Sunday, December 02, 2007

Events: Rocksteddy Rocks Tagbi

Words by Terence Krishna Lopez, Photos by Ryan Macalandag



It was a rainy Friday afternoon. I was trapped in the mall and was starting to feel like a mallrat and I hated it. With just one stick of red ziggy at hand, I hurried to the top floor of BQ mall and smoked. To my surprise, there they were! On stage, sound-checking and yes, they were performing that night!

Sometimes, the rain gives pleasant surprises. So I immediately SMSd Ryan to meet up with for the concert. I gotta have company!

As usual, Ryan was, fashionably, late. He had reasons, of course. Or excuses.

And again, as usual, there was a front act. It was a good act though, the band called System Tools. They played Eric Clapton and Jason Mraz and other good ones, giving these rather popular songs new textures and interpretation as a whole. Systems Tools is promising and as Ryan would tell me later that night, they really are genuine musicians. The only disappointment is their name really. System Tools? Enough said.



After more than an hour, some drizzles and some booze direct from plastic cups and some good puffing of the ziggies, it was time to rock hard! And rock hard I did with the music of one of the country's more popular punk-rock/alternative Manila-based bands that gave us the impossibly unforgettable theme of the ABS-CBN series Super Inggo. I'm kidding. Of course they gave us other hits such as Magpakailanman (or, was this really a hit?) and the remakes of APO originals Blue Jeans and No Touch.

Well, my point is, they did a wonderful rak en rol feel that night and believe it or not, I was there, right in front of the stage, dancing, jumping, cheering, shouting. Along with -- too bad -- young squatter-punks (Ryan's words not mine) who did not stop asking me about the names of the band members particularly, the long-haired guitarist Joven.

After few songs, the show had to end, as usual. But not without giving the audience what they wanted (ahh, some wiggling, girating, and half-nakedness).





Teddy was, definitely a knock-down performer, pleasing everyone in the crowd with his greenness and down-to-earth attitude towards everybody else.

I didn't feel sorry, Rocksteddy did rock! (some of) the audience rocked harder! I wanted to rock the hardest but damn, in an ocean of adolescents, I chose not to.



Who cares about the songs? Who cares about the originality? Who cares about musicality? In rak en rol moments like that one, all that mattered was the performance and for me, a good reason to stay late out of the house.


(For more photos from this set, click here.)