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The Music Forums => Jazz and Blues Cafe => Topic started by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 02:34:41 PM

Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 02:34:41 PM
let's give this a try....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 02:44:48 PM
introducing myself...JM, guitarist for 15 yrs now.journeyman musician po.meaning palipat lipat ng landas...learning stuff and soaking up whatever he can in whatever there is.

been a member of a number of bands....but i got my start in BLUE RATS.been part of a legacy, guitar player for 5 yrs before moving on.

but the BLUE RATS, despite personnel changes, are still at it.the legacy continues....

there is no blue rats website,no friendster account,not even myspace.

but i got an a-ok from blue buddha, to start a thread.and it is my goal here to put down all things blue and rattty!hehehe

Alumni...the present lineup...Jammers extraordinaire...a lil bit of history...styles and songs...the 'unreleased album'.......alumnus-where are they now?...maybe an upcoming reunion concert...

and mainly to answer the question..." Who is this F*&^in BAnd Anyway?!!?" :lol:

blue buddha, feel free to fact-check cause my history is pretty blurry at the moment...i need help mostly on dates..a bit of who's who...

like who was in the early line up
Title: the first rats
Post by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 02:58:57 PM
now i wasnt there when it all started...but i was pretty darn close.so forgive me if i dont get every detail right.

blue rats started years ago...cultivating itself in the friendship of three individuals. Apa O., Butch R. and A.L. (i dont know if he wanted his name here! :lol: )

they went to school together...eventually went their separate ways and studied abroad separately...reunited and found that they all have common love of the blues, decided to form a blues band ,just for kicks.

now all of them have day-jobs(understatement)...so they knew that this was only goin to be a semi-serious thing, playin only on the weekends...suppose to be something they could do so they wont burnout at their jobs...also the booze and partying didnt hurt...hehe

started fooling around w/a 4 track recorder, coming up with early compositions like "lakas ng tama". really stoked about what they came up with,they decide to go ahead and book a gig.

this was in 94-95.
Title: a little backround
Post by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 03:09:19 PM
now who are these three forefather of the blues thumpin rats of the round blues table?

Apa O.---media personality...closet bassist who eventually became the manager of Blue Rats.he made a lot of hilarious lyrics that became songs/originals for the band,(?)hehe...

Butch R.---hhhmmmm...classical guitar player virtuoso ( ayos ba butch ).who did the rounds as a blues/rock guitar player back in the good old days, i'm actually friends with a former bandmate of his so i know what the deal is.went through what most musicians go through. the struggle...constant gigging...until he landed a gig as a professor of guitar instruction in st. thomeas university...where i met him.

A.L. ---an architect in his spare time :D ...in his own words...schizophrenic member of the rats....churning guitar sounds, laidback and sweet to the beat...can never rush him..he's got it nailed down...learned a lot from this guy.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 03:16:49 PM
still in '95 guys

so there they are guitars and a bassist. needed to fill in the blanks so the band would be complete.

a drummer and a keyboard player..maybe a saxophone player...

but one crucial element of the rats has yet to be discovered.

enter Trice Gomez...blues lady of the first degree.A niece of one of the members, who is known as a very powerful singer, who apparently gained experience singing in HS bands and family reunions.

She is THE vocalist and face of the rats.oh,it didn't hurt that the members could blow the socks of the non-believer...but Trice's voice was the storm as powerful as any blues veteran out there.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 03:24:05 PM
so they start rehearsing. SRV, BB king, Muddy waters...you name it...it was an encyclopedia of blues and rock n'roll.

first gig...it was like an audition gig.the bar?hobbit house..known for it's midget staff,frequent home for struggling artists and media who's who.

audition? the blue rats didnt care..all they thought about was having a blast playin the music that they hold in their hearts...it was a 'joke'.i have just been corrected that the rats who were there only knew 4 songs  :lol: .

they rocked, they rolled , they conquered...hobbit house offered them a regular friday slot.

panic time...

although, they enjoyed and had a great time in their firsts gigs...it was apparent that their dayjobs were gonna present a problem.priorities w/school, job and dayjobs.scheduling the growing number of gigs  :lol: .the only solution would be, get musicians who actually did it for a living  :lol: to support and augment the band when certain key members weren't around.

so enter the UST musicians...of which i was a part of ...joining what would become the nucleus for the early lineup(s) of the Blue Rats.

Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 03:34:50 PM
on vocals...Trice Gomez

on lead guitar---Butch R.
rythm guitar--A.L.
bass guitar--Apa

Ust musicians who joined:

sax:Joe Ingarra, New Yorker sax player who was a former navy service man who actually went here when there was a naval base in olongapo.also a member of the Navy's Orchestra or Band or whatever.came here in the mid 90s.discovered by butch...the rest was history.

apparently, apa and AL had jobs who werent as flexible as butch's.so butch took it upon himself to find replacement musicians who could fill in when apa and AL couldnt play.

keyboards: JJ Coloma
bass: Percy Bautista
drums: Houdini

enter me...yes that's right.ako pa din ang bida...well i only know how i joined the band..medyo hazy ang memory ko sa iba...so sorry po..hehe

i started out as a student of classical guitar in UST.where i had butch as my teacher.it was ok nung una...but i never showed my powers in electric guitar on campus.strict classical e.

so sometimes butch would catch me practicin blues on my nylon string during our lessons.sasabihin nya.."ano yan?"...wala po, medyo pampatanggal antok lang.

eventually joined the ust jazz ensemble....butch saw me play there...and then i got invited to play w/blue rats.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 15, 2006, 03:41:56 PM
so there you go :

first line up of blue rats:

trice gomez-vox
AL--rhythm guitars
Butch--lead guitars
Apa--bass guitars
Joe--sax

me--'3rd'guitar player--classical guitar student gone bad.. :twisted:
nyahahahahaha

JJ coloma--keyboards,classical pianist who learned to play them blues in the process.got barrelhouse piano licks and tricks up the wazoo.and also delved into harp for further studies.not 'blues harp' mind you....but the really big one, that you see played by tadao hayashi. :lol: JJ was great playin his organ...not his organ mind you  :lol: but the hammond b3 type...of course he did it with a synthesizer...not a real hammond organ.

Houdini--drums..yes his name is houdini.he would really escape the world with his music...i met him in the UST jazz band...great chops.would always remember his first name. have no luck rememberin his last though.but he is a very good drummer..big part of the reason that the blue rats 'swinged' harder then great big axe in a red wood forest.

Percival Bautista--bass...who actually played a stinkin mean upright blues bass guitar...it didnt hurt that he had jazz chops to spare.also a member of the UST jazz ensemble.acting as the 2nd person in the blue rats swing part invention..haha...big jazz manner in a small package, that was how percy was.

played fridays at hobbit house....the occasional wedding and party...the once a week gig in hobbit became fri and sat...also an unplugged set in the grand boulevard hotel back to back with jun lopito...budhha i still have the flyers man....

exciting time for me...coz i got to meet my heroes...had a great time...and it was blues university for me....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on August 15, 2006, 04:00:17 PM
... great stuff... can't wait for the next episodes...  :-)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 15, 2006, 04:28:10 PM
Me too, me too.... I can't wait for the next episodes too!  :lol:

You're doing pretty well b2d... Percy's last name is Bautista (last seen on a Norwegian Cruise Ship as part of the house band). Can't remember Hodini's last name... Don't forget Cesar in your next episode....

And you forgot to mention that the "audition" at Hobbit was really done as a joke more than anything else. The band knew 4 songs -- that was literally it. That they even hired the Rats was ludicrous....

O continue, continue.....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on August 15, 2006, 04:44:15 PM
i hope there's a nice account of that gig in Club Dredd (?). i think it was Eddie Boy Escudero's bday blues gig. Basta I remember Apa, tipsy/drunk and walking around w/ his bass strapped on and thereby forcing people to duck for safety!  And this was before their set!

i played on that gig too w/ my college band Soul Dredgers. iirc, Tom Colvin and Egay Imperio jammed with us.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 15, 2006, 10:23:35 PM
That's why Apa ceased to be the regular bassist for the Rats -- band members were spending too much time and money in emergency rooms across the city getting treated for bruises on the chest, upper arms, and back of the neck. The cops on the beat at the hospitals were beginning to suspect a serial attacker armed with a strangely shaped club tipped with four blades in the shape of three-leafed clovers....   :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 16, 2006, 01:45:26 AM
now the rats were starting to create a buzz...oh yes certainly they were a blues band....but they made the party really alive when they played.nevermind that the songs they played were old and forgotten classics to generation x.generation x actually loved it.and though the blue rats werent born so they could be blues ambassadors to the pinoy community....it just became that way. :)

now w/the situation that the gigs are growing, and exposure was steady...the band provided some form of financial respite in others...for some it was just a weekend thing..well trice,jj and i were still goin to school so it was pretty cool having extra lunch money so we could all eat at mcdo...hehehe

nevertheless the roster began changing...and it seemed like the constant lineup that would exist in the gigs were...

trice,apa,AL,butch, myself and joe.....

and then we have the revolving door of the rhythm section of blue rats.
Title: a story of bassists and drummers.
Post by: blues2death on August 16, 2006, 02:02:17 AM
percy and houdini...like i mentioned before, 2 part swing invention of the blue rats.were actually graduates of UST conservatory of music.living it. and breathing it. houdini had to bow out because of health issues. and percy was on his way to play bass in a norweigan cruise....

Cesar---aha...now this has been a running joke in the band. the age issue...now butch,apa and AL are in the same batch,the middle aged rats...JJ,me and trice form the new generation bluesmen/woman in the band during that time.....Joe? well let's say that he's been around the block 5 times...hehehe...in cesar we found someone almost as old as joe... :lol: ...cesar has been the veteran drum beater for as long as he can remember...at 14 he ran off to join a band in vietnam to entereatin the troops...yep he's that old ,you could just imagine how old joe is... :lol: i dont see him reading this thread so  :lol: tanda talaga man...but to his credit...his chops justifies his age...mature and precise he could give today's drummers a run for their money--

Norman Belardo---former advent call bassist.now here's the kick when you play in a bar..any bar.you meet great musicians and even greater musicians.advent call was one of those bands we played back to back with.I call him 'Baloo' the bear ...me bein mowgli.which was literally how it was between us.he's as chunky as his basslines that plow forth from his fender jazz bass. He was the policeman who laid down the law when it comes to the foundation of the blue rats.it made the jams exciting and grand.often times impressing jammers when they come a-visting the hobbit house...a lot of guitar players wanted to hire the rhythm section coz we were as tight as a duck's &^%ss!

also notable are when henry/advent call keyboardist comes a jamming....that organ player from deep purple sure would worried if he ever hears this guy play!

ok hold on to your seats!

here's where it gets tricky! :lol:
Title: bosyo and eggpie
Post by: blues2death on August 16, 2006, 02:44:42 AM
enter "bosyo"..one of the many bands who we played back-to back with in hobbit. it started out as one big jam of a mess...but nevertheless really exciting.

eggpie....bass virtuoso. aha! his name is actally rene de castro...became eggpie when he had a stint playing in olongapo and call girls would playfully call him eggpie..hehe

         he played bass for the jerks,jun lopito,pepe smith,sampaguita and most notably became part of the watawat band,backing up the great freddie aguilar.he was the go-to bassist for pinoy rockers.playing foundation licks in the style of jaco pastorius...i think he was better than jaco.seriously.known for his kabuki hairstyle..domo arigato mister roboto..

edmund fortuno---"bosyo"...how we got this guy to play drums for us,i will always be grateful.doesnt need an introduction.you know what your eardrums will get into when this guy's behind the kit....one memorable quote i heard from a hot momma who used to watch us at hobbit..."wow, if my lover would only look like that when we did the deed, that would give multiple,multiple orgasms all day and all night."

      we miss you edmun...i will always remember the words of wisdom you would give me when i took you home to las piñas in plaza quezon.i love you bro! im sure youre givin the angels up there a heck of a good time!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 16, 2006, 02:51:31 AM
Quote from: deltaslim
i hope there's a nice account of that gig in Club Dredd (?). i think it was Eddie Boy Escudero's bday blues gig. Basta I remember Apa, tipsy/drunk and walking around w/ his bass strapped on and thereby forcing people to duck for safety!  And this was before their set!

i played on that gig too w/ my college band Soul Dredgers. iirc, Tom Colvin and Egay Imperio jammed with us.


now that's probably where i need to get some help from joric.haha...all in all...and im not kiddin...i had a good time in the 90s...i couldnt remember ALL the details....

lotsa funny moments though...i remember butch snappin a string, and he was so drunk out of his mind that he couldnt figure out what he should do to it...like everyone was lookin at him and he was staring blankly at the wall...hehe...only for a moment though.coz i managed to borrow a tele from perf that night...i think it was the same night that we played with the dredgers...man i might have been drunk myself bro!

oh and apa bein the sweet guy that he is.... :roll: he would never threaten another living being with his instrument :twisted: nope...he would never do that  :roll:
Title: the gigs, and the gigs...and the other gigs..
Post by: blues2death on August 16, 2006, 03:03:16 AM
now blue rats was a big band...understatement

we had three vocalists (trice,butch and joe), three guitars..two bassists,one sax and one keyboardist...and two drummers...

was a thing of necessity coz some members couldnt make it due to conflicting schedules...but there was one gig, that actually had all members present at one time...

trice,butch,AL,apa,percy,jj,houdini,cesar,joe and myself.

it was a party somewhere in batangas(pls correct me budhha coz i dont remember)...where i distinctly remember the members of the band were more than the audience...great food,great drinks...but so few people...it was dyahe for the guy who had the party...but it was ok...for those who were there it was grand.

it was a wonder that the stage could hold all ten of us...i mean save for percy and me...the rest of the rats were larger than life...i didnt mean that as an insult...but the music was even larger.

we played "liz reed" and "whippin post" in its entirety and more...everyone climaxin on that blues break as one instrument...it was like a herd of elephants mixin it up with a herd of bufallo...

haha....butch,known for bein so critical really got off that night..he was kissin everybody on the cheek...yikes!hehehe

even before that we all know that the rats had a potential to be the heaviest and loudest sounding blues ensemble....we could quiet down and be as soft as little mice ...but when the rats got down and dirty...ah you wouldnt want to be in the way of a train who's just on the verge of derailling... :wink:

Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 16, 2006, 02:04:19 PM
Supplement:

After just 6 months of gigging regularly in '95, it became apparent that it was difficult for everyone to commit to showing up twice a week. So the "strategic philosophy" was formed: The music would be Blues in every form done in a Jam format -- we didn't have to rehearse too much, we could have musicians come in and out of the band easily, and the sound would be different every night. The band was run like the Allman Brothers or The Grateful Dead -- more like a family of multiple musicians who showed up when they could. "Know the song intros, know the song endings -- whatever happens in between... bahala na. Tinginan nalang". As a result over the years, a ton of musicians would traipse into Hobbit House to jam with the band.

That early party gig in Puerto Azul, Batangas in 1995 was an ensemble milestone: Allmans/Dead formula -- 2 drummers, keys, sax, bass, 3 guitars, vocals... "the wall of sound". Not too long after that, Apa left for business school abroad and the Rats took on Norman Belardo on bass.

That 3rd lineup (1996 onward) of the Rats was the strongest and most versatile -- could play blues in any form: delta, chicago, big band, blues-rock, blues-pop, fusion, southern rock, acid, country, classic r&b, funk, etc... The band did a televised "Concert at the Park" in Luneta covering "a history of the blues". That band was:

Tricie G. - vocals
Joe I. - saxes, vocals
Butch R. - guitars, vocals
JM (blues2death) - guitars
AL - guitars
JJ Coloma - keys
Norman Belardo (of Advent Call) - Bass
Edmund "Bosyo" Fortuno (of D'Swooners, Juan de la Cruz, Anakbayan, Sampaguita) - drums

This was also the lineup that Mike Hanopol insisted on recording in 1996, which resulted in an as yet unreleased album of 8 originals and 3 covers called "Mahaharot na Tugtugin".

B2d, I don't know if you know this -- and if you don't, I'm sorry to have to be the one to let you know: Norman died in a tour boat accident in the middle east earlier this year. Presumably he was part of the house band on the boat when it capsized in a harbor off Bahrain. A real tragedy. Well, he's up there with Bosyo now holding down the low end and waiting for the rest of us.  :cry:

Whew.... Ok. Next..........
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 16, 2006, 03:04:48 PM
excuse me while i regain my composure.....

ahem....Norman is one of the greatest friends a guy could have.miss you buddy!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 16, 2006, 03:09:15 PM
blue buddha...i got to commend you.you remember every single detail.hahaha

while the rest of the rats were in a drunken stupor, one of us was actually takin down notes...

mabuhay ka blue buddha
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 18, 2006, 04:19:54 PM
to continue.....

so that lineup  from 96...pretty much stayed the same, although various points in time bassists would be changed, butch roxas , apa and AL would go abroad for a while...

there was a time though that the rats would have "pwesto" four times a week....that's in different areas in metro manila. for a pinoy blues band, that was pretty busy.

so the lineup would be flexible for a time. sometimes norman would play for some gigs.if he couldnt make it--he was in advent call at the same time---eggpie would fill in...

we also went through a while when butch wasnt around and AL couldnt make it...i would be the only guitar player playing...and it would still be loud. man, maybe i was the reason the hobbit people always asked the rats to turn down. :lol:

eventually, we would find ourselves without a bass player, and butch would ultimately focus on his classical guitar studies and would quit electric guitar for good.

so enter.....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 18, 2006, 04:29:14 PM
johnny besa-----former bassist for "the breed", known for the all-black shirts and jeans getup,'black ,mercedes benz',and their singer turned newscaster/commercial for catsup... :wink:

       come to think of it, johnny has always wore black....harkens back to the kalye/atrium days. johnny, rockhard stature was as solid on the bass as it could be...backup vocals extraordinare...also manages to squeeze in zztop's "tush" occasionally in the set(with him singing it--w/conviction of course!)...great rock n roller...

and get ready...hold on to your hats----cowboy is in the house...
        ayos ba cow? well....cowboy 2nd generation rockstar..because of his mom.but it doesnt end there.he's got the whole package goin.good looks,height,great guitar chops,well toned vocal chops...and a good sense of humor would contribute  more than his rock pedigree...
       lefty guitarist in the tradition of hendrix...god, the last time i played with this guy was in a xmas party in 04.....playin a 80s themed set...remember blondie cow?" one way or another..."i forgot the lyrics,hehehe

and these guys manage to stay in the rats up to now...

and the saga continues.....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nicemusic on August 18, 2006, 04:39:07 PM
Sorry to jump in sir... 8)

But you mean saga Sir?!?

This is what you call "Philippine Blues History"...

Someone please document this... before we lose some data :shock:

If there is a book authored on Philippine Jazz "Pinoy Jazz Traditions" by Richie Quirino... someone should start writing (with pictures sana :D and an extensive info about gear used  :D ) a book about Pinoy Blues?

I should hang here more often... :oops:

Am learning a lot!

Thanks! :D

Now sorry to interrupt this sir, you may now go on with your program... :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 18, 2006, 05:45:45 PM
Am sure b2d was just being facetious by calling it a "saga".  :lol:  But it's the possible name dropping that makes this a rather interesting story..... so here's some name dropping as part of......

.....Supplement #3:

That lineup pretty much held until about 2000, with Wendell Garcia (pre-Barbie's Cradle) becoming a Rat too, doubling up with Bosyo on special gigs like The Talong Party (which shall remain undescribed to avoid potential arrests) and subbing when Bosyo couldn't make it.

By 2000, a lunatic range of musicians had jammed and performed onstage, in the studio, or done rehearsal time with the band – a virtual who’s who of Pinoy blues and rock (pasensya nalang if some were left out or if some were post 2000): Mike Hanopol and Joey “Pepe” Smith (Juan de la Cruz), Sampaguita, Jun Lopito (CocoJam, Boddhisatvas), Chikoy Pura and Nitoy Adriano (The Jerks), Dondi Ledesma (Wally Gonzales Band), Miyaki (Sampaguita), Binky Lampano, Edwin Vergara, Tom Colvin, Simon Tan and Jojo Lim (Lampano Alley),  Sammy Asuncion (SPY), “Indian Joe” Alex (Hukkah), Ka Roger Pullin, Cookie Chua (Color It Red), Tirso Ripol and David Aguirre (Razorback), Basti Artadi (Razorback, Wolfgang), Nino Mendoza (Blue Jean Junkies), Kakoy Legaspi (Mr. Crayon, River Maya), Alex Cruz, Megan Aguilar, Jamie Wilson, Bituin Escalante, Mike and Angelo Villegas, Butch Saulog, Jay Ortega, Dennis Mabanta, and Manny Amador.

By then, SOME VENUES PLAYED…

The Hobbit House
Republic of Malate
Heckle & Jeckle
Mayric’s
70’sBistro
Pep’s Bar
Mexicali – Alabang
Manila Blues Festival - Music Museum
Feté de la Musique
Jaguar Motors Launch – Peninsula Hotel
Pulp Summer Slam – Amoranto Stadium
Puerto Galera Summer Slam
Puerto Azul Music Festival
Concert at the Park
RJ Music Festival
The Glorietta at Ayala Center
Radio Bandido EDSA Celebration
Marikina Music Festival
Concert In The Garden – UP Diliman
The Conservatory -Peninsula Hotel
Beck’s Bar - Grand Boulevard Hotel
3 weddings and a bunch of private parties


… AND OTHER PLACES GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN…

Club Dredd
Roxy’s
Poppies
Studebaker’s
Euphoria
Zu – Shangrila Hotel Makati

O, b2d..... continue.....  :-k
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: toybitz on August 18, 2006, 06:00:12 PM
go on, go on.  :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on August 18, 2006, 09:36:28 PM
bb - no bourbon st (in jupiter)?
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 19, 2006, 12:44:46 AM
The Rats could have played there, b2d may recall. We did talk about it, but I can't remember if we did! In fact, there's a bunch of places I now can't remember.... the band was all over the place at that point. I now recall that some version of the Rats in those years went down to Cebu, another to the Baliwag Lechon compound in Bulacan, yada yada yada.... It was a bit crazy.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: pinoymusika on August 19, 2006, 02:05:37 AM
Quote from: deltaslim
bb - no bourbon st (in jupiter)?


Bourbon St. was in Makati Ave I recall - Hoagy used to hype that place up all the time.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tony2tone on August 19, 2006, 05:21:45 AM
I remembered the Blue Rats playing here in cebu for a 1 Peso Concert
they were along with SPY and Flaming Hemorrhoids(Razorback and Wolfgang mixed together) and I if I recall along with also the Hotdogs and South Border.  8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 19, 2006, 08:03:02 AM
da history of pinoy blues. 8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 19, 2006, 08:44:49 AM
While we wait for b2d to get back online...

There it is -- the Cebu 1 Peso concert! Missed that one, but all the Rats had a great time down there. They came back to Manila describing it as "a haze".

And yes, Cousin Hoagy kept on egging the band on about doing Bourbon St. but am not sure whether the band ever ended up playing there.

The funny thing is that all those folks mentioned up there used to drop in on Hobbit House fairly often when the band was playing during those years because of the Rats' blues jam format -- loosey-goosey, informal, freewheeling, and experimental, musos regularly got invited up on stage to plug in or just borrow the many guitars lying around and have a go at it. When things worked out particularly well, they'd come back for more and the audience just ate it up. Huge fun.

Of the many side stories, some of the bandmembers recall fondly:

• doing "balong malalim", "beep beep", and many extended jams with Mike Hanopol and his headless steinberger guitar, and being extremely shocked at his fusion chops -- way beyond his JDLC days. He had definitely not been "idle".

• doing "himig natin" with Pepe in Cmaj7-Fmaj7 because someone just randomly "started" it out in that key (after that, Tricie felt that even if she called it quits at that point, her singing career was fulfilled), and Pepe's hysterically campy performance at Euphoria with the Rats in the middle of a band "bull session" (Pepe in Euphoria!!! Un-****ing-believable).

• Sampaguita "handing over" the song "Kumadre" to the band as part of the regular repertoire.

• Jun Lopito and his fiesta red strat turning everyone deaf in that small rehearsal studio near P. Burgos, and subsequently making sure it was a permanent effect two nights later onstage.

• Binky's "waltz" with Vince C., our erstwhile manager, next to the bar at Hobbit.

• Apa in black socks and birkenstocks looking like a german tourist at the 1st Puerto Azul Music Festival, and being filmed, interviewed, and chatted up by Nadia live on air on MTV.

• Sammy's 1/2 set long slow blues jam (25 minutes or so!) and that incredibe sounding Fender Mustang.

• Alex leaving bits of his DNA on the mic, on our guitars, etc.... everywhere....

• Cookie Chua passing the Tanduay around backstage at the Blues on the Loose concert at Music Museum.

• Nino's One Note harp solo jams.

• Joe, Butch, and b2d (?) putting Tony Neri (who briefly joined the Rats as a keyboardi player) in a bangka at 3am and crossing from the first Puerto Galera Music Fest to Batangas because of Tony's minor heart attack.

• Megan giving the band "the up and down look" at Music Museum. Subsequently, the strange version of "Summertime" at Hobbit where everyone was playing different chords.

• Tricie's incredible power duets with Bituin Escalante.

• The band's dropped-jaw reaction at Dondi Ledesma's bass chops -- everyone just went on "jam-auto-pilot" to watch/hear him play.

• b2d in a stetson and poncho at the 2nd Puerto Galera Summer Fest, looking like he stepped out of the cover of SRV's "In Step" album.

• Our abject fear of Eggpie with his kabuki haircut and leopardskin tights running into my mom during a bathroom break at rehearsals at my house (never happened).

• After the first two years, never having rehearsals and playing the same stuff for 6 straight years (but sounding different everytime!).

O b2d, where are you na? Continue... continue....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 19, 2006, 10:28:43 AM
This. is. AWESOME!  :D  finally the story comes together!

do we have any pics? I am sure that would make this thread even more exciting!

I have the "Rockstar" gig pic in my HD. lemme know when I can post it!
Title: bokals
Post by: Beatrice Gomez on August 19, 2006, 11:57:54 AM
This is galing! Was laughing my ass off :). Good memories. I have pics and funny press releases here. Will post them when I find them. So, where are we na? After the 1 Peso concert... That was galing dude! So many people and our first out of town gig where we had to get on a plane. It was a blast on stage but the party was backstage.

Side track:I met Miguel Ortigas (then with the Breed) backstage. Woohoo!!! He joined up with the Rats soon after that (I think). It's all pretty hazy. I think I'll leave the details up to the more sober (at the time) members of the band.

By the way, there is a yahoo group for the Blue Rats (gigs skeds, updates, tsismis) http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/thebluerats.

B2d and buddha, keep the stories rolling :)... They're so funny :).
Title: "blue" not "purple" haze"
Post by: blues2death on August 19, 2006, 12:38:56 PM
well, i realized that this whole saga thing was just something that i thought sounded funny....pls forgive me, i didnt mean to sound cocky.

    i mean BB would agree, like i said before, that when the rats started we never thought we were makin blues history..i mean cmon. the whole pinoy blues history started with pinoy rock.

   juan dela cruz,maria cafra,sampaguita,anakbayan...just off the top of my head...they were all rooted firmly in the blues. maybe not blues from the delta..or even chicago blues...but yeah we have our own pinoy blues.

  continuing in the tradition of pinoy rockers in the 70s, in the 80s you have the jerks, advent call, the dawn--rock n roll and new wave,...and in the 90s you have razorback and wolfgang, comin from the blues rock and classic rock vein.

   but beneath all of that, there really was some sort of blues movement goin on. i know a former guitar player friend of mine who used to jam with butch roxas of the blue rats, when they were still in HS...they used to play "liz reed" and some selections from foghat...and even joey puyat(mexicali blues,blue rats) was in a band way back in the day, playin some sort of jazz fusion...but knowing him im betting that it was still rooted in the blues.

    the blues movement has remained underground up to some point in the mid 90s where blues bands began sprouting all over the metro.blues bars...blues festivals and concerts...in the media...i mean all over...

   and from the looks of it, something is getting ready to blow the whole blues scene wide open.here  10 years after that 90s blues revival.

   
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 19, 2006, 12:51:24 PM
BB...you got a pretty good memory.

you know what guys?

it doesnt matter if we do this chronologically correct or not..

i mean i got a lot of memories that i wanted to share, i just didnt know how to put it all in order...i wanted to be spontaneous too...but some of the memories, BB beat me to the punch.but man it has made my sides aching with laughter...

Hey BB.i remember that gig in baliuag,bulacan...i dont know how we got that gig---one of apa's magic tricks,hehe. but it's the bday party of the matriarch of baliwag's lechon.and we were lumped in with a bunch of bands who played what we would call top40...so we feel pretty much out of place and out of style...hehe. but here's when the magic of the band happens....all these bands that went before all played dance music...but nobody danced.

so here we go...we were the last band to play but i remember the bday celebrant clapping her hands to the beat of our music.the old folk actually enjoyed our music and it stayed pretty much upbeat till we ended it.

Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on August 19, 2006, 12:54:50 PM
I remember covering that gig as a photographer. I was hired by Freddy Boy
Panicucci himself. I had the best seat in the house on stage the whole night.
Should try to get those photos back.
Title: Re: bokals
Post by: blues2death on August 19, 2006, 01:06:31 PM
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
This is galing! Was laughing my ass off :). Good memories. I have pics and funny press releases here. Will post them when I find them.  

 It's all pretty hazy. I think I'll leave the details up to the more sober (at the time) members of the band.

B2d and buddha, keep the stories rolling :)... They're so funny :).


Hi Trice, welcome to the thread.

I have a good one for you.remember Apa's despedida when we had that surprise going away party on the top of the ******  building? folks, it was always a dream for Apa to at least have the blue rats play on top of a building.so the band made it a reality.

it was some party....jamming with all those musicians. i wont mention na lang kung sino kasi d ko maalala..senglots ako non...

after all the obligatory jams...some of us were just fooling around...trice happened to be on the drums...and i was smiling at everyone...

so here's trice...probably drunk too...thought i was making fun of her, she threw the drumsticks right at my face...it was like i became one of the three stooges.... :lol:

me sitting on the floor,wondering what just happened...beatrice apologizing and helping me up....explaining that she didnt mean to let go of the drumsticks....i remember her having arnis lessons before, and i keep wondering to this day if it was some sort of neo-flying attack that she just did :lol:  
Title: one peso concert
Post by: blues2death on August 19, 2006, 01:12:27 PM
ok...there were two one peso concerts...

one in cebu, where we played we indio i, flaming hemmorhoids...there were other bands who were playing elsewhere in cebu...i believe like trice said, that the breed played at some other venue.

the one peso concert in cebu was held near the ayala commercial center there. thousands must have showed up there.

the party that happened backstage, continued after the gig in the hotel..i remember bein so drunk that i walked out into the rain...hehe,didnt know what i was thinking...

the other one peso concert happened in pasay...i remembered bein paid exactly one peso for that gig! :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 19, 2006, 01:20:26 PM
Quote from: blue buddha

• b2d in a stetson and poncho at the 2nd Puerto Galera Summer Fest, looking like he stepped out of the cover of SRV's "In Step" album.



 aha! i remember this one....but it was in puerto azul BB....remember?

i was drinking with some ..ahem, girls on the beach...wearing my hat and poncho( btw i still have those!) ...one thing led to another, the tequila got too much...i find myself in the hotel lobby....snoring....how i got there...i can never remember..
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 19, 2006, 01:27:57 PM
Quote from: deltaslim
bb - no bourbon st (in jupiter)?


the blue rats have played in a bunch of places...but we never managed to play bourbon street...well as a band.

i remember goin there, and jamming on the fly....

i know trice has played there with cowboy or dave aguirre
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 19, 2006, 02:13:55 PM
........

• The hot japanese guitar player who did "Texas Flood" with us .... "oooh it's froodin' down in texas.... arr the terephone rines are down..."

• Butch: "If you get rid of Binky, we're going too".
  Vince: "He's gone -- outta here -- kaput -- finished"!
  Butch: "Ah ganoon ha"?!
  Sabay "Mambo" nanaman sa sidewalk sa labas ng Hobbit.

• Robert from Hobbit trying to kiss Tricie onstage. :shock:

• Note on a napkin passed to Tricie mid-set:
    "Roses are Red,
     Violets are Blue.....
     ..... give naman your phone number o.", or something like that.

• Within 10  seconds of the first song at Club Dredd, Bosyo puts a hole through the bass drum.

• Rats to gear rental co.: Can we hire your gear for a gig on..... drums, PA, bass amp, 3 mics, etc.
   Rental co: No problem sir! Sige ho, kaming bahala. Oo nga pala sir... sino ho yung drummer n'yo?
   Rats: Si Bosyo ... Edmund Fortuno.
   Rental co: Aah... uhmmm... ehhh... 'tay lang po -- i-checheck ko muna... baka kasi may schedule na kami sa date na 'yun e....

• The "Wall of Sound": the Rats played so damned loud because of its drummers and Tricie could belt it out louder than any 5-piece kit, a cranked 150w bass amp, and three dimed 40w guitar tube amps combined.

• Description of the Rats by one of Apa's ex-girlfriends (one of the many): "That goddam band".

• Significant Oracular Factoid: From the day the Rats were formed until his marriage a couple of years ago, Apa had as many girlfriends as the number of years the Rats were in existence. The band had to take a break or else he would never have gotten married.

• Missed Financial Opportunity: The failure to invest in stocks of pharmaceutical companies that manufacture anti-inflammatory drugs. During these middle years, 3 Rats made those companies rich because they were afflicted with gout -- Bosyo, Norman, and me.

• Money or Morals?: the battle of whether to play at the 2nd Talong Party.  :shock: (again, no details lest someone gets arrested or excommunicated by the church)

• Music Industry and Piracy: In 1997, 3 companies were chasing after the Rats for a recording contract based on the demo produced by Mike Hanopol: BMG/Sony, Star, and Tiger Records. Suddenly, budgets drop after the first wave of piracy/bootlegging hits the industry. So much for recording contracts -- the record companies were having enough problems trying to fund their own stables of existing artists.

• The Sermon on the mount
   Kuh Ledesma: Guys, you have what it takes to make it. There's a lot we can do to help make it happen, but you have to dedicate yourself fully -- promote yourselves, accept the offers for TV shows and print features, tighten up the sound and arrangements, do the voice lessons, do it professionally, and dress sharply....
   Rats: Uuhhh.... well.... ehhh............................. Naaaaah.  :lol:

This last one also points out how terrible we were and how much we bummed out at "self promotion" ... Trice, I didn't even know there was a Rats yahoo group!!! Hopeless talaga.

b2d, edit mo nalang -- don't mention nalang which building! Basta lahat ng taga hotel across the street were wondering what hit them -- they were all watching out their windows! Basta we put guys all around the helipad just in case Pepe and some of the other characters (ang dami n'un) thought it would be a good idea to fly....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 19, 2006, 04:39:56 PM
well put...

boy did we have a lot of characters all those years!!!!!

remember ric ilejay?


im sure you remember him tricie and bb.... :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 19, 2006, 04:49:15 PM
hahaha! awesome post blue buddha!  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 19, 2006, 05:09:12 PM
this thread deserves to be immortalized...(B2D and Delta, how's that blues festival idea coming along? :) you gotta add some photos here (of the stetson and the poncho perhaps? I think that I gotta see...) some of us were left in the dark during that explosive blues heyday...and your vivid account has been a fascinating adventure so far...kulang na lang ng visual aid :)

may pictures din ba kayo nung "Talong Party"? ano ba yun?   :-k  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 19, 2006, 06:42:17 PM
are you serious about seeing the stetson and poncho?the fashion police will be all over us.

blue buddha im sure your remember this one....

a typical set of blue rats would consist of 2-3 songs na shuffle/upbeat...then let joe sing "thrill is gone"....sometimes "mustang sally"...then a slow blues...basta we liked to mix it up.

one typical song would be "when a man loves a woman"..w/c would be a 6/8 waltz type of ballad...1-2-3-4-5-6.....

that one time that we did "when a man..."---we did an awkward version...in 4/4...so medyo mabilis...in typical blue rats fashion...tinuloy pa rin :lol: --- i dont know who messed up...could have been bosyo,hehe...kawawang tricie, d maintindihan kung pano kantahin...pero tinapos namin...panay tinginan sa likod..." hala cge...tapusin!oooopppss"

that was how loose it became! kahit medyo palpak...pinandigan pa din namin...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Boddhisattva on August 19, 2006, 07:50:22 PM
Exciting ang nakalipas... gawin din nating exciting ang hinaharap : )
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 19, 2006, 09:36:19 PM
Quote
remember ric ilejay?

During this period, there were two attempts at a hostile (and sneaky) take over of the Rats by outside parties: One was by a fellow we fondly called "The Rolling Stones Guy" -- a "fan" who thought the Rats had "the best rhythm section in the Philippines: just like Keef, Charlie and Bill" -- he tried to pirate the rhythm section as a nucleus of a Stones tribute band until he found out that "Keef" was one of the founders.

