The World of Hastang

Thu, 14 Feb 2008

***

At 6 AM, the weather was okay in Parañaque. It took less than an hour for the taxi to go from the Cebu Pacific terminal to Legazpi Village in Makati City. That was strange because I was expecting heavier traffic on that day. After all, it was Valentine’s Day. I couldn’t wait for the afternoon.

***

Yan’s parents’ pad in Makati was really cozy. Looking out the terrace balcony, I could see the Greenbelt malls across, Glorietta’s reconstructed section just a bit further to the left side, and the Renaissance Hotel rising above the 8 o’clock Makati skyline.

The heavy, sumptuous breakfast (courtesy of Yan’s mom) didn’t help much in keeping me awake. I decided to kill the hours by taking a nap. Besides, the scheduled taping was still eight hours to go. Mark told me Gaw and Phoebe were on their way to Manilafrom Cebu.

***

The afternoon drive from Makati to Sucat went relatively smooth except for the last two kilometer stretch before reaching 19 East Bar & Grill, the venue for the taping. Tessa’s friend Gian was kind enough to give us a lift from Makati to Sucat.

***

When we got there, Rember Gelera greeted us with a smile and introduced us to Enzo Marcos, the producer for the Boom Box segment of Jack TV. He looked familiar and it’s only now that I remember — he used to be in 5 & Up. Rember said they’re still waiting for the 19 East tech crew to arrive so that Enzo and the guys could start setting up their taping equipment inside the bar’s stage.

***

19 East’s stage set up is top-notch. The drum kit, amplifiers and monitors are set on a carpeted and elevated platform on the corner of the 19 East’s indoor section. Intelligent lights are stealthily anchored on steel scaffolds right above the stage while the smoke machines are cleverly hidden behind the amplifiers.

I’m sure Mark was delighted to see that the drum kit was generously furnished with all kinds of splash and crash cymbals. For my part, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I’ll be using an outdoor-quality bass amp. As I was synchronizing my bass levels, the tech approached me and asked if there’s a specific bass sound I wanted. I said something like “No problem, I think I got it.” Then the tech proceeded to setting up an additional pre-amp box for my bass amp.

When we had our initial sound check playing the instrumental part of “Midflight”, I realized 19 East takes its room acoustics seriously. For a live performer, the ideal set-up is that you hear your instrument, you hear the vocals and then you hear the collective sound of all instruments. At 19 East, I couldn’t find any reason to gripe at all. It’s like I’m hearing the music we were playing right inside my head. It’s that good.

***

As a featured band in Boom Box, we were supposed to play two songs live, with the Jack TV crew shooting our performance.

We opted to play the power ballad “Random” and the bruising “Oblivion”.

These two songs rank among our most favorite songs to play live, so we figured there’s no way we could fuck this up. And with a stage set-up like 19 East, it was pure joy.

For me, it was difficult not to be carried away with the music. And I could see the rest of the guys were enjoying the jam, too. Tessa told me afterwards she tripped on her shoes on one of the takes. I didn’t even notice that it happened. I was too busy enjoying it.

***

Most people have heard DJ Dylan’s voice over the NU 107 airwaves but have never seen her in person. Suffice it to say that she looks as cool as she sounds on the radio. We discovered this fact we she talked to the band for the interview segment of the taping.

All four of us squatted on the stage with Dylan while the crew readied their equipment. Enzo and Rember were throwing instructions to the crew while I was sitting there worrying how my unkempt shoes will look like on camera. Partially to calm everyone’s nerves and mainly for the heck of it, I fooled around with the microphone. I regret doing that now and I hope they leave that part out in the cutting room.

***

Dylan asked us the usual interview questions like “How was the band formed?”, “Why the name Hastang?”, “What are your influences?”, stuff like that.

I, Mark and Tessa took turns answering each question while Gaw remained as taciturn as always. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again — Gaw really prefers to let his fingers and guitar do the talking.

