcoming bands and the mainstays of our local industry. And even though the onslaught of the internet and local
music channels have made it very steep for corporate radio to compete, the radio guys brought hit after hit of collective nostalgia back to our airwaves and processed it as a pipeline of half-forgotten experiences that had already been there, just waiting to be relived. In this age of media filesharing and disposable two-bit hits, the “Home of New Rock” came back not without a vengeance, and it’s a left hook jab on the jugular of uninspired radio programming and phone-in dating help lines. Let’s just all hope that this comeback is no mere flash in the pan. To quote a once popular DJ of a now defunct rock radio station whose face graced the cover of the July issue, “Blame it on the technology we have right now, that’s the main reason why we have such a big problem. Not only on music piracy, but also in other showbiz areas.” It may be less fitting for the occasion but it’s the sad truth, right? No? Then there was the recently concluded 1st Visayan Music Festival. If you’ve lived under a rock or some secluded seminary for the past 2 months or so, the Visayan Music Fest was basically some bored guy’s idea of bringing the Woodstock spirit tour local shores minus the mindaltering substances and the nudity. And as much as I would like to write elaborately about it, I’m sure someone (probably Dexter Sy) already covered it in this issue with all the highlights and flying details. So just go ahead and read that piece instead. To end this note, I will bring to you an awesome example of how the second item for my little precursor theory can also be applied to a humble magazine. Does anybody remember the May issue where featured on the front cover was an upcoming local band? Oddly, when you browse through the contents, they were only mentioned in passing in a single article. Look closer and, lo and behold, on the page before the centerfold, you will read an elaborate piece about thresher sharks?? Yes! How fucking weird was that?
RANTRAVEANDWHINE / 25
SUCKS 1
TRY AGAIN 2
OKEY 3
GOOD 4
HOORAY 5
3okey
.875
VMF 2009 Text by Dexter Sy Photo by Apiong
Day 1 I arrived at the scene sometime around 10PM, hoping to be just in time to catch the two bands I’d been looking forward most to seeing in this event. One – Updharmadown – I’d already seen before, but with an unfortunate consequence of having my car towed away in the middle of their set. The second, and a band I’ve loved for forever but never got to see live, was Radioactive Sago Project, without a doubt the most iconoclastic, irreverent, and, a little more arguably, musically talented band in the country today. But, despite the production’s best effort to keep in control of the schedule, I
26 / REVIEW
found out the show was at least 2 hours delayed, and the lag was accumulating. It didn’t matter. While I was there especially for two particular bands, I was more than curious to see how this event would turn out anyway. So with some alcohol already in my head, I went straight to the front of the park by the stage, where the grass was surprisingly spacious and there was ample room to sit and enjoy. Though there was no set theme that I knew about, the first evening would be dominated by tribal rock groups – Mungkanghan, Maragtas, Sugbuwanon, and several others. One highlight for me was when Sugbuwanon, currently the only band in the “neo-tribal” commu-
nity I find to be really worth listening to, played a cover of the Wolfgang hit “Halik ni Hudas”. With the heavy percussions and minimalist guitarwork, the song took a whole new meaning for me. It was original, to say the least. Some rainfall marred the so-far-goingwell concert. The Cebu crowd, unfortunately, is not the type to brave the weather for the sake of being in the middle of the action. People slowly moved to the sides and front right below the stage to take cover, leaving the open grounds virtually empty. An inappropriate anticlimax, if I do say so myself. So much for the Woodstock spirit. Then again, it probably never was there, with a Dunkin’ Donuts stall
and several other commercial setups, and the beer was not free-flowing as I would have hoped, but sold for P130 a liter, and by the time we got there, they were all out of it. Good thing I got hammered beforehand, but the inebriation was quick to wear out. As a result, I had to bear with being sober and listening to a few bands I really didn’t have much interest in. Some of the “big” names that were lined up before the Terno bunch were Bethany, Powerspoonz, and, surprise surprise, Cueshe. Zarah Smith provided a welcome relief with her semi-jazz stylings, but other than that, I had to while away the time by the swings. It was a nice venue – it had swings and slides.
