ean aguila, our bandmate and dear friend, has been named the new governor of the up underground music community, succeeding previous governor doc urbino of the brew!
congratulations ean!
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Missing Tonight's Gig
Yes. I missed tonight's gig at RJ bar.
But It's not because Makati is very far.
I don't want to miss any more shirley sets
because I don't want to have any regrets
I also want the album to be finished and be out
Even if mixing and mastering will make me more stout
Recording at Love One Another is really very good
plus the nearby restaurants have excellent food
-ean
But It's not because Makati is very far.
I don't want to miss any more shirley sets
because I don't want to have any regrets
I also want the album to be finished and be out
Even if mixing and mastering will make me more stout
Recording at Love One Another is really very good
plus the nearby restaurants have excellent food
-ean
Wednesday, 19 September 2007
ultimately, however
Reklamo, Oremuz and Kaikatsuna got the top 3 slots in this year's WBOB contest.
Thanks to all our Shirley friends who texted and helped us reach the top 10. I never thought we had that many friends haha.
It was fun while it lasted (at least yung 300 smart buddy load ko tatagal na siya beyond 1 week hahaha)
And so my dear bandmates: Let's get the album out!!!
love, kathy g.
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
disco envy
lots of xy zone was rubbed last night at the student disco + saguijo debut of one of our favorite bands, halik ni gringo.
they played a new song, "good AM", and they threw panties at the audience.
haha
-owel
they played a new song, "good AM", and they threw panties at the audience.
haha
-owel
Sunday, 16 September 2007
rivermaya: bagong liwanag (the show)
it's fucking brilliant.
i just saw the pilot episode, tapos sobrang excited ako for the band, and the future of the band. ang sarap nung pakiramdam.
early pick ko dun sa top 13 e si kenneth, just because of the audition footage. tunog manchester na walang halong bulacanchester.
i just saw the pilot episode, tapos sobrang excited ako for the band, and the future of the band. ang sarap nung pakiramdam.
early pick ko dun sa top 13 e si kenneth, just because of the audition footage. tunog manchester na walang halong bulacanchester.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
on a lark
we made it past the second round of eliminations for the 2007 world battle of the bands!
on behalf of my nice sexy happy go lucky wonderful bandmates, i profess neverending gratitude to each and every single voter that voted for the band! this is a victory in and of itself, which is to say i'm very happy! but nevertheless a crease forms on my forehead everytime i think about how this is all going to end, because we want to win, and with every passing round the stakes are getting higher and higher and i just want to put the album out already and stuff.
we joined wbob at the suggestion of the real christian bautista without much planning, the thought process was "hey we need a song that you haven't released that has been recorded nicely that you want to put on the radio" and shirley was all "we have an album that is yet to be released that we just recorded!" and so we sent it in, 100,000 pesos and singapore in our heads.
and we didn't really campaign at the start, it was more like "hey vote for us if you have load" and people would be all "sure!" and somehow we got into the top 10 and now there's this pressure to just keep voting and voting and voting ad infinitum
last night i was with kathy and selena and the ciudad guys, and mikey said he votes for shirley every so often and i was floored, flashbacks of drunken nights at millenia and freedom bar, kafe katipunan and rock radio alabang, watching ciudad play typical ciudad sets, and me in the audience pulling my hair (i do that when i see something cool and i have no other means of expressing it) because ciudad is so cool. mikey votes for shirley!
so i dunno if this is some cop-out, a cheesy moral of the story ending, or just really cliche-d but it really doesn't matter much to me if we win or not anymore. there are lots of people voting for us that i didn't even know cared about the band.
wooooooo haha
-owel
on behalf of my nice sexy happy go lucky wonderful bandmates, i profess neverending gratitude to each and every single voter that voted for the band! this is a victory in and of itself, which is to say i'm very happy! but nevertheless a crease forms on my forehead everytime i think about how this is all going to end, because we want to win, and with every passing round the stakes are getting higher and higher and i just want to put the album out already and stuff.
we joined wbob at the suggestion of the real christian bautista without much planning, the thought process was "hey we need a song that you haven't released that has been recorded nicely that you want to put on the radio" and shirley was all "we have an album that is yet to be released that we just recorded!" and so we sent it in, 100,000 pesos and singapore in our heads.
