Independence!

A night flowing with beer, nice people and great music filled the 2nd Bicol Indie Music Fest at the Kambingan Resto last 26th of January. Participated by 13 bands, the night featured the fast budding of local bands throughout Bikol, and how they differ with bands from music capitals like Cebu and Central Luzon.

For the opening salvo, Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice – a fusion of Centerfold and Black Gulaman members - electrified the ambiance with its Urbandub covers, making the audience more eager to listen to other participating bands’ magnum opus. Then, two OK FM DJ act upon some ice breaking forewords about the event followed by our own Elmer Ramos’ official introduction of the event, sponsors, and forthplaying bands Centerfold blasted off the stage as the first participating band. Still, Vanessa Navarro’s prevailing voice caught up the crowd’s ears with their great hits. This “Katwo Librando”(the voice behind Narda’s fine music) version of Bikol is still the undisputedly best female front man of the Bicol Music Scene - the band still of the region’s best.

A bunch of pop-alternative rockers, Punchcube, was the next to take the center stage. This Dreamtheateresque group impressed the crowd by their gothic getups and by their progressive branded music, not to mention Kuraei’s unfathomable hundred-note per minute solos and Bryan’s super-baritone.

Grove Syndrome, an old school grunge band that initially originated in Naga, also banged the night with their all time appealing cover songs. The band was still at their performance’s peak, reflecting their longtime run of rocking the local scene.

Hapitones, the Ska provokers with seven endowed players, made the night a bit groovy with their chilly stimulating covers like “Lemon Tree” and “Runaway”. Though first timers in the event, Hapitones proved that they are old masters in conveying music into the spectators’ souls.

Tri-vocal hardcore band Pandora’s Box became the occasion’s one of most admired bands. Hardcore metal will never be a dead genre with their underworld screams, consequential beats, and double peds. “Pando” throughout its fifteen-year career continues to instigate young fellow musicians to pursue their chosen music lifestyle.

Wandering from Legazpi City, self-proclaimed experimental band Pepsi Paloma Experiment delivered some politically inspired songs. Vocalist Ahmad Tanji performed as if having a sweet kind of noise barrage and the rest of the band still splendid as what they were for the past five years.

Post hardcore Black Gulaman once again liberated the crowd’s wild spirits. This 2005 Muziklaban Finalist will never be forgotten because of its extreme live performances. Hence, the band is still one common household band name.

Having a distinctive sound among the performers, Mudflow – a Legazpi based reggae band – gave some smoky groovy songs to give the night a new rhythm. One of which is the all time Bikolano anthem “Sarong Banggi.”

The 2006 Muziklaban Finalist, fresh and fruity Kamia, showed how to be poignant in terms of hard rocking. Their hits like “One Minute Silence” and “Pagdurusa” shoved even the crowed outside the venue to slam along with their authoritative chaotic screams and hardcore emo singles.

Acid and funk branded, Monoacid and Atam in Sisa took over with their sizzling hits. They demonstrated that rock also needed some curl to be in close proximity to the audience’s starting appreciation of rock n’ roll music.

S.Y.M.P.H. also blew up with their newest hits mostly shaped by vocalist-guitar player Duke Thomas Dolorical. As accustomed, political songs with a bit bent of humor are the finest from the brilliant philosophy of this band.

Pennies for Jane (P4J), the band that forged punk rock in Bikol, wrapped up the event. Perpetual punk hits like ‘Superhero” and “Perfect Day” attested how this band became one of the most popular bands in Bikol and most blissful performers in the scene.

Patronizing our local talents is a one sure thing for Bikol to be acknowledged as one of the music capitals in the country, who knows, one of them might be our people’s representative for the International Battle of the Bands Competition.

The Bicol Indie music Fest is not just a showcase of Bikolano musicians for fun and party; not for the bands’ glory and flamboyant acts; and not even for uncooked fame and money. You can criticize the music they do, that’ll be great, but a little appreciation would be good. So what do these Bikolano bands play for you say? They would simply say, they play for you and our Bikol. Long live Bikolano musicians!