music man

As I enjoy my last day of a two-day leave from the office checking and answering emails (what kinda vacation leave is that?!) this Friday afternoon, I am listening to a recording of songs which I've composed, sung, guitared, and primitively recorded during my college days -- more than a decade ago.

And I once again go off to a dreamy daze as I remember my long-hair days in Peyups as a member of alt-rock band Hampas Dugo (literally translates into Strike Blood) and former band-mates Wendell (lead vocals), Val (lead guitars), Gen (bass), and Christian (drums). I played the rhythm section and was secondary vocals -- singing my own songs, of course.

Out of the 12 or so pondo songs we had (all originals), two were my compositions -- Gaya-Gaya (Copycat) and Pesimistiko (Pessimistic) -- the rest were written and sung by Wends. And during gigs, my two songs were interspersed in the song line-up to allow Wends to rest his vocal chords because, truth be told, our songs were not the mainstream types. While we were not the type that screamed their lyrics, our originals were more on the heavier side -- mixing heavy metal with a bit of glam and folk. Wends' songs were what I referred to as socially-conscious with titles like Timbangan (Weighing Scales), Bangungot (Nightmare) and Berdugo (Executioner). But he also showed his easy-go-lucky and uhm, gago side, with songs Nabuburat (Pissed Off) and Lango (Drunk).

Gaya-Gaya was probably the most pop-ish in HD's song line-up with traces of E-Heads and Yano in its tune and lyrics. I originally wrote and performed it for a Communications class and somehow, my future band-mates felt it was a good mix. The other song I sung, Pesimistiko, was typical angsty Ram. Originally, a very slow tune, the guys mixed it up during a semi-hiatus I had due to chicken pox and when I returned two weeks later, they arranged Pesimistiko in such a way that it became a precursor of what was to become rap-metal. It became a jazzy fusion thing and was actually fun to sing -- I was almost rapping it, actually.

HD enjoyed a full two years with its original line-up, developing a bit of a cult following in the UP College of Mass Communications where many friends and college-mates watched our performances in and out of campus. We managed a couple of gigs in then Club Dredd Timog and composed and recorded a version of the DZUP station ID. At that time, our contemporaries were Tungaw, Fatal Posporos, Agnus Dei and the now extremely famous and prolific Parokya ni Edgar.

Unfortunately, the band, like I said, lasted only a couple of years as other priorities set in. I was the first to leave the band, opting to concentrate on finishing my degree in four years. A full-time commitment to a band was not what my parents had in mind for me, and I myself didn't see a future whereby a long-haired Ram would still be holding an electric guitar and making the rounds of the rock scene. There was also a falling out between our vocalist and our lead guitars, something that had been brewing for the longest time, and the latter decided to part ways with the band he had co-formed.

Wends, Gen and Christian actually continued with HD even after Val and I left. They picked up a new guitarist and their music became punkier although their heavy metal tone remained. Even after I graduated, Wends led the band into several more gigs until the band had to really dissolve when Wends finally got his diploma in 1998 or early 1999.

Since college, I've not made any attempts at forming a band or becoming part of one. I've been busy with corporate life and now as I have my own family, that has permanently sealed the door to such ventures. I will however welcome an opportunity to sing or play again, just give me enough time to practice. And I will continue to write songs when I can. And I will record all the songs I've thus written so far, along with any other song I will write in the future.

The music man may have left his band, but the man has not left his music.

Cheers, repapips!