The second takeover artist was RI mentioned above. A slick fil-am studio guitarist from L.A. (he was really good), he jammed with the band one night and the Rats asked him to be part of the regular guitar rotation. Armed with two Tom Anderson guitars in a double gig bag and occasionally borrowing my 335, he played with the band for about 2 months, surreptitiously proposing a mass leave to form a new band with him as the musical director. This too failed as he was pretty much laughed off by the band. To this day, the nickle covers of my 335's carry the evidence -- tarnish on the sides because he had acidic sweat.  :lol:


Quote
may pictures din ba kayo nung "Talong Party"? ano ba yun?

Ask Apa -- he touched the talong. 8-[

Tama na 'to about the Talong Party. Not for public consumption. The internet police may be watching.


Quote
Exciting ang nakalipas... gawin din nating exciting ang hinaharap : )

Tama ka boddhi -- O b2d, continue na on to the next phase so we can get it over with and get to the present. I'll start it off:

In 2000, none of the Rats expected that the depths of the blues would be laid at their feet so heavily. The Rats were suddenly struck by an unthinkable tragedy.......  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:  :cry:  :cry: ..... <<< crying rats.....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 20, 2006, 06:58:56 PM
.... O nawala ka yata b2d!   :?  Maybe that's appropriate because that's about the time b2d also left the Rats. I guess I'll do the honors from here on in -- other Rats, please chime in.

In late 1999-early 2000, about 5 years from when the Rats first began (let's see -- that's about right... Apa was on his 5th girlfriend since '95  :lol: ) major issues had arisen among the Rats, namely: the question of whether the Rats should continue as a once-or-twice-a-week affair or go further as a more professional working band. The music pros in the band wanted to go in the latter direction -- Norman had been called back to Advent Call, Bosyo, Cowboy, and Eggpie were playing out more often with Sampaguita, Joe was becoming more of a regular with Color It Red, Wendell was getting busy with Barbie's Cradle (then fairly new), and b2b was thinking of the several offers for more steady gigs and better pay with other more commercially viable bands. The rest of the Rats -- Tricie, A.L., and Apa (who was by then the officially designated manager of the band) -- could essentially only do it on a limited basis. Butch was already long gone and pursuing the classical gig at U.S.T. In a nutshell, the Rats gave birth to new mice.

Johnny Besa (The Breed, Battery) had already began gigging with the Rats as mentioned earlier. Miguel Ortigas and David Aguirre (Razorback) were then invited to come on board to sub for Bosyo/Wendell and b2d/Cowboy quite often. Tom Epperson was also asked to sit in, especially when scheduling conflicts arose with Joe's stint in Color It Red. Anyone coming to hear the Rats heard something truly different evry time, depending on which lineup was on on any given evening.

Then IT happened....  :(

In February of 2000, Bosyo was struck down by bacterial meningitis. Total shock. As he lay in a coma in a hospital room, the Rats put together a fund raiser to help his family defray his medical bills. This first jam/gig took place at Hobbit House on 25 February 2000 and featured many of his musical colleagues who sat in with the Rats that night. This event was hastily put together over the space of two days. The results were encouraging, as can be deduced from this "letter of thanks" written to all who participated that evening:
(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/chocolatebuddha/BosyoThanks1.jpg)

The success of the event led The Rats and The Jerks (who were back-to-back with the Rats at Hobbit at that point) to organize something more ambitious. Tragically, in the week that followed, Bosyo's body gave way and he passed away quietly.

Grief stricken and still in shock, the Rats pulled it together and went ahead with the effort to help Bosyo's family. Coordinating with Monet Pura -- wife of the Jerks' bandleader Chikoy -- they put together a one-night-only, two-stage event at Hobbit and The Republic of Malate, whose owner's very kindly offered their venues -- just 3 doors away from each other on Mabini -- for free:
(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/chocolatebuddha/BosyoBenefit.jpg)

The event was an incredible success. Actually, it was outrageous, sentimental, heart wrenching, but above all... IT ROCKED!!! A fitting farewell  to a fallen comrade. This thankyou letter says it all:
(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/chocolatebuddha/BosyoThanks2.jpg)

We'll pause here for the moment and give thanks for having had the honor of playing with the man.  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D> .
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 20, 2006, 10:10:57 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
We'll pause here for the moment and give thanks for having had the honor of playing with the man.  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D> .

i envy people who got to play with that man.

when i was a sophomore in college, my and my high school bandmates caught him and his band at an event sa UP sunken garden. he was awesome. it was like he had total command of the stage from behind the kit. he and dondi ledesma were a great team
Title: i'm back
Post by: blues2death on August 21, 2006, 04:54:31 AM
been away for a short vacation...and now my batteries are fully charged.

yeah, playing music is a tough life.although exciting--it is never stable and you have to keep moving in order to keep yourslef alive.

i stayed and learned with blue rats from 1995 to early 2000.it was a very enriching experience.i was a shredder before i joined---i feel that attending the blues university had helped me mature in more ways than one.

i know i hated leaving blue rats--cause every other band i joined after then, i didn't last longer than a couple of years. well, it's probably because of my pleasing personality too. :lol:

but more than learning the "blooze" in the band---i also managed to sneak in some master studies with nothing else but the real masters of blues and rock n roll...

dondi ledesma, the jerks,binky lampano,pepe smith,mike hanopol,wally gonzales,papa dom-tropical dep,razorback,grace nono...

and some unsung heroes of the rock guitar, who played only for pleasure than business....

mason ring, the mabanta brothers,ted nicholoff...and joey puyat...who i took an afternoon of lessons from.who also became a rat himself.it made me extremely happy when "kuya" joey said that i could play....made my entire week....

my last bosyo moment.....i visited him at the hospital where he was lying in a coma. mike hanopol had just left, and i managed to say a few words to bosyo cause he had just woken up....i thought he was gonna make it. emmy was of course happy to see me, and i offered a few words of encouragement.

so i left the hospital with peace and hope in my heart. the follwing morning it turned out that he lapsed into a coma again and eventually bosyo had to leave us all.

mike hanopol and i were the last people to ever see him before he left.

the peace i feel now is  that he's up there showing john lennon what he's made of... =D>  \:D/  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 21, 2006, 04:58:56 AM
oh and you know what bb?

i get recognized on the street more for playing in the blue rats than in any other band i played. :lol:

so the exposure that blue rats has been avoiding is doing the exact opposite..hehe.

introvoys,first circle,even playing in the kirat guy's band may have been exciting...but it wont hold a candle with playin in that goddamn band! :lol:

Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 21, 2006, 08:49:11 AM
It's amazing reading all this.  I've been a Rat for more than six years and it's only now I feel the size of the shoes I'm filling. Perhaps because it was the whole laid-back-just-feel-it-and-go attitude that Apa and BB set me in when I first rehearsed with the Rats.  Imagine, twenty-something songs in two rehearsals to prepare for a gig in a little over a week from then!?  :shock:  One of my first gigs pa was in Subic and I had to be back the next day for my first day at work at Clark Hatch!  Of course I was late, for which my a__hole boss gave me hell.  :roll:  Looking back, I now actually enjoyed pissing him off...  :D

I remember both Norman and Edmund fondly.  Norman and I went back to '91 when the Breed and Advent Call played regular nights at Eddie Rocha's Fire and Rain on Pasay Road.  We would teach each other bass lines, some of which I still use today.  Whenever we do "Chain of Fools" I still get misty-eyed.  Good old Norman... Never new a nicer guy.

It was with Edmund that I experienced what may have been the pinnacle of my career as a rock bassist... Playing for Pepe at Music Hall with Jun Lopito.  I was onstage with all my contemporaries, and put there because they liked the way I held the low end down.  Felt like I could've died happy right there.   :cry:   :D   :cry:   :D  :P

And now, the saga goes on.  This batch of the Rats is quite amazing because of how we move forward with learning new songs and how the arrangements are laid down and followed.  One thing for sure, I've never rehearsed more with the Rats than with this batch!   :lol:  At first it was because of necessity, having to play for that "Rock Star Blue Rats" thing where we found Kim.  But now we continue to rehearse and continue to learn, and that's what being musically fulfilled is about, isn't it?  It's the journey, not the destination...  :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 21, 2006, 09:17:29 AM
amen to that brother dyanibee...

are you related to jollibee?
:wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 21, 2006, 09:39:59 AM
Hehehe...  He's got a fat bottom, just like my bass playing...   :wink:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 21, 2006, 12:03:00 PM
Before going any further, just wanted to apologize for the length of this thread -- parang a bit self indulgent, pero since naumpisahan na, dapat na rin tapusin.

Quote from: nathanmanansala

i envy people who got to play with that man.

when i was a sophomore in college, my and my high school bandmates caught him and his band at an event sa UP sunken garden. he was awesome. it was like he had total command of the stage from behind the kit. he and dondi ledesma were a great team


...And it was that idiosyncratic presence behind the kit that was essentially irreplaceable. So the band sought to "make up" for this by replacing Bosyo with........ EVEN MORE VOLUME.  :shock:

For the next year or so, the Rats regularized its lineup to form what was undoubtedly the loudest, most rock-oriented version of the band -- sticking to blues-based tunes but played at scary levels. I recall going down to radio shack to buy a decibel meter to convince the guys that we were probably losing our hearing -- Apa would point the device at us from behind the bar at Hobbit and give the band a sermon between sets. Not surprisingly, everyone would agree to turn down... only to turn it right back up after the first song. It was a hopelessly funny situation. That version of the Rats was:

Tricie Gomez - vocals
David Aguirre - guitars
Cowboy - guitars
AL - guitars
Joe Ingarra - saxes
Tom Epperson - harp
Johnny Besa - bass
Miguel Ortigas - drums

Some highlights of the period:

• Nino Mendoza (Blue Jean Junkies) jumping around, lying down, and taunting the audience in the mosh pit right before the Rats set at the Pulp Summer Slam. We weren't sure whether we were going to end up playing in the middle of a riot or what.

• An Australian Navy frigate crew shows up at Hobbit and turns the the occupancy permit into a joke -- you couldn't get from the front door to the bathroom in 10 minutes. SRO, standing and dancing on the tables, fights, broken bottles every 3 minutes, the sweat of humanity. The bow placement master gunner was a woman the size of WWE's Big Show, and when the shirts started coming off, she ditched hers too and got up onstage to prance around in her bra.

• Unsurprisingly, the loudest bunch of jammers sat in during this period -- Dixie Mabanta, Tirso Ripol, Mike Turner, and undoubtedly the loudest of them all.... Manny Amador.

• Miguel's abject fear of doing the fast version of "Hey Bartender".

• Epperson's stagefright -- hiding in the shadows of the biggest house speaker he could find at any gig. Not to mention the coining of the phrase "what key?" and "slowhead".

• David pounding out a medley/freeform version of Zep's Rock'n'Roll/Whole Lotta Love/Moby [sausage]  on the drums one night at Hobbit.

• Johnny's mind and fingers wandering in the second set after the usual in-between-set visit to the car with Miguel and Cow. Also the coining of the phrase "Hoo boy... Hoo boy...".

• Cowboy and the demands of "the women" in his life.  :wink:

• Tricie finally finds the gumption to hold the microphone.... getting over her fear of touching it like it was a p***s.  :lol:

• Joe's chronic case of "the bad jack" syndrome on his reverb pedal. Ouch.

• Great gigs at Republic of Malate and Sanctum.

• Great backup vocals from Tebbet Gomez, Tricie's sis.

• The BIG ROMANCE..... Tricie and Miguel get together.

• Other predictable romances.... Apa's #6 and #7. :lol:

Chime in guys....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 21, 2006, 12:18:55 PM
Hahahahaha!!!  :lol:  Just when I though that was all behind me, I'm "Second-Set Johnny" All over again!  I think I've found my blues name...  :wink:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 21, 2006, 01:05:00 PM
wow....i always thought i was missing a lot when i left blue rats...but i never expected it to be like that!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 21, 2006, 01:19:00 PM
Personal memory...  I remember Louie (my daughter, now ten) was only a couple of years old and in the hospital for what the doctors thought may have been Dengue (thankfully it wasn't but they still can't tell me what the f__k it was).  The first "talong" party was that night, I think... Or was it that gymnasium gig in Antipolo?  Anyway, BB graciously offered to pick me up from the hospital and to drop me off afterward.  I was greatful for the diversion, after having to forcibly hold Louie down so the doctors and nurses could stick needles into her for her i.v., blood tests and all that.  Boy, was I a mess.  Thank God for music.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: mortigasiii on August 21, 2006, 04:28:59 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
........

• The hot japanese guitar player who did "Texas Flood" with us .... "oooh it's froodin' down in texas.... arr the terephone rines are down..."

hey! that guy's name was TOSHI! i don;t remember his partner bass players name but they were funny dudes...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 21, 2006, 06:57:53 PM
:shock:  :shock:  :shock:

It's...it's...it's...........Alive!!!

Well,well... welcome here buddy. It's been a while. We miss you bigtime. Funny how this thread's becoming a magnet. We have b2d to thank for that... see what you missed?

Can't believe you remembered Toshi's name Migs. In retrospect, in someways he would have been a difficult character to forget -- I can still hear him singing.  :lol:

Hurry back with Trice and tie the knot -- can't wait to jam with you guys again.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 21, 2006, 08:03:11 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Before going any further, just wanted to apologize for the length of this thread -- parang a bit self indulgent, pero since naumpisahan na, dapat na rin tapusin.

well, the band has been around for 10 years and its past and current lineup (and the people who sat in with the band) is sort of a who's who of the pinoy blues scene. may k. :D

we dont mind :lol:

carry on 8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: mortigasiii on August 21, 2006, 09:54:19 PM
Quote
there is no blue rats website,no friendster account,not even myspace.


just to clarify, we do have a yahoogroup which i started some years ago. join up @ http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/thebluerats/  sali na!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: mortigasiii on August 21, 2006, 10:05:08 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
• Missed Financial Opportunity: The failure to invest in stocks of pharmaceutical companies that manufacture anti-inflammatory drugs. During these middle years, 3 Rats made those companies rich because they were afflicted with gout -- Bosyo, Norman, and me.


Though not in the middle years, my body was also a gout breeding ground!!!  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 21, 2006, 10:31:38 PM
Migs!!!  Welcome to the thread, 'adre.  While I'm at it, allow me to say that though I've had many, many good times with the Rats, some of my favorites were when we got you... Pool at Rack 'n' Roll, engaging in (ahem) extra-legal activities between sets (hence my "Second-Set Johnny" monicker) and just hangin' around shooting the breeze.  Can't wait to see you and your better half again... Though I have to warn you, "second set" is something I've left behind... I reserve that for days when I don't have to concentrate on anything.  Getting old, 'adre.   :(   See you guys soon.   :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 21, 2006, 10:37:24 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Hehehe...  He's got a fat bottom, just like my bass playing...   :wink:  :lol:


tsong! hanep sa picture ah! and love the pun ;)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 21, 2006, 10:56:31 PM
That pic was taken at Kid Creole a couple of years back during my "black period" (naks).   :lol:   Of course that was with the Rats.  Andy Maluche (tama ba spelling?) took that one.  He's got a whole series of the Rats, at that time calling himself the "official court photographer" of the Rats.  I didn't like the way he got in our faces to shoot without warning us, though... But then again, maybe they wouldn't have turned out so nice if he did.   :?
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 22, 2006, 12:27:19 AM
hello pareng migs!

d na tayo nagkita after la trova....hehehe....

o ayan pag uwi na nila mr and mrs. o____ sa pinas...cguradong magkakaroon na ng blue rats reunion. hope you guys can wait for me.i might come home next year.

black period dyani? it seems to me all your life you've been wearing black. :lol: or were you referring to something else? :shock:

and dyani...i was there when we dropped you off sa hospital. you looked pretty cool even if you had a lot of things on your mind.

ako personally, laking kilig na makasama ko sa banda noon ang bassist and drummer ng breed at razorback. feeling ko magaling na din ako. :lol:  


Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 22, 2006, 12:42:32 AM
Quote from: nathanmanansala

well, the band has been around for 10 years and its past and current lineup (and the people who sat in with the band) is sort of a who's who of the pinoy blues scene. may k. :D

we dont mind :lol:

carry on 8)


Nate, as usual, you are a gracious and generous gentleman. Not surprising that you and Delta are good friends -- two of the nicest folks on these here forums. Thanks.  :)


Quote from: mortigasiii
Though not in the middle years, my body was also a gout breeding ground!!!  :lol:

just to clarify, we do have a yahoogroup which i started some years ago. join up @ http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/thebluerats/ sali na!


Joined na.

It's fairly clear where Norman, me, and you got the gout: 210-240 lbs -- one just has to look at our bodies and it's a dead giveaway. But Bosyo?!!! The guy was skinny as a 7A drumstick! My theory:

Breakfast: Spam and sardines
Lunch: Monggo, dinuguan, and pancit luglog
Merienda: Chicharon bulaklak, IUD, and adidas
Dinner: Kare-kare, bagoong and repolyo. :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 22, 2006, 05:44:49 AM
Quote from: blues2death
black period dyani? it seems to me all your life you've been wearing black. :lol: or were you referring to something else? :shock:

and dyani...i was there when we dropped you off sa hospital. you looked pretty cool even if you had a lot of things on your mind.


Don't get me wrong... I still wear black (especially during gigs) and remain a "latent Goth" as I like to call it, but not 24 hours a day like I had nothing else to wear.  Actually come to think of it, I really DIDN'T have anything else to wear!   :lol:  And when you guys dropped me off at the hospital, that was AFTER the gig, yes?  My, what music can do for the troubled soul...  :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on August 22, 2006, 08:36:58 AM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: nathanmanansala

well, the band has been around for 10 years and its past and current lineup (and the people who sat in with the band) is sort of a who's who of the pinoy blues scene. may k. :D

we dont mind :lol:

carry on 8)


Nate, as usual, you are a gracious and generous gentleman. Not surprising that you and Delta are good friends -- two of the nicest folks on these here forums. Thanks.  :)


bb - who said nathan and i are "good friends"?  we're "just friends" noh!  ;-)

bb, this is also what i meant about you guys being the true consummate professionals in the blues scene. working hard for 10 years through good and bad. that's really admirable and amazing.  it would be great to keep a band for 10 years, but to keep it at the level of musicianship you guys play at, that just blows my mind...  of course, as long as it continues to be fun, the show goes on.

ayt, carry on!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 22, 2006, 08:58:37 AM
I think the whole charm of the Blue Rats is, as BB oftentimes puts it, how we never play the same tune the same way twice.  Why is that?  Well partly because we never used to rehearse the way we do now, so every night was a complete surprise, even to us!   :shock:   The other reason is a lineup that almost never remains the same, so it's like having a different band every year!  Even now, with a relatively more stable lineup the sound will change depending on who's available (or absent) for the evening.  Take last Thursday at Dish, for example... We were down one singer (Kim) and a guitarist (Cowboy).  If they had been there that evening you would have heard a completely different band!  Whoever says that the blues is boring has never seen us play.   :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: vegetablejoe on August 22, 2006, 09:30:43 AM
We look forward to your full line-up at Mag:net! That's if you can all fit on stage, hehe... You are one amazing group of musicians!  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 22, 2006, 12:29:53 PM
oh bb...you're forgettin something....

when butch left the band....his darker twin took his place
:lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 22, 2006, 01:15:53 PM
This is soo awesome! :)

its like i was there! wait... I was!!  :shock:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 22, 2006, 01:27:02 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
I think the whole charm of the Blue Rats is, as BB oftentimes puts it, how we never play the same tune the same way twice.  Why is that?  


The real answer: "Because we always screw up.... and it's always in different parts of the song!".  :lol:  :lol:

But seriously, you guys are too kind. Objectively, I think every version of the Rats had its weaknesses as well as its strengths. But one particular aspect has held through every phase -- the ability to talk things through and resolve issues pretty squarely. The formula is just really simple: make room for everyone else, don't get too uptight, never assume that you know it all, and just have fun. 'Yan lang naman e.

Ok -- to continue...

As the new millenium unfolded, the band found itself with a nice ratio of younger folks to old goats -- about 50:50. Tricie, Cow, Miguel, and David on one side, and Tom, Joe, Johnny, and A.L. on the other. Good balance, good chemistry (for some guys, literally :lol: ) But as for millions of our kababayans, the lure of going overseas soon became real for most of the younger Rats.

The first go was Dave. As he prepared to wrap up his affairs at home -- including the obligatory despedidas with the Rats, the remnants of Razorback and Wolfgang -- the band had to find a replacement gunslinger to fill the rotation. Enter the the dude with the quickest draw, biggest bullets, and the some of the shiniest pistols in town..... Joey Puyat.

As part of the Mexicali Blues Band, Joey was familiar to everyone in the band as both bands had played alongside the other in several venues in the mid 90's. He was one of those legendary figures (ex-Mother Earth, etc.) who played with just about everybody of note from the mid 70's onward in the diverse fields of jazz, fusion, blues, and pinoy rock. In short, the guy could (and still can) play anything outstandingly well, and playing alongside the guy was either: 1. a free guitar lesson, or 2. a jaw-dropping excercise in confusion/wonder/amazement in trying to guess which bodily orifice he had just pulled that solo out of. In short order, he was baptized into the "order of the rodent" and suddenly, it became really important who played what kind of guitar or amp so that solos could clearly be heard above the wall of sound. Thus began the Rats' "era of the tonehound".

Gigs continued at Hobbit through 2002, when Tricie received notice of being accepted into an academic program Downunder for the following year. With only three of the original Rats remaining in the lineup at this point -- Joe, Tricie, and A.L. -- there was no doubt that Tricie had become the true face and voice of the Rats. By unanimous agreement, she was the one Rat that was truly irreplaceable in the "rock" version of the band. It was clear that the moment she left, the era of the Blue Rats as it was known for -- head on/freewheeling jams, tear-your-head-off decibel levels, homebased in Hobbit, no rehearsals, etc. -- would likely come to close. Some band members began making plans for the post-Tricie holocaust...

• Miguel, Johnny, and Cow started laying the groundwork for various bands -- "The Experiment", DRT, and GipsySuns.

• Joe became more deeply involved in his church.

• Joey played out at various guitar events/festivals and talking of Mother Earth reunions.

• Tom began sitting in on gigs around town, most notably with the newly invigorated Wally Gonzales Bluesband.

• Tricie worked on a demo to bring with her Downunder.

• A.L. .......  [-( .......  :lol:

But all through this, the gigs continued at Hobbit and Republic of Malate (pre-fire) as usual -- just waiting for Tricie's D-Day with the band. Some memorable occasions:

• The re-birth of the 80's band Overdrive: first public gig in almost 20 years was one set back to back with the Rats at A.L's outrageous surprise 40th b-day celebration at Hobbit -- probably 150 people all wearing AL "masks". Masterminded by Apa -- then I think just starting on #8.

• Fun all-acoustic gigs at Sanctum with Miguel bumming out and killing his fingers on the K-hon. "The Rolling Stones Guy" showing showing up dressed like Keef in leather pants and his navel showing under a mid-riff and blazer combination.

• The first Earth Day concert at The Beacon School. Instant Rockstar status. Easily the school's favorite local band.

• The Jaguar Cars Launch at the Peninsula Hotel Ballroom. The band had to learn the Jaguar ad campaign song "A Little Bit of History Repeating" by Shirley Bassey with the Propellerheads. Scared the living s**t out of the matronas in the front row. Saw a few with their fingers in their ears. :lol:

• Tricie's incredible farewell gig at Republic of Malate. Loud and Proud. Anyone have any pics of that?

And so the axe came down on an era. Trice left for Aussieland, only to return once in a while for the occasional vacation over the next few years. When she did, the Rats would arrange for a short series of gigs before she'd take off again. Eventually, Miguel would take off too and Johnny would join Overdrive. The other Rats spent some time on their own personal projects/jams. More on that in the next episode. Let me leave you with some pics from one of Tricie's "vacation gigs"  -- the first one from 2003 (I think) during a thanksgiving dinner, and the second after 3 sets at Dreambar in Makati in 2004. Migs, I made this kupit from your bluerats/groups site (please note the color of Johnny's clothes):

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/chocolatebuddha/RatsTangilenov2003.jpg)

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/chocolatebuddha/RatsDreambardec2004.jpg)

'Til the next post....... nagiging libro na ito. :-({|= :roll:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on August 22, 2006, 01:47:51 PM
So much history... too kewl!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 22, 2006, 01:58:37 PM
Quote from: blues2death
oh bb...you're forgettin something....

when butch left the band....his darker twin took his place
:lol:


Oo nga pala!!! To the general public:

Did you ever notice how Johnny Besa actually looks like Butch Roxas (plus 6 inches and muscles)? Since day one we have been teasing him about this -- something of course which he refused to acknowledge. Until one day........

.......we are playing at this party in a private home in Malate. The crowd is very hip -- incense burning, booze is flowing, creative people all around, babes and studs all around, beautiful fairy lights hanging from spectacular narra tree in the middle of the courtyard.... In the middle of "Chain of fools", a really good looking girl saunters up to Johnny who is grooving heavily on his bass.

She croons in a bedroom voice, "...heeey... how are you? It's been a while huh.... where have YOU been....? Looking goooood...".  8-[

Johnny's face:  :confused:

She then proceeds to get right up on his face, kisses his nose, sticks her tongue in his ear, and runs her finger from his chin down his throat down the middle of his chest.  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: <<< the Rat's faces. The Rats thoughts >>> =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~ .

Johnny's d**k......er...... nose:  :^o

She then gives his t-shirt a little tug (black, mind you), and walks away nonchalantly saying, "...see you later.........Butch...".  #-o  #-o  #-o  #-o  #-o

We never did find out the beautiful girl's name.

The amazing thing about all this is that Butch ends up marrying Johnny's sister. :lol:

This story is archived on Ripley's Believe It Or Not.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 22, 2006, 02:08:27 PM
hahaha!! "the rolling stones guy"! i love it!  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 22, 2006, 02:28:50 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: blues2death
oh bb...you're forgettin something....

when butch left the band....his darker twin took his place
:lol:


Oo nga pala!!! To the general public:

Did you ever notice how Johnny Besa actually looks like Butch Roxas (plus 6 inches and muscles)? Since day one we have been teasing him about this -- something of course which he refused to acknowledge. Until one day........

.......we are playing at this party in a private home in Malate. The crowd is very hip -- incense burning, booze is flowing, creative people all around, babes and studs all around, beautiful fairy lights hanging from spectacular narra tree in the middle of the courtyard.... In the middle of "Chain of fools", a really good looking girl saunters up to Johnny who is grooving heavily on his bass.

She croons in a bedroom voice, "...heeey... how are you? It's been a while huh.... where have YOU been....? Looking goooood...".  8-[

Johnny's face:  :confused:

She then proceeds to get right up on his face, kisses his nose, sticks her tongue in his ear, and runs her finger from his chin down his throat down the middle of his chest.  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: <<< the Rat's faces. The Rats thoughts >>> =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~ .

Johnny's d**k......er...... nose:  :^o

She then gives his t-shirt a little tug (black, mind you), and walks away nonchalantly saying, "...see you later.........Butch...".  #-o  #-o  #-o  #-o  #-o

We never did find out the beautiful girl's name.

The amazing thing about all this is that Butch ends up marrying Johnny's sister. :lol:

This story is archived on Ripley's Believe It Or Not.


Tang 'na!  Almost forgot that one!  Turns out that the lady is actually the cousin of an ex-girlfriend of mine, I forget her name na rin...  But if there ever was a guy who'd get in trouble because of this, it'd be Butch!  But Maya (my sister) was a real sport about it... She just sorta gives him this look and says to me, "she thought you were Butch, huh?" and gives Butch a smirk that'd make the Rizal monument shudder.   :lol:   Better yet, you shoulda seen the lady's face when I told her that I wasn't Butch!  I remember she asked me how Maya was.  I said that she was fine, thinking that she must be one of Maya's friends.  Then she asks me, "How's tita Bing (Roxas, Butch's mom)?"  I sorta had a flash, then said, "Ah... Now I know what you're problem is.  I'm not Butch!  I'm Johnny, Maya's brother!"  At first she didn't believe me, saying stuff like, "come on Butch, don't f__k around!"  When it finally dawned on her that I was telling the truth, she just smiled and told me that I wasn't a bad kisser, so okay lang.   :lol:   Saw her once more in Hobbit, then never again.  I don't believe I'd forgotten that!   :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 22, 2006, 02:36:14 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: blues2death
oh bb...you're forgettin something....

when butch left the band....his darker twin took his place
:lol:


Oo nga pala!!! To the general public:

Did you ever notice how Johnny Besa actually looks like Butch Roxas (plus 6 inches and muscles)? Since day one we have been teasing him about this -- something of course which he refused to acknowledge. Until one day........

.......we are playing at this party in a private home in Malate. The crowd is very hip -- incense burning, booze is flowing, creative people all around, babes and studs all around, beautiful fairy lights hanging from spectacular narra tree in the middle of the courtyard.... In the middle of "Chain of fools", a really good looking girl saunters up to Johnny who is grooving heavily on his bass.

She croons in a bedroom voice, "...heeey... how are you? It's been a while huh.... where have YOU been....? Looking goooood...".  8-[

Johnny's face:  :confused:

She then proceeds to get right up on his face, kisses his nose, sticks her tongue in his ear, and runs her finger from his chin down his throat down the middle of his chest.  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: <<< the Rat's faces. The Rats thoughts >>> =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~ .

Johnny's d**k......er...... nose:  :^o

She then gives his t-shirt a little tug (black, mind you), and walks away nonchalantly saying, "...see you later.........Butch...".  #-o  #-o  #-o  #-o  #-o

We never did find out the beautiful girl's name.

The amazing thing about all this is that Butch ends up marrying Johnny's sister. :lol:

This story is archived on Ripley's Believe It Or Not.


Johnny Johnny Johnny...I guess sticking to black has its rewards...It's always hard to tell in the dark  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 22, 2006, 02:48:52 PM
By the way, for everyone's benefit I will wear something other than black for the next few gigs.  In the history of the Rats this has NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!!!!!!!   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Speaking of gigs, we'll be playing for the Philmusic Bassist Forum's EB at Kolumn Bar in Timog this coming Friday, August 25... Just a half hour set, something that the rest of us were surprisingly willing to do.  =D>  We will also be at Mag:Net next Friday, September 1.  See you all there!  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 22, 2006, 03:22:04 PM
aha aha aha

d kaya matunaw ka dyanibee if you would wear another color! :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 22, 2006, 05:03:03 PM
Quote from: blues2death
aha aha aha

d kaya matunaw ka dyanibee if you would wear another color! :lol:


Di naman siguro... Not everything I wear is black naman, and what it covers is still solid...

I mean my SOCKS, of course...   :wink:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 22, 2006, 05:47:57 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva


Johnny Johnny Johnny...I guess sticking to black has its rewards...It's always hard to tell in the dark  :D


 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 22, 2006, 06:43:29 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: nathanmanansala

well, the band has been around for 10 years and its past and current lineup (and the people who sat in with the band) is sort of a who's who of the pinoy blues scene. may k. :D

we dont mind :lol:

carry on 8)


Nate, as usual, you are a gracious and generous gentleman. Not surprising that you and Delta are good friends -- two of the nicest folks on these here forums. Thanks.  :)

delta who?

:lol: :lol:

Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: blue buddha
...we are playing at this party in a private home in Malate. The crowd is very hip -- incense burning, booze is flowing, creative people all around, babes and studs all around, beautiful fairy lights hanging from spectacular narra tree in the middle of the courtyard.... In the middle of "Chain of fools", a really good looking girl saunters up to Johnny who is grooving heavily on his bass.

She croons in a bedroom voice, "...heeey... how are you? It's been a while huh.... where have YOU been....? Looking goooood...".  8-[

Johnny's face:  :confused:

She then proceeds to get right up on his face, kisses his nose, sticks her tongue in his ear, and runs her finger from his chin down his throat down the middle of his chest.  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:  :shock: <<< the Rat's faces. The Rats thoughts >>> =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~ .

Johnny's d**k......er...... nose:  :^o

She then gives his t-shirt a little tug (black, mind you), and walks away nonchalantly saying, "...see you later.........Butch...".  #-o  #-o  #-o  #-o  #-o

We never did find out the beautiful girl's name.

The amazing thing about all this is that Butch ends up marrying Johnny's sister. :lol:

This story is archived on Ripley's Believe It Or Not.


Tang 'na!  Almost forgot that one!  Turns out that the lady is actually the cousin of an ex-girlfriend of mine, I forget her name na rin...  But if there ever was a guy who'd get in trouble because of this, it'd be Butch!  But Maya (my sister) was a real sport about it... She just sorta gives him this look and says to me, "she thought you were Butch, huh?" and gives Butch a smirk that'd make the Rizal monument shudder.   :lol:   Better yet, you shoulda seen the lady's face when I told her that I wasn't Butch!  I remember she asked me how Maya was.  I said that she was fine, thinking that she must be one of Maya's friends.  Then she asks me, "How's tita Bing (Roxas, Butch's mom)?"  I sorta had a flash, then said, "Ah... Now I know what you're problem is.  I'm not Butch!  I'm Johnny, Maya's brother!"  At first she didn't believe me, saying stuff like, "come on Butch, don't f__k around!"  When it finally dawned on her that I was telling the truth, she just smiled and told me that I wasn't a bad kisser, so okay lang.   :lol:   Saw her once more in Hobbit, then never again.  I don't believe I'd forgotten that!   :lol:

 :shock:  :shock:  :shock:
that makes you a god among us men, sir johnny. :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: toybitz on August 22, 2006, 08:02:13 PM
Quote from: blues2death
aha aha aha

d kaya matunaw ka dyanibee if you would wear another color! :lol:


musta Jon?!

- Bitoy
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 23, 2006, 12:57:33 AM
eto nakaka-miss nang tumugtog in front of people.....medyo trabaho lang muna ang priority ngayon.....ayos lang brader bitoy
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 23, 2006, 07:42:30 AM
And before this turns into a narcissistic "Johnny's Fashion and Sexual Confessions" thread.......

The lull in the Rats' gigging activity very fittingly results in the logical conclusion to Apa's own mini-saga. In January of 2004, almost exactly six months into the 8th year after the Rats began, Apa gets hitched to #8. At a beautiful reception on the secluded grounds of Kuh Ledesma's hideaway near Tagaytay, A.L. gives the wedding toast as the best man, secretly resenting the fact that he has had to wear a long-tailed, gray morning coat at the grooms insistence. Visions of an elephant in a penguin suit linger as a painful traumatic memory. The couple's first dance is to the tune of Percy Sledge's "When A Man Loves A Woman" which the wedding entertainment -- The Blue Rats -- enthusiastically perform. Tricie made the effort to return from downunder for the affair -- in some ways putting a fitting closure to an eight year run with Apa's marriage to bachelorette #8.

In 2004 into 2005, an itch needed to be scratched in the Rats' tails. The remaining bandmembers returned to the rehearsal studio. With Miguel and Tricie gone, and with Johnny trying to do doubletime with Overdrive, the band invited ex-Barbie's Cradle nanny #1 Wendell Garcia (himself an ex-Rat) to fill the drum seat. The talented and funky-tatooed Clare Lapuz (ex-Mother Björn) ended in the vocal chair. This version of the Rats only played out twice -- the most memorable of which was the second Beacon School Concert to raise funds to buy instruments for the music program of a needy elementary sister school. The Rats were mobbed by autograph seekers. Subsequently, as Johnny's chores with Overdrive became more demanding, he was replaced by ex-Barbie's Cradle nanny #2 Rommel de la Cruz -- the superb and supremely funky/tasty bass player. Folks, if you've never seen or heard this guy play -- do it. Rommel is the real deal. Unfortunately, the Rats never played out with this lineup, as the new members' commitments also began to get in the way.

2006 once again looked to be another slow year. Joe had committed himself fully to his church, and very sadly informed the band that his playing days with bands outside the boundaries of his faith were over. As happy as the Rats were to know that he had found his mission in life, there was certainty that he'd be sorely missed. Then a very strange thing happened....

In January, the band got a phone call from a very large call center, Ambergris Solutions. For their annual company Town Hall Meeting, they wanted to mount a huge "American Idol/Rockstar" competition company wide. In a nutshell: from 3,200 employees, the contest would narrow it down to 12 finalists, all of whom would learn a band's repertoire over a 6 week period -- 3 songs each, no repeats -- and sing these numbers onstage in front of a panel of celebrity judges and 4,000 screaming employees at the Araneta Coliseum with parts of the event to be aired on MTV. The prize: 3 months paid leave while singing with the band on their regular gig schedule. Having heard that the Rats were looking for a singer, Ambergris was hot about hiring the band.