REVIEW / 27
Then Updharmadown took the stage and I had to come way up front right below the stage to get a closer view. An interesting moment – Armi’s keyboard gave in right in the middle of their first song “Taya” and Jill Watt Anoba from Black Thumb was nice enough to lend her another rig. For her gesture, she got extended time in the spotlight. The band went through the rest of their set – just the usual “Oo”, “Sana”, and “Pag-Agos”, but, as always with this band, it was sonic ecstacy. Radioactive Sago Project came next and the entire crowd flocked over to the other side of the stage where they had set up, to the funky noise that is the “George Estregan Groove Explosion”. Most of what they played was from the relatively unheard latest album – irreverent songs like “Wasak na Wasak”, “Basagan ng Mukha”, and the brilliant “Alak Sugal Kape Babae”. They played a couple of crowd favorites from the previous albums, “Astro” and “Baboy”, and if it weren’t for some drunken idiot body surfing and crashing into innocent bystanders, it was the best time I, and probably most of the crowd, ever had at a gig.
Day 2 At 7PM, it was practically a ghost town up front, with only four or five groups of people, each group consisting of about 5 to 10 people. Virtually, the show was
28 / REVIEW
just getting started, though it had literally started at noon. Nerve String, with their covers of some Muse hits and some original material, were on when I got there, shortly followed by Picturefilled. On an unrelated note, I left shortly to get dinner. I got back just in time to prepare for my band’s set. While backstage, it was hard not to notice (in essence making theirs a successful gimmick) people who really dressed up for the occasion. 40 Diaz, for example, was in shiny leather gear and chains, and one of them wore a shirt that said “Plague Bearer”. Even if you’d never heard of them before, it would have been, in theory, imminent that they were a metal band. Then there was the group of people clad in several nice-looking layers of clothing, some make up, and obviously salon-treated hairdo’s. I took them for a band that never heard about the dying out of glam rock, but as it turned out, they were models for the fashion show, part of that evening’s bill. Goodbye, Woodstock spirit! Local artists like Cuarenta and the Undercover Grasshoppers, and a band from Bohol called Pirates of the New Age, the only underground out-of-towner band I heard all weekend, all played great sets. 40 Diaz was quite a show, growling away until, I presumed, the vocalist’s voice hurt enough. They’d put on KISS (or possibly The Misfits) makeup since I saw them backstage. Natal Cleft played at their best, but couldn’t manage, despite a valiant effort, to get the crowd involved in a “wall of death”. “Not the right crowd,” my friend, a metalhead himself, said. Ironically, metal would, in fact, turn out to be the sound of the night. Bands like the Stallions of the Burning Church and Campbell saw a slowly but surely growing crowd. Slightly claustrophobic as I am, I decided to try and enjoy everything from a bench by the back of the park. It was well near midnight and I’d had some to drink. A nap was in order. I was in Alpha sleep through most of Gasulina and Urbandub’s sets. I’d seen them way too many times before to show any real interest. I decided to call it a night in the middle of “First of Summer”, satisfied with how the 2-day show turned out, I would think, but too hammered to yet have any conscious opinion of it. The opinion came in the following night, with talks of it circulating among people I didn’t even know were there to catch it. Spread over 36 hours, the turnout looked a little sparse, but I realized the attendance really wasn’t as bad as I thought. No doubt about it, there were things to bitch about but, for a debut, it was evidently a great weekend for everyone privileged to be a part of it. Cheers to Blackstone Production for having the balls to come up with something like this in a city that, months ago, didn’t seem to be ready for it. And, of course, cheers to more Visayan Music Festivals to come!
