Flowless

There I was seated alone while the rest of them were dancing, drunk and as if possessed by some nostalgic music (if you might call it). Suddenly, it occured to me, what the f*ck am I doing here? It certainly is not my idea of a night out. It just happened that that someone close is celebrating her birthday. Perhaps I am being polite, yet it seems I am looking rude at the moment, just silently sitting and watching all the action, looking bored, pretending to be drunk and from time to time trying to muffle a yawn. A wallflower, a moron amongst the phonies. Society would dictate that if there's dancing one should join in and sway with the music. To be with the flow. Well, I would often go against things, I certainly have this problem with authority since my school days. Not that I'm a habitual law breaker or to put if blankly an a*sh#le. It's just not my kind of thing, dancing and all. Party for me is a gathering of close friends, intimate conversation while slowly trying to get drunk and maybe some music on the side.

Don't get me wrong though, you should have seen me during "those" days. If one compares with the gimmicks of todays younglings they would be put to shame and embarassment.hehehe, Yet every generation has it's own trends and lifestyle. Having been there and done that perhaps made me behave this way.

I didn't want to be rude believe me, during all the dancing I tried to "fit in", hoping that I might be carried away by the energy and the vibes of those beautiful people inside. But no, I'm sorry, temptation should come in another form.

Influentially influenced

I started playing the guitar when I was in high school. There was this classmate who would bring his guitar to school almost everyday. They would sing folk and country songs during our vacant periods. In between those “jam” sessions I would try to sing along with them. Mostly Beatles, America, etc… Sometimes they would let me play, having taught me some chords. The first song that I played was “A Horse With No Name” by America because it has only two chords in it. Right there and then I got hooked.

I don’t wanna play the songs that they do. I was already into new wave and punk rock then. I started researching on my own, buying guitar magazines and trying to play by ear. It was all but strumming and a little plucking, no lead solo’s yet and the chords were pretty basic. I kept begging my parents for a guitar but they decided otherwise saying it’s not good for my “studies”. That did not stop me anyway. Everytime I would go to a friend’s house and I would see a guitar hanging by the wall, I would find an excuse to borrow it. Yup, I was literally addicted to music.

Playing like The Edge or Robert Smith seems a pretty cool thing, the problem is with very limited equipment and knowledge (I was and am still self-taught) it can be hard. Then one day a friend introduced me to the music of The Dawn. Hmmm… Nice name for a band huh? It was their first single “Enveloped Ideas” and the intro literally blew me away! Wow! This one’s really different, they sounded foreign but they’re really from this land. I became a fan from that day on. They were pretty tight, just the type of music that I was looking for. The guitar player was particularly one of a kind. He was Teddy Diaz and his presence on stage is so magnetic and fiery. He emanates an aura that draws you in him, the intensity of his playing is so contagious that you wanna be a guitar player after seeing him play. I’ve seen a lot of good guitar players but nothing compares with Teddy. He was the driving force of the band.

Unfortunately he died. He was killed, in front of his girlfriend’s house. Robbed, stabbed and left for dead. It is such a sad story I don’t want to discuss it here. We we’re already playing gigs during the time of his untimely death. I was trying to emulate Teddy, his licks, his moves and his style of music. Then the news that he’s gone…The guy who broke the news to me was my best friend and my bandmate, he was also a very good musician. A very talented artist for that matter. He can play any song by ear, writes and sings like a pro. He was my friend since my kindergarten days, sad to say he died before the turn of the century. I promise I will write something about him soon.

The music didn’t stop there, we still had our band, playing cover tunes, I was even in a heavy metal band for a while, and when I decided not to show up in one of our gigs, the drummer teased me that my music is “pop”. Hehehe, Whatever! As for the Dawn, the music continued, having replaced Teddy with a couple of guitarists until they got Francis Reyes who was a close friend of Ted and a very good musician too. They were here last November 21, wherein they played on a poorly advertised gig, but nevertheless me and my friends showed up and give support. This time I was up close and personal with them, being a member of their mailing list. I’m this big a fan you know, dragged my wife to the airport to meet them and even bought her a lister’s shirt (lister’s : that’s what we are called). Junboy (the drummer) and I would oftentimes exchange emails and all. We would talk about Teddy’s death (healing), music and music…

We are currently cooking something for the “Dinagyang” festival this coming January, and I’m really excited about it because The Dawn will be there!
As for my guitar playing, it sucks! During the “younger” days, I would stay in my room and play the guitar for hours until the neighbors would complain about the noise. Hehehe. Then I lost my electric guitar and effects to a very bad lady named Sharon. Years ago I bought an acoustic guitar, a very nice acoustic guitar. It sounded very good but it needs some maintenance, so it stayed inside its leather case most of the time. The last time I played live was during our office’s Christmas party. I did an acoustic set with a female co worker who sing’s pretty ok. And that’s it.

A few weeks ago I borrowed the guitar of another female friend saying that I’ll be practicing for an upcoming gig. Well, it’s really true that there’s an upcoming gig. Not a really fancy one sort of a party kind of thing, I’m letting my wife sing this time. (she can sing, mind you). I’m currently reviewing some old familiar acoustic songs. I might play some acoustic guitar instrumental if I can finish the piece on time and depending on the behavior of my 10 month old baby daughter who would “head bang” everytime she sees me holding and playing the guitar. That would really make me stop what I’m doing, grab the camera and try to capture that moment.