To prepare for this gig, a stand in singer, drummer, and a bass player had to be found. On a whim, Tom brought in someone he knew from doing photography work at the Shangrila hotel. He described her as "this girl who says she can sing the blues" but had never really done it for real before.

The band's reaction:  :doubt:

To make a long story short -- Tom brought in Mai Mislang. She came, We heard, She conquered.  :lol: . It was clear to everyone that buried deep within this rather intense, enthusiastic and secretly sweet person (she doesn't want anyone to know she's sweet, so she tries to act.... well.... intense and enthusiastic.  :lol: ) was the genuine potential for a very serious set of pipes. Johnny "Black" Besa's schedule from Overdrive suddenly freed up so the Black Blue Rat was back in the bass slot. In the drumseat, Vic Borgailly (ex-KO Jones) just happened to be scheduled first on a list of drummers the Rats had asked to try out. Unfortunately for the rest of the list, the guy knew practically every song on the repertoire, understood what a "sticky backbeat" (lagkit) meant, played naturally in the pocket, had great timekeeping, could actually do a genuine blues shuffle, and felt completely comfortable doing drum solos. Our apologies to anyone else on that list who never got a chance to do it, but that was early February and the gig was at the end of February!!! Absolute panic time to try and get over 36 songs down in rehearsals with 12 unknowns over 3 weeks in time for the event.  :shock:
 
Fast Forward:  Rehearsals were intense and fun. Vic and Mai were hot. One trial gig at Hobbit House with all 12 contestants the week before the event. On event day the Coliseum Rocked. In the final three-way shoot out, a clear winner emerged -- Kim Dosado doing absolutely knock 'em dead versions of "Tush" and "Mary Had A Little Lamb" -- she is the reigning Ambergris Rockstar  8) and the newest Rat.

Which brings us to today. Six months after that Rockstar gig, the double whammy of Mai and Kim are coming to the nearest bar to bluesify your soul....

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/chocolatebuddha/BlueRatsX8copy.jpg)

Come check it out.  :bluewink:

Notice how Johnny's fashion bias has morphed into a contagious disease in the pic above.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 23, 2006, 08:37:36 AM
so ....should blue rats change their name to "black" rats?

not very funny....but one thing certainly makes sense to me.

two awesome lead guitar players.

two bluesified to the bone singers.

two "malagkit" rythm section members...

and uhm.....well two ...uhm....well, tom and AL...the last the two members....heheh...well, i tried to make sense. but it doesnt....

 :o

naiinggit ako grabe!!!!! masarap talaga mag blues!!!!:shock:  :D  :o
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 23, 2006, 08:45:30 AM
Oh great... More blues names for me.  :P  :lol:   What was it?  Second-Set Blackie?   :lol:  :lol:   Black Burat?   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  This thread just gets better and better.  Now though that we've come to the apparent end of the Blue Rats' story, time to make history naman.  See you guys at the gigs.   :D
Title: whatever happen to?
Post by: blues2death on August 23, 2006, 09:15:51 AM
ok...now time to come clean blue buddha....

 whatever happen to butch roxas?
:lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 23, 2006, 09:23:04 AM
that pic is awesome! :)
Title: Re: whatever happen to?
Post by: DyaniBee on August 23, 2006, 09:26:45 AM
Quote from: blues2death
ok...now time to come clean blue buddha....

 whatever happen to butch roxas?
:lol:


Butch was and remains to be my brother-in-law... Just saw him here at home last night, working with my Mom on a project, something to do with classical standards. He still teaches at UST and has now been contracted to do podcasts for Naxos, a classical music label, part-time.  :)  

The picture is the same old one, with Kim photoshopped in by our master photographer-slash-harpist.  We used it na at Dish but they tore down the poster before I had the chance to steal it.   :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 23, 2006, 09:33:59 AM
aha! i had to edit pa my post, cuz i thought it was on the disc and i didnt see it! haha. cool! :)
Title: whatever happened to? part II
Post by: blues2death on August 23, 2006, 09:55:04 AM
whatever happened to JJ coloma?

AKA....the only regular keyboard player of the blue rats? from way back in the mid 90s.....1st generation

last thing i heard he was majoring in Harp...taking exclusive studies from CCP( he finished stidies with his first major w/c was piano and was preparing for his graduation recital in UST.)

also managed to talk to him when i was still in the rats over the phone. he married his college sweetheart...but is there any new info on him? BB?
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 23, 2006, 11:30:51 AM
Quote from: blue buddha


To prepare for this gig, a stand in singer, drummer, and a bass player had to be found. On a whim, Tom brought in someone he knew from doing photography work at the Shangrila hotel. He described her as "this girl who says she can sing the blues" but had never really done it for real before.

The band's reaction:  :doubt:

To make a long story short -- Tom brought in Mai Mislang. She came, We heard, She conquered.  :lol: . It was clear to everyone that buried deep within this rather intense, enthusiastic and secretly sweet person (she doesn't want anyone to know she's sweet, so she tries to act.... well.... intense and enthusiastic.  :lol: ) was the genuine potential for a very serious set of pipes.


As that line in my favorite movie goes "You're too sweet for rock and roll..." It may be true, but that's my mystery :)

And although I had a superb time working with Tom at Shang, that laborious gig was a slow killer. So you can only imagine my joy when I finally told my boss..."I'm leaving because I'll be singing for a band." Now THAT's in-your-face rock and roll...

And it's the Blue Rats for cryin out loud...It's not just ANY band. Who even knew that singing blues with these dudes could save one's soul from the cudgels of corporate impropriety? :) Hallelujah!

now if we could only work on those scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly :shock:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 23, 2006, 11:45:13 AM
aha...the mystery finally clears....

hiya dopedeeva...did you read my comment on your blog?
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 23, 2006, 11:55:07 AM
Quote from: blues2death
aha...the mystery finally clears....

hiya dopedeeva...did you read my comment on your blog?


heya! i did! thanks :) i sent you a reply thru your email...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 23, 2006, 03:15:04 PM
uhm i didnt recieve any email dopedeeva... :cry:
Title: Re: whatever happened to? part II
Post by: blue buddha on August 23, 2006, 03:36:41 PM
Quote from: blues2death
whatever happened to JJ coloma?

AKA....the only regular keyboard player of the blue rats? from way back in the mid 90s.....1st generation



You know more than I do.

Quote from: dopedeeva
And it's the Blue Rats for cryin out loud...It's not just ANY band. Who even knew that singing blues with these dudes could save one's soul from the cudgels of corporate impropriety? Smile Hallelujah!

now if we could only work on those scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly Shocked


Unless you uglify yourself, shave off those compelling eyebrows, sing lousy, develop halitosis, dress in a potato sack, gain 80 lbs. and find a way to switch off your female pheromones.... am afraid you are doomed to getting a rise out of scary old men.... now only if these were scary young men....  
Quote from: DyaniBee
iBee"] Now though that we've come to the apparent end of the Blue Rats' story, time to make history naman.


.... Ok, when is the next "Talong Party"?  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 23, 2006, 03:46:24 PM
aaahhh the name of the blue rats reunion

"talong party revisited"
:lol: ang pangit!hehehehe
Title: whatever happened to? part III
Post by: blues2death on August 23, 2006, 05:09:11 PM
miguel o. and tricie g.

well...i last saw him near santa monica,attending a benefit show with pinoy bands (and some white rock bands) held court.

right about the time before he went to australia to be with his better half tricie g. told me...eventually they're gonna tie the knot na....and maybe have their own set of little blues musicians in the future. :wink:
Title: Re: whatever happened to? part II
Post by: DyaniBee on August 23, 2006, 06:45:58 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Ok, when is the next "Talong Party"?  :lol:


Ask Apa... He's the one who got those gigs, di ba?  :lol:  And didn't we swear that we'd never do that again? Maybe we should for the benefit of those not in the know...  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 23, 2006, 07:03:24 PM
Maybe we shouldn't.... for the benefit of us.  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: kamots on August 23, 2006, 08:07:18 PM
Woah. Cool thread. Well, worth every single second I spent reading it.

Thanks for sharing maestros. Judging from the, apparent humilty and grace, in your posts a lot of us would do well to learn from you guys.   8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 23, 2006, 08:36:47 PM
Quote from: kamots
Woah. Cool thread. Well, worth every single second I spent reading it.

Thanks for sharing maestros. Judging from the, apparent humilty and grace, in your posts a lot of us would do well to learn from you guys.   8)


The tune is from Bach's Unaccompanied Cello Suites.  :wink:  And thanks for the complement. See you at the gigs sometime.  :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 23, 2006, 10:25:42 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
...Who even knew that singing blues with these dudes could save one's soul from the cudgels of corporate impropriety? :) Hallelujah!

you're living my dream. after resigning from my first job, i'd seriously thought about (even told my parents about it, to which i got a lot of rolled eyes and deep sighs) taking a couple of years off to follow my muse.

Quote from: dopedeeva
now if we could only work on those scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly :shock:

hey. we're not that old...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 24, 2006, 03:47:11 AM
B2D, shoot! i'll see if i still have that email and will send it to you in a more godly hour...:)

Quote from: nathanmanansala
Quote from: dopedeeva
...Who even knew that singing blues with these dudes could save one's soul from the cudgels of corporate impropriety? :) Hallelujah!

you're living my dream. after resigning from my first job, i'd seriously thought about (even told my parents about it, to which i got a lot of rolled eyes and deep sighs) taking a couple of years off to follow my muse.

Quote from: dopedeeva
now if we could only work on those scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly :shock:

hey. we're not that old...


Nathan, thanks man! It was a huge twist of fate, really. I never even thought I'd EVER sing again. But if you ask me, I'd say do it. If it doesn't work out for you after a while, then quit it. At least you tried :) Say hello to your muse while you still can. It might just be YOU she's waiting for...

The word "old" as defined here refers to the 50 and above range...whitey can affirm this :) All the more reason why the blues should be kept alive now...young people who fancy Paris Hilton's new video should know what they are missing (but then again, maybe i'm pushing it too far...)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: vegetablejoe on August 24, 2006, 05:33:01 AM
Quote from: dopedeeva
...
Quote from: nathanmanansala

...
Quote from: dopedeeva
now if we could only work on those scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly :shock:

hey. we're not that old...

...
The word "old" as defined here refers to the 50 and above range...whitey can affirm this :) ...


 :shock: kami pala yun!  :oops:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 24, 2006, 06:56:07 AM
Quote from: vegetablejoe
Quote from: dopedeeva
...
Quote from: nathanmanansala

...
Quote from: dopedeeva
now if we could only work on those scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly :shock:

hey. we're not that old...

...
The word "old" as defined here refers to the 50 and above range...whitey can affirm this :) ...


 :shock: kami pala yun!  :oops:  :lol:

you know, i think i actually did hear veggie joe swoon and go RAAARRR. tas tinuturo nya yung katabi nya when people looked at him funny. be grateful for that. tinulugan lang nya yung D3 e.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 24, 2006, 07:44:47 AM
Quote from: kamots
Woah. Cool thread. Well, worth every single second I spent reading it.

Thanks for sharing maestros. Judging from the, apparent humilty and grace, in your posts a lot of us would do well to learn from you guys.   8)


Kind words are much appreciated. Frankly, we're really not maestros.... well, maybe Joey is.  :lol:  

Aside from Mai and Kim who are just sliding into the prime of their lives, the rest of us are really just a bunch of hacks who have never forgotten what incredible things music can do to feed the soul, and who have been lucky enough not to have lost whatever meager skills we developed in our youth -- just enough not to completely embarass ourselves in public and just maybe have an occasional out of body experience once in a while onstage. That anyone would actually pay us to do this once in a while still blows me away.

If there are any nuggets of wisdom to have been learned along the way, perhaps the most valuable is this: To keep a good thing going, it's really important to have a sense of perspective about all this and not end up developing an inflated sense of self, an attitude of entitlement, and living one's life as if it were always a pissing contest. It's not rocket science folks. The real substance of the blues and rock 'n' roll has always been about questioning the status quo, doing something to make it better, and having a barn-stormin' good time while you're at it. Really, if more people embraced this rather quaint idea, we'd be living in a far kinder world.  :wink:

Quote from: nathanmanansala
you're living my dream. after resigning from my first job, i'd seriously thought about (even told my parents about it, to which i got a lot of rolled eyes and deep sighs) taking a couple of years off to follow my muse.


Hehe. You should have expected that Nate. Our "muse" to a great degree has always been about rebellion and something ephemeral -- the very things that make parents go  :roll: ...  [-(  ... and  :doubt: . That's just the way it is -- no doubt they had some idea what that could mean in terms of being able to put something on the table. Mahirap din dito sa atin. Glad you're playing tho'....... am sure you are!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 24, 2006, 08:02:35 AM
glad to have been part of it ...always brothers and sisters in the blue rats family.

more than anything....i not only miss the gigs and out of body experiences onstage with blue rats. i miss the cameraderie. well, not to take away from the other bands i joined...they were all good friends too.
it's just that even if the attitude of blue rats were laidback in general, i'd say we inspired and made a lot of people happy through our music....i mean genuinely---i think that is our purpose as musicians in general...bluesmen in particular.

blues----although most people would think is kinda depressing and negative.it's more than that.it's expressing your inner soul...your deeper self...hell...your singin about your troubles....and expreesing that...acknowledging that you couldnt take it anymore....that brings a sort enlightenment to the soul...

wether from the perspective of the performer...or from the observer's standpoint....expressing or witnessing these acts of total submissiveness...will turn the negative emotions into positive...

the promise of a brand new day so to speak.

well, getting down and dirty will also do that     :twisted: ... :lol:  

the blues is alive...long live the blue rats!

and the saga continues!!!!!  8)

Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 24, 2006, 08:19:03 AM
Quote from: dopedeeva

And it's the Blue Rats for cryin out loud...It's not just ANY band. Who even knew that singing blues with these dudes could save one's soul from the cudgels of corporate impropriety? :)


Hmmmm..... it occurs to me that I knew that.....  :lol:

Quote from: dopedeeva

now if we could only work on those scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly :shock:


....won't be too long before some of us will be scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly -- will be scarier because we'll have guitars slung around our necks or drumsticks poking out from strange places. Someone already has a harp clenched between his teeth. :mrgreen:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 24, 2006, 09:04:27 AM
Quote from: blues2death
glad to have been part of it ...always brothers and sisters in the blue rats family.

more than anything....i not only miss the gigs and out of body experiences onstage with blue rats. i miss the cameraderie. well, not to take away from the other bands i joined...they were all good friends too.
it's just that even if the attitude of blue rats were laidback in general, i'd say we inspired and made a lot of people happy through our music....i mean genuinely---i think that is our purpose as musicians in general...bluesmen in particular.

blues----although most people would think is kinda depressing and negative.it's more than that.it's expressing your inner soul...your deeper self...hell...your singin about your troubles....and expreesing that...acknowledging that you couldnt take it anymore....that brings a sort enlightenment to the soul...

wether from the perspective of the performer...or from the observer's standpoint....expressing or witnessing these acts of total submissiveness...will turn the negative emotions into positive...

the promise of a brand new day so to speak.

well, getting down and dirty will also do that     :twisted: ... :lol:  

the blues is alive...long live the blue rats!

and the saga continues!!!!!  8)



B2d, o, nagsesenti ka yata ah! Dapat talaga reunion time soon.... maybe June 2007? If we're still around then, that will be 12 years. Wow. If all the surviving Rats gathered, one could probably put 4 complete bands together! There have been so many of us that we forgot to mention others... like Francis Magat (!) now of Salindiwa -- he was briefly a Rat too. And other jammers... Perf de Castro, Paolo and the other Mr. Crayon guys, Pinikpikan, Wolf Gemora, Louie Talan,.... now that would be something.

We were talking about this thread last night at rehearsal (lahat na-adik na sa thread na 'to) and realized there are even more outrageous stories -- maybe best relegated to when the beer is flowing....

But thanks for starting this conversation. Sure brought back a lot of memories. Tricie texted from downunder and remarked how amazing it was that we had done all these strange things. Well, as they say, maybe it's a portent of other stranger things to come....  :lol:

Keep well and stay out of trouble, y'hear?  8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 24, 2006, 11:22:56 AM
Quote from: dopedeeva
this thread deserves to be immortalized...B2D, you gotta add some photos here (of the stetson and the poncho perhaps? I think that I gotta see...)

some of us were left in the dark during that explosive blues heyday and your vivid account has been a fascinating adventure so far...kulang na lang ng visual aid :)





(http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m98/blues2death/08_23_2.jpg)[/img]

here ya go dopedeeva.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 24, 2006, 12:07:05 PM
Quote from: blues2death
Quote from: dopedeeva
this thread deserves to be immortalized...B2D, you gotta add some photos here (of the stetson and the poncho perhaps? I think that I gotta see...)

some of us were left in the dark during that explosive blues heyday and your vivid account has been a fascinating adventure so far...kulang na lang ng visual aid :)





(http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m98/blues2death/08_23_2.jpg)[/img]

here ya go dopedeeva.


we were just talking about this b2d! last night at practice...

say, did you really wear this unique ensemble on the beach? :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 24, 2006, 12:19:52 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
we were just talking about this b2d! last night at practice...

say, did you really wear this unique ensemble on the beach? :)


why not?  :lol:

anyway the show was night time....and kinda windy.anyway i thought it looked cool....even though it was the beach.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 24, 2006, 12:34:48 PM
Quote from: nathanmanansala
Quote from: vegetablejoe
Quote from: dopedeeva
...
Quote from: nathanmanansala

...
Quote from: dopedeeva
now if we could only work on those scary old men lurking around at gigs going RAAARRR unexpectedly :shock:

hey. we're not that old...

...
The word "old" as defined here refers to the 50 and above range...whitey can affirm this :) ...


 :shock: kami pala yun!  :oops:  :lol:

you know, i think i actually did hear veggie joe swoon and go RAAARRR. tas tinuturo nya yung katabi nya when people looked at him funny. be grateful for that. tinulugan lang nya yung D3 e.


oops! i didn't mean to push the wrong buttons here :) i'm grateful, more than you know...

there's no problem with the swooning, only with the excessive drooling especially before kissing me. :shock: try to be the girl in this case for a change...

unless veggie joe is a foreigner who drones on onstage when he jams and considers Hobbit House his lair, then he's definitely NOT old...(and if he slept through D3, that means he's hip...no offense Joric!!!) :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 24, 2006, 12:41:41 PM
Quote from: blues2death
Quote from: dopedeeva
we were just talking about this b2d! last night at practice...

say, did you really wear this unique ensemble on the beach? :)


why not?  :lol:

anyway the show was night time....and kinda windy.anyway i thought it looked cool....even though it was the beach.


it probably was :) don't mind what these guys are saying, they're just "inggit" with your getup :)
Title: Re: whatever happened to? part II
Post by: ortigas on August 24, 2006, 01:22:16 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
.... Ok, when is the next "Talong Party"?  :lol:


hoy!!! teka, teka, teka! sama ako dyan!  :twisted:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on August 24, 2006, 03:12:12 PM
ok...speaking of talong party, do you guys remember that that was the 1st time i actually played with you guys on the drums? prior to that, i had only sung with you all (drunk and badly too!  :lol: ). bosyo called me over and handed me the sticks so i got on the kit. there i was, pounding along and having a good time when all of a sudden trice turns around and continues singing the rest of the song without facing the audience. the stage was quite high so i couldn't see what was going on at the front of it. needless to say, there was some nasty action going on! mwahaha!

guess nalang. hehehe.

oh, yeah, at the dressing/bed room they gave us to hang in, apa lay down on a wet spot!  :shock:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on August 24, 2006, 03:22:06 PM
did i say too much? nah...no one knows pa rin what happened there... :lol:  :shock:  :twisted:  :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 24, 2006, 03:25:31 PM
Lintek ka talaga Migs. That's supposed to be a closely guarded trade secret -- the memory of the talong party is where the Rats' mojo resides!!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

But not on the wet spot.  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on August 24, 2006, 03:35:59 PM
Apa lying down on a wet spot is pretty mild. Give us the real dirt. I v'e heard so many stories but mind you all behind closed doors and Iv'e been sworn to secrecy. Blue Rats code of ethics is a live and living.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Beatrice Gomez on August 24, 2006, 04:17:18 PM
Quote from: ortigas
did i say too much? nah...no one knows pa rin what happened there... :lol:  :shock:  :twisted:  :wink:


Wet spot is an understatement!!! But enough of the Talong Party!!!! ENOUGH!!!!!  [-X  This secret must stay within the circle of trust.

I have to post some pictures and stuff. Will do soon.

Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 24, 2006, 04:19:13 PM
Nakamfutsa B2D! flashback ako!

Wind blowin at Whit Beach and bustin into some gnarly tunes on a full moon! hayop!  :twisted:

DD hey, I like the paris Hilton Vid!! haha  :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 24, 2006, 04:23:06 PM
Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:[/quote]

See!? now thats a pro!
 :wink:
Yeyuh!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 24, 2006, 04:32:05 PM
Quote from: lefty
Nakamfutsa B2D! flashback ako!

Wind blowin at Whit Beach and bustin into some gnarly tunes on a full moon! hayop!  :twisted:



kainis no?  :lol:

hanggang flashback ka na lang meng....sarap kasi ng kain mo ng lomi nung hapon e...lomi ba yun o mami? :lol:

guitar intro...tseneng--tsuh--tsengk-tsengk-tsengk---tsengk-tsuh-tsengk...

"lakas ng tama tsong, lakas ng tama...ang lakas talaga ng tama ko sayo "
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 24, 2006, 04:42:15 PM


ang talong (bow)

tipar ng talong,
panay po ang tanong.
kayo ba'y sang-ayon?
na ipagkalat ang nangyari do-on?(w/batangueño accent)

isang bus ng tipaklong
oh why is this wrong?
the feeling is strong
tuwang-tuwa si badong--(the little blue rat)

naalala ko no-on       (batangueño pa din)
nagsikipang maong    (dahil kay badong)
ang sarap tumalon     (daming tipaklong)
sa swimming pool do-on    (dont forget the accent)

can you guess how long?
the very innocent talong
mag ingat sa taga sumbong
baka blue rats ay makulong

si wendell,si miguel...pati na din si edmong
sila ang nagsipalo sa mga tipar ng talong
kuh ledesma nag sermon(g)
na ang blue rats mag suot ng barong( ewan--hirap e!)

tsuk-tsuk dito,tsuk-tsuk do-on
biglang nawala ang magic talong
you can never go wrong,with a talong this long!
un pala nandoon---subo subo ni apa ang kangkong!





Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 24, 2006, 05:02:21 PM
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
Quote from: ortigas
did i say too much? nah...no one knows pa rin what happened there... :lol:  :shock:  :twisted:  :wink:


Wet spot is an understatement!!! But enough of the Talong Party!!!! ENOUGH!!!!!  [-X  This secret must stay within the circle of trust.

I have to post some pictures and stuff. Will do soon.

Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:


Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww...   :-&
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 24, 2006, 07:09:43 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
Quote from: nathanmanansala
you know, i think i actually did hear veggie joe swoon and go RAAARRR. tas tinuturo nya yung katabi nya when people looked at him funny. be grateful for that. tinulugan lang nya yung D3 e.


oops! i didn't mean to push the wrong buttons here :) i'm grateful, more than you know...

there's no problem with the swooning, only with the excessive drooling especially before kissing me. :shock: try to be the girl in this case for a change...

unless veggie joe is a foreigner who drones on onstage when he jams and considers Hobbit House his lair, then he's definitely NOT old...(and if he slept through D3, that means he's hip...no offense Joric!!!) :)

:lol: i forgot my smilies. i was kidding (as usual). sorry. must remember to abuse those emoticons.

pero he really did doze off on D3. :mrgreen:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 24, 2006, 07:41:00 PM
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez

Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:


Ey B.G.! I can imagine a 30-minute shampoo indulgence as your after-gig regimen...hehe. :D Your 'best friend' Robert smothered my face in thick saliva sauce, and the memory of it drives me nuts!!! :roll: I better start growing my hair...

Quote from: lefty
Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:

See!? now thats a pro!
 :wink:
Yeyuh!


Indeed :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 24, 2006, 07:44:17 PM
Quote from: lefty
Nakamfutsa B2D! flashback ako!

Wind blowin at Whit Beach and bustin into some gnarly tunes on a full moon! hayop!  :twisted:

DD hey, I like the paris Hilton Vid!! haha  :wink:


looks like someone here sold his soul to the pop devil  :twisted:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 24, 2006, 07:47:29 PM
Quote from: blues2death
Quote from: lefty
Nakamfutsa B2D! flashback ako!

Wind blowin at Whit Beach and bustin into some gnarly tunes on a full moon! hayop!  :twisted:



kainis no?  :lol:

hanggang flashback ka na lang meng....sarap kasi ng kain mo ng lomi nung hapon e...lomi ba yun o mami? :lol:

guitar intro...tseneng--tsuh--tsengk-tsengk-tsengk---tsengk-tsuh-tsengk...

"lakas ng tama tsong, lakas ng tama...ang lakas talaga ng tama ko sayo "


ahaha! ingit!  :twisted:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 24, 2006, 07:49:23 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
Quote from: lefty
Nakamfutsa B2D! flashback ako!

Wind blowin at Whit Beach and bustin into some gnarly tunes on a full moon! hayop!  :twisted:

DD hey, I like the paris Hilton Vid!! haha  :wink:


looks like someone here sold his soul to the pop devil  :twisted:


nah, just to Paris Hilton.. Close enough! haha :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 24, 2006, 07:53:29 PM
Quote from: nathanmanansala
Quote from: dopedeeva
Quote from: nathanmanansala
you know, i think i actually did hear veggie joe swoon and go RAAARRR. tas tinuturo nya yung katabi nya when people looked at him funny. be grateful for that. tinulugan lang nya yung D3 e.


oops! i didn't mean to push the wrong buttons here :) i'm grateful, more than you know...

there's no problem with the swooning, only with the excessive drooling especially before kissing me. :shock: try to be the girl in this case for a change...

unless veggie joe is a foreigner who drones on onstage when he jams and considers Hobbit House his lair, then he's definitely NOT old...(and if he slept through D3, that means he's hip...no offense Joric!!!) :)

:lol: i forgot my smilies. i was kidding (as usual). sorry. must remember to abuse those emoticons.

pero he really did doze off on D3. :mrgreen:


no worries man!  :wink:

I guess D3 took everyone by surprise (aka instant lethargy) :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 24, 2006, 08:52:21 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
Quote from: ortigas
did i say too much? nah...no one knows pa rin what happened there... :lol:  :shock:  :twisted:  :wink:


Wet spot is an understatement!!! But enough of the Talong Party!!!! ENOUGH!!!!!  [-X  This secret must stay within the circle of trust.

I have to post some pictures and stuff. Will do soon.

Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:


Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww...   :-&


We are all really idiots airing dirty laundry (and little underthings), inside jokes, and skeletons for everyone to see......... BUT THIS IS THE GODDAM FUNNIEST THREAD I HAVE READ IN RECENT MEMORY! I am sitting here all alone laughing my ass off and crying...  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :lol:

B2d, i-record mo 'yung bagong kantang 'yan -- we'll do it. Huwag lang 12-bar -- dapat may inversions at 9ths para it really sounds tough.

Trice and DD -- you guys should meet. You'd really get along.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 24, 2006, 08:57:02 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
Quote from: ortigas
did i say too much? nah...no one knows pa rin what happened there... :lol:  :shock:  :twisted:  :wink:


Wet spot is an understatement!!! But enough of the Talong Party!!!! ENOUGH!!!!!  [-X  This secret must stay within the circle of trust.

I have to post some pictures and stuff. Will do soon.

Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:


Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww...   :-&


We are all really idiots airing dirty laundry (and little underthings), inside jokes, and skeletons for everyone to see......... BUT THIS IS THE GODDAM FUNNIEST THREAD I HAVE READ IN RECENT MEMORY! I am sitting here all alone laughing my ass off and crying...  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :lol:

B2d, i-record mo 'yung bagong kantang 'yan -- we'll do it. Huwag lang 12-bar -- dapat may inversions at 9ths para it really sounds tough.

Trice and DD -- you guys should meet. You'd really get along.


We really should :) Laway pa lang to, and the weirdness doesn't stop there :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on August 24, 2006, 09:56:27 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
Quote from: ortigas
did i say too much? nah...no one knows pa rin what happened there... :lol:  :shock:  :twisted:  :wink:


Wet spot is an understatement!!! But enough of the Talong Party!!!! ENOUGH!!!!!  [-X  This secret must stay within the circle of trust.

I have to post some pictures and stuff. Will do soon.

Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:


Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww...   :-&


We are all really idiots airing dirty laundry (and little underthings), inside jokes, and skeletons for everyone to see......... BUT THIS IS THE GODDAM FUNNIEST THREAD I HAVE READ IN RECENT MEMORY! I am sitting here all alone laughing my ass off and crying...  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :lol:

B2d, i-record mo 'yung bagong kantang 'yan -- we'll do it. Huwag lang 12-bar -- dapat may inversions at 9ths para it really sounds tough.

Trice and DD -- you guys should meet. You'd really get along.


see, buddha, no harm and lotsa laughs....and tears...peace, bruddah!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 25, 2006, 12:42:42 AM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
Quote from: ortigas
did i say too much? nah...no one knows pa rin what happened there... :lol:  :shock:  :twisted:  :wink:


Wet spot is an understatement!!! But enough of the Talong Party!!!! ENOUGH!!!!!  [-X  This secret must stay within the circle of trust.

I have to post some pictures and stuff. Will do soon.

Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:


Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww...   :-&


We are all really idiots airing dirty laundry (and little underthings), inside jokes, and skeletons for everyone to see......... BUT THIS IS THE GODDAM FUNNIEST THREAD I HAVE READ IN RECENT MEMORY! I am sitting here all alone laughing my ass off and crying...  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :lol:

B2d, i-record mo 'yung bagong kantang 'yan -- we'll do it. Huwag lang 12-bar -- dapat may inversions at 9ths para it really sounds tough.

Trice and DD -- you guys should meet. You'd really get along.


haha! I know! i am hooked! I keep friggin checkin it!  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 25, 2006, 12:55:24 AM
Quote from: lefty
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
Quote from: ortigas
did i say too much? nah...no one knows pa rin what happened there... :lol:  :shock:  :twisted:  :wink:


Wet spot is an understatement!!! But enough of the Talong Party!!!! ENOUGH!!!!!  [-X  This secret must stay within the circle of trust.

I have to post some pictures and stuff. Will do soon.

Dopediva, don't worry about the dudes that come up to you for a kiss. I used to use my hair as a splash guard so their laway wouldn't reach my face :lol:


Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwww...   :-&


We are all really idiots airing dirty laundry (and little underthings), inside jokes, and skeletons for everyone to see......... BUT THIS IS THE GODDAM FUNNIEST THREAD I HAVE READ IN RECENT MEMORY! I am sitting here all alone laughing my ass off and crying...  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :cry:  :lol:  :lol:

B2d, i-record mo 'yung bagong kantang 'yan -- we'll do it. Huwag lang 12-bar -- dapat may inversions at 9ths para it really sounds tough.

Trice and DD -- you guys should meet. You'd really get along.


haha! I know! i am hooked! I keep friggin checkin it!  :lol:
MGA ADDIK!!!! MGA ADDIK!!!!! :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  8)  :twisted:  :twisted:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on August 25, 2006, 07:27:23 AM
Quote from: dopedeeva
unless veggie joe is a foreigner who drones on onstage when he jams and considers Hobbit House his lair, then he's definitely NOT old...(and if he slept through D3, that means he's hip...no offense Joric!!!) :)


none taken... he slept through the firebottle set too... teka... ako rin yun ah!

grabe na tong thread na to... this post on the history about the blues rats is quickly becoming part of that history!

mabuhay kayo!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dantuts on August 25, 2006, 09:31:16 AM
blue_buddha ...

does the band have plans of playing in Hobbit House in the future??

lagi kong nakikita yung banner nyo sa labas dati ng hobbit.. sayang ..

wala akong time..
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 25, 2006, 11:27:29 AM
Dantuts, we haven't gone back to them recently to check it out 'cuz we've been playing out in QC rather often na. Hard for us to do a lot more than that 'cuz many of us work and do other things. We'll see how it pans out.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 25, 2006, 11:44:43 AM
Quote from: deltaslim

grabe na tong thread na to... this post on the history about the blues rats is quickly becoming part of that history!

mabuhay kayo!


Oo nga e -- baka sobra na! Okay, I'll attempt to end this, but I have a feeling this ain't gonna work....  :lol:  It's just been too funny at na -addik na nga 'yung mga iba dito! Look at the "views" count -- crazy na.

Ok, here goes....read on dahil kasama ka dito... :wink:


….EPILOGUE….  :shock:

It’s June of 2035 –- some 40 years since the Blue Rats played their first set in public, and the 40th straight year that the band has been playing out and active. The reunion first discussed in August of 2006 is now FINALLY actually happening! They’ve returned to their old stomping grounds, the Hobbit House, which now houses a brothel featuring Korean and Russian prostitutes (alongside the locals of course) on the 2nd floor – in the space formerly known as The Hideaway. It is now called the “Hide The Lay”. B2b now operates HTL and it is also well known for its pizza and sizzling sisig. The Stetson hangs over the bar but the poncho is long gone. It was retired after having done double duty as a teaser costume in the “Western Suite” and a table cloth in the “Tokyo Room” -- the shabu-shabu pot was placed in the perfectly located head hole cutout -- but the and the irremovable stains of unknown origin and burned edging sealed its fate.

Some changes at Hobbit too. The acknowledgement of its past is evidenced by a single go-go cage to the left of the stage (in front of the Hobbit mural) in which a single naked Hobbit dances and prances around to the beat of whatever live band happens to be playing. All the waiters/waitresses are now of the regular sized variety, with not much more than a g-string/T-back/Tangga, bow tie, and the name “Hobbit” henna-tattooed across their chests to obscure “the goods”.

The Rats are an impressive sight and feature “The Coliseum of Sound”. Now having expanded to being a 13-piece “Ultimate Jam” band, the usual sets still begin with Statesboro Blues or Funky Mama, Hoochie or Chain of Fools in the middle, and end with Piece Of My Heart or Whipping Post. The current lineup features the following personnel:

• Cow (lefty) – guitars. Sporting a graying goatee, a “Mom” tattoo alongside a short chronological listing of GF’s on his sagging chest, he now plays righty after over 50 years of frustration trying to get his hands on nice left-handed guitars in the local shops.

• Johnny – bass. Now everything about Johnny is gray: hair, shirt, pants, socks, shoes, instrument (5-string Fender Roscoe Beck model in silver-gray), skin, and teeth.

• Leica Epperson – harp. Tom’s second daughter, she carries tattoos on both forearms of the Rat’s setlist indicating the keys in which the songs are performed. Some scarring due to occasional changes in keys as the vocalists in the band have changed over the years.

• Mikey Ortigas – manager. Miguel and Tricie’s son, he can neither keep a beat nor sing… much less play anything having to do with notes. But he really loves the band. Really truly. “BLUE” tattooed on his right calf, “Rats” tattooed over his heart.

• Doric Manansala (delta_fattone) – guitars. Nathan’s 12 year old daughter (an accident in Nate’s mid-life crisis) who turns out to be a telecaster prodigy and slidemaster, and her Uncle Joric’s goddaughter. She recalls her dad and uncle constantly arguing over a band called the blue rats and what-gear-who-played-when-and-how. Karma talaga that she ended up joining the band. Funny how that works.

• Mai-Mai Mislang – vocals. dopedeeva’s daughter. Conceived in a test tube (“I have had it with these spineless, “cojones-less” pinoy men… never again!”) and raised by a single parent, this long haired beauty was taught the tricks of the trade by her mom – secrets passed on down by other Rats vocalists over the years (example: Using one’s hair as a laway guard against lascivious old men who attack the stage). She did not only inherit her mom’s husky, bluesy, pitch-perfect voice, but apparently her biological father’s mestizo good looks. Although it remains a secret only known to “the circle of trust”, it is widely rumored that the sperm donor was none other than former Rat/Razorback David Aguirre.

• Joey Puyat – soloing coach and “gears and equipments” manager. Long retired from playing onstage, his mandate is to keep the Rats’ soloists in “tasty” mode. It his also his life’s mission to invade gear forums on the web and educate forum members that the words “gear” and “equipment” inherently describe “a plurality”, and there is no need – nay even, it is actually grammatically wrong – to add the letter “s” at the tail end of these words.

• Vic Borgailly – drums. The senior member of the Rats drumming duo, “Mang Vic” (as he is fondly known) visibly looks and audibly sounds younger by the year unlike the rest of his Rats contemporaries. Some suspect that he has found the “fountain of youth” by selling his soul to the devil. Others ascribe this dual phenomenon to the improved chemical formulations of the Clairol Corporation (manufacturer of hair dyes) and the Chinese triads (manufacturers of street contraband who have successfully turned around the market perception of their products – from illegal, harmful, substances to invigorating health/dietary supplements).