-Dexter Sy
DATING LARRY Text by Raymund L. Fernandez
Listen, every date has as its core, time. Here, it translates into the number of words: exactly 500. Within which time I must present a review that will do justice to Lawrence “Larry” Lacambra Ypil's book of poetry, "The Highest Hiding Place". I read the book. I know Larry Ypil. Not nearly enough but I've been out with him a few times. And so my review orbits the idea of how well the book reflects the person. It reflects quite well. To take "The Highest Hiding Place" out alone somewhere is almost as good as dating Larry. “So this is the eye of the soul, Requirement of room. Between walls, the quick sneak Into the bleak night.” -L. Lacambra Ypil (“Window”) I call. I meet up with him at a cozy public place, where the chairs are comfortable and the ambience not too noisy. We exchange pleasantries. Blah blah blah. How’s work? Blah blah blah, until finally we wind down to the more essential things. What's going on with literature and art? Larry's book is what's going on.
hoarse with the videoke machine. “I wanted the long pause. I wanted the audience stunned To tears because this we have not heard before in the streets this song this beautifully done. It moves. It brings us to the edge of our sight.” -L. Lacambra Ypil (“At the Piano”) At some point in the dead of night, right before morning, we will surely ask: So how should this poetry or art or music be understood? And the other might say: How does one understand a person, any person? And the other might say: Always not fully. And the other mzight say: The words are beautiful by themselves. And finally: The words are beautiful for what they hold and hide, not reveal.
"When we saw the city. we believed again in time. Line of the tall spires and the bend of a bright sky." -L. Lacambra Ypil ("The Discovery of Landscape")
For what they remind: I am, of course, in a dismal all-male room of a co-ed dorm in Iloilo. I am in bed. I lie when I say, it is warm and I am sweaty. But truly I am reading Larry’s book in bed until I am sleepy and the book drops finally to my sweaty chest. My last thoughts: wonderLarry pulls out cigarettes for the ing if I can play these last lines in my head both of us. I order light beer. How’s without looking: Estela, Russ, Chai, Klay, Liyo, Mecca? Ask them yourself. They’ll “We talked straight into evening, straight probably drop by within the hour into each tangled tendril angled against and propose to move to a place codark, into dark. If we could only hold the zier. Perhaps up in the hills where edgeless in place. Night and its reckless the planet always shines brighter. weeds. The light was not ours to give.” And they can sing themselves -L. Lacambra Ypil (“Garden”)
BOOK REVIEW / 29
CEBU CITY Abaseria (Filipino Deli & Cafe) 32 Pres. Quirino Street Villa Aurora, Mabolo Tel: 234 4160 Abuhan Uno (Filipino) F. Ramos Street Tel: 253-1881 After Hours Tapas Lounge (International) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 231 6550 AK&7 Bar & Discoteque The Gallery, Mabolo Tel: 233 3328 / 232 4285 Alberto Biano Homade Pizza 74. F. Llamas St. Punta Princesa Labangon Tel: 262 1417 / 09234421650 Alejandro’s Filipino Restaurant 81 Don Jose Avila Street Capitol Site Tel: 253 7921 Anzani Panorama Heights Nivel Hills, Lahug Tel: 236 0097 Aziza (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 234 1685 / 234 1681 Banri Noodle House Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 0788 Bigby’s Cafe & Restaurant 3rd floor Ayala Terraces Tel: 234 2395 Bo’s Coffee Club Ayala Terraces Tel: 234 2492 SM City Fiesta Strip Tel: 412 9233 Capitol Site Tel: 255 4969 Banilad Town Center Tel: 345 2342 Raintree Mall Tel: 236 0116 Banilad Town Center Tel: 345 2342 Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 0267 Synergies I.T. Center Tel: 238 8168 Brown Cup St. Patrick’s Square Tel: 4126353 Skyrise Bldg., I.T. Park Tel: 4158483