My eldest who is seven years old can sing too. It’s not boasting or being a stage dad but I yeah, he can sing. The longer the explanation about his singing would reveal the stage father in me. Hehehe. Anyway, he would always want to sing a song with me every night before bedtime. Mostly the Dawn songs, Enveloped Ideas, I Stand With You, Little Paradise are his favorites. I’m planning to let him sing some Sting songs which is also a favorite. There was a time when we were having dinner in a restaurant that plays jazz over their PA speakers when Louis Armstrong’s classic “What A Wonderful World” was played. Other guests were blown away when he and my 5 year old daughter sang along to the tune. That really made dad proud! Instead of reciting the usual nursery rhymes, there they were singing their little lungs out to a tune that was written even before I was born.

My Generation

I'm proud to proclaim that I belong to the 80's generation. It was the era of New Wave, Punk and Anarchy...non-conformity was a common cause. We ain't got no cell phones, no internet, no text messages, no yahoo messenger, no goggle yet the kids of my generation is still connected with an unseen bond that confuses even me. What is that common denominator that keeps such generation cool? The music perhaps, The attitude? The fashion or maybe the passion. It is undeniable that 80’s music is one of the best in terms of musical genre.

New wave music, which is a mix of the music of the 60’s and the 70’s is such a classic. Romanticism, poetry and psychedelic vibes blended magnificently. I can still hear new wave influenced bands invading the airwaves. Some local bands even had the guts in changing the lyrics and claiming such tunes as theirs. Can’t blame them though cause the hooks and the melodies are so addictive and at the same time soothing for someone to think that it was written especially for him. Several classics were produced during that highly creative era.

The fashion statement was also one of a kind. Black which was often used during funerals and mourning became the color of the moment. We were once branded as Satanists or cult members for wearing black outfits with spiky hair. It was during those times when an alleged cult would abduct little children, dressed in black with spiky hair do, and offer the poor kids during their satanic rituals. Hahaha, I guess some government bureaucrat was successful in covering whatever he the government was trying to hide by creating such public hysteria. In those days we were frowned upon, people would treat you differently because you have porcupine hair and studded boots. But it was more than just a fashion statement; the attitude comes with it too. Can’t explain how it works though. Hehehe

The art scene was also very much alive during the 80’s. Local artists were busy creating. Shows and exhibits were all around and the resulting art work really reflected the moment that was then. The atmosphere was really conducive in creating art and music that we would be at the Museo Iloilo almost every month to support an exhibit or a one man show.

Local bands also started to sprout out. The local music scene then was limited to a few restaurants that have cover bands that play whatever you wish them to play. Much like a jukebox, drop a coin, choose a song and press play. They were good no doubt about that, what’s missing is the feeling and the attitude that should go with every song. There’s no passion if I might say. The only way local acts would get gig is if New Wave concerts were organized, the favorite venue was at UP auditorium because it’s cheap. Bands would also play cover tunes but of their own choosing and also their own interpretation of a particular song. That’s how things started as far as I see it. Look at the scene now.

To quote the station I.D. of a now defunct but still have a cult following radio station,

“The station that dares to be different”

You dare?

Mr. Postman Partyline

This is my first ever blog. I have been planning to do this for a long time but laziness always prevails. Had been doing some "blogging" via our high school egroup and that's it. Mostly narrative accounts of our activities here. No heavy stuff really. Had been doing it for almost three (3) years now. I would get some positive reactions from my classmates after each post. Must have motivated me to do this.

My father works abroad since I was 2 years old. It was during those times when cell phones were science fiction and the landline number is 5 digits long. Overseas calls were operator assisted with the option to receive or refuse a collect call. Having a telephone line is a status symbol during those days. There are no textmates but we have phone pals, no emails but snail mail. The postman becomes part of your family because of his constant deliveries. Overseas calls have to be scheduled in advance via telegram and I can still recall how everyone would sit by the telephone, silently waiting for its analog ringing tone on the appointed time and date. Oh, one has to be friendly with the partyline too. Partylines is a very common thing during the early days of PLDT, I'm not sure if I can describe it correctly but I guess it's having someone share the same phone line but with a different phone number. To give you younglings an idea what it is, picture this: If you are trying to call your girlfriend and your girlfriends partyline is using their phone you'll get a busy signal. Or it can be the otherway around. The most annoying thing about partyline is they can listen to your conversations. So you have to learn how to live with partylines during those days. (I was pretty young then...hehehe).

Anyway, my dad is oftentimes away for a year straight, sometimes two years straight depending on his contract. He would leave me in my diapers and return to see me pee on my own. Until I was able to learn to read and write, my mom encouraged me to write letters for him to read something when they dock. The more letters you send the more chances of having a lot of toys and surprises when he comes home. That's where this writing thing comes in. For over 10 years we communicated that way until the advent of the email and text messaging. It's a different form of communication text messaging, although very convenient but the art of letter writing seems lost in the sense that nowadays you can send an email and get a response on the same day, even on the same hour for that matter. The anxiety, nervousness and excitement of receiving a reply has disappeared in this modern day culture. Perhaps no one notices this but such a simple thing changes people. I mean, romanticism is dwindling because everything is instantaneous nowadays. Imagination and anticipation is changed...

Gee, this is getting nowhere...hehehe. Don't get me wrong though, i love using my cell phone and i certainly love my laptop.