Sometimes, you just psyche yourself before doing an interview not to say stupid things like this and that but you end up saying those stupid things anyway. That’s what happened with me.

Well, if you want to hear the stupid things the bass player has been saying on camera, you’re just gonna have to watch the show. Unfortunately, as of this writing, I don’t know when the segment will be airing. Will be watching out for that.

***

But the taping didn’t end there. We still had to do another continuous shot wherein each of the band members walk up to the camera and say some trivial thing about himself or herself. Nobody else would agree to doing the walking up first, so it had to be me.

I fumbled three times before I could get it right. And when I did get it right, I immediately had a funny feeling in my gut afterwards. You know, one of those did-I-just-say-something-on-camera-that-I’m-really-gonna-regret-for-the-rest-of-my-life moments. Atay oi.

***

And just like that, day one was over.

***

Fri, 15 Feb 2008

***

Our favorite sessionist guitar player Murray Suson was flying in from Cebu early in the morning. I couldn’t help but feel a little elated. While I immensely enjoyed the previous day’s jam without a rhythm guitar player, it’s always different story when Murray is around. Besides, Hastang’s songs have always been designed and arranged for a dual-guitar line-up in live shows. Sure, we can still play formidably as a four-piece unit but there’s a gap somewhere. Murray fills that gap and adds another layer — another dimension, if you will — to Hastang’s sound. He completes the spectrum.

***

We had the whole Friday afternoon to ourselves and basically had nothing to do. Gaw and Phoebe were sight-seeing somewhere near their Makati hotel while Tessa was probably resting at her parents’ house in Makati. So me, Mark, Yan and Murray decided to check out the protest rally happening in Ayala Avenue that afternoon. Mark has many hobbies and photography was one. The protest rally would give him an excellent opportunity to take some “human element” pictures. Legaspi Street is just about a 10 minute walk to Ayala Avenue so there we were, mixing with the protest crowd. I was vaguely reminded of Sinulog. Even though we were a block away from the rally stage, I can hear someone on the microphone, urging the crowd with chants of “Tama na! Sobra na! Kumilos na!” Minutes later, this chant has transformed into “We will, we will, out you!” I wonder what Freddie Mercury has to say about that.

Minutes later (or was it an hour?), I could hear Brownman Revival playing their hit Eraserheads cover hit “Maling Akala”. I’m thinking “Wow”. Later, I hear them performing Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up” and I think “That’s more like it.” Further down the road going to GT Tower, I’m wondering what it would be like to have Rage Against The Machine play during that rally. I’m sure the crowd would love to sing to “Killing In The Name Of”, especially in the swearing part. Oh, well, maybe Dicta License will have to do.

***

Quarter before 10 PM we arrived at Maru Bar in Jupiter Street in Makati City. Rember was clever enough to organize a “Hastang Night” gig for us at Maru Bar (presented by LoudLoveLive! with sponsors CrankMusicRelief, NU 107 and Pulp Magazine). When I got there, Rember’s band Witchtreesymbol (nice name) were just about to start.

They kicked off the night with some metal head banging. Rember looked like he was about to pulverize the drums. Fresh from the 19 East stint, I roam around the bar’s corners trying to figure out the room’s acoustics. I realized it’s a bit cramped for some loud music. We may have to carefully synchronize our volume levels during sound check later to make room for Tessa’s vocals.

***

Bands that performed before us include Beansbaxter, La Luna, Severo, Glass Onion, Witchtreesymbol, and most notably, Salamin. I’ve seen them perform live in MYX before and they really have an awesome energy level. That night was no exception. The band singer Paolo might have inherited some of that energy from his father — Mr. Pure Energy Gary V. Interesting enough, they haven’t got titles for their new material yet so Paolo just introduced their songs as “Song F” or “Song D”. Nifty.