• “Baston” Ongpin – drums, vocals, and multi-instrumentalist. Offspring of Apa and #8. It turns out that #8 (not meant to be a derogatory label – meant specifically to protect identities) was the magic bullet. Unlike his parents, it turns out this guy can keep time, sing, play any stringed instrument, keys, horns, woodwinds, etc. Veritable “stevie wonder/prince” type genius. Together with Mang Vic and his 32-piece kit (not counting cymbals or toys pa – drums lang ‘yan!), they are the showstopping percussion foundation of the band. He also fills in at any instrumental position that’s missing on any given night.

• Joe Ingarra – pastor/spiritual leader. Now in his 80’s, he has been advised by his doctor’s to stop tooting his horn lest he risk a stroke by tooting too loudly. Ironically, in a dream one fateful evening last year, it was revealed that the Rats needed saving and he has been advised by the guy upstairs to start tooting his horn lest he never see his old bandmates up there when the time comes as a result of his not tooting loud enough. He has come back to the Rats. He leads the pre-gig and post-gig thanksgiving prayers, and regularly sits in his wheelchair during performances onstage to the left. Tonight, he is seated next to the naked gyrating hobbit in the cage.

• Butz Roxas – guitars. Son of Butch Roxas. Considered a “miracle baby”, he was born to his parents with no complications while the couple were in their 50’s. Serious chops from excellent musical genes. Even more incredible: Now he REALLY looks like Uncle Johnny!!! Plus he only wears black pa..... One time 3 years ago at this private gig in Alabang, the band is in the middle of “You Can Have My Husband But Please Don’t Mess With My Man”, this gorgeous babe walks up to Butz…….

• Kim Dosado – vocals. Now going by her more famous stage name “Kimmie Dorado” (yes, she’s one and the very same person!), she occasionally joins the old band when her schedule allows it. Her very successful solo career and keen business sense has made her a household name the world over. “Bayaning Pinoy”, “Asia’s Queen Belter”, etc. – all well deserved titles. Following last year’s welcome concert in Vegas where Lani Misalucha turned over her gig to Kimmie D. at the MGM Grand, Kim came home to purchase a majority equity stake in Ambergris Solutions – yes, the very same company that hired the Rats for the Rockstar competition, declared Kim the winner, and started her singing career in 2006. Kim now owns 75% of Ambergris (Php 5.2B in net income from operations last year) and plans to take an active hand in the management of the company and its 25,000 employees in 30 operating centers nationwide.

• AL (BB) – The Last Original Rat Left Standing. Literally. Long unable to continue playing guitar because the gout had crept up to his fingers about 10 years ago, BB can still be seen onstage at every Rats gig. He is the guy in between the harp and guitar amps. Standing. He’s the last original rat left standing (remember, joe is sitting). When the set begins and the band dives into that first note at every gig, he stands. When the last crash of the cymbal cuts through the air at the end of final encores, he’s still standing.  Standing standing standing. And smiling.

As the night progresses, about 30 ex-rats begin filing into Hobbit. In 2035, most of the rest who had jammed with the Rats in the old days are now with Bosyo and Norman. The talk turns toward an assessment (most very predictable) of the Rats’ 40 years:

• still no album released
• still no website
• still no segué into songs
• still no set lists 100% followed
• know the beginning, know the end, bahala na how we get there
• inside jokes and “figuring out what to play next” still the norm onstage
• this thread is now 16,729 pages long with 8,946,738 views

And yet, Hobbit is packed this evening and the plotting goes on – just as it had over 40 years -- about how to spread the blues gospel. Right before the band begins the first set, the conclusion then is very clear:

“THE BLUES IS NOTHING BUT A GOOD BAND HAVING ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHEN TO QUIT.”

 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: Count 'em -- that's 13 smilies!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 25, 2006, 12:33:00 PM
[strawberry] Brilliant!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Best. Post. Ever.


ahahaha! I couldnt eat while reading this!

Right on Blue Buddha! :twisted:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on August 25, 2006, 12:53:41 PM
Buddha be praised. Yeyuh!!!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on August 25, 2006, 01:11:20 PM
WOW!  Funny, intruiging, imaginative, and inspiring all at once!

Quote from: blue buddha

• Doric Manansala (delta_fattone) – guitars. Nathan’s 12 year old daughter (an accident in Nate’s mid-life crisis) who turns out to be a telecaster prodigy and slidemaster, and her Uncle Joric’s goddaughter. She recalls her dad and uncle constantly arguing over a band called the blue rats and what-gear-who-played-when-and-how. Karma talaga that she ended up joining the band. Funny how that works.


Wow, ewan ko kung payag si Nathan mangyari yan. Malamang proxy lang ako sa binyagan sa chapel tapos dala angkan sa reception.  :-) Pero swerte sino man ang inaanak ko na magkahilig sa blues music or slide guitar.  He/she surely will inherit both!  One of my inaanaks is now also a forumite and plays funk/jazz/rock regularly sa Malate. "Creation" ko daw siya. :-)

In 2035, kaming audience nyo will bring bullhorns na. Di na kami makasipol kasi wala nang ngipin at lung power. And you can't hear that well na!  Pero tuloy pa rin ang ligaya!!!  :-)

Me, I'm waiting for the day that I'm too old to stand on my own power. Then I can start to learn pedal steel slide guitar. :-)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 25, 2006, 01:40:48 PM
naknamp*&tsah!

hilarious!

pero bakit naging brothel pimp ako? :shock: may double meaning nanaman ba to? :lol:

ok, in the spirit of good fun.....

blue buddha you have failed to mention the "53rd talong rave party". :shock:

aaaahhh....after 50+ years of refusing to headline that event, the blue rats have finally conceded and signed a 10 yr contract to be the main act of the said party.much to the dismay of pastor joe ingarra--w/c led to numerous debates with present band members ( " what will your parents think?") to threats of kidnapping joey puyat (so that they wont have access to their equipment ")....after failing to convince certain shady figures and political leaders to ship the party organizers to afghanistan---on that fateful day, pastor joe comes back to the blue rats fold,in tears, asking AL if he can have dibs on "tooting" the talong after the party.

the talong party organizers? who are these people? well they arent the original party mongers that had those two parties where the blue rats originally played.

these are a new breed of vegetable lovers.....they got their inspiration from a certain thread on philmusic. after years of reading,interpreting,excessive p.m'ing miguel o and b2d( "cmon guys let us in on the joke...no one will ever know") these former thread reader addicts ran away with the idea that vegetables are good tools for &^%^ and *&^*&^.and they didnt stop there. talong parties over the years have progressed from fondling eggplants to all sorts of vegetables....ampalaya and kalabasas to name a couple. :shock:

ayun na...we created a monster. made b2d happy though...coz he made a killing supplying ...uhm, employees from HTL to work as waitresses at the partyfor 40+years until finally retiring in malate,trying to live the glory days.

forever sealing the animosity between pastor joe and b2d,former pals/bandmates and easily the youngest and oldest male members of the band at one time.now two character on opposite sides of morality. hehehe.....

the blue rats thread posts suddenly rose from 50 to 500 a day. a reunion was in the works...and every ex-rat wanted to be involved.even email activity in the blue rats yahoo groups increased, leading to a breakdown of numerous servers all around. for a band who doesnt have a website, you guys certainly caused quite a commotion on the internet.

incredible,just incredible.... :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Beatrice Gomez on August 25, 2006, 05:55:12 PM
Quote from: blues2death
naknamp*&tsah!
53rd talong rave party


Sabi nang ENOUGH TALONG PARTY!!!!!  

[-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 25, 2006, 06:09:50 PM
I'll have whatever BB is smoking!!!   :lol:   Seriously, a brilliant work of fiction... To those of us in the know, anyway.   =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>
Title: History
Post by: rasgo on August 25, 2006, 06:10:39 PM
The History of the Blue Rats will be called:

Talong And Windang Road

tahn-taaan!

Apa

(wala lang)
Title: Re: History
Post by: ortigas on August 25, 2006, 06:34:40 PM
Quote from: rasgo
The History of the Blue Rats will be called:

Talong And Windang Road

tahn-taaan!

Apa

(wala lang)


Si Apa talaga oh....corny pa rin... :roll:
Title: Re: History
Post by: DyaniBee on August 25, 2006, 07:11:39 PM
Quote from: rasgo
The History of the Blue Rats will be called:

Talong And Windang Road

tahn-taaan!

Apa

(wala lang)


Shoulda seen that coming...  :wink:  :lol:   Welcome to the thread, boss-at-large.   :wink:  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 25, 2006, 10:07:37 PM
Quote from: deltaslim
WOW!  Funny, intruiging, imaginative, and inspiring all at once!

Quote from: blue buddha

• Doric Manansala (delta_fattone) – guitars. Nathan’s 12 year old daughter (an accident in Nate’s mid-life crisis) who turns out to be a telecaster prodigy and slidemaster, and her Uncle Joric’s goddaughter. She recalls her dad and uncle constantly arguing over a band called the blue rats and what-gear-who-played-when-and-how. Karma talaga that she ended up joining the band. Funny how that works.


Wow, ewan ko kung payag si Nathan mangyari yan. Malamang proxy lang ako sa binyagan sa chapel tapos dala angkan sa reception.  :-) Pero swerte sino man ang inaanak ko na magkahilig sa blues music or slide guitar.  He/she surely will inherit both!  One of my inaanaks is now also a forumite and plays funk/jazz/rock regularly sa Malate. "Creation" ko daw siya. :-)

In 2035, kaming audience nyo will bring bullhorns na. Di na kami makasipol kasi wala nang ngipin at lung power. And you can't hear that well na!  Pero tuloy pa rin ang ligaya!!!  :-)

Me, I'm waiting for the day that I'm too old to stand on my own power. Then I can start to learn pedal steel slide guitar. :-)

so that would mean she'd have to be born in 2023...

hmmm... sige... schedule ko na kay misis...

:lol: :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 26, 2006, 12:25:36 PM
Ay [apple] talaga -- akala ko pa naman thread ender 'yang novelette ko na 'yan. Instead, we have:

• A guy involved in advanced planning to do the nasty with his wife in 2023,

• The very late arrival to the gig of our absentee manager -- halos tapos na 'yung set 'tsaka nalang sumipot, tapos may corny joke pa -- I guess that's business as usual,

• Someone looking to buy whatever I'm smoking. Lucky Strike filters lang 'to...  :lol: ,

• Another one invoking the "oath of Omerta" and threatening to enforce "the code of silence" with 13 smileys wagging their fingers at "the circle of trust",

• The threadstarter attempting an addition to the epilogue -- an "epi-epilogue" if you will. Dapat Epiphone nalang 'yan....,

• Yet another raising the spectre of the day when wala na tayong ngipin at hindi na tayo makasipol -- how depressing is that?.....,

• .....and a guy choking on his food while reading the post!  :shock:

Mukha yatang walang katapusan ito -- nadagdagan pa!!! Lagot kayo -- this was just the mild stuff.... if you guys aren't careful I'll reach in to memory bag #2 and then the party really starts on this thread....  8-[

Wala pa dito 'yung lurid details of "Mountain Fungi Adventure: secrets enabling lefties to play greasy blues righty", or "Adventures In Rocker Crushes: who liked who and what happened because of it", or "Gigging Adventures: the definitive guide on places not to play and why", and last but certainly not the least dangerous (quite possibly however the funniest of all), "The Prankster Adventurer's Guide to Metro Manila Police Stations: the definitive handbook on what to do, who to call, and what to say for which infraction, which police station, and how you were nabbed at the time -- complete with case studies".  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 26, 2006, 01:36:21 PM
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
Quote from: blues2death
naknamp*&tsah!
53rd talong rave party


Sabi nang ENOUGH TALONG PARTY!!!!!  

[-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X [-X



OO NgA!!  :shock:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 26, 2006, 10:09:32 PM
Quote from: nathanmanansala
Quote from: deltaslim
WOW!  Funny, intruiging, imaginative, and inspiring all at once!

Quote from: blue buddha

• Doric Manansala (delta_fattone) – guitars. Nathan’s 12 year old daughter (an accident in Nate’s mid-life crisis) who turns out to be a telecaster prodigy and slidemaster, and her Uncle Joric’s goddaughter. She recalls her dad and uncle constantly arguing over a band called the blue rats and what-gear-who-played-when-and-how. Karma talaga that she ended up joining the band. Funny how that works.


Wow, ewan ko kung payag si Nathan mangyari yan. Malamang proxy lang ako sa binyagan sa chapel tapos dala angkan sa reception.  :-) Pero swerte sino man ang inaanak ko na magkahilig sa blues music or slide guitar.  He/she surely will inherit both!  One of my inaanaks is now also a forumite and plays funk/jazz/rock regularly sa Malate. "Creation" ko daw siya. :-)

In 2035, kaming audience nyo will bring bullhorns na. Di na kami makasipol kasi wala nang ngipin at lung power. And you can't hear that well na!  Pero tuloy pa rin ang ligaya!!!  :-)

Me, I'm waiting for the day that I'm too old to stand on my own power. Then I can start to learn pedal steel slide guitar. :-)

so that would mean she'd have to be born in 2023...

hmmm... sige... schedule ko na kay misis...

:lol: :lol:


buti ka pa...eh yung sa akin schedule sa in vitro clinic eh...parang lugi ata ako dun... :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 26, 2006, 10:49:20 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
Quote from: nathanmanansala

so that would mean she'd have to be born in 2023...

hmmm... sige... schedule ko na kay misis...

:lol: :lol:

buti ka pa...eh yung sa akin schedule sa in vitro clinic eh...parang lugi ata ako dun... :lol:

doesnt have to be like that... i'm sure there are plenty of more-than-eager, albeit spineless and cojones-less, donors who'd do the deed naturally. for free even. kaya lang maiiba yung future. and baka di maging mestiza. :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on August 26, 2006, 10:51:52 PM
Quote from: nathanmanansala
Quote from: dopedeeva
Quote from: nathanmanansala

so that would mean she'd have to be born in 2023...

hmmm... sige... schedule ko na kay misis...

:lol: :lol:

buti ka pa...eh yung sa akin schedule sa in vitro clinic eh...parang lugi ata ako dun... :lol:

doesnt have to be like that... i'm sure there are plenty of more-than-eager, albeit spineless and cojones-less, donors who will do the deed naturally. for free even. kaya lang maiiba yung future. and baka di maging mestiza. :lol:


 :lol:  :lol:  :lol: :oops:  :D  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 27, 2006, 03:02:00 AM
:shock:
i take a day off and leave the forum for a while and i already got the t*****g on my back... :?:  :(

sorry guys...just having a little fun. :lol:

dont look at me, BB started it...in another thread.

Quote from: blue buddha
blues2death ha? HHHHmmmm.... Orange County. Here we go again. Are you who I think you are? Let's hear the answers to the following questions:

1. Who did Binky and "wipe the floor" with next to the bar at Hobbit one fateful evening?

2. Does a sunburst foto-flame strat with a floyd rose mean anything to you?

3. Do you know what the "talong party" is? And finally....

4. ....Were you a former Rat?  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:


bb, is starting to make threats in bringing out the party stoppers to end all party stoppers....

so i better shut up while im ahead... :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 27, 2006, 10:35:57 AM
Quote from: blue buddha
Ay [apple] talaga -- akala ko pa naman thread ender 'yang novelette ko na 'yan. Instead, we have:

• A guy involved in advanced planning to do the nasty with his wife in 2023,

• The very late arrival to the gig of our absentee manager -- halos tapos na 'yung set 'tsaka nalang sumipot, tapos may corny joke pa -- I guess that's business as usual,

• Someone looking to buy whatever I'm smoking. Lucky Strike filters lang 'to...  :lol: ,

• Another one invoking the "oath of Omerta" and threatening to enforce "the code of silence" with 13 smileys wagging their fingers at "the circle of trust",

• The threadstarter attempting an addition to the epilogue -- an "epi-epilogue" if you will. Dapat Epiphone nalang 'yan....,

• Yet another raising the spectre of the day when wala na tayong ngipin at hindi na tayo makasipol -- how depressing is that?.....,

• .....and a guy choking on his food while reading the post!  :shock:

Mukha yatang walang katapusan ito -- nadagdagan pa!!! Lagot kayo -- this was just the mild stuff.... if you guys aren't careful I'll reach in to memory bag #2 and then the party really starts on this thread....  8-[

Wala pa dito 'yung lurid details of "Mountain Fungi Adventure: secrets enabling lefties to play greasy blues righty", or "Adventures In Rocker Crushes: who liked who and what happened because of it", or "Gigging Adventures: the definitive guide on places not to play and why", and last but certainly not the least dangerous (quite possibly however the funniest of all), "The Prankster Adventurer's Guide to Metro Manila Police Stations: the definitive handbook on what to do, who to call, and what to say for which infraction, which police station, and how you were nabbed at the time -- complete with case studies".  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


hahaha!! yan tuloy!

Some people just dont know when to quit eh?  :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 27, 2006, 11:12:52 AM
:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: !!!!

Milagro talaga -- that had to be the longest "quiet period" between posts. Natameme lahat sa memory bag #2 ah!!!  :wink: But y'all know that would never happen -- Tama si Tricie..... the good stuff must stay within the circle of trust, ergo:  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#  :-#

These are the things that genuinely make the blues -- the source of the band's mojo, and the stuff that enables musical families to endure.

Sometime earlier, when this thread was younger, Trice texted from downunder and remarked that despite just being a "hobby band", how amazing it was that we had done all these things -- especially the benefit for Bosyo and his family (there was in fact a lot more to that, but wiser to keep these matters private). I remarked that when one chooses to act with a great deal of integrity, kindness, honesty, faith, empathy, and concern, good things happen... and how I felt that trying to make choices along these lines was a worthwhile ambition in life. And then she said, "The hope is that when we look back on our lives in our old age, we conclude that we have lived our lives in this manner a whole lot more than we realize and that we had a lot of fun doing it".

Such wisdom from someone so young. Beyond the obvious influence from her family, I like to think that playing with the Rats had something to do with reinforcing those values -- considering the fact that she practically grew up with the band -- she was 17 when she started singing with the Rats. I think that some of these conclusions have already been arrived at by some of the band alumni and current members. Hopefully this will be true for the future Rats yet to be.

Good ingredients for the blues.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 27, 2006, 12:44:52 PM
Amen. :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 27, 2006, 06:34:56 PM
Quote from: blue buddha

 
Sometime earlier, when this thread was younger, Trice texted from downunder and remarked that despite just being a "hobby band", how amazing it was that we had done all these things -- especially the benefit for Bosyo and his family (there was in fact a lot more to that, but wiser to keep these matters private). I remarked that when one chooses to act with a great deal of integrity, kindness, honesty, faith, empathy, and concern, good things happen... and how I felt that trying to make choices along these lines was a worthwhile ambition in life. And then she said, "The hope is that when we look back on our lives in our old age, we conclude that we have lived our lives in this manner a whole lot more than we realize and that we had a lot of fun doing it".

Good ingredients for the blues.


now that's wisdom anyone can use! 8)  great one blue buddha and tricie!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 29, 2006, 04:50:58 PM
Well, looks like this thread has finally wound down.  I do expect more blow-by-blow stuff after the coming gigs... Knowing this band, something weird's bound to happen!   :lol:  And the story goes on...  :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 29, 2006, 10:34:06 PM
hehehe...i dont know why other people stopped posting, but i'm behaving myself coz bb might make good on his threats....hehehe :lol:

at nag side comment pa ang b2d....

anyway...i did some posts, on what some blue rats alumni have been doing after their regular stint in blue rats.

some of them kinda hard to reach coz i dont know if they dabble on the internet, much less philmusic... :lol:

anyway...we know that:

*the romance between mig o. and trice g. has fully blossomed--they are getting married....or maybe they have.joey puyat wpuld also count, even though he got married before he became a rat.

*...joining the ranks of rats who have tied the knot. butch w/his look alike's sister.apa w/#8.

*johnny b still wears black after all these years...has he made good on his promise to wear something other than black on recent gigs? :shock:

*corny pa din si apa-- :lol:

*the new singers--mai and kim,kim and mai....are starting on their own blue rats history and funny memories.i don't need any confirmation on that.there will always be something new...even though it doesnt get posted here.

*we....i miss edmund and norman  :cry:.as well as the other rats whom i havent seen in a loooong time.... 8) well miguel doesnt count, even though im always happy to see him when i do.. :)

*i know that i'm drooling when rats and their jammers talk about the gear they been using onstage... :D

oh....whatever happened to b2d?

well.....i know nobody's asking...hehe, i'll say anyway what ive been up to, all these years.in case someone asks

after i left the rats in 2000, i started playing with a band formed by a certain paco a, called skin. we played in the regular showband and party circuit. although we made it an enjoyable experience for ourselves...the band only got to a point where we played 8x a week...a regular spot on a tv show(bubble gang). 4 pc band--guitars,bass, keyboards and vocals.our repertoire consists of 80s new wave,some rockalternative songs...the occasional "play that funky music"---oh, we also did mustang sally and hard to handle, so it's not a complete loss. that band fizzled when members lost interest.

then i had a stint w/ first circle---ako'y sayo fame.a band known for rnb stylings, they asked me to join them when they decided to shift to rock.more of the same songs like mentioned above.

in these two bands, i think we were one of the first to play exclusive rock songs in show band venues...there were others 'real rock' bands of course----but we were playing everywhere regularly :lol: w/c led to people not dancing, gigs getting too noisy and wild...

then the era where lotsa bands were starting to get lower budgets.gigs became scarce(again) and lots of bands got tired and went abroad.

and me having two baby girls--yeah guys im not gay, nor am i a woman hater :lol: . well let's say options were thinning out financially. i was looking to book myself in hong kong and hope for the best.

an offer to join introvoys on their US tour materialized. and i suddenly find myself here.

i am now working as a caregiver--my 5th job in a year.a friend--mike turner said it was a normal to change jobs so i must not feel bad about it  :lol: ...also no longer with introvoys.

i should say that while i was in blue rats that i learned and had a lot of fun.i still play blues when im by myself.never stopped,never will i guess.in true blue rats fashion...dont know when to quit :lol:

oh a funny story to close...

a conversation in heckle n jeckle...2-3 years after blue rats.me, full gig attire with red hair to match! :roll:

"uy sir! d ba kilala ko kayo?"--waitress at heckle

"baka...kasi tumugtog ako dito..." (uy, naka score tayo! sikat pala ako..hehe)

"ay oo! d ba sa blue rats ka dati?"(naks, cguro namangha sa sexy moves and blazing riffs onstage ha?)

"oo nga miss...buti naalala mo ako sa blue rats.miss ko na tong lugar na to e"

"oo grabe...kayo ang pinakamaingay na banda dito e! at ikaw...nakaka-walong red horse ka pag nandito ka e." (d pala blazing riffs...pagiging lassengerro ang naalala! :lol: )
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on August 29, 2006, 11:58:13 PM
Quote from: blues2death
*we....i miss edmund and norman  :cry:.as well as the other rats whom i havent seen in a loooong time.... 8) well miguel doesnt count, even though im always happy to see him when i do.. :)

...and it's always good to see you and shoot the sh*t together.  :D was good catching up with you in Los Angeles. ingat lagi, dude...and kick ass with "Ben Paltik", which you neglected to mention. di'ba, xheldon???
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 30, 2006, 12:08:06 AM
ben paltik? neglected? sino yun?

joke lang :lol: ayun pala...

ben paltik...mga pinoy na nakilala ko sa LA.mga mababait at masisipag na mamayan. astig pang tumugtog.

pag pinabalibaligtad mo ang letra ng ben paltik...labas ay pink table....

and we all know the story of the pink table right? goes on and on...

just like this thread.
+ :lol:
+
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 30, 2006, 01:35:48 PM
Marami pa talagang kuwento... oras lang ang kailangan. It's actually my sincerest hope that, whether it's playing the blues or this thread,  all you folks will never know when to quit!  :lol:

And b2d, you KNOW I never make good on threats like that -- only certain other kinds of threats...  :lol:  :wink:

Migs -- dali na! Come home early na kayo and let's have some fun.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 31, 2006, 01:54:11 AM
yeah! wala pa din tigil

i just remembered a funny story about edmund...share ko lang.tingnan ko kung matawa ka kayo.

there's a place in ayala alabang,right on the ayala commercial thing..a place named harry's grill--a restaurant owned by harry tambuatco(dont know if it's the correct spelling)

during that time he would have a jazz trio play standards...6-7 nights a week. si bugudoy ang band leader/pianist noon. bel cruz...taga angkan ng mga musikero na cruz.

anyway,tong si harry...drummer din kasi.in fact mahusay din. so mahilig din magkwento yan in between sets.

"alam mo ba kung sino dito sa pinas ang pinakamagaling na jazz/swing na drummer?"

sino?" si edmund fortuno, jonathan. na alam ko kilala sya na bilang rock en roll drummer at legend talaga sa rock yang taong yan...pero hayop kung mag swing yan taong yan..."

so rambles on for about an hour about bosyo.edmund this.edmund that...hanggang sa tinanong nya sa akin...

"so jonathan, nagbabanda ka din d ba? anong tugtugan ninyo?"

sa malate ako tumutugtog.blues ang tugtugan po namin.

"aahhh....so sino ba drummer ninyo?"

si edmund fortuno po... :lol:

"aaaahhhh....alam mo ba magaling yun?" :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 31, 2006, 06:47:43 AM
Does anybody remember us playing for Neil Oshima's wedding afterparty?  The one on the boat?  AL was in the U.S. that time I think, so don't expect any details from him about that one.  All I remember was us playing on this boat and very nearly sinking it because nearly everyone on it had gravitated toward the bandstand at the rear of the boat!  Tricie?  Migs?
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 31, 2006, 08:36:37 AM
ako! ako!  kasama ako non! :o

so cowboy...dyanibee...tricie....joe ...wendell played drums then.

medyo ang cute tingnan si neil noon w/his bride...kasi nung nag eexchange na sila ng vows, ang lalakas ng alon noon....gumegeywang gewang ng todo ang barko....ung mukha ni neil nun may expression na " who's f*&^n idea was this?1?!?"
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on August 31, 2006, 10:26:01 AM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Does anybody remember us playing for Neil Oshima's wedding afterparty?  The one on the boat?  AL was in the U.S. that time I think, so don't expect any details from him about that one.  All I remember was us playing on this boat and very nearly sinking it because nearly everyone on it had gravitated toward the bandstand at the rear of the boat!  Tricie?  Migs?


haha I remember that! :) I remember having to stand with my legs in a the "power stance" because the boat was tilting left and right! very cool gig.. :) I also remember Butch jamming and singing with us..
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 31, 2006, 10:44:09 AM
I remember that I was thinking and hoping that I wouldn't have had to use my bass as a life preserver!  We were supposed to head off to Corregidor but the captain called it off.  Good thing, too!   :shock:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on August 31, 2006, 11:37:06 AM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Does anybody remember us playing for Neil Oshima's wedding afterparty?  The one on the boat?  AL was in the U.S. that time I think, so don't expect any details from him about that one.  All I remember was us playing on this boat and very nearly sinking it because nearly everyone on it had gravitated toward the bandstand at the rear of the boat!  Tricie?  Migs?

j----...eheste...si b2d was right. i did not play this gig with you guys. wala pa ako sa blue rats...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 31, 2006, 12:05:44 PM
pati si apa pala kasama noon..almost forgot
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on August 31, 2006, 01:58:08 PM
Quote from: ortigas
Quote from: DyaniBee
Does anybody remember us playing for Neil Oshima's wedding afterparty?  The one on the boat?  AL was in the U.S. that time I think, so don't expect any details from him about that one.  All I remember was us playing on this boat and very nearly sinking it because nearly everyone on it had gravitated toward the bandstand at the rear of the boat!  Tricie?  Migs?

j----...eheste...si b2d was right. i did not play this gig with you guys. wala pa ako sa blue rats...


That's right... It was Bosyo that day.  Maybe that's why the boat almost sank...  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on August 31, 2006, 02:22:54 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: ortigas
Quote from: DyaniBee
Does anybody remember us playing for Neil Oshima's wedding afterparty?  The one on the boat?  AL was in the U.S. that time I think, so don't expect any details from him about that one.  All I remember was us playing on this boat and very nearly sinking it because nearly everyone on it had gravitated toward the bandstand at the rear of the boat!  Tricie?  Migs?

j----...eheste...si b2d was right. i did not play this gig with you guys. wala pa ako sa blue rats...


That's right... It was Bosyo that day.  Maybe that's why the boat almost sank...  :lol:


dyanibee....wendel nga pumalo e! :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on August 31, 2006, 02:59:17 PM
...... and so the Blue Rats moved very prematurely into alzheimer's territory... forgetting who did what, who was who, and when was what. The inability to agree on the nature, sequence, and details of events eventually led to the the issue of who was the legitimate repository and official interpreter of these oh-so-important historical events. The pressure was unbearable as book publishers lined up to curry favor with various factions of the Rats. Eventually, the demoralization destroyed the band and every member surrendered the rights to their memories and legacy to Tempo, the daily tabloid rag........ :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on August 31, 2006, 07:22:15 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
...... and so the Blue Rats moved very prematurely into alzheimer's territory... forgetting who did what, who was who, and when was what.

we can blame that on playing so damn loud once too often. :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 01, 2006, 09:37:21 AM
Quote from: blue buddha
...... and so the Blue Rats moved very prematurely into alzheimer's territory... forgetting who did what, who was who, and when was what. The inability to agree on the nature, sequence, and details of events eventually led to the the issue of who was the legitimate repository and official interpreter of these oh-so-important historical events. The pressure was unbearable as book publishers lined up to curry favor with various factions of the Rats. Eventually, the demoralization destroyed the band and every member surrendered the rights to their memories and legacy to Tempo, the daily tabloid rag........ :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


Dude, you must have a LOT of free time on your hands...  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on September 01, 2006, 09:42:32 AM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: blue buddha
...... and so the Blue Rats moved very prematurely into alzheimer's territory... forgetting who did what, who was who, and when was what. The inability to agree on the nature, sequence, and details of events eventually led to the the issue of who was the legitimate repository and official interpreter of these oh-so-important historical events. The pressure was unbearable as book publishers lined up to curry favor with various factions of the Rats. Eventually, the demoralization destroyed the band and every member surrendered the rights to their memories and legacy to Tempo, the daily tabloid rag........ :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


Dude, you must have a LOT of free time on your hands...  :lol:


haha...or he's just REALLY addicted. Sneaky  :P
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 01, 2006, 03:57:07 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: blue buddha
...... and so the Blue Rats moved very prematurely into alzheimer's territory... forgetting who did what, who was who, and when was what. The inability to agree on the nature, sequence, and details of events eventually led to the the issue of who was the legitimate repository and official interpreter of these oh-so-important historical events. The pressure was unbearable as book publishers lined up to curry favor with various factions of the Rats. Eventually, the demoralization destroyed the band and every member surrendered the rights to their memories and legacy to Tempo, the daily tabloid rag........ :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


Dude, you must have a LOT of free time on your hands...  :lol:


haha...or he's just REALLY addicted. Sneaky  :P


or a genius!  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 01, 2006, 03:57:17 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: blue buddha
...... and so the Blue Rats moved very prematurely into alzheimer's territory... forgetting who did what, who was who, and when was what. The inability to agree on the nature, sequence, and details of events eventually led to the the issue of who was the legitimate repository and official interpreter of these oh-so-important historical events. The pressure was unbearable as book publishers lined up to curry favor with various factions of the Rats. Eventually, the demoralization destroyed the band and every member surrendered the rights to their memories and legacy to Tempo, the daily tabloid rag........ :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


Dude, you must have a LOT of free time on your hands...  :lol:


haha...or he's just REALLY addicted. Sneaky  :P


or a genius!  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 01, 2006, 07:56:07 PM
Nag double post si lefty. That's more than just one. I agree -- a genius.  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 02, 2006, 12:15:24 PM
A new chapter has just unfolded... Migs and Tricie just got married, and apparently were having their celebratory barbie down under while the Rats were gigging at Mag:Net Katipunan last night.  Congrats, guys!  The heartiest of congratulations to you both.  See you in December.   :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 02, 2006, 12:20:09 PM
...and the tale never ends....

Sept. 1, last night -- mark it in the books: It was a moment of reckoning. As the Rats pounded away 3++ sets at Mag:net Café -- the return of Cowboy and Kim from a short absence and the first time in a while that the band played with a complete lineup, Tricie and Miguel put a lot of shrimp on the barbie downunder after tying the knot in a civil ceremony in Sydney.

A big, fat Congratulations and disgustingly wet kisses from all eight Rats to the rodent couple, and high hopes for the soonest possible appearance of little pink mice...  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>  =D>   :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 02, 2006, 12:26:06 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
A new chapter has just unfolded... Migs and Tricie just got married, and apparently were having their celebratory barbie down under while the Rats were gigging at Mag:Net Katipunan last night.  Congrats, guys!  The heartiest of congratulations to you both.  See you in December.   :D


Lintek blackie ... bilis mo ah! I just sent you that text and you beat me to the punch by 5 minutes. Maliwanag na who has a lot of free time on their hands and who is the real addict.... unfortunately it also means that I'm not a genius.   :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on September 02, 2006, 01:37:51 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: DyaniBee
A new chapter has just unfolded... Migs and Tricie just got married, and apparently were having their celebratory barbie down under while the Rats were gigging at Mag:Net Katipunan last night.  Congrats, guys!  The heartiest of congratulations to you both.  See you in December.   :D


Lintek blackie ... bilis mo ah! I just sent you that text and you beat me to the punch by 5 minutes. Maliwanag na who has a lot of free time on their hands and who is the real addict.... unfortunately it also means that I'm not a genius.   :lol:


Haha mag-unahan ba? "Rat" race!!! :)

Congrats to the newlyweds! :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 03, 2006, 09:31:38 AM
Couldn't help myself, BB... Those two I feel have been instrumental in my being a better person.  Whenever I needed help or advice, they called it as they saw it and never sugar-coated anything.  And if I was just lonely Migs was always there with a pool cue and a sense of humor.

Just saw the pictures of the wedding, the first installment, anyway.  I don't think I've ever seen either of them as happy as they were.  Congrats again, lovebirds.  Really, really wish I could've been there.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 03, 2006, 11:04:56 AM
Yup -- T & M were always the reference points for the BS meter.... they could smell the crap from a mile away!  :lol: Saw the pics too -- I especially loved the contrasting photos of the lamb racks/nasty sausages on the grill, and the little plate of brightly colored gulay/non-ambulatory commestibles. You can tell who ate what.... We miss you guys!!!  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 03, 2006, 11:18:51 AM
congratulations trice and migs...migs & trice!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: 3beers on September 03, 2006, 01:33:33 PM
Is this post good or what ?

   I guess its over huh b2d, only when we're dead and gone. Sometimes that rush only happens once in a lifetime, nice of you to jot it down.
YA DONE GOOD KID! remember this?....... And if you give me.....
                weed whites and wine
                and you show me a sign.
                I'll be willin to be movin.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 03, 2006, 01:50:36 PM
search=blues%20jam%20edd%20aragon

search=blues%20jam%20edd%20aragon
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 03, 2006, 06:22:12 PM
Congrats to T & M on their marriage.  Put another shrinp on the barbie mate, suck some piss and have a bloody good time. All the best
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 03, 2006, 09:34:13 PM
Quote from: 3beers
Is this post good or what ?

   I guess its over huh b2d, only when we're dead and gone. Sometimes that rush only happens once in a lifetime, nice of you to jot it down.

YA DONE GOOD KID! remember this?....... And if you give me.....
                weed whites and wine
                and you show me a sign.
                I'll be willin to be movin.


.... Now I smuggled some smokes and folks from Mexico
baked by the sun, every time I go to Mexico, and I'm still
And I've been kicked be the wind, robbed by the sleet
Had my head stoved in and I'm still on my feet and I'm willin', oh I'm willin'
 
And I been from Tucson to Tucumcari
Tehachapi to Tonapah
Driven every kind of rig that's ever been made
Driven the back roads so I wouldn't get weighed
And if you give me: weed, whites, and wine
and then you show me a sign
I'll be willin', to be movin'

....There's only one person in the world you could be 3beers.... HOLY MOLEY!!!  :shock:

Hey buddy -- see what you spawned? Very cool of you to join the party, albeit a bit late. We've missed you too! Now you're someone who would remember some outrageous things -- a potentially embarassing and deliciously dangerous contributor to these here anecdotes -- post them and REALLY turn the heat up. You should show up at some of the Rats gigs and sit in with us again -- it's been way too long since anyone in this country has seen someone play slide guitar with a full bottle of cold beer.......  :shock:  =D>
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: 3beers on September 03, 2006, 10:07:55 PM
YUP, you know b2b didn't have clue man.  :D johnny told me about it and
when i read it i went whoa it's great! When's the next gig , I gotta drop
by.
 