and we didn't really campaign at the start, it was more like "hey vote for us if you have load" and people would be all "sure!" and somehow we got into the top 10 and now there's this pressure to just keep voting and voting and voting ad infinitum
last night i was with kathy and selena and the ciudad guys, and mikey said he votes for shirley every so often and i was floored, flashbacks of drunken nights at millenia and freedom bar, kafe katipunan and rock radio alabang, watching ciudad play typical ciudad sets, and me in the audience pulling my hair (i do that when i see something cool and i have no other means of expressing it) because ciudad is so cool. mikey votes for shirley!
so i dunno if this is some cop-out, a cheesy moral of the story ending, or just really cliche-d but it really doesn't matter much to me if we win or not anymore. there are lots of people voting for us that i didn't even know cared about the band.
wooooooo haha
-owel
Sunday, 9 September 2007
Kung Ikaw ay Magbe-bass
“I play the bass because I like to play the bass” – sagot ko sa tanong na “How long have you been playing the bass?” sa isang radio interview sa LA 105.9 (circa 1994)
Ako si Jing Gaddi. Bahista ako. May kailangan pa ba kong sabihin? Maraming haka-hakang umuugong na kapag bahista ka, wala kang imik o di kaya’y masyado kang balot sa sarili mong mundo. Oblivious ba? Bagkos may kaunting katotohanan yan, di rin naman parating swak. Sari-saring tanong ang sumalubong sa akin, pero ang pinaka malimit ay “Bakit bass?” Simple lang ang sagot, “I play the bass because I like to play the bass” 'Nuff said.
Marahil nabasa ninyo na sa magasin o naulinigan sa mga usapan kung ano ba ang halaga ng bass sa isang band setup. Kung hindi, marahil kayo yung mga taong oblivious na merong such a thing as a bass sa isang band setup. Frankly, I have nothing against those na oblivious sa existence ng bass. Masyado kasing focused ang marami sa mga mas-obvious na tunog tulad ng tambol at gitara. Marahil, tinuring din nilang gitara ang bass. Kung sa bagay, bass "guitar" din naman ang karaniwang turing sa kanya.
Subalit, lingid sa kaalaman ng marami (sana hindi na ganun karami), merong special at unique function ang bass sa isang band setup. Kakaiba ang bass dahil it possesses both rythmic and melodic properties. Sa palagay ko, ang pagiging doble-kara ng bass ang siya ring dahilan kung bakit hindi siya gaanong pansin ng karamihan ng manginginig. Because it plays a melodic fucntion, kadalasa'y naoovershadow siya ng mas ear-friendly na gitara. "Ear-friendly" because mas madaling madinig ang gitara dahil sa pitch range nito which is generally mid to high frequency. Samantala, dahil mas sakop ng bass ang mga low frequencies (kaya nga "bass" duh), hindi siya upfront at mahirap siyang maulinigan. At dahil madalas rin kasing sabay at kumakabit ang bass sa kickdrum, all the more it gets relegated to the background -- to the point na iisipin ng manginginig na walang bass.
Ito ang madalas na stigma ng bahista -- that of being in the background and thus not as "important" as the guitar (a primarily melodic instrument) or the drums (a primarily rhythmic instrument). But just ask any empowered bassist. S/he will tell you: In this dual role lies the true power of the bass.
Because you wear two hats, you can control both the rhythmic and melodic direction of a song. Drop the bass out from the mix, you get that "bakit parang butas yung tunog?" feel. Although some may argue that some bands have no bass in their band setup. Despite this, and upon careful listening, di mapagkakaila na may ibang instrumentong gumaganap ng bass role -- maging gitara, keyboard o kung anuman. The point is, paramount na mag-lock ang rhythm at melody sa isang kanta. The bass acts like glue, melding the other instruments, vocals included, into one organic sound which will either make you want to shake your thang or sing your heart out... or both... at the same time.
=jing=
Ako si Jing Gaddi. Bahista ako. May kailangan pa ba kong sabihin? Maraming haka-hakang umuugong na kapag bahista ka, wala kang imik o di kaya’y masyado kang balot sa sarili mong mundo. Oblivious ba? Bagkos may kaunting katotohanan yan, di rin naman parating swak. Sari-saring tanong ang sumalubong sa akin, pero ang pinaka malimit ay “Bakit bass?” Simple lang ang sagot, “I play the bass because I like to play the bass” 'Nuff said.