Cafe Georg (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 234 0887
Grand Majestic (Chinese) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 232-1103 / 231 6982
La Tegola Cucina Italiana (Italian) Busay Hills Tel: 419-2220
Cafe Laguna (Filipino) Ayala Terraces Tel: 233-8600 Ayala Center Tel: 231-0922
Gustavian Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad Tel: 344 7653 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1281
Lai Garden (Chinese) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 1580
Casa Verde (Filipino) V. Ranudo Extension Tel: 253 8234 The Walk, I.T. Park Tel: 412 3336
Handuraw (Pizza) Gorordo Avenue 232 6401 One Mango Avenue 416 3200
Chateau de Busay (Italian) Busay Hills Tel: 231 2000 / 231 2039
Iamik’s Chicken & Beer (Filipino) 77 Tres Borces Street Mabolo Tel: 09228426457
Darras & Bowler (Continental) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 345-0945
Ila Puti (Asian Fusion) Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 415 8800
Da Vinci’s Pizza Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 415 8881
Jazz n Blues F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 232 2698
David’s Steak & Seafood (International) F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 231 0157
K1 Family KTV Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 412 1111 / 412 2222
10 Dove Street (International) Sto. Nino Village, Banilad Tel: 346 0618 East Ocean (Chinese) Old Banilad Road Tel: 231-3898 Formo Restaurant & Lounge Banilad Town Center Tel: 416 2170 / 416 1990 Gerry’s Grill (Filipino) Ayala Center Tel: 415 8284 / 232 4159 Ginza (Japanese) Old Banilad Road Tel: 232 5406 Giuseppe’s Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast (Italian) Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad Tel: 343-9901 Golden Cowrie (Filipino) Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 233-4243
Kalye 80’s Restaurant Rahman Street, Mango Ave. Tel: 255 4505 Kanyoen Yakiniku Restaurant (Japanese) F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 232-2989 KK Restaurant (Malaysian) Parkmall Tel: 421 1828 Krua Thai Banilad Town Centre Tel: 344 2800 SM City Fiesta Strip Tel: 231 8338 Kukuks Nest Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 231 5180 La Buona Forchetta Da Paolo (Italian) Advent Compound Acacia Street, Lahug Tel: 231-3398 La Marea (Pastries & Coffee) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 416-2919 Paseo Arcenas Banawa Tel: 412 2577 The Walk, Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 6484
Lemongrass (Thai/Vietnamese) Ayala Terraces Tel: 233 8601 Lighthouse Restaurant Gaisano Country Mall Tel: 231 2478 / 231 2878 Manuel’s Parklane Hotel Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 411 7000 Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Nivel Hills, Lahug Blu Bar & Grill Cafe Marco El Viento Restaurant & Pool Bar Tel: 253 1111 Marriott Hotel Cebu City Cebu Business Park Garden Cafe Palm Lounge Pool Bar Tel: 415 6100 / 415 6101 Maya Taqueria + Tequila Lounge (authentic Mexican cuisine) Crossroads Banilad Tel: 238 9552 / 238 9618 Mooon Cafe (International) 4242 E. Osmena St., Guadalupe Tel: 253-3635 The Walk, Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 8795 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1701 Off Roads Coffee F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 231 8881 Olio Bar & Restaurant (Continental) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 232-3589 Persian Palate (Indian & Persian) Ayala Center Tel: 232 5898 Mango Square Tel: 253 6745 Pino Restaurant (Filipino) Malvar Street, Lahug Tel: 232 3637
DIRECTORY / 31
Pump Grand Convention Center Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 232 3637
Wine Shop (Spanish) Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 233 3744
R & R Store 1298-A V. Rama Avenue Tel: 253 0758
Yumeya Kihei (Japanese) G/F Pacific Star Bldg F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 234-2388