Remember the fist time Apa got up onstage he was as stiff as a board, tuned his bass for about 5 minutes. When the band started, i looked over cause there was no bottom end and he wasn't playin just starin down at his fingers. I shouted " Yo Aps A, the note is A AAAAA". Only then did he start.
 
it went ok though, not bad at all. After the gig his eyes were wide and flyin and he goes," That was f#*&)^% awesome"!

I really should get back and play, whadya think?
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 03, 2006, 10:46:29 PM
You bozo -- you know exactly what I think. If I had my druthers you'd still be an active Rat!!! Of course you should play! Think about it.... if you occasionally played with us, there would always be the incipient danger of some babe getting utterly confused as to who in world she "knew" in a past life. My bet is that she goes up to Johnny because he has muscles.  :lol:

Kind Hearted Woman, Willin', Rocket In My Pocket, Spanish Moon, Sister Blue, Mean Old World -- damn I miss those tunes -- and you wrote that last one plus the lyrics of the one before. Tara na -- have some fun for chrissakes! Maybe the more the Rats marry each other and/or each others' siblings it'll become a truly familial affair!!! Single ladies and gentlemen in the band, are you listening?!   :wink:

Next gigs (that we know of):

• 22 September - Handlebar, Makati
• 24 September - Private function
• 6 October - Mag:net Café, Katipunan
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: 3beers on September 03, 2006, 11:18:22 PM
Haha are you wagging your finger at me?

  Thing is, there's no "occasional playing" with me and no " a little fun", you know me man, it's all or nothing. But yeah, whens the next gig or rehearsal i'll be there.

   i gave a take home exam to my history of music class, one of the kids totally screwed it up. At the end of his paper he apologizes for screwing it up then writes me a little note and say's " Can you talk na lang about the Blue Rats in class , can we study that na lang , its much more interesting but don't tell the rest of the class ok?"
   I had no idea who this kid was, this stuff just follows you everywhere!

    lemme know man I'll see you real soon!
   By the way, I'm gonna be a dad in april! 8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 03, 2006, 11:19:32 PM
Miguel and Tricie Congratulations!!  :D  :D  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 03, 2006, 11:58:16 PM
3beers,

Whups -- nagkasabay tayo. See edited post above for next gigs. Will text you re: rehearsals etc.

I know what you mean about this thing following you around -- pretty funny -- this happens to us all the time. Well now you can point the dude to this thread, give him a day to digest it, a week to research, and make it part of another exam, asking such relevant burning questions as:

• Why are the Blue Rats called the Blue Rats?
• What were the only four songs the Rats knew upon being by Hobbit House in 1995?
• What was the print pattern of Eggpie's tights worn on the first gig he played with the Rats?
• and finally, for 80 points out of 100 on the final: Who was Apa's #7?

I have news for you .... you may not realize it now but it's going to have  to be "occasional playing" and just "a little fun" .... BECAUSE A LITTLE "BUTCHITO" or "BUTCHAY" IS ON THE WAY!!! YAHOOOOOOOWHEEEEEEE!!! Very very cool -- Congratulations..... the plumbing still works!  =D>  =D>  =D>  8-[
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 04, 2006, 03:08:32 AM
walangya...i had my suspicions....but i was playing it safe! :lol:

"welcome to the thread butch!"

legacy itong nasimulan ninyong banda.im just lucky to have been part of it.and it's you that i have a lot to thank for! :lol:

tun-tun-tun-tun-tun, tun-tun-tun--tunun!"aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww! funky mama!"
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Perf_De_Castro on September 04, 2006, 03:32:08 AM
3beers!

Musta na, maestro? Hope all is well!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: 3beers on September 04, 2006, 07:27:23 AM
I'm back with my coffee,Had to get some sleep, i got long days that start real early.

Hey Perf nice to hear from you, been hearing some great things about your playing man! I missed your Aranjuez   , How did it go?

B2d  Don't thank me , Things just have a way of coming together.

By the way we should change BB;s name to CHUNKY MONKEY cause thats how he plays CHUNKY, Damn good rythm. Not that he looks anything like a monkey , just sounded good., but come to think of it................mmmm,

Here's a BB story. My mom,god rest her soul, used to come to Hobbit and bring me food, it's a thing moms do. So one night she comes in with a whole mess of japanese food and spreads it out on one of the back tables. After the gig i go back to check out the food but its all gone.Not one morsel is on the table. Off to my side i catch  the outline of a man hunched over the barstool  in a sort of slow swaying eating motion, It's Andy, So i go. " Hey Ands did you see the food here?", He goes.
   "ya, aaaaa, I ate it". His beady eyes lookin side to side.
 That was a band size meal guys!

 But kidding aside, I.ve known BB since he used to beat me up when we were kids. One of the sweetest guys you'll ever know, not to mention that in his house you ate the best food ever!!  I really was'nt there for band practice , I was there for those  awesome late night meals, But that needs a whole new thread, What is it with food and musicians?
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 04, 2006, 08:48:34 AM
3Beers! 3 cheers! wasapenin man!!  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 04, 2006, 09:12:53 AM
Glad you could make it, 3beers.  Toldja this thread was interesting!   :lol:   Next rehearsal is on Wednesday night at the usual place, right, BB?  See you soon, bayaw.   :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 04, 2006, 09:52:35 AM
naks bayaw! :lol:

naks chunky monkey pala ha?!!? :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 04, 2006, 10:33:10 AM
3beers -- Expecting Japanese Food from your mom + Tired/hungry from a set + Discovering someone ate it all = Real Authentic Blues. I was just making sure you'd play better in the 2nd set.  :lol:

Hi Perf! Welcome to this ridiculous thread. Here's a ridiculous behind-the-scenes story from the Triaxis years:

For about a year or so, the Rats had been playing back to back with Triaxis at Hobbit around '96 or so. In between sets, we'd all be at the bar cheering them on as Perf, Wendell, and Claire burnt down the stage with jaw-dropping chops, etc. As was usual, there would be the obligatory mixed jams with the Triaxis guys rotating into the Rats setlist to shake things up and make things a little more interesting. And also as usual, the Rats were having scheduling problems with the rhythm section -- sometimes I'd end up having the embarassing task of playing drums or bass just to get through a set if one of the guys couldn't make it. So a logical discussion soon arose: Kausapin na daw namin ang Triaxis -- they might agree to become a regular featured part of the Rats -- sort of a band within a band. We all got along well, the chemistry was good, the music really fit, etc.... but most importantly, it would solve the drums and bass problem -- super icing on the cake na rin kung pumayag si Perf... a potential four-guitar-lineup never before seen anywhere.

Sulking in the corner was 3beers while this discussion was going on. We noticed that he didn't seem to be very enthusiastic about the idea, and kind of avoided the discussion altogether. When we finally put the idea on the table in front of him, we soon discovered why: mukhang long in the past, meron palang some sort of "history" itong si 3beers with Triaxis' very cute bass player, the nature of which (again) will not be discussed here and shall remain within the circle of trust to protect the innocent and not so innocent  :shock: . To qualify, however, it may not be what y'all might think...  :wink: . The upshot of this was that the idea sort of died a natural death, but Wendell eventually did end up hitting the skins for the Rats further on down the line, and Perf cemented his well-deserved reputation as "Maestro Perf" as the Triaxis machine wound down. The lesson here: always study for your "history" exams.  :lol: Aaaah the things that could have been....  :roll:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 04, 2006, 10:40:31 AM
Quote from: blues2death
naks bayaw! :lol:

naks chunky monkey pala ha?!!? :lol:  :lol:


1. dapat "kambal".  :lol:

2. dapat "chunky hippo"....  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 04, 2006, 11:11:50 AM
kulit talaga ni bb!!!

kambal!
bwahahahahahahahah! :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: 3beers on September 04, 2006, 12:21:40 PM
Ok, I dont have time now to answer BB's post about that "very cute bass player" because it might get long and bloody; and yes we were in a short lived band together but not like BB was implying OK? It was because of something that happened in the past that she might not want mentioned here, and i have to leave it at that.
  More BB and Apa stories to come , but a little busy now. I promise to get down and dirty oooooo YEAH!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 04, 2006, 12:27:28 PM
uh-oh...hehehe!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 04, 2006, 12:52:17 PM
Quote from: 3beers
Ok, I dont have time now to answer BB's post about that "very cute bass player" because it might get long and bloody; and yes we were in a short lived band together but not like BB was implying OK? It was because of something that happened in the past that she might not want mentioned here, and i have to leave it at that.
  More BB and Apa stories to come , but a little busy now. I promise to get down and dirty oooooo YEAH!


The thread lives again!  Bwahahaha...  :twisted:  Just when you thought it was over...  :lol: Can't wait for the next installment!  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 04, 2006, 02:10:45 PM
waiting....  8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 04, 2006, 02:36:17 PM
....just want y'all to know that 3beers is missing that neuron in the human brain that causes most to "hold back" and not go all the way -- possibly a genetic accident, I am told.  :lol:

This will be the supreme test of whether he will be able to exercise restraint in the face of the temptation to let it all hang out. Be afraid........be very afraid.........   :shock:  8-[
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 04, 2006, 06:24:39 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
....just want y'all to know that 3beers is missing that neuron in the human brain that causes most to "hold back" and not go all the way -- possibly a genetic accident, I am told.  :lol:


You're worried, no?  You sound kinda hopeful kasi...   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 04, 2006, 07:14:35 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: blue buddha
....just want y'all to know that 3beers is missing that neuron in the human brain that causes most to "hold back" and not go all the way -- possibly a genetic accident, I am told.  :lol:


You're worried, no?  You sound kinda hopeful kasi...   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


Actually, by establishing the "missing neuron" theory, I'm just sneakily laying down the basis for plausible deniability in the event that anything truly damaging comes out from the orifice that much more than 3 beers occasionally goes into 3beers' body.   :lol:

And I can't possibly be worried because he knows that I know that the stories about him which I know are far, far worse than him knowing the stories about me which I know he knows. As you know, it's all about someone knowing about the other's knowledge and his knowing that the knowledge you know is worse than the knowledge he knows about you.  :confused:  Simply put, "I've got the goods on him....."  :twisted:

On the other hand, I know a few dudes who should be worried ( [-X ). Hehehe.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 04, 2006, 10:49:47 PM
ahh the plot thickens..  :twisted:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on September 04, 2006, 11:00:54 PM
hey guys and girls! thank you for the congratzes!!! we had a great time and it was wonderful to be hitched to my love for good.  :-({|=  hahaha  :D wish you all were there. see you all soon! peace!  :p
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 05, 2006, 12:50:48 AM
to no one in particular :-#
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Perf_De_Castro on September 05, 2006, 02:45:05 AM
3beers!

The Aranjuez concert went well, despite my left hand getting injured the week before the concert!  :shock:  I was playing with my son and I twisted my left wrist, aggravating my thumb tendon! I literally couldn't move my thumb for a couple of days! Thank God I found a very good chiropractor in Manila who got me well enough to play the concert!

My hand has fully recovered since and I've been giving concerts here in the US. My last one was here in Long Beach last Aug..... very positive reviews and a standing ovation!  8)

So what's up with you?

SIDE NOTE: 3beers was my guitar teacher during my short stint at UST. We'd have 2 hour lessons; 1 hour classical, 1 hour blues improv hehehe great stuff!

BB,

The Triaxis/BR stint at Hobbit was WILD!!!! I remember our first few times playing with you guys, we were actually scared to take the stage since you guys are a tough act to follow! Eventually we settled into a groove and we looked forward to playing Hobbit with you guys, even getting disappointed at those days where we weren't playing the same night!

One of my favorite BR memories is when the Rats played stripped down one night and Andy played LEAD on several songs! And then he even SANG LEAD VOCALS on a BR original.  :D  He's not strictly a rhthym player, he can rip when he wants to!  8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tele-tubby on September 05, 2006, 03:08:26 AM
sing?!!!  matinik pala itong bata natin pre :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 05, 2006, 06:44:14 AM
Which original was that?  I know he used to sing 'Mystery Train' by the Band (Robbie Robertson et. al.)...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 05, 2006, 06:47:29 AM
dyanibee....it was "langhiya" ...ung panlalake na version.

bastos song yun man...hehe. :lol: si apa ang sumulat.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 05, 2006, 08:47:36 AM
I remember ''Langhiya'... Tricie was singing that one when I started with you guys.  I even remember how to play it.  That's right... It's BB singing on the early recording you guys made!  Never thought that he sang it live, though... Bet the missus had something to say about that.  Super bastos talaga yung kanta na yan!   :shock:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 05, 2006, 09:24:44 AM
Nampucha....... binibisto naman ninyo yung papel ko e. Si Perf talaga -- akala ko pa naman those forgettable moments were..... forgotten.  :lol:

Never thought that we might have scared anyone -- we were just making that stuff up as we went along. Half the time nga we'd have these goofy moments in between songs where we couldn't decide which song to do next (sugué?... what's that?!). Then when we decided, may 3-second practice pa ng main lick to remind himself how the darn song went.... yung joke nga namin ay may P50 fine for anyone who practices before the song.  :lol: Sometimes hanggang ngayon, ganoon pa rin -- "over relaxed" talaga. Performance craft?....... what's that?!!! Hopeless.

On the other side of the fence, initially iba naman ang paningin namin -- Triaxis was chops, chops, chops -- the head chop chop leader was Perf and Wendell was not far behind at all! Truly jaw-dropping playing -- jam nga... pero tight, articulate, coherent, and together. I seem to remember b2d forming a small pool of laway under his chin at the Hobbit bar....  =P~ I think it was the Rats that SHOULD have been scared, but any of that quickly disappeared after the first intra-band jams and everyone discovered what great folks the Triaxis guys were. It was such a pleasure to play back to back. Music really does have a way of disarming everyone -- it's such a great language.

Speaking of language, anything we do that's bastos is directly attributable to Apa. Unfortunately, I did sing it live -- people would scream "Play the bastos song! The bastos song!". Fortunately, I was always forgiven because I'd always attribute it to Apa. :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 05, 2006, 09:44:30 AM
hehe..."bastos song"... :lol:

pangalan pa lang na blue rats bastos na e....hehehe.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on September 05, 2006, 11:31:56 AM
Quote from: blues2death
hehe..."bastos song"... :lol:

pangalan pa lang na blue rats bastos na e....hehehe.

Tumpak!  :D Give the man a cigar... 8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 05, 2006, 05:14:31 PM
And it's all Apa's fault!   :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 06, 2006, 09:50:14 AM
Of course it's Apa's fault (see how that kind of has a ring to it -- the kind of ring that absolves all of us of any sin?  :wink: ).

Quote from: 3beers

Here's a BB story. My mom,god rest her soul, used to come to Hobbit and bring me food, it's a thing moms do. So one night she comes in with a whole mess of japanese food and spreads it out on one of the back tables. After the gig i go back to check out the food but its all gone.Not one morsel is on the table. Off to my side i catch  the outline of a man hunched over the barstool  in a sort of slow swaying eating motion, It's Andy, So i go. " Hey Ands did you see the food here?", He goes.
   "ya, aaaaa, I ate it". His beady eyes lookin side to side.
 That was a band size meal guys!

 But kidding aside, I.ve known BB since he used to beat me up when we were kids. One of the sweetest guys you'll ever know, not to mention that in his house you ate the best food ever!!  I really was'nt there for band practice , I was there for those  awesome late night meals, But that needs a whole new thread, What is it with food and musicians?


Musicians and food. Just got a message from Joe today. It reminded me of 3beers' story above. It's clear to most folks that characters like Miguel, me, and (now) Apa really like to eat. But I swear to y'all that there isn't anyone of us that could ever hold a candle to Joe!

3beers will confirm how Joe could plow through breakfast at his mom's house as Tita Bing (God rest her beautiful soul) would sit and watch in total amazement at the spectacle of this american dude just stopping short of eating the plate and the forks. The same was apparently true for Apa's mom, as Apa's brother Miguel would sometimes hang out with Joe at their mom's house. I think they made sure they kept the cat locked up in a bedroom somewhere.

My mom was always delighted to put meal together when the band was chowing down at home because she knew that this incredibly kind man with the long hair and mild manner was going to put on a clinic on the art of consumption and, being of italian descent, entertain diners with stories of his own mom's pasta concoctions. :lol: Undoubtedly, this delight at feeding "the gang" made Joe an instant hit with our mothers, revealing the secret truth that pinoy moms are in fact Jewish mothers wrapped in brown skins and very short noses.

After all was said and done -- nary a scrap left on the table like a nuclear device having carried out its vaporizing job, his dessert plate completely licked clean, him walking over to the serving table to pick at the leftover steak, and when that was gone, eyeing the fork -- the inevitable question would be quietly popped: "Where does he put it all??!!!". Because unlike us gluttons who wear the fact on our sleeves....er..... stomachs, Joe was absolutely rail thin. To this day, we really have not really fully understood the physics of this phenomemon.

It's clear that blowing on a horn burns many more calories than that which is consumed by raking a guitar pick across 6 strings. But what is the relevant Eat-to-Blow ratio? Some have mused about how, perhaps, he may have a hollow leg.... or two -- but he walks perfectly straight. Or that it all goes to his considerable (and noble) schnozz (you also know what they say about men with big noses...  :shock: ). At the end of the day, none of this may actually be emprically proven (except the last one, but that will require him dropping his trousers).

In the face of this mystery, here's how I like to think the formula works out: It's a divine equation -- you put out exactly what goes in. And in Joe's case, all that food, nutrition, and input is gloriously released in the man's goodness, thoughtfulness, and supremely tasty sax playing -- funky, sticky, in the pocket, melodic, musical, emotional, toneful -- in short, simply beautiful.

We'll always wish for another meal.... er.... gig.... together.  [-o<  O:)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 06, 2006, 11:15:01 AM
i dont know bb...when we were eating in that breakfast buffet that morning when i woke up in the lobby with the hat on.....joe was staring at me when i was downing sausages and morsels at 100 mph!

sabi ni 3beers noon..." give him a break joe! he's a growing kid!"

so if i scared joe with my eating prowess. 8)

oh i might get a checkup coz im complaining of "rayuma"...limping on my right knee because of excessive alcohol the other week....natatakot ako kasi baka may gout din ako. :shock:

even blue rats alumni get the gout---say it isn't so! :(
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 06, 2006, 11:29:55 AM
oh pati si norman belardo(God bless his soul!) kasama sa topic na "food and musicians"....
nag competition kami noon...padamihan ng big mac na makakain in one sitting..naka 25 sya noon...ako 18...walang panama! :lol:

ang matalo sya bayad...hehehe

si wendell din pag galing gig...parating naghahanap ng bbq at spare ribs na inihaw bago umuwi't matulog....

yeah rats are the subject of gluttony... :lol: rats will eat anything and everything!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Perf_De_Castro on September 06, 2006, 12:05:17 PM
Speaking of Joe, did anybody ever take up your challenge of deciphering his lyrics on "The Thrill is Gone" ?

hehehehehe  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 06, 2006, 12:09:15 PM
Ala eh!....... b2d, huwag nan natin paguusapan kung saan lumalabas lahat ng food na iniinput mo ah!!!!  :shock:

Joke lang p're.... :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 06, 2006, 12:15:23 PM
Quote from: Perf_De_Castro
Speaking of Joe, did anybody ever take up your challenge of deciphering his lyrics on "The Thrill is Gone" ?

hehehehehe  :lol:


Hahahaha! Am afraid no one dared --  :lol:

We would sometimes crack up onstage kasi sad na sad yung kantang 'yun na deep blues ang feeling, tapos eto na si Joe..... predictably "eating" the words..... wala kasing buffet onstage!  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Perf_De_Castro on September 06, 2006, 12:20:47 PM
Speaking of Norman, I have his infamous beat-up Jazz Bass. It's in my closet as I type this.

We swapped basses before he left for the Bahrain gig, with the understanding that we never sell each other's basses and will eventually swap back.

Anyway, got a piece of AC and BR history right here.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 06, 2006, 12:21:52 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Ala eh!....... b2d, huwag nan natin paguusapan kung saan lumalabas lahat ng food na iniinput mo ah!!!!  :shock:

Joke lang p're.... :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


alam na natin kung saan igan... 8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 06, 2006, 02:56:41 PM
Quote from: Perf_De_Castro
Speaking of Norman, I have his infamous beat-up Jazz Bass. It's in my closet as I type this.

We swapped basses before he left for the Bahrain gig, with the understanding that we never sell each other's basses and will eventually swap back.

Anyway, got a piece of AC and BR history right here.


Hey Perf.  Maybe you could post a picture of it?  All I have of Norman and those days since the early 90s when we used to share the stage at Fire & Rain are memories, and fuzzy ones at that thanks to my substance abuse problems then.  It'd be good to see Norman's old axe, at least.  I don't even know where he's buried so I can visit!  I miss that old dog.  :cry:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 06, 2006, 04:34:01 PM
+1. I'd love to see that bass again, if only to remind us all of the good stuff that emanated from it.

And Perf, whether you like it or not, you yourself are already a part of this band's strange history. Kilitingkiliti kaming lahat sa lahat ng dumalaw at nakilahok sa mga gigs ng banda. Personally, it was an honor to have played with the folks who jammed with us and cut some heads up there.  =D>
Title: Hi Rats!
Post by: Joe Ingarra on September 06, 2006, 05:28:19 PM
Congrats! Miguel & Trice! God bless your marriage!Youz guys!Thanks for all the nice & not so nice things you guys have said. I'm sending someone to drop by :shock: he he    Ya you guyz took care of me soooooo well & your Mom's treated me like their own, or maybe better??? in some cases. I never had a brother & never knew the meaning of the word until I met you guys & girl! What a great family!!!!! :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 07, 2006, 12:35:55 AM
:shock: is it really you mr.joe ingarra? :shock:

the italian new yorker has just entered the building!....danger,danger! :lol:  :lol:

miss you dad...hehehe :D
Title: Re: Hi Rats!
Post by: blue buddha on September 07, 2006, 01:10:49 AM
Quote from: Joe Ingarra
Congrats! Miguel & Trice! God bless your marriage!Youz guys!Thanks for all the nice & not so nice things you guys have said. I'm sending someone to drop by :shock: he he    Ya you guyz took care of me soooooo well & your Mom's treated me like their own, or maybe better??? in some cases. I never had a brother & never knew the meaning of the word until I met you guys & girl! What a great family!!!!! :)


Wooohoooo! You showed up! Welcome buddy -- just got back from a rehearsal in which Butch sat in with us for the first time in 7 years or so -- big fun. Told everyone you wrote in, so expect warm welcomes all around.

Hey, no one ever said "not nice things" about you -- just stuff real family says to each other with total familiarity and fondness. And you are family my friend. Hope we can prevail on you to drop by soon, horn or no horn.  8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Perf_De_Castro on September 07, 2006, 03:19:58 AM
Quote from: DyaniBee

Hey Perf.  Maybe you could post a picture of it?  All I have of Norman and those days since the early 90s when we used to share the stage at Fire & Rain are memories, and fuzzy ones at that thanks to my substance abuse problems then.  It'd be good to see Norman's old axe, at least.  I don't even know where he's buried so I can visit!  I miss that old dog.  :cry:


It's the bass in this pic:

(http://photos.perfdecastro.com/albums/userpics/10001/normal_P1010107.JPG)

I still use it in my recordings.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 07, 2006, 07:10:48 AM
Thanks, man.  I couldn't help but sob a little when I saw it.  It makes real all those memories I have of him teaching me the finer points of bass playing, eating with us and generally horsing around.  I remember playing for Advent Call as a sub (what a disaster that was) when he first got married.  And I remember when he showed up at Hobbit and jammed 'Chain of Fools' with the Rats (I'd never seen him actually play with the Rats except then and at rehearsals when I joined up to coach me along).  I always play that song with a little sadness in my heart as I remember.

On the lighter side, Norman and I used to have this little running joke... Whenever we met and shook hands, we used to try to beat each other at making the other 'mano,' acknowledging the other's seniority.  The loser always expressed mock shock and pain to the winner's amusement, then a warm hug usually followed.  We were real hippie Peter Pans, weren't we, Norman?  Never to grow old, never to die.  But all things grow old, and all things die.  You just beat me to it.  Funk the heavens, old friend... The world still moves to your groove.   =D>
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 07, 2006, 08:06:15 AM
im still in denial over his death.....i still feel he's out there somewhere playin a gig...... :(
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 07, 2006, 09:40:37 AM
Hair standing on the back of my neck and a sudden blanket of sadness. That bass brings it all back. Like a warrior's sword.

Perf, huwag mong bibitawan 'yan. If you ever have to let go of it, consider Norman's family -- his kid first. Norman's mojo is in that hunk of wood.
Title: Re: Hi Rats!
Post by: DyaniBee on September 07, 2006, 10:15:47 AM
Quote from: Joe Ingarra
Congrats! Miguel & Trice! God bless your marriage!Youz guys!Thanks for all the nice & not so nice things you guys have said. I'm sending someone to drop by :shock: he he    Ya you guyz took care of me soooooo well & your Mom's treated me like their own, or maybe better??? in some cases. I never had a brother & never knew the meaning of the word until I met you guys & girl! What a great family!!!!! :)


Joe!!! Good to hear from you, old man (and I mean that in the nicest way possible).  :wink:  Drop by the gigs sometime and say hello, y'hear?  Like BB said, sax or no sax, you'll always be a part of the family.  See you around.   :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dantuts on September 07, 2006, 11:07:53 AM
OT question: ..

did blue rats ever released an album.. ?

sorry if its been talked about in the beginning of this post, ang haba kasi e..  :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 07, 2006, 11:26:58 AM
Yes God Bless Norman's Soul.. May He Rest In Peace..
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 07, 2006, 11:28:10 AM
Joe!! Joe Sax!! Whats up man!! glad to see you on here!  :D

We gotta see you soon man! Hope youre doin well!

 take it easy my friend!  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: 3beers on September 07, 2006, 11:42:38 AM
The Butch is back baby!

 first i'd like to say had great time with boys and girls last night, just gotta get my chops back had'nt picked up an electric like that in ages. Band was sounding nice and solid!

This one's for Perf. Thats weird cause same thing kinda happened to me, badly sprained my wrist and 4th finger on my lefthand. Been playing alot of tango , did one at PCI with violinist Gina medina, we were with Adolfo Timuat the other day he gave a flamenco lecture/concert, Nice! Still voraciously believe in the education part of it all, don't know if we make a difference but we gotta battle ignorance and indifference everyday. It's surprising how many kids will say that the blues are a part of their roots but not be able to play a straight ,no frills 12 bar. Anyway keep in touch bro!

Joey, Joey, Joey.
  Once upon a time there was a music school. one morning as a teacher was waiting for his students to show up, he heard in the next cubicle that round alto sound of a sax. The teacher looked over and saw a tall, lanky, kinda good looking white boy, ripping of a couple of blues like riffs. When the audition was over the teacher finds the sax player sitting all alone with a kind of lost but endearing 'where do i go from here' look. so the teacher approaches this lone sax player and asks his name.
    "It's Joe , Joe Ingarra".
   " Holy C!#%^*#! " Thinks the teacher. An american sax player named Joe, with a lost but endearing 'where do i go from here look', in the middle of third world dirty old manila.
   What can be bluesyer than that!!
  We just had to get this guy. LOVE YOU BUDDY!
[/quote]
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: 3beers on September 07, 2006, 11:42:45 AM
The Butch is back baby!

 first i'd like to say had great time with boys and girls last night, just gotta get my chops back had'nt picked up an electric like that in ages. Band was sounding nice and solid!

This one's for Perf. Thats weird cause same thing kinda happened to me, badly sprained my wrist and 4th finger on my lefthand. Been playing alot of tango , did one at PCI with violinist Gina medina, we were with Adolfo Timuat the other day he gave a flamenco lecture/concert, Nice! Still voraciously believe in the education part of it all, don't know if we make a difference but we gotta battle ignorance and indifference everyday. It's surprising how many kids will say that the blues are a part of their roots but not be able to play a straight ,no frills 12 bar. Anyway keep in touch bro!

Joey, Joey, Joey.
  Once upon a time there was a music school. one morning as a teacher was waiting for his students to show up, he heard in the next cubicle that round alto sound of a sax. The teacher looked over and saw a tall, lanky, kinda good looking white boy, ripping of a couple of blues like riffs. When the audition was over the teacher finds the sax player sitting all alone with a kind of lost but endearing 'where do i go from here' look. so the teacher approaches this lone sax player and asks his name.
    "It's Joe , Joe Ingarra".
   " Holy C!#%^*#! " Thinks the teacher. An american sax player named Joe, with a lost but endearing 'where do i go from here look', in the middle of third world dirty old manila.
   What can be bluesyer than that!!
  We just had to get this guy. LOVE YOU BUDDY!
[/quote]
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 07, 2006, 11:51:34 AM
Quote from: dantuts
OT question: ..

did blue rats ever released an album.. ?

sorry if its been talked about in the beginning of this post, ang haba kasi e..  :wink:


No. The Rats recorded an album of 8 originals and 3 covers called "Mahaharot Na Tugtugin" sometime in mid 1996 when the band was little over a year old. The recording was produced by Mike Hanopol and Byron (?) at Jim Paredes' Circle of Fifths Studio near Katipunan. While copyrighted, the album was never released, but a few copies of the first rough mixdown managed to go walking and cuts off that album were played often on Cousin Hoagy Pardo's fm radio show in the following years. Today, Bob Magoo occasionally does the honors on his blues programming on AM radio. The musicians on that album are listed on page1 of this thread. Of that group, ako nalang ang natitira sa regular lineup ng Rats....  :cry:

....pero mukhang baka may mga gusto yatang mag-round 2...or 3... or 4....  :lol: .... at least part time occasionally. Nakakagana daw yung thread na 'to e.  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 07, 2006, 11:52:38 AM
Quote from: dantuts
OT question: ..

did blue rats ever released an album.. ?

sorry if its been talked about in the beginning of this post, ang haba kasi e..  :wink:


recorded...but never released...old line up pa yun...with bb and apparently 3beers still in the mix. i would love to get a copy, coz mine is still in the phil and in cassette form.

the present lineup should make a new album and release it themselves.what do you think bb? i mean, bands do it all the time.the DIY thing is in! of course only if you want to guys.....how about if alumni guitar players guest in your future album ( wink ,wink)

and then release the old one---for novelty's sake...definitely, with line up you have now...matindi ang mga bagong originals ng rats! ang selling point ng old lineup was....trice's singin...an old lineup,looking for it's sound....apa's "bastos" songwriting....joe ingarra's first recording in the phil...butch's mean old world and sister blue....

also norman ,bb and bosyo's rhythm section......amazing!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 07, 2006, 12:46:58 PM
Yo! Joe,

   Nice to see you here. Sure miss your presence & sax on stage, especially on  Kumadre. Still struggling with that song a bit but somewhat better than before.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 07, 2006, 01:15:59 PM
Quote from: 3beers
The Butch is back baby!

 first i'd like to say had great time with boys and girls last night, just gotta get my chops back had'nt picked up an electric like that in ages. Band was sounding nice and solid!

This one's for Perf. Thats weird cause same thing kinda happened to me, badly sprained my wrist and 4th finger on my lefthand. Been playing alot of tango , did one at PCI with violinist Gina medina, we were with Adolfo Timuat the other day he gave a flamenco lecture/concert, Nice! Still voraciously believe in the education part of it all, don't know if we make a difference but we gotta battle ignorance and indifference everyday. It's surprising how many kids will say that the blues are a part of their roots but not be able to play a straight ,no frills 12 bar. Anyway keep in touch bro!

Joey, Joey, Joey.
  Once upon a time there was a music school. one morning as a teacher was waiting for his students to show up, he heard in the next cubicle that round alto sound of a sax. The teacher looked over and saw a tall, lanky, kinda good looking white boy, ripping of a couple of blues like riffs. When the audition was over the teacher finds the sax player sitting all alone with a kind of lost but endearing 'where do i go from here' look. so the teacher approaches this lone sax player and asks his name.
    "It's Joe , Joe Ingarra".
   " Holy C!#%^*#! " Thinks the teacher. An american sax player named Joe, with a lost but endearing 'where do i go from here look', in the middle of third world dirty old manila.
   What can be bluesyer than that!!
  We just had to get this guy. LOVE YOU BUDDY!


Dude, when you come by the house next time remind me to give you a copy of our performance at Dish.  It'll make for good practice material for you.  Welcome back.   :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 07, 2006, 01:48:58 PM
hhhmmm...d nyoko pinapansin ah?

ang sabi ko....rerecord kayo ng album...and if ever im in town...sama ako! :lol:  :lol:

well, cant blame a guy for trying...hehehehe
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dantuts on September 07, 2006, 01:53:56 PM
Quote from: blues2death
the present lineup should make a new album and release it themselves.what do you think bb? i mean, bands do it all the time.the DIY thing is in! of course only if you want to guys.....how about if alumni guitar players guest in your future album ( wink ,wink)


i think now is the time to record an album. its the INDIE thing..   :wink: marami ng ways to record unlike before.

anyway , like blues2death , Blue Rats deserves an album.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on September 07, 2006, 02:04:46 PM
Quote from: blues2death
hhhmmm...d nyoko pinapansin ah?

ang sabi ko....rerecord kayo ng album...and if ever im in town...sama ako! :lol:  :lol:

well, cant blame a guy for trying...hehehehe


haha, i'm sure BB and the rest of the guys are considering it. i'd love to do it! i already wrote some lyrics for Joey to work on (you'll have to ask him what it's about though) and it's a work in progress. :)

tama si dantuts, indie-recording is the norm these days. Rikki of Bronx St. Blues sent me his studio's address, should we plan on venturing into it soon.

you can't be blamed for trying man, you're family. kasama ka sigurado if you ever make it here soon enough... :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 07, 2006, 02:36:31 PM
Quote from: blues2death
hhhmmm...d nyoko pinapansin ah?

ang sabi ko....rerecord kayo ng album...and if ever im in town...sama ako! :lol:  :lol:

well, cant blame a guy for trying...hehehehe


b2d, KSP na KSP ka naman padre -- 11:52pm yung post mo, 1:48am yung expected response? Para naman kaming walang ginagawa dito. I think you better tear yourself away from the computer screen -- jst sitting there waiting.... waiting.... waiting....  :lol: . Mukhang alam na natin kung sino ang thread adik dito ah!  :lol:

If we do that, there should be room for everyone to get on the album. Yes, there are a number of ways to get it down on disk or tape. We'll see how it goes.
Title: Memories!
Post by: Joe Ingarra on September 07, 2006, 02:40:11 PM
Hey I was wondering does anyone remember Paul da brit guydat sang wit us for a while & at the Hobbit? Da night he drank a quart of lambanoag & dove off the stage in the middle of Mustang Sally & rolled on the floor & never missed a word or a beat! :shock:         Remember the birthday party in Baguio where he sang too & someone also(no names mentioned) re-decorated the cr & played moments later in great blues fashion as usual!!! was dat wall to wall carpeting? I think that was back when Rivermaya just started?                                                             Hey, wen I sang, I was singing to da aussie old timimg friend we all have, he could understand any language & speak it too! He taught me how to speak in tongues!!! he he  I'll never forget the time one of our bass players flicked his cigarette from 20feet away & popped dat guy right in the side of the head & he never even flinched or knew what had happened!!! You knew da band was groovin wen he got up & dance the oakland stroke or was that just a regular stroke?                 Hey by the way I was not the oldest in the group there was Edmond,Caesar, Eggpie, Tony Neri,Joey, & someone who whined like a 100 old geezer, dat surpassed me in dat dept!!! :D Anyway da younger guys kept me feelin young  :lol:             How about dat Apocolypse Now type Puerto gig at the haunted house in the rain, a boat ride in heavey rain,at night, on the 2nd floor, on the balcony or was that a side of a wooden creaky ledge for a stage. If it wasnt raining we could have played Burning Down the house & it might of, from all the electricity getting sucked up by the amps thru the tiny wires in that place! BY the way I got Left Behind at that gig, I didnt make the medivac bangka with Tony!!!  Hey I loved the excuse why Apa couldnt stay for that gig!!! anyway we have omerta in the band right! so if I wanna roam da streets here & not sleep with da isda i'll claim alzheimers or 5th ammendment!dey got that here? oh yeah Caesar came from the hood like me in Sampaloc, Little Las Vegas dats the corner we hung out at.                                       I want to thank Apa for saving my life more times than he probably knew, thanks mang! Ya I miss Edmunds playing I loved da grooves he set up & the way He could build the song from start to finish & follow me or guide me thru solo's to make me feel like I was surfing on a giant wave of sound , it was really exhilalratin!                                                                   We had some really magical musical moments on stage at hobbit! Every combination of musicians for the rats had der special musical moments that was very inspiring & musically satisfying beyond words! The grooves of the rythm section & the guitar solo's just took me to another level of playing that I didnt even know I could play at! Thanks Rats for all those great musical inspiring moments & there were many!There were times I thought we were gonna fly away! ha ha Also that concert at white beach on stage at night wow it was fantastic the sea breeze blowing in our faces made it feel like we were going 100 miles an hour while playing & listening to each member of the band playing great licks! Doz were really unbelieveable great musical times! Actually I have a million great memories of playing wit da rats, so much fun always!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 07, 2006, 02:40:27 PM
hehehehe

of course im kidding....

pero...addicted talaga ako...haha!can you blame me? im proud to have been part of this band. 8)

oh yeah...i also have a dayjob...24/7 guarding the old folks.but it's cool.no complaints.

yeah joe....i remember paul.pinoy from london and that stagedive to the table in the middle of hobbit's dance floor. i remember that baguio party w/ grace nono,jun lopito, rivermaya...we capped off the show and everybody started dancing.

but...edmund was pushing 50 then..eggpie was younger than edmund...and yes cesar was your batchmate..remembered that he played in vietnam during the war when he was still in his teens.... :lol:

and i never meant any harm with that joke uncle joey. :lol:  it's just that you were such a good sport about it...and we always love you for that....look at 3beers!you and me both know that sometimes he would go into these mood swings :roll: ...but that is a thing of the past! the bad would be outbalanced by the good.he misses you so much! and i know i do too.i had fun during those years.

i saw a color it red gig on video the other week....you were playing with them at baywalk...my friend was a fan of CIR and took a video of you guys at baywalk....i told him, that the guy playing sax was an old bandmate of mine...he went crazy! he said you were awesome! and i said..."i know" :wink:
Title: Hey butch!!!!
Post by: Joe Ingarra on September 07, 2006, 03:12:42 PM
Hey Butch!!!    I can never repay you for all the kindness & great times you showed me my friend! You've been so good to me! thanks a million times!!! It seems that one quote of yours that I never could understand has finally come to light, " you cant serve 2 masters". Yeah man you save my ass from expiring in the hood or worse yet going back to NY!!! ah!!! I mighta had a Joisey acent by now!! he he! God bless You man!!!!
Hey Tom! I like your new pic in the band! Is that the ski mask you were using for that new job interview at the bank you were telling me about? :lol:
  Hey Cowboy! I never forget your one man show at Puerto especially wit Knock Knock Knockin! Also the botanical moutain tours we took!  :D
     I have to thank Butch & Andy for loaning me two toys that made playing wit you guys alot more fun & changed my sound into something I really love to hear. Joey kindly said one night thats my own personal sound & I really felt it added so much although I didnt realize that too much reverb could drive everyone nuts! Anyway I luv that chorus & a touch of reverb & I use it almost always & hate to play without it.                                       also andy that reed shaver, man thats the best thing I ever got, I was able to sand down reeds to a perfect playing sound. Before that I always had to struggle with too thick reeds & huff & puff for days until it sofened up. Hey  I'm not gay! he he just very happy to play sax!
Title: Re: Hey butch!!!!
Post by: lefty on September 07, 2006, 03:47:08 PM
Hey Cowboy! I never forget your one man show at Puerto especially wit Knock Knock Knockin! Also the botanical moutain tours we took!  :D


Haha! that was awesome! I remember we went ahead and camped out for a few days in tents and just freak out over the volume of people that arrived! by fri the place was tent city.. we had the best spot though, elevated and when you zipped open the flap, youre facin the the stage!