Marahil nabasa ninyo na sa magasin o naulinigan sa mga usapan kung ano ba ang halaga ng bass sa isang band setup. Kung hindi, marahil kayo yung mga taong oblivious na merong such a thing as a bass sa isang band setup. Frankly, I have nothing against those na oblivious sa existence ng bass. Masyado kasing focused ang marami sa mga mas-obvious na tunog tulad ng tambol at gitara. Marahil, tinuring din nilang gitara ang bass. Kung sa bagay, bass "guitar" din naman ang karaniwang turing sa kanya.
Subalit, lingid sa kaalaman ng marami (sana hindi na ganun karami), merong special at unique function ang bass sa isang band setup. Kakaiba ang bass dahil it possesses both rythmic and melodic properties. Sa palagay ko, ang pagiging doble-kara ng bass ang siya ring dahilan kung bakit hindi siya gaanong pansin ng karamihan ng manginginig. Because it plays a melodic fucntion, kadalasa'y naoovershadow siya ng mas ear-friendly na gitara. "Ear-friendly" because mas madaling madinig ang gitara dahil sa pitch range nito which is generally mid to high frequency. Samantala, dahil mas sakop ng bass ang mga low frequencies (kaya nga "bass" duh), hindi siya upfront at mahirap siyang maulinigan. At dahil madalas rin kasing sabay at kumakabit ang bass sa kickdrum, all the more it gets relegated to the background -- to the point na iisipin ng manginginig na walang bass.
Ito ang madalas na stigma ng bahista -- that of being in the background and thus not as "important" as the guitar (a primarily melodic instrument) or the drums (a primarily rhythmic instrument). But just ask any empowered bassist. S/he will tell you: In this dual role lies the true power of the bass.
Because you wear two hats, you can control both the rhythmic and melodic direction of a song. Drop the bass out from the mix, you get that "bakit parang butas yung tunog?" feel. Although some may argue that some bands have no bass in their band setup. Despite this, and upon careful listening, di mapagkakaila na may ibang instrumentong gumaganap ng bass role -- maging gitara, keyboard o kung anuman. The point is, paramount na mag-lock ang rhythm at melody sa isang kanta. The bass acts like glue, melding the other instruments, vocals included, into one organic sound which will either make you want to shake your thang or sing your heart out... or both... at the same time.
=jing=
Saturday, 8 September 2007
just rolling about on the floor (just rolling about on the floor)
last night we played at nightwish bar in malate for the first leg of the pulp magazine and the world battle of the bands bar tour. apparently we are ranked 14th out of 15 bands, and if we don't get into the top 10 by tomorrow, we're gonna be eliminated.
help.
hahaha
in other news we played at the cure night @ route 196 after the nightwish gig, and even though we missed the set of our favorite band taken by cars, we were in high spirits because of slight inebriation and the wonderful wonderful powers of kowloon house dimsum :D
we played sa madaling salita, catch, why can't i be you, just like heaven, and patintero/habulan/inbetween days, then for our encore (because the shirley fans @ route 196 wanted more hahaha) we played bato.
we just love the cure so much.
our favorite bassist mr jing gaddi, also played for the cure cover band disintegration! they were great. try to catch them if the cure night happens again. haha.
-owel
help.
hahaha
in other news we played at the cure night @ route 196 after the nightwish gig, and even though we missed the set of our favorite band taken by cars, we were in high spirits because of slight inebriation and the wonderful wonderful powers of kowloon house dimsum :D
we played sa madaling salita, catch, why can't i be you, just like heaven, and patintero/habulan/inbetween days, then for our encore (because the shirley fans @ route 196 wanted more hahaha) we played bato.
we just love the cure so much.
our favorite bassist mr jing gaddi, also played for the cure cover band disintegration! they were great. try to catch them if the cure night happens again. haha.
