So there was Razorback playing away at Kalye bar and
Wolfgang's first bar gig was at this place on the corner of Makati Ave. and Buendia, which is now a 7-11, that was called "San Tropez". It was a small place but we would go there on Friday nights to hang out with them. After a couple of months Manuel's friend's dad wanted to know more about this place so he ventured out there one week night and apparently this man strikes up a conversation with him. In the process, the guys asks him what brought him there and Manny's friend's dad says "Well, this is where Manuel and his rock band plays on the weekends." The guy then says, "But, this is a gay bar!"
Some time later, "Pasta on the Piazza" aka "Weekends Live" opened up in the Atrium building on Makati Ave. and Wolfgang became regulars there. Razorback played there numerous times too. The early days there were horrendous! I would come in and see the equipment and would want to cry! They had the smallest practice amps for the guitars, the most terrible PA, and a rag-tag, multi-colored piece of junk drum kit.
I would ask the talent coordinator what the heck was that and he would just say something like "Ayaw mo nyan? Marami'ng drums?" Leche!
They were all pieced together from numerous other drum kits. They brought the surviving pieces of crap.
Sure enough, on the first few songs, nabutas yung kick drum! Haaaay buhay. So we run to Kalye, get mang Tony to bring us to his amo's studio off of Rizal Ave and we pick up their kick drum, run back, set up, and continue on with the show anyway. Man, that sucked.
But we came back anyway and played there many more times nonetheless and we met a whole slew of new bands that were also coming out of the woodwork such as
Manang Damo, who later had a minor hit with the song Pautang Ina,
Pedro's Cannabis, and so many more.
Later, we branched out and played Mayrics and Club Dredd in QC. It was the Dredd in Timog and it was hard to get in there. For one thing, they branded us as "Makati boys" and they did not like seeing us come in there and rocking their house. But with diligence and perseverance, we finally became accepted in that circle as well. We played at that 2nd floor venue a few times then it moved to EDSA where it lived out it's life span.
At EDSA's Dredd, we became friends with so many musicians and fans and had many wonderful years of playing there too. Man, they had the smelliest bathroom!!! Di'ba, Patrick? That's where the Razorboys also discovered the Adios Motherf*cker...one of the most mean-ass versions of that drink I have ever had in my life. If I had 3 of those I was down for the count. #-o
Mayrics on the other hand had the smallest stage with a post right in the middle which blocked some line of sight. We used to wonder how
Coco Jam would fit up there with Rolly on vox, Jun on guitar, Rico on bass, Ike on keyboards, Bosyo on drums, and Girlie and Em on backing vox! Sometimes they even had Heli on 2nd guitar...Hanep! Razorback didn't number as many so we had it better but it was tight anyway. During those early years of ours, bata pa si Eric yung anak ng may-ari, so he wouldn't be around and I only really got to know him when I was already playing with the Breed in '97-'98 and later, Battery's first incarnation which was composed of myself, Michael Turner, and Johnny Besa.
More to come soon...