Also, those memorable jams which seemed to have lasted all that night! a gnarly full moon was blazin just to add to the effect, Sammy Asunscion was there, Dr Stix, SPY!! we jammed the greatest rock tunes like anything, and I would just listen to you RIP!!  :twisted:

The rest of the muscians that were there at Little Nikita were parts of Coco Jam and such.. I also remember us playing the Full Moon festival at kalaws!! that was great!! full moon summer showers and people dancin in the rain! awesome!! :)

then we get stranded and couldnt go back to our campsite and had to sleep on some big boat!  :wink:

awesome times man..
that was
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 07, 2006, 05:10:39 PM
Personally, I really don't see the point in putting an album together right now.  Having recorded two albums with the Breed with a cheap-s__t, tight-assed recording company, all you really get from it is some publicity and (if it sells well) the right to up your prices at gigs.  I really think that the joy of being a musician is to perform... The gigs are where it's at, for me.

Now if we had new originals, that'd be a different story.  The old material has become just that... old.  Perhaps a complete redo of arrangements will help, but I think we should churn out more mature originals that really showcase who we are and what we can do at this point in time, rather than a novelty or an old private joke.

This is all, of course, in my humble opinion.  What do you guys think?
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 07, 2006, 05:18:07 PM
Geez, I take twenty minutes out to type out that last message and all of a sudden a new page has been added!!!  I think we're all just about incurable...  :lol:

Joe, you were the best saxman that I've ever heard and that any band could have... Tasty licks all over the place!  See you soon, sana...  :)

And by the way, yes, it was me that flicked the UNLIT cigarette butt at you-know-who.  I was still relatively new to the band and the old guy was just being his usual off-the-wall self, but I actually got annoyed as people unfamiliar with his ways sometimes get.  Beaned him right on the money!  You and B2D just cracked up and turned away real quick.  What a bunch of juvenile delinquents we were... And we weren't all that young anymore already!   :lol:
Title: Re: Memories!
Post by: blue buddha on September 07, 2006, 05:42:21 PM
Quote from: Joe Ingarra
. ......Da night he drank a quart of lambanoag & dove off the stage in the middle of Mustang Sally ..... Baguio where he sang too & someone also(no names mentioned) re-decorated the cr ..... Hey, wen I sang, I was singing to da aussie old timimg friend we all have, he could understand any language & speak it too! ....... the time one of our bass players flicked his cigarette from 20feet away & popped dat guy right in the side of the head & he never even flinched or knew what had happened!!! You knew da band was groovin wen he got up & dance the oakland stroke or was that just a regular stroke?...... Apocalypse Now type Puerto gig at the haunted house in the rain........ Hey I loved the excuse why Apa couldnt stay for that gig!!! anyway we have omerta in the band right! so if I wanna roam da streets here & not sleep with da isda i'll claim alzheimers or 5th ammendment!....


Holy S**T Batman!!! This is the funniest post on this thread! :lol:  :lol:

And this is the best line....

Quote from: Joe Ingarra
Hey by the way I was not the oldest in the group there was Edmond,Caesar, Eggpie, Tony Neri,Joey, & someone who whined like a 100 old geezer, dat surpassed me in dat dept!!! :D


 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh God.... I think I'm going to have a heart attack...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 07, 2006, 07:24:59 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Personally, I really don't see the point in putting an album together right now.  Having recorded two albums with the Breed with a cheap-s__t, tight-assed recording company, all you really get from it is some publicity and (if it sells well) the right to up your prices at gigs.  I really think that the joy of being a musician is to perform... The gigs are where it's at, for me.

Now if we had new originals, that'd be a different story.  The old material has become just that... old.  Perhaps a complete redo of arrangements will help, but I think we should churn out more mature originals that really showcase who we are and what we can do at this point in time, rather than a novelty or an old private joke.

This is all, of course, in my humble opinion.  What do you guys think?


new songs+ new sound= new album....makes sense to me dyanibee :D wag na bastusan  :lol:  more mature? defintely...basta what comes out naturally..and knowing the current lineup..you will probably come up with something great...

this is of course...my 'honest' opinion. :)
Title: Re: Hi Rats!
Post by: ortigas on September 07, 2006, 07:43:34 PM
Quote from: Joe Ingarra
Congrats! Miguel & Trice! God bless your marriage!Youz guys!Thanks for all the nice & not so nice things you guys have said. I'm sending someone to drop by :shock: he he    Ya you guyz took care of me soooooo well & your Mom's treated me like their own, or maybe better??? in some cases. I never had a brother & never knew the meaning of the word until I met you guys & girl! What a great family!!!!! :)

Brother Joe! Thank you so much! God has already blessed us...alot!  :D How are you my friend? Where are you? I hope and pray all is well.  Thanks for all the well wishes from everyone. We wish you were all here to enjoy the celebration with us.

The Jerks will be playing our wedding in the Pinas if all goes to plan. Freakin' rock n' roll wedding, it's gonna be! After they do about 1 set during eating time, we are having all the bad boys get up and jam. We're having the entire Razorback and DRT, as well as folks like Karl R, most of the Rats, and maybe even the whole LOKOMOTIV play us some tunes! Trice and I will get up and jam some as well...just so we can kick butt at our own wedding...hehehe... :twisted: No organized sets...just good time jamming...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 07, 2006, 09:24:15 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
....but I think we should churn out more mature originals that really showcase who we are and what we can do at this point in time, rather than a novelty or an old private joke.

This is all, of course, in my humble opinion.  What do you guys think?


.....Read all 14 pages of this thread -- The Blue Rats are:

• An 11-year old band with 25 guys and gals ranging from 17 to 51 years of age having tromped through it -- all of who remain friendly and civil to each other,
• A pinoy blues band,
• A pinoy blues band whose general average height at any given point during the 11 year existence was above 5'8",
• A pinoy blues band with americans in it who didn't play guitar,
• A pinoy blues band in which 16% of its past and current members had gout,
• A pinoy blues band whose manager had 8 girlfriends over the first 8 years of the band's existence,
• A pinoy blues band who had 3 members of Juan De La Cruz as their drummer, album producer, and regular guest jammer (Bosyo, Mike, Pepe),
• A pinoy blues band that had twins who were unrelated but one of whom married the other's sister,
• A pinoy blues band who were the subject of the first "Rockstar" competition in the country staged at Araneta Coliseum,
• A pinoy blues band -- undoubtedly the only pinoy blues band -- to play at the infamous "talong party",
• A pinoy blues band which, over the course of a 14-page Philmusic thread, had two members declare "I'm not gay!",
• A pinoy blues band which, over the course of a 14-page Philmusic thread, had twenty-three members NOT declare "I'm not gay!".

....In summary, that's who we are: A novelty with SIXTEEN TONS of old private jokes!!!  :lol:

And if we churn out originals that really showcase who we are and what we can do at this point in time, we will be totally incapable of doing something serious without falling down on the ground laughing!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol: .... count 'em -- that's 25.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on September 07, 2006, 09:37:33 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
• A pinoy blues band which, over the course of a 14-page Philmusic thread, had two members declare "I'm not gay!",
• A pinoy blues band which, over the course of a 14-page Philmusic thread, had twenty-three members NOT declare "I'm not gay!".

 :lol: Dyosko day! Susmaryosep...
Title: new album?
Post by: rasgo on September 07, 2006, 10:45:03 PM
While you guys were all spilling your guts on this thread, I decided to write a few lyrics.

HALA!

Well, I'll show you a few things if I think they're ready.

Don't worry, they're not all bastos.

Since it came up, just to refresh your memories, here it is:

Langhiya

(intro)

Ipinasyal kita
sa akin sasakyan
balak ko sana
tayo'y mag one-on-one
Dumating tayo sa Kalookan
nagparada sa isang
malilim na daan
Nang lumingon ako upang ika'y halikan
Arouch!
Pinitik mo ang aking kwan

Langhiya langhiya
langhiya ka talaga
ang sigaw mong
parang baboy na tinataga
Akala mo kung sinong
dalaga
Pero aber!
Wala kang panty at nag mini-skirt ka pa

Nanood tayo
ng isang pelikulang "X"
Ang bukod-tanging
paksa nito ay sex
Nakaakbay ako
sa balikat mo
unti-unting ginagapang ang
kanang boobs mo
Nguni't bago ko makalas
ang butones mo
Inay!
Kinagat mo ang daliri ko

Langhiya langhiya
langhiya ka pa rin
Ang hiyaw mong
parang busina ng tren
Akala mo kong sinong
Maria Clara
Pero ano!
Sa ilalim ng t-shirt mo'y
wala kang bra

(solo)

Nilasing kita
ng vodkang Absolut
Ang dating nito
ay talagang ismut na ismut
Sinabi ko sa iyo
"Do you find me kyut?"
Tumawa ka lang
at ako'y kinurut
Nang bumulong ako sa iyo
"Tayo'y mag"- alam mo na
Hindot!
Sumuka ka at sa tenga ko ay
shoot na shoot

Langhiya langhiya
langhiya ka buwiset
Ang hiyaw mong
parang luka-lukaret
Akala mo kong sinong
immaculate
Pero oy!
Bakit sa akin ka pa rin
nakikipagdate?

Langhiya langhiya
langhiya ka buwiset
ang hiyaw mong
parang luka-lukaret
Akala mo kong sinong
immaculate
Pero oy!

(outro)
Title: Re: new album?
Post by: ortigas on September 07, 2006, 10:52:28 PM
Quote from: rasgo
Hindot!
Sumuka ka at sa tenga ko ay
shoot na shoot

Ang galing!! Yehey! Recording na...dali! :D
Title: Even worse...
Post by: rasgo on September 07, 2006, 10:58:58 PM
This is long.

It is a history of the Blue Rats written in 1998, and intended as a basis for the liner notes of the unreleased album. I can't find the English translation, sorry to those not Tagalog-compliant.

The Blue Rats: Isang kasaysayan

etymology/philology:
“… inaresto ng mga alagad ng batas ang ilang mga ago-go dancer ng club noong sila’y madatnan na nagsasayaw sa mga mahaharot na tugtugin  nang walang anumang saplot sa mga maseselang bahagi ng katawan.”

               -typical TV Patrol script segment about Mayor                 Lim’s drive to rid Manila of vice, late 1980’s.
                (emphasis supplied)

Noong 1995, sina Sixto “Butch” Roxas, isang propesor ng musika sa UST, Leandro “Andy” Locsin, isang arkitekto at Rafael “Apa” Ongpin, isang TV director, manunulat at artista, ay nagkumpol sa basement ng bahay ni Andy upang tumugtog ng sari-saring himig na base sa gitara. Hindi nagtagal at nagpasiya silang magtatag ng isang banda ng blues, isang uri ng musika na kanilang kinagigiliwan mula pa noong nag-high school sila sa US sa mga taong 80.
   Sila’y na-inspire hindi lamang sa mga banda at artistang dayuhan tulad nina BB King, Albert King, ang mga Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughan at Double Trouble, Little Feat, Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, atbp, kundi na rin sa mga blues-based na kanta ng mga alamat ng Pinoy Rock tulad nina Pepe Smith, Mike Hanopol, Sampaguita, Jerks at iba pa, at sa mga naiibang sounds nina Binky Lampano at ang Kanyang Newly Industrialized Combo (NIC) noong mga panahon na iyon.
   Ang pinaka-layunin ng proyekto ay ang pagpapalaganap ng blues, isang uri ng musika na, sa tingin nila, ay sadyang naaangkop sa kultura at kalagayang panlipunan ng bayang Pilipino. Ang Blue Rats ay nagpasiyang bigyang diin ang mga elemento ng improvisation, jamming at ang pagtatatag at pagpapalakas ng isang tunay na Pilipinong boses sa larangan ng blues.
   Ang unang line-up ng grupo ay binuo nina Butch (lead guitar, vocals), Andy (rhythm guitar, bass, vocals), Apa (bass, triangle), Beatrice “Tricie” Gomez (vocals), estudyante ng Geology sa UP, at pamangkin ni Andy, Joseph “Joe” Ingarra (saxophone), isang Amerikanong guro sa UST, na dating kawal ng US Navy Band, JJ Coloma (keyboards), isa ring estudyante sa UST, at Hodini Rontas (drums), estudyante ng Musika, major in percussion sa UST.
   Ang kupunan na ito ay nag-buo ng set list na may kasamang apat na orihinal na kanta (Lakas ng Tama, Minor Blues, Sister Blue at Mean Old World), at nag-audition sa Hobbit House, kung saan kaibigan ni Butch ang namamahala sa mga banda, si Vince Chingcuangco. Natanggap kaagad ang grupo na tumugtog ng isang beses bawat linggo, at dito na nag-umpisa ang drama.
   Ang pangalang Blue Rats ay bigla na lamang sumipot noong isang ensayo, at nagustuhan ng mga miyembro hindi lamang dahil sa patagong kapilyuhan nito (alisin ang titik “L” kung hindi niyo pa nakuha), nguni’t dahil na rin sa koneksiyon nito sa uri ng musika.
   Nag-umpisa sa sintonaduhan at sablay ang regular na tugtog ng banda, nguni’t sa katagalan ay may naluwal na rin na isang masasabing kakaibang estilo. Ito’y naka-ugat sa patuloy na pagbabago at improvisation. Kahit na magta-tatlong taon na ang banda, hindi pa rin nila tinutugtog ang isang kanta na parehong-pareho bawat pagkakataon. Kung minsan ay halos kabaliktaran pa nga ang ginagawa para lang imbestigahin ang mga posibildad ng musika.
   Dahil sa mga patuloy na trabaho nina Butch, Andy at Apa, at ang mga aralin nina Tricie, JJ at Hodini, noong una pa lamang ay nagkaroon ng mga alternate musicians ang banda upang mapatupad ang schedule ng mga laro, na naging dalawang beses sa isang linggo. Dito napasok sina Percy Bautista (bass), isang beterano na biyaherong musikero, at Cesar Santos (drums), ganoon din. Nagkaroon pa nga ng mga angkop na gigs na dalawang drummers na magkasabay, (katulad ng Grateful Dead). Sumunod naman si Jonathan Manuel (lead guitar), estudyante ng UST na ngayon ay permanente na sa banda.
   Hindi nagtagal at noong nag-graduate sina Hodini at JJ, hindi na nila maituloy ang kanilang mga career sa musika. Dito na-recruit ng banda si Edmond “Bosyo” Fortuno (drums), isa sa mga alamat ng Pinoy Rock, alumnus ng Juan de la Cruz, AnakBayan, Bong Peñera, Eddie Katindig, Manila Band, Coco Jam, Vozio, at iba pa. Si JJ ay napalitan ni Tony Neri (keyboards). Si Paul Fowler ay kumanta para sa banda noong wala si Tricie. Ang mga kapatid ni Tricie, sina Margarita (isang batikang opera singer) at Tebbet, ay madalas kumanta ng backup vocals.
   Noon namang umalis si Apa upang mag-aral sa France noong July 1996, siya’y pinalitan ni Norman Belardo (bass), na pinahiram sa magandang asal ng kanyang banda, ang Advent Call, at noong nag-gold ang album ng bandang ito, ni Rey “Eggpie” De Castro (bass), beteranong musikero.
   Dahil sa kaluwagan ng improvisational format ng banda, maraming mga batikang musikero ang naka-jamming nila sa Hobbit at iba pang mga gigs, at bukod pa rito, ay nagpalit sa mga miyembro ng banda sa mga panahong hindi sila makasipot. Kasama sa bantog na listahang ito sina Pepe Smith (guitar, drums, vocals), Jun Lopito (guitar, vocals), Mike Hanopol (guitar, vocals), Binky Lampano (vocals), Sampaguita (vocals), Maegan Aguilar (drums, vocals), Tom Colvin (blues harmonica), Bobby Barredo (drums), Cowboy (guitar, vocals), Bo Razon (guitar, percussion, vocals), Perf de Castro (guitar, vocals), Minco Fabregas (drums), Jamie Wilson (vocals), at Butch Saulog (keyboards), na kahit anong pagpipipilit ng banda ay pumiling magsikap sa kanyang pag-aabogado sa halip na sumama sa Blue Rats.
   Noong 1996, binuo na ng banda itong kanilang unang album. Ang mga kanta ay isinulat nina Andy, Butch, at Apa, at isinamusika nina Andy at Butch. Tumugtog sa album sina Butch, Andy, Tricie, Joe, Jonathan, Norman at Bosyo, kasama sina Henry Vittali (keyboardist), kabanda ni Norman sa Advent, si JJ ulit (keyboards), si Margarita (backing vocals), at si Tomcat (blues harmonica), na dating NIC.
   Sa mga kantang ito makikita ang diwa ng banda. Ang “Tobacco Road”, “Kind Hearted Woman Blues”, “Funky Mama”, at “Minor Blues” ay alay ng banda sa mga tradisyonal na pinanggagalingan ng naiibang uri ng musika na ito. Sa “Lakas ng Tama”, “‘Lang Hiya” at “Darling Ko” naman ay makikita ang medyo pilyo (at kadalasa’y maaring bastos) na humor ng banda, at ang “Blood Red Sky”, “Mean Old World” at “Sister Blue” naman ay naglalarawan sa mga mas malalim na diwa ng banda.
   Ayon sa banda, “Isa kaming simpleng bar band. Hindi namin ikinahihiya ito, kundi ipinagmamalaki. Mahalaga sa amin ang makapagpalawak ng aming himig sa mga karaniwang tao. Hindi naman kami mga superstar na musikero, pero kapag nagsama kami, kung minsan ay may nangyayaring super na tunog. Madalang na nga kaming makasama sa mga malalaking konsiyerto, subali’t regular naman ang tugtog namin, at kakaiba naman ang mga good times at sari-sari karanasan na nadadaanan namin sa Hobbit. Parang pamilya na rin ang pakiramdam namin doon. Kung puwede na kay Ka Freddy Aguilar ang Hobbit sa loob ng napakaraming taon, dapat na nga namin ito tignan bilang isang karangalan.”
   “Sana, sa mga kantang ito, matikman niyo rin ang yaman ng mga karanasan na nadaanan namin sa mga taon ng tugutog. Mabuhay ang Pinoy Blues!”

                  isinulat nina Apa Ongpín at Andy Locsin
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 08, 2006, 12:20:52 AM
8-[ Omigod...... we wrote that?????!!!!! 8-[
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 08, 2006, 02:19:57 AM
ayun naman pala e......that's a lot better version of the history of blue rats! :lol:  :lol:  8)  :wink:  :P
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 08, 2006, 08:43:21 AM
well not a lot better....but far more concise...that's how i remember most of it.... 8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 08, 2006, 11:34:04 AM
does anyone remember the swiss guy who used to jam/play harp at hobbit? he says he practices by playing with karaoke songs.

d ko maalala e.he's kinda younger looking...compared to tomcat and tom e., maybe not much younger coz i dont know and im not sure.

i remember tony neri when he used to put 'fairy dust' effects on 'give me one reason'... :shock:

and along with any other 'rock' band( except blue rats were a blues band)...like mentioned before by BB, the decibel levels....everybody occupying a piece of the sonic territory...and even tricie manages to cut through the bulk of the hi decibel levels of each instrument....i admit i was a leading participant in the volume wars....but it's not only me, i swear!  :shock: (pointing at bosyo,norman,johnny b.,eggpie..and of course everyone talaga!) pag nalalasing ka na...lalong bumibingeh! but that's part of the process talaga....

i remember bringing the sonic lessons i learned from rats and blowing away members of the showband i just joined...inis na inis sila sakin.ako naman unrelentless....

but then i got tired of playing loud and started lowering my levels...my bandmates start getting mad coz they couldnt hear me na! they got used to my loud volume tuloy.... :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 08, 2006, 12:53:18 PM
hahahaha!!


I am not gay too! :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 08, 2006, 01:25:12 PM
DyaniBee & b2d,
I hope we never get too serious and "mature".... in fact I hope we never grow up!!  :lol:

Migs,
We can't wait to be at the wedding! The Jerks are an absolutely brilliant choice -- solves the whole "which band we were in should play at the weddind" issue in the most gracious way -- and more than that, the Jerks are better than all of us combined!!!  :lol:

rasgo,
I went through my files and there is no english version of that liner note -- I noww remember that it was really always meant to be in pilipino! Great stuff -- in there are all the names of the guys whose family names we forgot, and the other fellows who played with us who we also forgot. Great detective work! (I also found the recording sked of that album -- everything laid down in four days -- 20 hours lang -- overdubs and session guys included!). Btw, the lyrics of "'langhiya" are not what was recorded --changes here and there -- and therefore not exactly what was copyrighted. Can you guess where the changes were?  :wink:

lefty,
Notice how after my "what we are" post, ikaw lang ang nag-declare ng "I'm not gay too"? What kaya does that mean?   :shock:  :wink:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 08, 2006, 01:32:27 PM
pinitik ko ang iyong kwan( female version..binaligtad lang ang male ver.bale perspective lang ng babae..langhya ang mag bf actually)

nag suot ng boxers at nag swimming trunks ka pa.

kinagat ko ang daliri mo....

d ko na maalala ang iba, :lol:

but i do know that it was in the key of F..hehe..and i contributed inxs' suicide blonde riff in there...w/c became the sagutan part with joe's solo on sax(of course) and the ascending riff to the final break... :lol:

d ako nakikinig sa lyrics...the music was hard enough... :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 08, 2006, 02:22:56 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
Quote from: blues2death
hhhmmm...d nyoko pinapansin ah?

ang sabi ko....rerecord kayo ng album...and if ever im in town...sama ako! :lol:  :lol:

well, cant blame a guy for trying...hehehehe


haha, i'm sure BB and the rest of the guys are considering it. i'd love to do it! i already wrote some lyrics for Joey to work on (you'll have to ask him what it's about though) and it's a work in progress. :)

you can't be blamed for trying man, you're family. kasama ka sigurado if you ever make it here soon enough... :wink:


sa dami ng pinost ng ibang daga dito, i almost didnt see your post DD....thanks a! :wink:

just keep writing, and singin, and writing.....you'll get there DD...and the rats will finally get their album...mature or immature, like BB would probably would prefer...

hey...i got a song idea....mistaken identity...ung kambal sa banda. :lol: blues na agad yan....being blamed for something you didnt do...hehe....
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 08, 2006, 06:49:40 PM
Joe, thanks for blowing my cover and career as a bank robber. Truth is I'm wanted in more than 16 cities worldwide by Interpol, CIA, Ml6 and KAOS.  Thought hidng out with this band would be a good cover but now I'm questioning if it is such a good idea with so many in denial of their sexual preferences. This catch phrase" I'm not gay " has me concerned.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 08, 2006, 06:58:51 PM
Yo! BB

 This must be the best way to get intouch with you. I 'm sure by now you have perfected looking busy behind your desk, while you may have your employees fooled I know your busy with this thread which brings me to the following question, which minor harps do I need. Please send me the list so I can order. Thanks.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 08, 2006, 08:15:29 PM
.... it's really an indication of how accurate the Rats' nicknames are for each other. In this case, whitey's nicknames in the band are "slowhead" and "what key". And as you can see, after a full six years or so playing with the Rats, he's still asking me to tell him the specific keys of the harps that he should order.....  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 08, 2006, 09:08:35 PM
You should actually be a bit sympathetic as when I joined this band my hearing was intact, in fact I was not even toned deaf. I lost my hearing altogether playing with the likes of Miguel O. , Johhnny B., David A. , and the vocals of Tricie. My poor little Fender Blues Junior rightly named as well "Jr". Just not enough power, mojo or muscle to be heard. I think I blew out a complete set of harps within 6 months. 6 years of asking "What Key" talk about slow heads when will you just tell me without asking? No I think I am afraid of that as now I'm asking 2 of you just to be sure. Old age? Maybe.  Anyway "What Key" is now part of and will always be Rat History, PERIOD.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 08, 2006, 11:05:04 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
DyaniBee & b2d,
I hope we never get too serious and "mature".... in fact I hope we never grow up!!  :lol:

Migs,
We can't wait to be at the wedding! The Jerks are an absolutely brilliant choice -- solves the whole "which band we were in should play at the weddind" issue in the most gracious way -- and more than that, the Jerks are better than all of us combined!!!  :lol:


Hmmm... Ever heard of 'serious fun?' And who you calling 'mature?'  :roll:  

Yeah man, the Jerks are an excellent choice.  Saves the happy couple the hassle of the requisite jam if it's the Rats, harhar.   :mrgreen:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 08, 2006, 11:22:18 PM
i was wondering who 'whitey' was....bb just confirmed my suspicions when i PM'd him a couple of days ago.

that's the problem when you're not able to see the band.i know for sure that what's posted here in the forums, doesnt stop and end here...pokes in the ribcages, name calling and horsing around during practice or worse during work... :lol: yeah that sort of thing.

almost everbody's present..the three blues rat founders(or the three fat founders)...almost all of the present lineup except for joey and kim...'reserve' members...some patrons of the bands...some jammers/friends....

anyway reminiscing about this band with you guys has made it really worthwhile. kulang na lang is the talong party. 8) but before fists and stones fly---it has really been great. it's almost like a jam/reunion thing already...but not quite.... :wink:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on September 09, 2006, 01:45:38 AM
Quote from: blues2death
hey...i got a song idea....mistaken identity...ung kambal sa banda. :lol: blues na agad yan....being blamed for something you didnt do...hehe....


hmm, a lightbulb!

how's this? "a likeness seemed but quite a trance; or formed from borrowed slate? 3 beers and jb, tell them apart; now brothers hinged by fate"

3 beers and dyanibee, that's exactly what i thought when i finally saw you paired together. watchathink? :)

thing is, there's nothing bastos about it. i do not want to pay for my sins naman in the event that this thread will still be alive after gawd knows how many years...kayo na bahala in that talong-ish department k? hehe :)
Title: tone deaf?
Post by: rasgo on September 09, 2006, 10:09:33 AM
Interesting how Whitey, one of the most prominent blues harmonica players in the Philippines, complains of tone deafness; the same Whitey, one of the most prominent commercial photographers in the country, is also color blind. In the same way, Tricie, one of the happiest people we know, fronted a blues band; BB, who sat on the board of Ayala Corp for many years (one of the straightest, suit-est jobs in the country) can totally rock out on guitar; I, who cannot speak Tagalog all that well, wrote Lakas ng Tama and 'Langhiya, and translated the preceding history of the band. Clearly, the only logical next step is that Dyanibee should become a spokesperson for family planning.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: rasgo on September 09, 2006, 10:11:40 AM
Oh and lest I forget-- Joe, who was the strongest conscientious objector to the talong party, is a vegetarian.
Title: Re: tone deaf?
Post by: whitey on September 09, 2006, 10:21:43 AM
Quote from: rasgo
Interesting how Whitey, one of the most prominent blues harmonica players in the Philippines, complains of tone deafness; the same Whitey, one of the most prominent commercial photographers in the country, is also color blind. In the same way, Tricie, one of the happiest people we know, fronted a blues band; BB, who sat on the board of Ayala Corp for many years (one of the straightest, suit-est jobs in the country) can totally rock out on guitar; I, who cannot speak Tagalog all that well, wrote Lakas ng Tama and 'Langhiya, and translated the preceding history of the band. Clearly, the only logical next step is that Dyanibee should become a spokesperson for family planning.


Now the cats out of the bag. My work load will be cut in half because of that leak of me being color blind. Rasgo- Maxim magazine? Do you work for or pose in the Mag? If the former I'm always willing to shoot. Need I explain?

   8)
Title: MAXIM
Post by: rasgo on September 09, 2006, 10:50:10 AM
Hiya Whitey

Your cover is blown all over!

OT:

Interestingly, my boss at ABS-CBN, Ernie Lopez, is even more color-blind than you! In fact, all of the Lopez men I think are color blind to some extent.
We've been debating for some time if we have a model "good enough" for you to shoot. So far, it's been marginal, although Angelica, our first cover was great. We had to get Toto to shoot her though, because with her showbiz schedule, there was no way we were gonna get her all the way out to Makati.
Rest assured, in the next few weeks, I will be in touch.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 09, 2006, 11:16:43 AM
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!

Oh S**T..... almost swallowed my cigarette.

So there it is...... that's why we can't do anything serious and why we will never ever grow up!!! It's all these outrageous contradictions that make the Rats' chemistry so bizarrely singular, weird, and contrarian.  :lol:

rasgo, ang lupit mo naman mag-bisto ah! Dangerous.  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 09, 2006, 12:03:18 PM
Quote from: dopedeeva
.... thing is, there's nothing bastos about it. i do not want to pay for my sins naman in the event that this thread will still be alive after gawd knows how many years...kayo na bahala in that talong-ish department k? hehe :)


Wait 'til you get your chance to play at the upo party ....  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 09, 2006, 02:22:30 PM
Color Blindness: A property depending on the relations of light to the eye, by which individual and specific differences in the hues and tints of objects are apprhended in vision; as, gay colors; sad colors, etc.

 This explains why I cannot tell who is gay in the band and why they keep repeating the phrase" I'm not gay".

What did Shakespeare mean when he said " Give color to my pale cheek"
and what cheek was he pertaining to anyhow? :shock:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 09, 2006, 07:01:12 PM
color blindness and tone deafness

the inability to determine hues and relative/absolute pitch respectively...

it's a good thing you dont have trouble driving whitey...you could have missed a lot of stoplights, not knowing where to stop and go...and with the inability to hear...dont know wether some truck is approaching---coz with tone deafness, there is also disappearance of the doppler effect....there is imbalance in your equilibrium.... :?

i know it's a longshot...but im just trying to make it all connect..... :roll:

and im proud to say...i like girls! :lol:  :lol:
Title: oh oh typo!
Post by: Joe Ingarra on September 09, 2006, 08:26:09 PM
oh man did I say I 'm not gay??? dats a typo I meant to type , I'm not gray! I knew our manager was concerned about that.I met Ricky Reyes & well... now all my problems are solved! ha ha  
     Hey Migs I'm still here eating my way out of house & home :D  my excercise consists of walking to & from my favorite resaurants :D
     Does anybody remember which sparring session our bunny hopping, rabbit punching, interim manager attempted to whup first? I think da first one started in the hobbit & spilled out into the street were they proceded to dirty dancing to the curb.At which point I attempted an intervention, because someone neeeded a parking space, & it was starting to look like forplay instead of a brawl :shock:  yeah a whole alotta love that night!
       Da 2nd thrilla in Manila took place at the bar over a disscussion of what pharmesuetical works better for what ailment? There was a short silence of the lambs & then badda bing, badda boom, pipol wer flying all over da room! I had brought my kids there for the first time & their table dissapeared from between them like magic without them getting a scratch or losing their drinks! Meanwhile the debate team was in passionate heat in the corner near the cr trying to clean the floor with each other while reciting sweet nothings in each others ears, good thing they hadnt seen the Tyson-Holyfield fight yet! Talk about a manager fighting for his band!   Freddie Roach wuda liked dis guy!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 10, 2006, 03:21:50 AM
uhm i got lost there

which manager are we talking about saxman? :shock:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 10, 2006, 08:20:40 AM
Think he means V., but has the order of the title matches flipped. The first Thrilla was with BL behind the bar. The second was with BR which spilled out into the street. In both cases, the bar floor and the sidewalk ended up pretty clean.  :wink:

Have a look at the Pinoy Rock Forum next door -- Migs started a Razorback thread over there that should eventually dovetail rather nicely into this thread.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 10, 2006, 08:33:24 AM
Quote from: dopedeeva
..."a likeness seemed but quite a trance; or formed from borrowed slate? 3 beers and jb, tell them apart; now brothers hinged by fate"

3 beers and dyanibee, that's exactly what i thought when i finally saw you paired together. watchathink? :)


I like it.  :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Beatrice Gomez on September 10, 2006, 08:58:34 AM
Quote from: blue buddha
Think he means V., but has the order of the title matches flipped. The first Thrilla was with BL behind the bar. The second was with BR which spilled out into the street. In both cases, the bar floor and the sidewalk ended up pretty clean.  :wink:



The second Thrilla with BR ended up with me seeing a few stars. I was behind BR and as V aimed for his jaw, BR ducked. Being right behind him, I got the punch in the face. Saw stars for a bit but nothing serious. Of course, since they were both drunk, they didn't even notice. Crazy times!!!  :lol:

Thank you all for all the happy thoughts you sent our way for our wedding. Can't wait to come home and hang for a bit. The december wedding should be a blast.

3 beers - congratulations on becoming a daddy soon :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 10, 2006, 10:18:32 AM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: dopedeeva
..."a likeness seemed but quite a trance; or formed from borrowed slate? 3 beers and jb, tell them apart; now brothers hinged by fate"

3 beers and dyanibee, that's exactly what i thought when i finally saw you paired together. watchathink? :)


I like it.  :)


see? i told you guys...can be funny w/o being bastos :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 10, 2006, 10:20:29 AM
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez
Quote from: blue buddha
Think he means V., but has the order of the title matches flipped. The first Thrilla was with BL behind the bar. The second was with BR which spilled out into the street. In both cases, the bar floor and the sidewalk ended up pretty clean.  :wink:



The second Thrilla with BR ended up with me seeing a few stars. I was behind BR and as V aimed for his jaw, BR ducked. Being right behind him, I got the punch in the face. Saw stars for a bit but nothing serious. Of course, since they were both drunk, they didn't even notice. Crazy times!!!  :lol:

Thank you all for all the happy thoughts you sent our way for our wedding. Can't wait to come home and hang for a bit. The december wedding should be a blast.