***

It was time for our set. But first things first. I carry my bass guitar (actually Gaw’s) up the stage and set my gear on the floor in front of me. Once I got my guitar cables all sorted out, I took my instrument out and made sure it was tuned to E flat. Then I turned on the bass amp while making adjustments on the guitar’s volume and tone levels. The bass amp was a bit old. It emitted a soft growl whenever a certain bass note fades. I figured it was old but the bass integrity was still intact. I just had to compensate by making slight adjustments on the amp’s low and high knobs and boosting it with my overdrive pedal. I strode in front of the stage to distance myself from my amp. This way, I could ascertain my volume levels relative to the left and right guitar amps. I strode back to the amp and made my final adjustments. It was time to rock and roll.

***

We began our set with “Oblivion”. What better way to get the crowd going than to start with something that’s hard, dynamic and a showcase for Tessa’s range.

As soon as Murray has finished his guitar intro riff, we barged in with the main monster riff, devoured everything in our path and never looked back.

I couldn’t say the same for the others but I guess I was already lost in the zone. I was banging and swaying with the song’s to-and-fro, soft-loud dynamics.

When Gaw let loose with his incendiary guitar solo near the song’s end, I let go of what restraint I had left and just rode the wave into the song’s whirlwind end.

When we were through, I looked at the crowd and regained myself. I love playing that kind of music. There were seven songs to go, the night was young and I was thirsty for more.

***

“Midflight” was a fitting song to end our set. We have already played seven of our best original songs and filled Maru Bar’s halls with as much riff-driven music as we can muster in the last fifty minutes. It was time for the last climb.

Many people might be deceived into thinking that the song was slow because of its characteristically soft stanza parts. But that only heightened the impact of the chorus parts when everything — drums, power chords, riffs — rushes in to reinforce Tessa’s pleading voice.

In the song’s coda, Gaw once again elevated emotions with his signature SRV-ish solo.

When the last E minor chord faded into the night, I felt a sense of relief and gratitude. Relief for a set well-played and gratitude for an audience that welcoming. I wondered if the next gig will also feel that way.

***

Sat 16, Feb 2008

***

Rember stopped by our hotel at around 8:15 PM. We gathered together at Mark’s room to discuss a few things about the gig later that night. Excitement was in the air and a bit of nervousness, too (for me anyway). Rember said we need to focus, get our act together and basically just behave ourselves backstage and enjoy the experience. When all was said and done, we marched out of the hotel looking for dinner.

***

Rodic’s is a deli located at the UP Shopping Center. It’s a bit small, a little too cramped actually. But many people would claim that it is, without a doubt, the best tapsilogan eatery in the whole of Quezon City - nay, in the entire country. Of course, gourmet enthusiasts that we are, there was no way we were missing it. I guess Rodic’s really did live up to the hype. Their tapsilog is definitely a must-eat. And they cook pretty good pork humba, too. With our palate sated and our bellies full, we marched back to the hotel to get our gear and make our way to the Sunken Garden. To the UP Fair.

***

On normal days, the Sunken Garden is like a dried up lake. During the UP Fair, the Sunken Garden is a place teeming with activity. Fair booths, bazaars and barbecue stalls filled every available space while a ferris wheel and a climbing wall towered over the many visitors made up of UP students and outsiders.

On one of the corners, a fifty foot stage was set up just in front the old cemented podium which probably hosted countless concerts and plays decades back.

We walked single file to the backstage entrance where we could see other students and musicians either waiting in line or just plain waiting, some furiously texting.

After checking the band list, the backstage crew ushered us in, one of them stamped my left forearm with a blood red “backstage access” mark. We were in.

***

It was a flurry of activity.

The old cemented podium served as a makeshift seat for backstage crew and musicians alike.

I could see Buddy Zabala with his bass guitar, chatting with a group of people directly ahead. I figured that The Dawn must be performing soon (he was actually getting ready to play for Cambio at that time). A few yards away sat Myrene Academia with a guy that might have been Raimund Marasigan (I couldn’t be sure because it was dark).