-owel
Wednesday, 5 September 2007
hero worship
asking the band about how they got into their bands (none of us began our musical journeys (naks) with shirley) everybody mentions some hero or other that just made them want to do the things we do more than the normal person wants to do the things we do.
a common member of this mythical group is buddy zabala, bass player for the eraserheads, and musical genius extraordinaire.
i remember hanging out at maginhawa with mr. mark villena, engineer and producer of our rizal day sessions ep, reminiscing happily about eraserheads gigs at club dredd (the old ones, not the one in eastwood, ha ha), and a point he made clear was that the instruments the eraserheads were using were the same instruments that mark and his then tungaw bandmates were also using, cheap fender and gibson copies that were the only instruments available then (since the music stores weren't as abundant as they are today) and feeling this sense of awe since his heroes weren't just heroes, on some level they were equals. haha.
there's this strange feeling of elation achieved when you realize you're at a point where a hero of yours was, like somehow you're taking the route they took.
i remember being at a gig at saguijo, selena was introduced to buddy zabala, and she proceeded to tell us after the whole encounter at the jingmobile. we were changing shirts, having played a really sweaty set. ean's mouth started watering, pupils dilated, and he began muttering about how the bassline in the chorus of maselang bahaghari is probably the best bassline in the world. then he changes his mind, mentioning a string of eraserheads hits and b-sides and how he'd just study them for long periods of time, trying to wrap his brain around how mr. zabala was able to do something so transcendental in a pop song. jing starts travelling back in time in his head, back to the club dredd of old. selena is still visibly shaken at the meeting, and kathy is drunk in the jingmobile. hahaha.
before shirley, way way before shirley, i auditioned to play bass for twisted halo, when the band and their then-bassist jal taguibao parted ways. i didn't get in, buddy zabala became the new bassplayer. but i didn't feel bad at all because if i were in their shoes i'd also have picked buddy over me haha.
one twisted halo gig, that was an nu107 alternativity concert, buddy's flight back from zamboanga was delayed and i subbed for him on short notice, leaving the gig to go practice with twisted halo, and coming back to play the gig to find myself jumping up and down so much that i jumped on my glasses rendering them unwearable. i was subbing for buddy zabala. my hero. haha.
years later (haha ang tagal ko na palang nagbabanda) after a lot of other bands, i'm in shirley and outerhope and happy and i get a text message from leigh of cambio, asking if i could sub for buddy on bass with cambio. i say of course. i practice with just diego, learning the chords of the songs, and just really hammering on my guitar at home with the cambio cd playing. ang galing galing talaga ni buddy. one really fun gig at al's bar, and i thought that topped them all. but no.
last week i got the text from leigh again and of course i wanted to, and no i wasn't doing anything, and yes i love sessioning for cambio. thing is, the dawn were also playing that night. i didn't know why i was called in to session, but i was there. leigh said something about buddy having another gig or having to go somewhere so he couldn't come early so a sessionist had to play. great. getting ready for the gig, buddy zabala shows up and i'm petrified, i mean he wrote the basslines that i would be butchering. he was giving me advice, simple things people in bands should know, like "watch the drummer." "just relax." haha. coming from him those words meant a lot. my knees were shaking and kathy g commented on my playing after the set (we split 6 songs between us, the first three were mine, the next were buddy's) saying i wasn't moving at all haha.
ayun. haha. hero worship.
-owel
a common member of this mythical group is buddy zabala, bass player for the eraserheads, and musical genius extraordinaire.
i remember hanging out at maginhawa with mr. mark villena, engineer and producer of our rizal day sessions ep, reminiscing happily about eraserheads gigs at club dredd (the old ones, not the one in eastwood, ha ha), and a point he made clear was that the instruments the eraserheads were using were the same instruments that mark and his then tungaw bandmates were also using, cheap fender and gibson copies that were the only instruments available then (since the music stores weren't as abundant as they are today) and feeling this sense of awe since his heroes weren't just heroes, on some level they were equals. haha.
there's this strange feeling of elation achieved when you realize you're at a point where a hero of yours was, like somehow you're taking the route they took.
i remember being at a gig at saguijo, selena was introduced to buddy zabala, and she proceeded to tell us after the whole encounter at the jingmobile. we were changing shirts, having played a really sweaty set. ean's mouth started watering, pupils dilated, and he began muttering about how the bassline in the chorus of maselang bahaghari is probably the best bassline in the world. then he changes his mind, mentioning a string of eraserheads hits and b-sides and how he'd just study them for long periods of time, trying to wrap his brain around how mr. zabala was able to do something so transcendental in a pop song. jing starts travelling back in time in his head, back to the club dredd of old. selena is still visibly shaken at the meeting, and kathy is drunk in the jingmobile. hahaha.