3 beers - congratulations on becoming a daddy soon :)


wow....those were crazy times...d ko naalala yun a :shock:

again congrats bg and mo....and of course 3beers :D cheers!
Title: Night in Amnesia!
Post by: Joe Ingarra on September 10, 2006, 12:00:46 PM
Hey how could anyone forget our famous comic book character contact, whose name rhymes with starchy & da Baliwag gig where they actually served no chicken! We played right after Nino Mulach sang his sexual hassrasment ode to all the girls who he hadnt met yet on set, i think? How long did we have to wait for this guy to set up his guitar only to stall for more time becoz he forgot his teeth!!!! Not only that then he forgot how much he was gonna pay us!! Well at least he didnt wear his red leatards like he does when he plays with Pepe Smith! Maybe he forgot them too!
Hey whitey,wow KAOS is still looking for you! I read they got Maxwell Smart awhile back! maybe you need to use the cone of silence during gigs??? :shock: You guys remember the Stevie Ray Vaughn clone with the snake head guitar strap?
Title: Re: Night in Amnesia!
Post by: blues2death on September 10, 2006, 12:24:09 PM
Quote from: Joe Ingarra
How long did we have to wait for this guy to set up his guitar only to stall for more time becoz he forgot his teeth!!!! Not only that then he forgot how much he was gonna pay us!! Well at least he didnt wear his red leatards like he does when he plays with Pepe Smith! Maybe he forgot them too!


can i have some of what you're smoking joe? :lol:

i remember that baliuag gig...but not the way you remember it....this is hilarious! :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 10, 2006, 05:08:53 PM
Quote from: Beatrice Gomez

The second Thrilla with BR ended up with me seeing a few stars. I was behind BR and as V aimed for his jaw, BR ducked. Being right behind him, I got the punch in the face. Saw stars for a bit but nothing serious. Of course, since they were both drunk, they didn't even notice. Crazy times!!!  :lol:


The first Thrilla happened while The Jerks were up there -- the first or second night they replaced BL's band. Rounds one to 11 began at the bar, then the two contenders got off their stools for round 12, the last and final round. As they were wiping the floor, 3 or 4 guys couldn't pull BL off Vince who was doing a pretty good job of polishing the concrete. I had to stoop over, wrap my arms around BL's waist, and literally lift him off Vince -- making sure that his feet didn't touch the ground so he couldn't make a run back to the human mop. Had to deposit the flailing BL about 10 feet away while the other guys got between the contenders to ring the final bell. In the end: a good deal of head shaking, chuckling, and a few more rounds of beer.

These are the stories that make blues bands different from emo bands....  :lol:
Title: blues vs emo
Post by: rasgo on September 10, 2006, 06:00:32 PM
These are the stories that make blues bands different from emo bands....  :lol:[/quote]

I beg to differ! Remember that gig at Zu, circa '98? We get to the dressing room, and there's a huge hole in one of the plywood partitions, like something rammed thru it. Dyanibee asks the hotel security what happened. Turns out this was the result of a rumble between two bands playing on the same night, FOR THE RIGHT TO PERFORM THE SONG "BUTTERCUP".

Kaya, huwag ka! Akala mo tayng mga bluesista lang ang mga gritty and passionate? Hindi yata!

Check out MAXIM Philippines last page this Sept issue (Kaye Abad). We put all our heads together to come up with the world's BADUYEST set list.

Apa
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 10, 2006, 09:10:47 PM
THIS is what sets apart the bluesistas from the emo bands:
Quote
In the end: a good deal of head shaking, chuckling, and a few more rounds of beer.

It's the ultimate realization that while things get impassioned and hot, it's just the way life is at the end of the day, and it's ultimately a smaller thing in the larger scheme of things so let's write a song about it and tell the story. By contrast:

• emoistas - it's a grudge and a reason to whine for life. Pikunan na....
• punks: get the lead pipe out....
• gangsta rap/hip-hopistas - get the 9mm's out....
• metallicistas - get the 12 ga. or the assault rifles out....
• goths - worse: let's do it with an axe....
• satanistas - the worst: get the spoon.... so we can carve your heart out with it!

  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 10, 2006, 10:23:20 PM
Quote from: blues2death
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: dopedeeva
..."a likeness seemed but quite a trance; or formed from borrowed slate? 3 beers and jb, tell them apart; now brothers hinged by fate"

3 beers and dyanibee, that's exactly what i thought when i finally saw you paired together. watchathink? :)


I like it.  :)


see? i told you guys...can be funny w/o being bastos :lol:


Funny ba? What's so funny about that? The truth is, more often than not, stranger than fiction. Now THAT'S what the blues is made of... the Truth, happy or no.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 10, 2006, 11:14:13 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Now THAT'S what the blues is made of... the Truth, happy or no.


+1+1+1+1.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on September 11, 2006, 12:33:48 AM
Quote from: blue buddha


• emoistas - it's a grudge and a reason to whine for life. Pikunan na....
• punks: get the lead pipe out....
• gangsta rap/hip-hopistas - get the 9mm's out....
• metallicistas - get the 12 ga. or the assault rifles out....
• goths - worse: let's do it with an axe....
• satanistas - the worst: get the spoon.... so we can carve your heart out with it!

 :lol:  :lol:


DANG! bb, your command of pop culture is better than mine!!! 8) ano ba talaga yang EMO na yan? en my opinion? hehe joke :)

serious case of the blues = brutality. magiging satanista na lang ako  :twisted: (new word learned from Philmusic...AZTEG!!!)  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 11, 2006, 02:21:18 AM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: blues2death
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: dopedeeva
..."a likeness seemed but quite a trance; or formed from borrowed slate? 3 beers and jb, tell them apart; now brothers hinged by fate"

3 beers and dyanibee, that's exactly what i thought when i finally saw you paired together. watchathink? :)


I like it.  :)


see? i told you guys...can be funny w/o being bastos :lol:


Funny ba? What's so funny about that? The truth is, more often than not, stranger than fiction. Now THAT'S what the blues is made of... the Truth, happy or no.


oh, when fact checkers here the "twin" song....they'll roll over with laughter once they see who the twins are.......and the actual story behind it. :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 11, 2006, 06:08:16 AM
Well, thanks to you there goes some of the mystery of that song.  All fact checkers will have to do now is to see your entry and there it goes.  And again, what actual story?  So 3beers and I look alike.  So we get mistaken for each other.  So he ended up being my bro-in-law.  DD, write one naman about the hat and poncho, will ya?   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  I'll help put in a few facts!   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 11, 2006, 06:31:47 AM
bwahahahaha :lol: this thread makes rollover with laughter everyday! :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on September 11, 2006, 01:26:10 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
DD, write one naman about the hat and poncho, will ya?   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  I'll help put in a few facts!   :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


 :lol:  :lol:  :lol: baka di na kailangan...b2d wearing them is already uhm...poetry in motion...masyadong unique, di kakayanin ng imagination ko  :D  :D  :D
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 11, 2006, 01:39:30 PM
Ako nang bahala to write a song about b2d..... kawawa ka sa 'kin p're koy!!!  :twisted:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 11, 2006, 03:19:58 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
Ako nang bahala to write a song about b2d..... kawawa ka sa 'kin p're koy!!!  :twisted:  :lol:


uh-oh....basta wag lang bastos! :lol:

alaskado nanaman ako nito...:lol:
Title: motto
Post by: whitey on September 11, 2006, 06:09:26 PM
Blue Rat Motto: " We don't take the money and run. We stick around to have some fun."
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 11, 2006, 06:29:17 PM
Here's something for the boys with six strings. Go to ( www.noisland.net )
It's a feature on " The search for perfect guitar tone".
Title: Re: motto
Post by: blue buddha on September 11, 2006, 06:35:09 PM
Quote from: whitey
Blue Rat Motto: " We don't take the money and run. We stick around to have some fun."


"We don't take the money and run........ because there is no money."  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 11, 2006, 07:48:25 PM
I would have bet my left testical that someone would make that reply, but I lost that in another bet years ago. Maybe that should have read" We won't take your honey and run. We stick around and have some fun, with her or him.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on September 11, 2006, 10:40:25 PM
Quote from: whitey
I would have bet my left testical that someone would make that reply, but I lost that in another bet years ago. Maybe that should have read" We won't take your honey and run. We stick around and have some fun, with her or him.

Bomalabs, repapips. :roll: :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 11, 2006, 11:40:25 PM
Ok, I have been SMS'd by our mostly absentee manager and we have concluded that this thread has gotten -- as Migs has rightly pointed out -- "bomalabs repapips", and is spiralling into a black hole..... also commonly diagnosed as excessive navel gazing.  8-[

It's our suggestion that other more worthy threads be allowed to occupy the top of this forum as this thread has practically become a sticky, however unintentional. This has definitely got to be the longest thread on any band that's never released a recording!  :oops: Looks like we may be entering into "over-inflated" territory. I think I'll hop off for the moment and allow some more history to be made. A someone posted very early on, the past was really interesting -- let's make sure the future's interesting too (or words to that effect).

Will check in once in a while. For you folks who hang around, keep it light and don't let the bed bugs bite!  :lol: See y'all on the other forums around these parts.

For now....... Rat One out.  8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 12, 2006, 10:49:40 AM
Whitey!  See what you did...  :wink:  :lol:

I agree.  Time to make some history.  See you guys at rehearsals.  And for those who'd like to see what all these seventeen pages have culminated into so far, see you at Handlebar, Polaris Street, Makati on Friday, September 22nd.    :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on September 12, 2006, 02:26:16 PM
You only have the first chapter here. If you ever do the book you need far more information. Actually this should have stopped pages ago. All good things must come to an end. As Walton senior would say " Goodnight John boy".
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 12, 2006, 02:35:50 PM
actually while blue rats is continuing its saga...im just waiting in the wings...keeping myself busy w/work and playing in my bedroom. woodshedding and writing songs :D

 im trying to get  my friends together to jam. so that maybe we could come up with something that would be worthy of the legacy that blue rats created. :)

who knows d ba? kahit local scene lang cguro dito matugtugan ko, masaya na ako e.... 8)

 when i come home sana maka jam tayo...hopefully next year  :wink:

meanwhile :

dyanibee, bb , lefty, whitey, miguel, 3 beers, joe, tricie , dd and rasgo....see you in other philmusic forums :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on September 13, 2006, 01:29:10 PM
In the immortal words of Ozzy Osbourne when he closes a show: "Thank you, goodnight! We love you all!" :twisted:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 17, 2006, 05:55:16 PM
It's only been a few days since winding down and since silence befell this thread, but here's a little bit of possible history in the making.....

.....Ex-Rat & co-founder 3beers is on a comeback trail with the Rats and is sitting in with the band for an "emergency" gig at Conspiracy Café two days from now on Tuesday, 19 September. Should be interesting to see what happens.  :wink:

Come check it out and see what songs he remembers....  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 18, 2006, 03:51:23 AM
somebody get some pics or a video of this gig! :shock:
should be exciting.
Title: Kaos???
Post by: Joe Ingarra on September 18, 2006, 07:37:44 PM
Quote from: whitey
Joe, thanks for blowing my cover and career as a bank robber. Truth is I'm wanted in more than 16 cities worldwide by Interpol, CIA, Ml6 and KAOS.  
       Have you taken over for Maxwell Smart who cudnt find a phone booth anymore leading to HQ, & past away? Have you tried using the cone of silence for gigs? Or the smart shoe-phone?
Title: Re: Kaos???
Post by: blue buddha on September 19, 2006, 07:52:20 AM
Quote from: Joe Ingarra
Have you tried using the cone of silence for gigs? Or the smart shoe-phone?


Hey Chief, 3beers is sitting in with us tonight. We will now see whether he NEEDS the cone of silence after 7 years or so of silence.  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dantuts on September 20, 2006, 08:58:37 AM
ngayon ko lang binabasa yung thread..ang haba hindi pa ako tapos..

anyway, looks like you guys have lots of hapy stories to share.. were   there any sad moments... ??  :cry:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 20, 2006, 09:55:15 AM
Quote from: dantuts
ngayon ko lang binabasa yung thread..ang haba hindi pa ako tapos..

anyway, looks like you guys have lots of hapy stories to share.. were   there any sad moments... ??  :cry:


when i was in the band there were....wont divulge any because i dont feel obliged...id rather remember the happy moments.

there are two particular things that hit close to home that made me sad.

the loss of two great musicians...and two great friends of ours.backread for more info....

edmund fortuno back in 2000....and norman belardo whose death i wouldn't have knowned if i didn't start this thread---because ive been away for a year now.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 23, 2006, 04:48:08 AM
A righteous gig last night at Handlebar.

• No doubt about it: 3beers is back! That slide sounded like it never took a 7-year break. The dude was on fire in the first set.

• lefty was a greasy bolt of lightning -- true rockstar. That Marshall never really knew what hit it -- probably needs an overhaul after lefty's les paul assault. Must have been the mojo from the paisley shirt.

• dopedeeva and kim were hot  "Motorcycle Mamas". Wow.

• mang vic rocked -- scary drum solo on "Elizabeth Reed".

• Dyanibee laid it down good and heavy.

• even the special guest who wanted us to "The Greatest Love of All" had fun despite our refusing to play her song.

'til the next time      8)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 23, 2006, 06:54:51 AM
My goodness, BB... Don't you ever sleep!?   :o   Yes, last night was good... All the elements of a great gig were there.  A wild (and forgiving) crowd, well-rehearsed hands, a confident groove and LOTS of tequila, bourbon shots and beer.   :wink:  Good job, guys.  :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 23, 2006, 11:42:33 AM
Crawled back home past 4am -- chowed down pa with dopedeeva, whitey, and 3beers after the gig. We were in stitches about "the greatest love of all" kasi.  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 23, 2006, 01:59:08 PM
:lol:  I actually felt embarrassed for the poor woman.  At least she had the good sense to pull her skirt down after her boyfriend or whoever that was carried her off the stage!  Si lefty kasi...  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on September 23, 2006, 02:21:26 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
I actually felt embarrassed for the poor woman.


Sus, ok lang yun! :D I just hope she was drunk, and that when she woke up this morning she doesn't remember a thing. Thanks to her I had a good laugh...Bwahahahahaha!!!  :lol:

On a serious note, I promise to never let go of that mic ever again...:D

Btw lefty, buti na lang nanette was there man! I thought that girl was gonna kiss you! :lol: :lol: :lol:  That hot set of yours turned her on for sure  :wink: :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tele-tubby on September 23, 2006, 05:06:53 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
:lol:  I actually felt embarrassed for the poor woman.  At least she had the good sense to pull her skirt down after her boyfriend or whoever that was carried her off the stage!  Si lefty kasi...  :lol:


this post is useless without pics!!! :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 24, 2006, 11:29:14 PM
Quote from: tele-tubby
Quote from: DyaniBee
:lol:  I actually felt embarrassed for the poor woman.  At least she had the good sense to pull her skirt down after her boyfriend or whoever that was carried her off the stage!  Si lefty kasi...  :lol:


this post is useless without pics!!! :lol:


As posted on the Gig Sked thread -- the Handlebar mic grabbing "troll":

(http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i205/chocolatebuddha/HandlebarTroll1.jpg)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 25, 2006, 01:21:34 PM
Ayan kasi... Nag-request kasi ng pics...  :lol:  Sorry, TT... No one appeared to have a camera ready except for lefty who was on stage.  You should come see us na lang!   :wink:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 25, 2006, 07:44:08 PM
whoa! kala ko ba good night na tyo dito?? haha!  :lol:

yeh that was one helluva gig! lotsa tequila flowin, crowd was groovin, and the band sounding "toight loik a toiger" from the first set!

i kept singin "the B*%ch is back!" yeah baby.. haha and now, the greatest love of all.. a requested song daw! oh nooooo!  :lol:

i had to... it was too funny! the pic is in the Blue Rats @ Handle Bar thread!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 25, 2006, 07:55:49 PM
3Beers with Kim
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c356/Blaze00/DSC01884.jpg)

Whitey,JP,BB, DD
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c356/Blaze00/DSC01896.jpg)

Tag Team! JP, BB


(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c356/Blaze00/DSC01900.jpg)

Dude in paisley shirt, Dyanibee

(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c356/Blaze00/DSC01922.jpg)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 25, 2006, 08:03:27 PM
Ok, couldnt help it.. since we dont really know the status of the dude with the Lady in White, i gave him a disguise.. haha :lol:
ok, they were the ones who kept askin for their pic to be taken alright??
its not my fault!  8)
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c356/Blaze00/DSC01917-1.jpg)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 25, 2006, 08:42:15 PM
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

BWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!!!!!

I just had a stroke......
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 25, 2006, 08:44:59 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

BWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB!!!!!

I just had a stroke......


HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! i couldnt help it!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

i was gonna wet my pants just tryin to post!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 26, 2006, 05:08:08 AM
kulit ninyo!!!!! :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 26, 2006, 02:58:13 PM
Quote from: lefty

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! i couldnt help it!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

i was gonna wet my pants just tryin to post!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


Lintek..... I saw your pic/post again and I still can't stop laughing one day after!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on September 27, 2006, 06:10:06 AM
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c356/Blaze00/DSC01922.jpg)

Gee... Now I know how I look missing a few teeth!   :?  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 27, 2006, 11:44:32 AM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: lefty

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! i couldnt help it!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

i was gonna wet my pants just tryin to post!!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


Lintek..... I saw your pic/post again and I still can't stop laughing one day after!  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:


It's Classic! haha!  :lol:  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 27, 2006, 11:45:32 AM
Quote from: DyaniBee


Gee... Now I know how I look missing a few teeth!   :?  :lol:


Di naman! I am just tryin to figure out what the hell we were singin!  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on October 05, 2006, 12:17:41 PM
Been over a week since I last visited here and that damn picture lefty posted still kills me!

Was shocked at how many visits this thread has generated -- over 11,000 and counting! Either 1. There are many curious people out there, or 2. Wala talagang magawa kayong mga ex and current Rats!!  :lol:  I suspect it's the latter.

It just occured to me that the current regular rotation is one of the biggest the band has ever been:  

• dopedeeva - vox
• kimmie - vox
• mang vic - drums
• whitey - harp
• dyanibee - bass
• lefty - guits
• sir joey - guits
• 3beers - guits
• bb - guits

Jeez louise -- that's 9 crackpots running around the asylum  :shock: .... matched only by the early Rats that had a singer, 2 drummers, keys, sax, bass, and 3 guitars.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on October 12, 2006, 05:46:36 PM
Folks check this out!!

Spreading the Blues..

Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on October 13, 2006, 08:47:42 AM
That's cool...... but Tricie sounded better with us!!!!   [-(

Clearly a biased, kapal, and self-aggrandizing opinion.  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on October 13, 2006, 08:59:06 AM
Quote from: blue buddha
That's cool...... but Tricie sounded better with us!!!!   [-(

Clearly a biased, kapal, and self-aggrandizing opinion.  :lol:


ahahaha! ya know it!  8)

I got gulat when I was searchin YouTube under blues jams..boom!
there it was!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on October 13, 2006, 10:44:47 AM
Quote from: blues2death
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jYoZ0sK5f4&search=blues%20jam%20edd%20aragon

search=blues%20jam%20edd%20aragon


actually lefty , i posted it earlier. same thread uhm...i forgot w/c page number. but it's good you brought it up again..it somehow got lost in the mix.threats,inside jokes, memories, vegetables and all. 8)

checkout the other one. it's the same band doing mustang sally with trice on vocals, and miguel doing drums.  :D

BB check it out din.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on October 13, 2006, 12:04:11 PM
I saw all of them na. They were posted on the ozpinoyrock e-group at yahoo groups. Y'all can search it out and join the e-group. Some interesting stuff going on in Sydney, and the Rats are well represented by Trice and Migs. Wally's been over there and there are plans for pinoy concerts in that neck of the woods. Jim Paredes of APO and others are also in the area making adobo out of australian chickens.  :lol:

Nabisto kayong mga youtube addicts! You're the reason those 20-something-year-old dudes were able to sell their business to google for 1.65 billion dollars!!! Lintek -- imagine what kind of a GAS attack that could satisfy....  :shock:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on October 13, 2006, 12:46:36 PM
Quote from: blues2death
Quote from: blues2death
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jYoZ0sK5f4&search=blues%20jam%20edd%20aragon

search=blues%20jam%20edd%20aragon


actually lefty , i posted it earlier. same thread uhm...i forgot w/c page number. but it's good you brought it up again..it somehow got lost in the mix.threats,inside jokes, memories, vegetables and all. 8)

checkout the other one. it's the same band doing mustang sally with trice on vocals, and miguel doing drums.  :D

BB check it out din.


oh ya did? sorry man.. haha youre right it did get lost in the mix.. :)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on October 13, 2006, 12:47:10 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
I saw all of them na. They were posted on the ozpinoyrock e-group at yahoo groups. Y'all can search it out and join the e-group. Some interesting stuff going on in Sydney, and the Rats are well represented by Trice and Migs. Wally's been over there and there are plans for pinoy concerts in that neck of the woods. Jim Paredes of APO and others are also in the area making adobo out of australian chickens.  :lol:

Nabisto kayong mga youtube addicts! You're the reason those 20-something-year-old dudes were able to sell their business to google for 1.65 billion dollars!!! Lintek -- imagine what kind of a GAS attack that could satisfy....  :shock:


hahha busted! guity as charged!  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on October 13, 2006, 03:54:07 PM
Quote from: lefty
Quote from: blue buddha
I saw all of them na. They were posted on the ozpinoyrock e-group at yahoo groups. Y'all can search it out and join the e-group. Some interesting stuff going on in Sydney, and the Rats are well represented by Trice and Migs. Wally's been over there and there are plans for pinoy concerts in that neck of the woods. Jim Paredes of APO and others are also in the area making adobo out of australian chickens.  :lol:

Nabisto kayong mga youtube addicts! You're the reason those 20-something-year-old dudes were able to sell their business to google for 1.65 billion dollars!!! Lintek -- imagine what kind of a GAS attack that could satisfy....  :shock:


hahha busted! guity as charged!  :lol:


nyahahaha.... :twisted:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on October 16, 2006, 04:09:31 PM
Quote from: blue buddha
That's cool...... but Tricie sounded better with us!!!!   [-(

Clearly a biased, kapal, and self-aggrandizing opinion.  :lol:


To me, Tricie sounded great as she always does.  The band needs work, though...  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on October 16, 2006, 04:20:25 PM
Quote from: DyaniBee
Quote from: blue buddha
That's cool...... but Tricie sounded better with us!!!!   [-(

Clearly a biased, kapal, and self-aggrandizing opinion.  :lol:


To me, Tricie sounded great as she always does.  The band needs work, though...  :lol:


Agree ako dyan!!! Trice sounds as great as always. We are gigging this coming Sunday at Manly Beach for the www.parksweek.com.au event! Ayuz!!! Rakenroll ulit! We are playing with Juan Gonzalez, Pinoy-Spanish born, Aussie raised guitar man, and an Aussie friend of his named Justin on bass. Jammed last Saturday and have practice on Wednesday. Should be great! Will send you guys pics...
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on October 16, 2006, 11:44:29 PM
I tend to think that anyone -- especially a singer -- sounds better when everyone in the band is nakadikit to each other musically (ie. everyone makes each other sound better). Yun lang naman. Trice can't sound bad even if she wanted to!  :lol: .... well, maybe if she really tried....

Do send us pics. You guys playing by the boardwalk there by the middle of the beach or further down by the aquarium? Spent a lot of time there in '97 -- for the first few weeks, we parked ourselves in a place were Bill and Pepis used to stay on Raglan Street. Hope the ol' neighborhood is still funky. Good fish 'n' chips around there.  :) Hope it all goes well.

If you get curious, just a few blocks from Raglan St. is a shop called Neal's Guitars. Some very cool old vintage stuff sometimes shows up there for a reasonable price. Poke your head in  there and see what's laying around. Got that excellent black '63 P-Bass from Neal.
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on October 17, 2006, 07:14:59 AM
Best fish n chips I ever had was at Manly Beach... tapos budburan mo ng chicken salt ung chips...  aaah sarap!  For 2 mos I kept coming back there on weekends for the fish n chips and the 'sights' ;-)  (binata pa ako nun)
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on October 17, 2006, 11:36:55 AM
Quote from: deltaslim
Best fish n chips I ever had was at Manly Beach... tapos budburan mo ng chicken salt ung chips...  aaah sarap!  For 2 mos I kept coming back there on weekends for the fish n chips and the 'sights' ;-)  (binata pa ako nun)


The 'sights' aren't exclusively for binatas. The point of reckoning is whether the non-binata substitutes the 'sights' for the fish with his chips. Pagbalik sa bahay, chicken salt lang nga talaga ang magiging ulam mo.  :lol:
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on October 18, 2006, 08:33:43 AM
Quote from: blue buddha
Quote from: deltaslim
Best fish n chips I ever had was at Manly Beach... tapos budburan mo ng chicken salt ung chips...  aaah sarap!  For 2 mos I kept coming back there on weekends for the fish n chips and the 'sights' ;-)  (binata pa ako nun)


The 'sights' aren't exclusively for binatas. The point of reckoning is whether the non-binata substitutes the 'sights' for the fish with his chips. Pagbalik sa bahay, chicken salt lang nga talaga ang magiging ulam mo.  :lol:


 :lol:

Come to think of it... I did take home a bunch of bottles of chicken salt dito sa Pinas.  Halos ulamin ko na talaga un!
Title: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on October 18, 2006, 07:04:35 PM
You Migs & Tricie,

  You are in my old stomping grounds, Manly. It hurts every time I hear about Manly as I use to own a home there, walking distance to the beach.
Take care and see you in December.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on October 22, 2006, 05:56:29 PM
Welcome back folks.

Next gig on Saturday, 28 October at Conspiracy Café. Will post details on Gig Announcement thread.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on October 25, 2006, 12:53:13 PM
We are gigging this coming Sunday at Manly Beach for the www.parksweek.com.au event! Ayuz!!! Rakenroll ulit! We are playing with Juan Gonzalez, Pinoy-Spanish born, Aussie raised guitar man, and an Aussie friend of his named Justin on bass. Jammed last Saturday and have practice on Wednesday. Should be great! Will send you guys pics...

Hey Migs, How did it go?
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: ortigas on October 29, 2006, 09:09:03 PM
So, we arrive at the outdoor venue and lo and behold, all performers are playing "Kahons"! Freakin' kahons for outdoor jamming. Nakamfutsa! Labo chong. So I set the drums up backstage and you could see the nervous faces of the guys manning the sound system. After 3 sets of musicians someone tells us that the neighborhood is complaining of the noise and that we can't get on. We had the biggest bunch of people come to support Trice! Bummer. Mother-f***ers.

So, to calm down our friends (who were about to start beating on some people) Trice and Juan just jammed on the grass acoustic style with the other performers just watching from a distance. Nakatunganga yung iba....parang they were saying to themselves "Dang, she's so good, why didn't they get on?" Yung mga iba'ng promoter just had red faces of embarrassment.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on October 30, 2006, 12:55:56 AM
Bummer..... with a capital "B". Akala ko that kind of stuff just happens in Manila. They're usually so ayos over there.  :|

Hope y'all get another crack at a public performance soon. They don't know what they're missing downunder.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on October 30, 2006, 09:24:41 AM
So, we arrive at the outdoor venue and lo and behold, all performers are playing "Kahons"! Freakin' kahons for outdoor jamming. Nakamfutsa! Labo chong. So I set the drums up backstage and you could see the nervous faces of the guys manning the sound system. After 3 sets of musicians someone tells us that the neighborhood is complaining of the noise and that we can't get on. We had the biggest bunch of people come to support Trice! Bummer. Mother-f***ers.

So, to calm down our friends (who were about to start beating on some people) Trice and Juan just jammed on the grass acoustic style with the other performers just watching from a distance. Nakatunganga yung iba....parang they were saying to themselves "Dang, she's so good, why didn't they get on?" Yung mga iba'ng promoter just had red faces of embarrassment.

That Blows! oh well.. sheet, We know you rock so, keep on keepin' on Brotha!!  :evil:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 18, 2006, 03:13:04 AM
A minor addition to this thread re: last night's gig at Handlebar:

Delicious playing last night by jammers Delta on the red Epi SG/Matchless Brave, TT on an Epi Goldtop LP/Peavey Valve King, and Messyhands on an oldwood "64 Strat/Matchless Brave. Only wished it lasted longer -- the sound guys were usually supposed to pack up by 12:30mn or so, and it was creeping up on 2:00am -- nakakahiya naman.

Surprising competence, volume, and feel by Bob -- the silver-bangled-hairless-hand-kissing-drunken-drummer-jammer -- Mang Vic's and DD's newest and biggest fan (and possible blue-rats-stalker-in-the-making).  :-D

Great to have Kim back, good belting by Tebbet, and 3beers first drunken gig as a Rat after 7 dry years.

An evening worthy of note in these strange files of the Rats story....
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on November 18, 2006, 08:28:54 AM
... I'm honored to be part of the Blue Rats story. :-) Thanks for letting me sit in, BB. Great fun! :-)

Btw, I think the wife and vjoe took pics. Ok to share here?
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on November 18, 2006, 10:09:04 AM
of course delta! ayus yan ;)

btw BB, you forgot to mention that Mr. "I look like Hulk Hogan" Bob kissed your hand like you were the Pope or somethin.  :-o That's some nasty gay [gooey brown stuff] right there!!! hahahaha. weird weird guy, but looks harmless naman ;)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 18, 2006, 11:55:58 AM
... I'm honored to be part of the Blue Rats story. :-) Thanks for letting me sit in, BB. Great fun! :-)

Btw, I think the wife and vjoe took pics. Ok to share here?

Au contraire delta .... we are the ones so honored. For a few moments there, we thought Derek Trucks was sitting in. And despite whatever preferences you have for the slow stuff, your slide slinging on the fast stuff (Tush & One Way Out) was HOT HOT HOT!  :-D

Of course it's ok to share pics/vids here. Gives us a chance to laugh at ourselves and be truly embarassed.  :-P

Quote from: dopedeeva
btw BB, you forgot to mention that Mr. "I look like Hulk Hogan" Bob kissed your hand like you were the Pope or somethin.   :-o

I did call him a hand-kisser. And besides, I am the Pope.................... of no hope. Scrubbed my hand with acohol, lysol and ronson lighter fluid the moment I got home.  :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on November 18, 2006, 10:56:46 PM
Au contraire delta .... we are the ones so honored. For a few moments there, we thought Derek Trucks was sitting in. And despite whatever preferences you have for the slow stuff, your slide slinging on the fast stuff (Tush & One Way Out) was HOT HOT HOT!  :-D

Thanks pero you are too kind.  But I did wear my "DT hat" last night to go with the cherry red SG (aka, "theme"). If I had brought the Burny tobaccoburst LP, Duane hat naman yun!  Hehe...  Had too much fun that I shook of my predilection for the slow blues stuff and just rocked on!

Btw, may bago na kaming bansag sa yo... "Jack Black of the Blues". Kasi parang School of Rock tayo kagabi.  Grabeng head/task/band-master ka!  But just like in the movie -- it works and it's fun!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 18, 2006, 11:42:55 PM
Actually I realized last night that I should really head to the back of the room whenever I get offstage -- kasi itong sina Joey and co. e..... they still look my way kung nagaalanganin sa structure ng kanta. Kinalalabasan, offstage nanny tuloy ako!  :-P

Sige... next time, forget the Santa Claus outfit -- english schoolboy uniform nalang and I'll leap into the audience. Kayo ang sasalo akin ha?!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on November 19, 2006, 10:02:01 AM
Actually I realized last night that I should really head to the back of the room whenever I get offstage -- kasi itong sina Joey and co. e..... they still look my way kung nagaalanganin sa structure ng kanta. Kinalalabasan, offstage nanny tuloy ako!  :-P

Sige... next time, forget the Santa Claus outfit -- english schoolboy uniform nalang and I'll leap into the audience. Kayo ang sasalo akin ha?!

I'm sure they were just worried about the jam getting out of hand and needed somebody w/ a big stick in there!

Jack Black in Santa Claus na lang!  ;-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 20, 2006, 07:59:35 AM

I'm sure they were just worried about the jam getting out of hand and needed somebody w/ a big stick in there!


That's what the ghels all say....  :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: vegetablejoe on November 20, 2006, 10:23:05 AM
ok, eto pics... the usual fuzzy cfon cam quality

watch the girls grind!!!
(http://img166.imageshack.us/img166/9306/brhb1117062sbn7.jpg)

(http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/5717/brhb1117063sjh4.jpg)


with some of the jammers:

BOB, the hand-kissing, stalker/jammer! the power in his playing musta come from the large steak he had just eaten...
(http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/4020/brhb1117064zh6.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

From the look on deltaslim's face, someone hit a sour note while he soloed or someone farted something awful... hmmm... part of Bob's steak, maybe??!!!  :-D
(http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/6920/brhb1117065sat5.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on November 20, 2006, 10:30:33 AM
I was having a real GAS attack!   :-D

"Tone is in d peys!"
- Nathan Manansala, 2005
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 20, 2006, 02:40:50 PM
Clearly the burning tone of glissing glass on the high B note through the Matchless. The photo catches the moment delta's face was just in the process of formation a split second before the note -- ergo, the face preceded the note that triggered the fart caused by bob's steak.

The lesson: Beware of steak eating drummers when playing with bottlenecks -- there's more than tone in a steak.  :-D

Veggie, don't you think there's something to that place? A lot of atmosphere and grit to your pics -- pang blues talaga ang dating.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: vegetablejoe on November 20, 2006, 03:01:21 PM
...
Veggie, don't you think there's something to that place? A lot of atmosphere and grit to your pics -- pang blues talaga ang dating.

i know nothing about lighting and photography! :oops: though I was expecting some wildlife to contribute color...  :wink:

Maybe whitey can explain what's going on in there...
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on November 22, 2006, 04:48:48 PM
Actually I realized last night that I should really head to the back of the room whenever I get offstage -- kasi itong sina Joey and co. e..... they still look my way kung nagaalanganin sa structure ng kanta. Kinalalabasan, offstage nanny tuloy ako!  :-P

Sige... next time, forget the Santa Claus outfit -- english schoolboy uniform nalang and I'll leap into the audience. Kayo ang sasalo akin ha?!

hahahaha!! too funny!

wow what a cool gig and studly jammers! yeyuh!  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 22, 2006, 05:55:23 PM
....talking about studly jammers..... The two studliest Rats of all time are in town!  :-o  Hope they will be studly enough to come jam with us other studs while they await the special day on which they will officialize their "license to stud" for the purpose of producing many more tiny, ratly studs.  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on November 23, 2006, 11:01:41 AM
....talking about studly jammers..... The two studliest Rats of all time are in town!  :-o  Hope they will be studly enough to come jam with us other studs while they await the special day on which they will officialize their "license to stud" for the purpose of producing many more tiny, ratly studs.  :-D


hahaha! "license to stud"!!

yeah I heard!  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 26, 2006, 03:54:20 PM
Nice gig last night where we were asked to open for the Blueskrieg CD launch at 6Underground. Several forum bands were the main feature -- Dahon, Snakecharmer, Kulukati, Firebottle, and Plug. Good, simple production -- thanks to Rakrakan for having us.

Hard to believe that place used to be Kalye, subsequently Poppie's, and now 6UG. Boy, what that place has seen....
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tele-tubby on November 27, 2006, 02:00:10 AM
yeah man!  clapton is god :-D  and the diva was dope!!! :mrgreen:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 27, 2006, 07:27:46 AM
Lefty, may nagsabi nga "galeng galeng niya.... clapton is dad".... hehehe.

Yeah, the deeva was dope(d???).  8-)

TT, you guys were great -- tight and tasty. Did you hear 3Beers, DD, and myself yelling along to "I shall be released"? Great version you guys do.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on November 27, 2006, 08:34:54 AM
Lefty, may nagsabi nga "galeng galeng niya.... clapton is dad".... hehehe.

Yeah, the deeva was dope(d???).  8-)

TT, you guys were great -- tight and tasty. Did you hear 3Beers, DD, and myself yelling along to "I shall be released"? Great version you guys do.

Sino kaya yun?  :-D

+1 sa Snakecharmer, swabe talaga.  Dami ko na peborit songs sa kanila (incl. origs) pero their version of that Dylan classic hits the spot.

Sayang, di nyo inabot yung set namin ng Firebottle. We cut out one song so we can jam and let loose a bit more.  Sarap!  Bawi na lang sa Blue Xmas.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 27, 2006, 09:37:29 AM
Lefty, may nagsabi nga "galeng galeng niya.... clapton is dad".... hehehe.

Yeah, the deeva was dope(d???).  8-)

TT, you guys were great -- tight and tasty. Did you hear 3Beers, DD, and myself yelling along to "I shall be released"? Great version you guys do.

Sino kaya yun?  :-D

+1 sa Snakecharmer, swabe talaga.  Dami ko na peborit songs sa kanila (incl. origs) pero their version of that Dylan classic hits the spot.

Sayang, di nyo inabot yung set namin ng Firebottle. We cut out one song so we can jam and let loose a bit more.  Sarap!  Bawi na lang sa Blue Xmas.