I glanced towards the stage and I could see the profile of the drummer and the drum kit silhouetted against the sponsorship tarpaulins draped to serve as the back walls of the stage. I couldn’t recognize the song being played and I couldn’t recognize the band.

Rember motioned for us to gather at one corner where we could lay down our instruments and sit. He reminded us to stay together so that the backstage could easily recognize as one of the bands. We did what we were told. I checked my cell phone, the clock said 10:13 PM.

***

It wasn’t long before I started recognizing familiar faces in the Pinoy music scene.

Red-shirted Ebe Dancel of Sugarfree (with his now-trademark shades) took to the stage and the crowd went wild when he belted out “Hari ng Sablay”.

The same thing happened when Hilera’s Chris Padilla launched into an adrenaline-filled “Define”.

As the night went on, more and more established bands rocked the stage: Cambio, Urbandub, Slapshock, Chicosci, Greyhoundz, The Dawn (Jett: “P***ng Ina! Umaga na!”) and The Jerks, to name a few.

***

Backstage we continued to wait for our slot. I noticed a guy in black with a guitar case sit just beside Murray. I don’t know if Murray knows this, but the guy with the guitar case was actually the singer/guitarist of the Wuds, also known as one of the most influential Pinoy punk bands of all time. Then Rember gestured all of us to gather on the right side of the stage. He said that it would be best for us to position ourselves so that no shameless band would take our place in the band line-up. It was past 2 AM.

***

It was our turn to climb the stage. While we were setting up our instruments, I stole a glance at the other side of the stage where the Wuds was playing. After their angst-riddled first song, they suddenly broke into “Inosente Lang Ang Nagtataka”. That certainly got the crowd going. Below, I could see punkistas of all sizes and colors pogo-ing to the frantic beat. Some had elaborate face paint and masks while others hoisted themselves on the shoulders of their more willing and able-bodied fellow punkistas. Others sported clever props such as wooden crosses and protest placards. Then the Wuds segued into “At Nakalimutan Ang Diyos”. I took out my cell phone and took a picture of the crowd. Then I turned sideways and took a picture of the drum kit with Mark on the drum throne. Then I rechecked my bass set-up one more time and waited.

***

There’s always the calm before the storm, the deep breath before the plunge. It certainly felt that way for me just seconds before we played in front of the vast UP Fair crowd. The concert MC introduced us a band from Cebu. Blinded by the stage lights, I couldn’t read the expressions on the faces from where I was standing. We played our standard sound check song “Haunted” and it did little in soothing my excitement. Tessa immediately threw a rallying cry to the crowd as Murray began his intro riff for “Oblivion”. And just like what happened the night before, nervousness gave way to release as drumbeats, power chords, wailing riffs and words fused into one hell of a rousing song.

***

Following “Oblivion” with “Random” was some kind of a ruse. Sure, the first song was a straight-up lacerating hard rocker. But “Random” has a mysterious force of its own. Maybe not through sheer brute sonic strength like “Oblivion’s”, but through emotional build-up and poetic delivery. And it’s hard not to get caught in it. The echoing guitar notes, the unusual snare time signature and the lyrics. On the record, “Random” commands your attention. When played live, the song is spellbinding. For me, anyway. And when Murray and Gaw finally riff-dueled their way through the song’s final chords, I take one final look at my bandmates, at the stage and at the crowd. The feeling never gets old — the sheer joy of playing live music.

And then it hit me — we have just played at the UP Fair. At the fucking Centennial UP Fair. Damn.

***

PS: You can view pictures of Hastang’s Manila trip here, here, here, here, and over here.

guile loves his girlfriend, adores (er, adored) Michael Jackson, and wants "to be complete". When he's not playing bass for Hastang, he creates thingamajigs for icomm and writes gibberish in his not-so-secret diary.
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