Spice Fusion (Asian) Banilad Town Center Tel: 344 2923 SM City Tel: 238 9591 Starbucks Ayala Garden Row Tel: 231 8456 SM Fiesta Strip Tel: 231 6455 Sunflower City Disco Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 231 8413 The Ching Palace Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 417 2988 The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 1388 SM City North Wing Tel: 412 5118 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1399 The Loft Restobar Asiatown I.T. Park, Lahug Tel: 231 3284 The Outpost Bar & Restaurant Cebu Veterans Drive, Lahug Tel: 417 2929 The Tinder Box (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Banilad Tel: 234-1681 Turtle’s Nest Book Cafe Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 236-1982 Vudu Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 0836 / 232 1457 Waterfront Cebu City Hotel Salinas Drive, Lahug Cafe Fortuna Cafe Uno La Gondola (Italian) Madeleine Mizu (Japanese) Port Seafood Restaurant Sally’s Piano Bar Tin Gow (Chinese) Treff Bar Tel: 232 6888 / 232 6880
32/ DIRECTORY
Z Bar Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel: 416 1300
MANDAUE CITY City Garden Coffee M.L. Quezon Street Cabancalan Tel: 348 5362 Ichiriki Chaya (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 345 1300 Kagura (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 346 0088 / 346 7776 Kaona (Filipino) A.S. Fortuna corner H. Cortez Streets , Banilad Tel: 343 9994 Nonki (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 422 3159 Pier One Parkmall, North Reclamation Tel: 422-8686
MACTAN Abaca Boutique Resort & Restaurant Punta Engano Road Tel: 495 3461 / 236 0311 Gustavian Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel: 341 3093 / 415 1979 Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa Punta Engano Road Manny O’s Wines & Tapas Sanctuary Bar Sapphire Pool Bar Seas Restaurant Pink Lobby Bar Vanilla Beach Cafe Tel: 492 7777 / 492 7704
Krua Thai Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel. 495-4818 La Tegola Cucina Italiana (Italian) Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel. 340-9070 Magellan’s Landing (International) Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel: 341-0918 Manna Sutukil (Filipino) Mactan Shrine Punta Engano Road Tel: 340 6448 Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort Allegro Restaurant Oyster Bar at The Cove Molto Joli Tel: 492 0100 / 232 5411 MB’s Tavern, Restaurant & European Deli Basak, Lapu-Lapu City Tel: 341 3610 Plantation Bay Resort & Spa Marigondon Kilamanjaro Kafe Fiji Restaurant Mogambo Springs Spa Savannah Grill Palermo Tel: 340-5900 / 340 5988 Shangri-La Resort & Spa Punta Engano Road Acqua Beach Bar Buko Bar & Grill Chi Spa Chill Out Bar Cowrie Cove Tea of Spring Tel: 231-0288 The Marlin Bar & Restaurant Cebu Yacht Club Lapu- Lapu City, Mactan Tel. 341-4754
SPAS Cebu Holiday Spa Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue Banilad Tel. 234 4791
Meddah Spa Crossroads Arcade Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel. 234-2080 Sawadee Spa MLD Building Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel. 234 4171 The Spa at Cebu 1 Paseo Saturnino Maria Luisa Road Banilad Tel. 412-0888 / 416-3888 Yoga Thai Massage Sanciangco 416-8366 Gorordo 232-7510 A.C. Cortez Mandaue 343-3563
FITNESS Baseline Recreation Center Juana Osmena Street Tel. 253-1457 Cebu Holiday & Fitness Center Molave Street Camputhaw Tel. 231-0408 Citi Gym Waterfront Cebu City Hotel 232 6888 / 2326880 Fight Club Banilad Town Centre Fitness First 4F Ayala Center Cebu 234 2222
QUICK FIX McDonalds 348 6236 / 348 MCDO Jollibee Lahug 232 3800 Mango 254 2268 Mactan 340 2015 Taxis Holiday 345 1622 /23 Safeway 345 0861 Spider 259 1579 / 253 4602 Police Patrol 166
Holiday Gym & Spa M. Cuenco Avenue Tel. 234 4791 Noah’s Stone & Spa Resort Abuno, Pajac Lapu-lapu City Tel. 342-8379
ERUF Ambulance 161
ADSPACE / 35
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