before shirley, way way before shirley, i auditioned to play bass for twisted halo, when the band and their then-bassist jal taguibao parted ways. i didn't get in, buddy zabala became the new bassplayer. but i didn't feel bad at all because if i were in their shoes i'd also have picked buddy over me haha.
one twisted halo gig, that was an nu107 alternativity concert, buddy's flight back from zamboanga was delayed and i subbed for him on short notice, leaving the gig to go practice with twisted halo, and coming back to play the gig to find myself jumping up and down so much that i jumped on my glasses rendering them unwearable. i was subbing for buddy zabala. my hero. haha.
years later (haha ang tagal ko na palang nagbabanda) after a lot of other bands, i'm in shirley and outerhope and happy and i get a text message from leigh of cambio, asking if i could sub for buddy on bass with cambio. i say of course. i practice with just diego, learning the chords of the songs, and just really hammering on my guitar at home with the cambio cd playing. ang galing galing talaga ni buddy. one really fun gig at al's bar, and i thought that topped them all. but no.
last week i got the text from leigh again and of course i wanted to, and no i wasn't doing anything, and yes i love sessioning for cambio. thing is, the dawn were also playing that night. i didn't know why i was called in to session, but i was there. leigh said something about buddy having another gig or having to go somewhere so he couldn't come early so a sessionist had to play. great. getting ready for the gig, buddy zabala shows up and i'm petrified, i mean he wrote the basslines that i would be butchering. he was giving me advice, simple things people in bands should know, like "watch the drummer." "just relax." haha. coming from him those words meant a lot. my knees were shaking and kathy g commented on my playing after the set (we split 6 songs between us, the first three were mine, the next were buddy's) saying i wasn't moving at all haha.
ayun. haha. hero worship.
-owel
Sunday, 2 September 2007
so here we are
dear diary,
started the day early by watching damas de noche in ateneo. music was good! and we are proud of our ean :). ate at avenetto after and stayed at the gaddi's crib to pass time (had a mini heart to heart haha semi-serious chat about life w/ mommy ava my favorite! whilst daddy jing is napping hehe i know am weird but talking to her, she makes me feel like i'm doing the right thing always haha i love you!) then out to katipunan to fetch the boys of shirley for a paying gig in las pinas! woohoo!
cramped (as in cramped! zig was shouting my eggs! haha) inside the jing mobile: ean (seated in front and is as meek like a lamb sabi ni owel) is intoxicated vs. joe is lovelorn fighting it off for my sister's affection. haha. zig is paos but was the one asking "where are we?" the whole time, owel is laughing like crazy as always and i the sandwiched one was the only girl (as the 2 lovely crushable haha ladies of shirley were absent -- we missed you heidi and selena!) and the butt of jokes from time to time but i love those boys like fireworks so its okay.
shirley jing mobile kwentuhan is always a riot! favorite topic is music of course! and lovelife of course! haha. joe showed off his newly tattooed arm (dragon heart ang emo haha) to us and we therefore conclude will once and for all wipe off the sissy look shirley the rock band is emitting to rock listeners from now on. leveling the asthma attacks = weaklings aura. haha!
it was a long drive to las pinas but was worth it. the guys played a whole set at club streakers (whoa! 11 songs haha parang album launch haha) and there were lots of beer (always fun if its the case ;p) and it touched us to know that someone appreciates the band outside our circle of friends haha so shoutouts to our new friends: the sweet girlfriend Melanie and the lucky boyfriend Dan plus Boogie for inviting us! hope you enjoyed the set! we had fun!
ended the night by an after gig eat out at sinangag express then we raided the alvero mansion (waking up our favorite brother joey!) and after, us northerners went north haha. duh.
sobrang pagod pero masaya as my used to be favorite boy would always say. haha. eh?
yun lang.
love is such a bore coz you don't care anymore,
kath-g! (but mer-nel's cake is love courtesy of the gaddis)
ha ha ha
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)