You notice how I protect my sources?....  :-D

Bummed nga kami na we missed your set -- may trabaho kinabukasan.  :|

Bago pa tayo mag Blue X'mas, meron pang Handlebar this Friday Dec.1. Drag your fellow gunslingers down here and sit in with us. Special sneak preview ng Blue X'mas. Jam fest uli -- pwede nating habaan....
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on November 27, 2006, 09:49:46 AM
Yeah great fun to play at 6UG! That Blueskrieg CD, its about time the music is heard! Congrats to all of the bands that made it on there!

As one dude (dad) put it, Keep on Keepin on.. hehe..  :wink:

Blues Power!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: rakrakan on November 27, 2006, 03:36:41 PM
It was a blast to have the BLUE RATS - hanep ang set ninyo!

KUDOS to yall guys for opening for the new and younger bands - super CLASS ACT!

(http://static.flickr.com/106/306484807_76903a6499.jpg)
Medyo mahirap pagkasyahin buong BLUE RATS sa frame, hehehe
some photos from the BLUESKRIEG CD launch party (http://www.rakrakan.com/photos/tags/blueskrieglaunch)  - videos coming soon.

Nice gig last night where we were asked to open for the Blueskrieg CD launch at 6Underground. Several forum bands were the main feature -- Dahon, Snakecharmer, Kulukati, Firebottle, and Plug. Good, simple production -- thanks to Rakrakan for having us.

Hard to believe that place used to be Kalye, subsequently Poppie's, and now 6UG. Boy, what that place has seen....
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tele-tubby on November 28, 2006, 05:15:22 PM
(http://static.flickr.com/106/306484807_76903a6499.jpg)

 (http://www.rakrakan.com/photos/tags/blueskrieglaunch)

work it baby, work it! :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on November 29, 2006, 02:37:06 AM
oh shuddup TT! sa multiply mo na lang ako asarin...almost 13,000 hits na dito dude, dyahe eh....

ey gerry, thanks ha. pa-post din dito nung crossroads vid kung meron. thanks man! ;)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on November 30, 2006, 01:15:19 AM
Tricie and Miguel coming to sit in with the band on Friday at Handlebar. Should be the bomb (as Randy Jackson says). That will be 11 current and ex-Rats potentially making noise at the same time. Could be some sort of record....  8-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on November 30, 2006, 10:27:16 AM
 :-D wait.. lemme see.. yep, i believe it is some kinda record here..  :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 02, 2006, 03:30:04 AM
Some kind of record indeed.

The mini-reunion was the 9 current Rats plus:

• Tricie Gomez (ex-rat) - vox
• Tebbet Gomez - vox
• Miguel Ortigas (ex-rat) - skins
• David Aguirre (ex-rat) - Guitar
• Jun Lopito - Guitar

So 12 Rats in all.

First set was a bit cold I thought. But things quickly heated up -- the girls turned it up a notch, so by the time the jammers came on board in the second set, things were on fire and the crowd was going bananas. Migs, Trice, and Tebbet remembered everything, and Dave and Jun were whipping along.

Great gig. This should happen way more often. Too much fun -- it's criminal.  8-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tele-tubby on December 03, 2006, 03:56:43 AM
peekchures!!!! :-o
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 03, 2006, 12:10:05 PM
Ayan ka nanaman TT.... peekchurs nanaman. Mamaya kung anu-anong mga bagoong ang lumabas diyan sa peekchurs...  :lol:

There were a ton of people taking pics, and at least one or two folks with small videocams. Predictably, none of the Rats had cameras ourselves, at wala pa ang official documentary photographer namin na si veggie joe.  :wink: But several people definitely have a pile of photos out there -- hopefully they read this thread and post them.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on December 03, 2006, 01:24:16 PM
wow the thread is still alive and history is still being made
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 03, 2006, 10:56:28 PM
....and all because you started it......  :-D

....and because we don't know when to stop.  :|
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on December 04, 2006, 02:55:39 AM
figures...the blues are stock full of turnarounds  :-P
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 04, 2006, 09:38:50 AM
hey Rats, i hope you don't mind me posting your videos from the Fete de la Musique last June 2006 on youtube.  i promised to give copies to Andy but the easiest way to 'send' the files were via youtube, so....



what a tight, swingin' band!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on December 04, 2006, 10:33:32 AM
yo joric, can you send them to my email address?

for some reason, d ako maka download ng flash player para makanood ng vids sa youtube. powerbook kasi tong gamit ng alaga ko e.
blues2death@yahoo.com bro.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 04, 2006, 10:48:57 AM
yo joric, can you send them to my email address?

for some reason, d ako maka download ng flash player para makanood ng vids sa youtube. powerbook kasi tong gamit ng alaga ko e.
blues2death@yahoo.com bro.

sori, jon, they're beyond the file attachment limit of gmail.

try mo to: videodownloader.com
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on December 04, 2006, 01:07:00 PM
uhm delta, how do i use that? hehehe, [chewbacca] ko talaga :mrgreen:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 04, 2006, 01:54:06 PM
uhm delta, how do i use that? hehehe, [chewbacca] ko talaga :mrgreen:

correction ito pala ung url ng video downloader:
http://javimoya.com/blog/youtube_en.php

just go to the site and you will see a box for entering the url's of youtube vids posted here (or anywhere).  click on download.  if you can't play the downloaded file try downloading again with a ".flv" extension.  in either case, you can convert the output file into mpeg or avi with Total Video Converter (paki google na lang... dami yan).

good luck!

ps - are you sure you have the latest java runtime environment applet?  baka kaya ka nagkakaproblem.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on December 04, 2006, 02:59:39 PM
ano ung java runtime ek ek?
hehe, i really appreciate it bro
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 04, 2006, 03:52:45 PM
ano ung java runtime ek ek?
hehe, i really appreciate it bro

you need it to run java applets on your pc that run flash vids etc. not sure if kailangan or if it will work w/ Macs. paki google na lang bro.   
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on December 04, 2006, 05:03:42 PM
hijack! haha. PM mo B2D. :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 05, 2006, 01:05:39 AM
Delta -- cool vids! I had forgotten all about that gig. Na obvious tuloy ang mga mali namin!  :-D

b2d  --  everything works with macs as long as the software loaded is updated. To make a long story short, go to the apple menu in the upper left hand corner and click on "software update". When it tells you that there's new software available for your computer, say "update" to everything. You'll need the owner's password to do this. Go get an ice cream cone and visit the can while it's updating everything. After you're done, update your browser by downloading the latest version of it from its homesite. Once you've done all that, everything works. It's that simple.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 05, 2006, 07:42:43 AM
hijack! haha. PM mo B2D. :lol:

Onga e. 

B2D, when you've gotten your fix, let's delete these OT posts. Kahiya naman sa Rats e. :-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 05, 2006, 07:55:51 AM
"There's no such thing as hiya" -- Blue Rats

"There's no such thing as mali -- just repeat it and make it fit" -- Blue Rats

"Smile while you're at it" -- Blue Rats

 :-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on December 05, 2006, 02:27:00 PM
"There's no such thing as hiya" -- Blue Rats

"There's no such thing as mali -- just repeat it and make it fit" -- Blue Rats

"Smile while you're at it" -- Blue Rats

 :-D :-D :-D
:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 09, 2006, 02:58:21 AM
At Mag:net last night:

Very funny gig. Great crowd. Most "kalat" gig in recent memory.

Buti nalang "there's no such thing as hiya" at "there's no such thing as mali" sa Blue Rats..... sa dami kasi ng mali, nakakahiya na. So we repeated the mali many times and smiled a lot while doing it.  :-D

Thanks for the jams delta and messsyhands. Ayus!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 10, 2006, 10:10:20 PM
At Mag:net last night:

Very funny gig. Great crowd. Most "kalat" gig in recent memory.

Buti nalang "there's no such thing as hiya" at "there's no such thing as mali" sa Blue Rats..... sa dami kasi ng mali, nakakahiya na. So we repeated the mali many times and smiled a lot while doing it.  :-D

Thanks for the jams delta and messsyhands. Ayus!

Most kalat to you was most fun and enjoyable to watch for us!  Great music, great people, these Rats. :-)

It was an honor to jam again with the band.

But, man, I still remember and hear in my head that amazing 'chord subs' solo by Joey on Whipping Post. It's like having "last song syndrome" but in a good way!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 11, 2006, 02:16:01 AM

But, man, I still remember and hear in my head that amazing 'chord subs' solo by Joey on Whipping Post. It's like having "last song syndrome" but in a good way!

Every once in a while Joey pulls these things out of his *** and just leaves us all utterly speechless. That was the first time he's ever played it that way -- we have never heard that solo before or anything remotely like it. It makes you wonder what it takes -- what kind of fluency on the fretboard is necessary to pull off something like that spontaneously. His chord knowledge has to be nothing short of encyclopaedic to do that -- the variations on the chord sub voicings pa on different sections of the fretboard -- he never lost the line along the way!

Pare, laglag din ang mga panga namin nung ginawa niya yun.  :-P
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 11, 2006, 01:43:27 PM
Pare, laglag din ang mga panga namin nung ginawa niya yun.  :-P

... and it showed.  Nakakatuwa when band-mates can still wow each other (di pa tapos yung bagsakan nagmumura na si Butch sa bilib kay Joey... haha!).  Considering the bands' penchant for "nguso nguso"-cum-"nodding heads" style of non-verbal communication on-stage, you guys are a treat for the eyes as well as the ears!   :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on December 11, 2006, 03:15:21 PM
Yeah, I guess it would be boring if we didn't look at each other.   :wink:  A Rat with a whole different beat this Friday, December 15 at Conspiracy... Abangan!   :wink: :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: whitey on December 13, 2006, 01:04:28 AM
Lyrics from the Kinks " Father Christmas"

Have yourself a merry merry Christmas
Have yourself a good time
But remember the kids who got nothing'
While you're drinkin' down the wine
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 16, 2006, 11:44:35 PM
A piece of history made tonight: Tricie and Miguel's wedding. Jam city.

• 3beers on nylon string with Margarita G., Soprano for the ceremony
• Rats' rock & Roll lineup for the first few tunes following the cake cutting: Migs, Dyanibee, Tricie, Lefty with Tirso Ripol, then David Aguirre replacing Tirso
• The Jerks in fine form for the first set with Brutus on skins, joined by Jun Lopito, Karl Roy
• The Jerks started the 2nd set with Dyanibee on bass, Bennii Obaña on skins, joined by Kevin Roy

Had to leave early, but also in attendance were Dr. Ted, Joey P., the guys from Razorback, Wolfgang, Lokomotiv, Blue Rats, Mishka Adams, Charlie Y., and it wasn't over...... wonder who else jammed...... somebody fill in the blanks.

A great evening so far....  8-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: mahavishnu on December 17, 2006, 01:18:36 PM
A piece of history made tonight: Tricie and Miguel's wedding. Jam city.



wow.. that explains why they were at Mang Joe's (our tattoo artist) birthday last dec6. people were wondering "i thought they're already livin in the land from downunder?"

i bet the wedding was a blast for everyone, swerte!

and congrats to the two rats! :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 29, 2006, 11:05:11 PM
Another piece of history -- what a year -- Dyanibee also tied the knot with M last week. Very cool. Huge hugs all around from the band. All falling like flies.....

..... that leaves Dopedeeva, Kim, Mang Vic, and Lefty.... Hmmmm....  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 31, 2006, 11:29:26 AM
Congrats DyaniBee! 
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on January 03, 2007, 09:50:57 AM
Salamat, guys.  Couldn't be happier.  Can't wait to jam again though...  See you guys Friday!   :-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on January 07, 2007, 04:05:09 AM
congrats to the newly weds!

you're all invited to mine when i get it together!  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Beatrice Gomez on February 25, 2007, 10:32:53 AM
A piece of history made tonight: Tricie and Miguel's wedding. Jam city.

• 3beers on nylon string with Margarita G., Soprano for the ceremony
• Rats' rock & Roll lineup for the first few tunes following the cake cutting: Migs, Dyanibee, Tricie, Lefty with Tirso Ripol, then David Aguirre replacing Tirso
• The Jerks in fine form for the first set with Brutus on skins, joined by Jun Lopito, Karl Roy
• The Jerks started the 2nd set with Dyanibee on bass, Bennii Obaña on skins, joined by Kevin Roy

Had to leave early, but also in attendance were Dr. Ted, Joey P., the guys from Razorback, Wolfgang, Lokomotiv, Blue Rats, Mishka Adams, Charlie Y., and it wasn't over...... wonder who else jammed...... somebody fill in the blanks.

A great evening so far....  8-)


Heya!

Thank you so much for all the well wishes! It was really good to see you guys over the holidays. Loved having a bit of a play with you guys too! The rest of the (wedding) night continued with more jams. Pretty much everyone got up to play. You guys should have stayed!!!!! Even my dad come up to sing 'Satisfation' with the jerks :). It was really great to hang with you guys again. Much, much love...
(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g180/ortigas/Rats.jpg)

(http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g180/ortigas/Rats2.jpg)

P.S. Joey, I don't know where you guys were when we took this picture. I'm going to hunt down our picture...
P.P.S. Where's my husband???  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on February 26, 2007, 12:17:58 AM
Trice,

So very very cool pics!!! That was such fun and a great rock n roll wedding.

One regret was we didn't get to jam more with you and Migs during your visit. Bitin yung Handlebar!!! But hey... you only get married once, at least hopefully.

Please note the pics: Some things change (you in a full length dress) and others stay the same (Jeez Loiuse.... Johnny's still in black!!!).  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on February 26, 2007, 11:41:37 AM
HEY!!! It was the best suit I had!   :lol:  But maybe, just maybe, I'll come in bright orange one time just to make you wish I'd stuck to black...  :wink: :-D :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on February 27, 2007, 01:25:29 PM
Cool pics!  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on March 09, 2007, 03:29:50 AM
HEY!!! It was the best suit I had!   :lol:  But maybe, just maybe, I'll come in bright orange one time just to make you wish I'd stuck to black...  :wink: :-D :lol:

uh-oh! :-o
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on April 20, 2007, 02:37:46 PM
Fun gig last night at Handlebar. Great contrast between Joey's exotic note choices, 3beers' searing lines and lefty's super greasy phrasing. Was really happy sitting down,  and watching the interplay: the encyclopedia, the redneck, and the rockstar.  :-D  Mang Vic and Dyanibee really held down the fort, Whitey shockingly realized he was playing in the wrong key within two notes, and DD's voice is getting BIIIIGer!!!

The summary:

• An interesting lineup of jammers.... Dennis Mabanta tripping along on Elizabeth Reed, Tom Colvin contorting through Sunshine and Crossroads, Tebbet G. belting out Chain, and Minco Fabregas' (yet another occasional Rat in a past life!) supremely sticky backbeat on Mustang and Chain. But we forgot to ask Ka Roger to jam!!!

• The babe patrol was in the house. Siyempre -- lefty the rockstar was burning up the fretwire.  :-D

• May laban ang spicy sausage at yung kropeck.  :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Jaco D on April 20, 2007, 07:25:11 PM
• May laban ang spicy sausage at yung kropeck.  :wink:

One word:  GOUT!

Going through an attack right now as I type this (aray!!!!!)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on April 20, 2007, 11:08:17 PM
Fun gig last night at Handlebar. Great contrast between Joey's exotic note choices, 3beers' searing lines and lefty's super greasy phrasing. Was really happy sitting down,  and watching the interplay: the encyclopedia, the redneck, and the rockstar.  :-D  Mang Vic and Dyanibee really held down the fort, Whitey shockingly realized he was playing in the wrong key within two notes, and DD's voice is getting BIIIIGer!!!
joey and i were talking about that too when he sat down to let kedy have a go onstage last friday. DD is definitely the most improved of the bunch. not that the rest of you are slouches, but its different from when i caught you guys last year. having to sing 2 sets helps eh? :lol:

i also just realized last friday (sorry, i'm slow :-D) that what makes you guys genuinely fun to watch is that you seem to be genuinely having fun yourselves onstage. :lol: there's are songs with lot of looking at each other and pointing and signalling to and laughing at each other but everything always seems to fall into place. sort of like falling down a flight of stairs and landing on your feet every time. good fun. :D

what happened to kim? does she still sing for you guys? did i miss that story in the previous pages? abangan... sa... the buzz!!! :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on April 21, 2007, 10:07:55 AM
• May laban ang spicy sausage at yung kropeck.  :wink:

One word:  GOUT!

Going through an attack right now as I type this (aray!!!!!)

Cut the allopurinol, drink lots of water and don't forget to take the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories with your meals. Hehehe -- I have it too. In fact, we used to refer to ourselves as the gout band because so many of the guys who played with the Rats have it. Too much bar chow and yummy foodies -- a simple case of paying for one's past indulgences.  :-D

Keep that foot elevated....  :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on April 21, 2007, 10:58:58 AM

joey and i were talking about that too when he sat down to let kedy have a go onstage last friday. DD is definitely the most improved of the bunch. not that the rest of you are slouches, but its different from when i caught you guys last year. having to sing 2 sets helps eh? :lol:

i also just realized last friday (sorry, i'm slow :-D) that what makes you guys genuinely fun to watch is that you seem to be genuinely having fun yourselves onstage. :lol: there's are songs with lot of looking at each other and pointing and signalling to and laughing at each other but everything always seems to fall into place. sort of like falling down a flight of stairs and landing on your feet every time. good fun. :D

what happened to kim? does she still sing for you guys? did i miss that story in the previous pages? abangan... sa... the buzz!!! :lol:

It's the natural state of progression -- singing 2 full sets regularly definitely helps, and DD should and will continue to get better. She's turning into a mighty fine blues belter -- it's called "youth". For the rest of us creaky relics on the other hand, it's downhill from hereon in! The only hope we have for improvement is to get tastier -- the physical side has definitely seen better days. Dem bones and muscles are approaching the pre-departure area. The uric acid is building up in the joints (see previous post). I figure that in about 5 years, the search for chops viagra will begin....  :-D

Having fun onstage is really a direct result of losing any insecurities and not worrying about "getting it exactly right" all the time -- feeling comfortable enough to try the oddball thing or two on the fly. Once one stops being concerned about looking cool and comes to terms with the idea that "it's ok to mess around... just let everyone else know about it", then the real fun begins. Things stay nice and loose, players are listening to each other, and everyone makes each other salo so you land on your feet. The hallmark indicators for good communication are flexible eyebrows and elongated upper lips.  :lol:

We miss Kim -- she has to have a few procedures done on her throat (tonsils, etc.) and had to take a break for a while.  We're hopeful it all gets sorted out and she can make it back. Missing that added dimension of having two interplaying voices on many tunes. Not to mention the "double cutie" factor and the more perverse thoughts this seems to generate among testosterone equipped members in the audience like you guys....  :lol:

Hey... it's the blues.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on April 21, 2007, 01:40:37 PM
joey and i were talking about that too when he sat down to let kedy have a go onstage last friday. DD is definitely the most improved of the bunch. not that the rest of you are slouches, but its different from when i caught you guys last year. having to sing 2 sets helps eh? :lol:

haha you're just inebriated. yan ang gusto ko sayo eh, sinasabayan mo ako. it's the tequila (i think i better change my handle to drunkdeeva)!!! haha but thanks nathan. promise next time ill drink some more :)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tele-tubby on April 22, 2007, 01:11:24 PM
tsk tsk... go easy on dem tonsils girl :-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Chito on April 22, 2007, 07:28:17 PM
• May laban ang spicy sausage at yung kropeck.  :wink:

One word:  GOUT!

Going through an attack right now as I type this (aray!!!!!)

Cut the allopurinol, drink lots of water and don't forget to take the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories with your meals. Hehehe -- I have it too. In fact, we used to refer to ourselves as the gout band because so many of the guys who played with the Rats have it. Too much bar chow and yummy foodies -- a simple case of paying for one's past indulgences.  :-D

Keep that foot elevated....  :wink:

I can see a trend in here... aging guitar players=gout :) All the allopurinol users, please raise your hand.  :-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Jaco D on April 22, 2007, 09:25:36 PM
Chits, I think "raise your right foot" might be more appropriate.   :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: kedysanchez on April 23, 2007, 03:41:01 AM
Then "raise my right foot" I go!!!!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: nathanmanansala on April 23, 2007, 09:15:22 PM
joey and i were talking about that too when he sat down to let kedy have a go onstage last friday. DD is definitely the most improved of the bunch. not that the rest of you are slouches, but its different from when i caught you guys last year. having to sing 2 sets helps eh? :lol:
haha you're just inebriated. yan ang gusto ko sayo eh, sinasabayan mo ako. it's the tequila (i think i better change my handle to drunkdeeva)!!! haha but thanks nathan. promise next time ill drink some more :)
hmmm... siguro nga. medyo nakarami ako ng coke nun e. thats all i ever drink at gigs. :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on April 26, 2007, 09:48:46 AM
• May laban ang spicy sausage at yung kropeck.  :wink:

One word:  GOUT!

Going through an attack right now as I type this (aray!!!!!)

Cut the allopurinol, drink lots of water and don't forget to take the non-steroidal anti-inflammatories with your meals. Hehehe -- I have it too. In fact, we used to refer to ourselves as the gout band because so many of the guys who played with the Rats have it. Too much bar chow and yummy foodies -- a simple case of paying for one's past indulgences.  :-D


yep, alalang alala ko yang usapan na yan. instead of being called the blue rats...the blue gouts seemed more appropriate.

takot na takot nga ako kasi baka nahawa na ako sa mga kabanda kong ito....being thin doesn't mean you won't ever have gout in the future---si edmond had it then. crazy times!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on July 12, 2007, 02:32:39 PM
The Blue Rats has a site!!! http://bluerats.multiply.com (a work in progress)

For updates on gig skeds, photos of guitar freaks (or demigods???) and videos from choice gigs, this is the shiznit!

See you tonight at Magnet High Street! :)

Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: bluenote on July 18, 2007, 11:15:59 AM
mga bro san ba pwede maki jam ng blues? tagal ko na kc nag hahanap ng jajaman eh...
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: DyaniBee on July 19, 2007, 09:53:47 AM
The way I see it there's no real venue where you can go and just jam.  I advise that you go to the gigs of whoever... The Blue Rats, Firebottle, Snakecharmer, whoever... make friends and before you know it you'll get to jam.  All that's asked of you is that you play along with whatever all of you are familiar with and that you know what you're doing.  A jam may just be a jam, but it's also part of the show, and nothing ruins a good show better than a bunch of musicians who aren't on the same wavelength.  See you at the gigs!   :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on July 24, 2007, 05:48:04 AM
The way I see it there's no real venue where you can go and just jam.  I advise that you go to the gigs of whoever... The Blue Rats, Firebottle, Snakecharmer, whoever... make friends and before you know it you'll get to jam.  All that's asked of you is that you play along with whatever all of you are familiar with and that you know what you're doing.  A jam may just be a jam, but it's also part of the show, and nothing ruins a good show better than a bunch of musicians who aren't on the same wavelength.  See you at the gigs!   :-D

+100000!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 11, 2007, 12:51:03 PM
 8-)http://bluerats.multiply.com/
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 07, 2007, 12:29:47 AM
Resurrecting this thread to add other characters to the jam record.

In early November, the ubiquitous Joey P. turned the big Five-Oh(!) and 200 people invaded the Hobbit House on that deadly Saturday night to surprise Mr. Fingers.  :-D

And surprised he was.... with jammers from the past and present joining the Rats to turn up the noise level. Among them: Harry Tanjuatco, Colby de la Calzada, and Johnny Alegre joining Dr. Ted to crank out a very weird version of Hoochie Coochie Man and a crankin' fusion tune, Deltaslim on bottleneck, TeleTubby makin'it cry, the legendary Walter Wirth and that growling SG, Raul Banzon tootin' his horn.... and others I can't seem to remember in the haze of the evening. What a night.

Then a surreally wonderful 3-tune gig last Sunday at the World Trade Center for the E-Telecare event... Check this out: The Rats doing Johnny Winter's "Baby Watcha Want", Jimmy Reed's "Bright Lights, Big City", and Louis Jordan/BB King's "Let the Good Times Roll" with Joey Quirino and Tots Tolentino! Holy Moley -- sounded like the the Rats of 1995 complete with keys and a sax (and what keys and sax players to boot!). Close to 3,000 pax came to watch their CEO and one of their own crank it out with the Rats. It appears that this gig will lead to something interesting in the near future.... so keep your ears to the ground.  :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 07, 2007, 08:27:42 AM
By the way, who in world are you guys who have visited this thread 22,000+ times?!! Seems incredible for an essentially unknown, unsigned, and relatively obscure band without much of a mass following.....

Just curious.  :|
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 07, 2007, 01:06:38 PM
By the way, who in world are you guys who have visited this thread 22,000+ times?!! Seems incredible for an essentially unknown, unsigned, and relatively obscure band without much of a mass following.....

Just curious.  :|

Who else but other essentially unknown, unsigned, and relatively obscure blues artists without much of a mass following... who'd like to follow in your footsteps?  :-D


For pure blues entertainment and longetivity, Blue Rats are legends!  And like I said at Hobbit House, it's either you have many good friends, or you've accumulated them for keeping on for so long...  (ie, being old!).  :-D

Thanks sa jam!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 08, 2007, 02:51:14 AM
I think you're right.... it's a function of being old!!!

It's you we have to thank for the jam and indulging all of us -- diyan lang yata nakakita ng bottleneck slide yung dad ni Mr. Fingers! Hehehe.  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: big monkey on December 08, 2007, 09:17:46 PM
Ever try saying "Blue Rats" when you're really drunk?  :-D I did and my friends really had a blast! "phware! hhhanep yun geg ng BwwwoooRhats! Hhannggg galeng galeng nahang BwwwoooRhats!"
Just for kicks mga chief. No offense intended. I really dig the Blue Rats! Wish I could find more time to catch them on stage.

 
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 09, 2007, 12:23:59 AM
Wehehe. No possible offense.... you and your friends have just unwittingly and rather belatedly discovered the reason the bLuE ratS are called the bLuE ratS, and why the name is spelled "bLuE ratS".  :-D

Paminsan ay nakakpaliwanag ng isip ang isang case ng beer... o dalawang stainless. :wink:

Daan kayo ...
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: kedysanchez on December 11, 2007, 10:49:01 PM
Resurrecting this thread to add other characters to the jam record.

In early November, the ubiquitous Joey P. turned the big Five-Oh(!) and 200 people invaded the Hobbit House on that deadly Saturday night to surprise Mr. Fingers.  :-D

And surprised he was.... with jammers from the past and present joining the Rats to turn up the noise level. Among them: Harry Tanjuatco, Colby de la Calzada, and Johnny Alegre joining Dr. Ted to crank out a very weird version of Hoochie Coochie Man and a crankin' fusion tune, Deltaslim on bottleneck, TeleTubby makin'it cry, the legendary Walter Wirth and that growling SG, Raul Banzon tootin' his horn.... and others I can't seem to remember in the haze of the evening. What a night.

Then a surreally wonderful 3-tune gig last Sunday at the World Trade Center for the E-Telecare event... Check this out: The Rats doing Johnny Winter's "Baby Watcha Want", Jimmy Reed's "Bright Lights, Big City", and Louis Jordan/BB King's "Let the Good Times Roll" with Joey Quirino and Tots Tolentino! Holy Moley -- sounded like the the Rats of 1995 complete with keys and a sax (and what keys and sax players to boot!). Close to 3,000 pax came to watch their CEO and one of their own crank it out with the Rats. It appears that this gig will lead to something interesting in the near future.... so keep your ears to the ground.  :wink:

Sayang, I missed the event. Belated bday greetings to the Senor. History in the making yan, what with all those big names in blues playing together.

Haven't caught you these past few months, but hope to see you in one of your December gigs.

Keep the music playing, my friends.  More than 22,000 people are listening.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on December 16, 2007, 01:07:57 AM
happy bday kuya joey! hopefully makarating ang pagbati ko coz i dont have your number or email addy.

the saga continues for blue rats members, jammers and friends who frequent the gigs....

parang nagiging kiss nation na ang rats a! but of course mas talented ang rats kesa kay ace frehley.....no flaming kiss fans! i love some kiss songs din but ace wont hold a candle to my kuya joey's incendiary playing, that guy can throw firebolts from his ass!  :lol:

Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 16, 2007, 10:23:44 AM
b2d, ipaaabot ko kay mr. fingers yung greeting mo kung di pa nito nabasa dito. Sana nandito ka 'nun -- enjoy ka talaga. Medyo na shock si kuya nang sumipot yung epa niya.... front row pa! Ika nga, "...you guys are good ha --  very loud -- but you and Andy should find a better place to play.... how can you play with all that smoke in here?!". Hahahaha!  Napatememe yata si kuya.  :-D

Last night, dopedeeva, mr. fingers, 3beers, and I played at the wake of 3beers' brother who passed away from a long illness. Played all acoustics to give him a nice send him off to the pie in the sky. As we were ending up the bluesey stuff, dumating si Noel Cabangon. Lintek -- 2-and-a-half hour extension jam on the fly!  Did four of Noel's own great originals, then naglabasan na ang Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, CSN, Jim Croce, The Band, James Taylor, Everly Brothers, Bob Dylan, Beatles, Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Sting, atbp -- parang stream of consciousness medley na walang katapusan. Lumitaw talaga yung long-buried na pagka-hippie namin. So intense was this jam na naputulan ng middle strings(!) si Noel ng dalawang beses on two different guitars (buti marami kaming dalang gitarra as usual). Reminded me of Bosyo na laging nabubutasan ng kick drum head sa tindi ng sipa -- kay Noel from that intense rhythm of his right hand. grabe talaga.... what an inspiring musician. You could sit there for two and a half hours straight (no breaks) and never tire of that amazing voice and musicality. Pati yung mga songs na nababoy namin sounded good! Saya. Lots of people unexpectedly stayed to listen. Reminded us all of what music should always be about.  8-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on December 16, 2007, 05:19:29 PM
b2d, ipaaabot ko kay mr. fingers yung greeting mo kung di pa nito sabasa dito. Sana nandito ka 'nun -- enjoy ka talaga. Medyo na shock si kuya nang sumipot yung epa niya.... front row pa! Ika nga, "...you guys are good ha --  very loud -- but you and Andy should find a better place to play.... how can you play with all that smoke in here?!". Hahahaha!  Napatememe yata si kuya.  :-D

Last night, dopedeeva, mr. fingers, 3beers, and I played at the wake of 3beers' brother who passed away from a long illness. Played all acoustics to give him a nice send him off to the pie in the sky. As we were ending up the bluesey stuff, dumating si Noel Cabangon. Lintek -- 2-and-a-half hour extension jam on the fly!  Did four of Noel's own great originals, then naglabasan na ang Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, CSN, Jim Croce, The Band, James Taylor, Everly Brothers, Bob Dylan, Beatles, Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Sting, atbp -- parang stream of consciousness medley na walang katapusan. Lumitaw talaga yung long-buried na pagka-hippie namin. So intense was this jam na naputulan ng middle strings(!) si Noel ng dalawang beses on two different guitars (buti marami kaming dalang gitarra as usual). Reminded me of Bosyo na laging nabubutasan ng kick drum head sa tindi ng sipa -- kay Noel from that intense rhythm of his right hand. grabe talaga.... what an inspiring musician. You could sit there for two and a half hours straight (no breaks) and never tire of that amazing voice and musicality. Pati yung mga songs na nababoy namin sounded good! Saya. Lots of people unexpectedly stayed to listen. Reminded us all of what music should always be about.  8-)

wow - inspring anecdote, BB. a case of music rising above the gear and vagaries of gigging.  that's what it's all about.

pls extend my condolences to 3beers and family.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on December 17, 2007, 12:23:07 PM
By the way, who in world are you guys who have visited this thread 22,000+ times?!! Seems incredible for an essentially unknown, unsigned, and relatively obscure band without much of a mass following.....

Just curious.  :|

um, er, I think I hit this thread about 300+ times hehehe :P
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on December 17, 2007, 12:26:20 PM
b2d, ipaaabot ko kay mr. fingers yung greeting mo kung di pa nito nabasa dito. Sana nandito ka 'nun -- enjoy ka talaga. Medyo na shock si kuya nang sumipot yung epa niya.... front row pa! Ika nga, "...you guys are good ha --  very loud -- but you and Andy should find a better place to play.... how can you play with all that smoke in here?!". Hahahaha!  Napatememe yata si kuya.  :-D

Last night, dopedeeva, mr. fingers, 3beers, and I played at the wake of 3beers' brother who passed away from a long illness. Played all acoustics to give him a nice send him off to the pie in the sky. As we were ending up the bluesey stuff, dumating si Noel Cabangon. Lintek -- 2-and-a-half hour extension jam on the fly!  Did four of Noel's own great originals, then naglabasan na ang Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, CSN, Jim Croce, The Band, James Taylor, Everly Brothers, Bob Dylan, Beatles, Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Sting, atbp -- parang stream of consciousness medley na walang katapusan. Lumitaw talaga yung long-buried na pagka-hippie namin. So intense was this jam na naputulan ng middle strings(!) si Noel ng dalawang beses on two different guitars (buti marami kaming dalang gitarra as usual). Reminded me of Bosyo na laging nabubutasan ng kick drum head sa tindi ng sipa -- kay Noel from that intense rhythm of his right hand. grabe talaga.... what an inspiring musician. You could sit there for two and a half hours straight (no breaks) and never tire of that amazing voice and musicality. Pati yung mga songs na nababoy namin sounded good! Saya. Lots of people unexpectedly stayed to listen. Reminded us all of what music should always be about.  8-)

tindig balahibo.. RIP Manoling Roxas..
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Jaco D on December 20, 2007, 03:11:42 AM
Wow, can't believe JP is that young.  Seems like I've heard his name in local fusion circles going back as far as the mid-seventies.  He was hot, damn hot (and he could only get hotter with age)!  If I remember correctly, in the mid-eighties JP had this driver-cum-roadie who lugged JP's amp and guitars from the car to the stage, and back at the end of the gig.  When Mr. driver-cum-roadie entered the joint, you can bet your bottom dollar God wasn't far behind.  Double B, does JP still have his sidekick around?
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 20, 2007, 09:19:00 AM
JP started really early and has been around the block in every possible way! Which is why he's equally comfortable playing just about anything -- the guy can do it all exceedingly well (well, maybe not classical...). But his playing has indeed gotten hotter and much more exotic when wants it to be -- he's a veritable encyclopedia of licks, phrases, and chord substitutions. There are times that we just go on autopilot in the middle of a tune to listen to what he pulls out of his backside.  :-D

And yes, "the dude" is still there.... although he's not the same dude from the 80's. Frankly, as some of us get older, our ability to manhandle 60 to 70-pound monsters up and down stages truly diminishes even as we become crustier and more insistent on getting the tones we like from the gear.  :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: BAMF on December 20, 2007, 10:06:43 AM
By the way, who in world are you guys who have visited this thread 22,000+ times?!! Seems incredible for an essentially unknown, unsigned, and relatively obscure band without much of a mass following.....

Just curious.  :|

(gulp)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on December 24, 2007, 12:22:33 PM
OMG! 22,000+ hits nga! Let's make it 30 then :)

Watch out for the Rats come January. Packed month.

Happy Holidays everyone!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 25, 2007, 07:34:28 AM
Merry Christmas y'all.

Here's a gift from Joe Ingarra who alerted me to it, something from 1997 that someone uploaded on to youtube -- shot from a TV screen:


It's from the infamous Radyo Bandido gig and features a funky Rats lineup:

• Tricie singin'
• blues2death rhythming it out
• Tony Neri on keys
• Eggpie funkin' out
• Joe tootin' his horn
• 3beers slidin' (note the shaved sideburns)
• and rare footage of Edmund Fortuno doing his impersonation of "Animal" on the skins... check out his game face! Gotta love it.

Sound is terrible, but you get the idea. Ahhh youth..... lots hair. :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Allan Roy on December 28, 2007, 09:45:21 AM
it was nice watching the rats circa 97........and the  pleasant surprise  treat was a rare footage of Bosyo on the drums..... nice one............ catch you guys on January 10 for  the RJ Undergound Radio Event show with The  Jerks at the RJ Bar......... I am sure that it will be a great  show with  two of the best live acts in the Philippines  playing side by side...... In the meantime.... Happy Holidays to everyone.....
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on January 01, 2008, 07:47:54 AM
3 beers.....

im sure your bro has found his peace....condolence po kuya butch
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on January 01, 2008, 07:49:31 AM
i saw that youtube vid a couple of months ago....

scary leopard guitar strap :-o.....blue buddha's idea lol...i still have it stashed somewhere. :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: BAMF on January 02, 2008, 09:30:21 PM
Andy, kelan ba next gig nyo ? JP's pedal is overstaying na in my shop, he might be missing it badly. Tagal na tapos neto.

My number has changed, JP (and you hehehe) have not been replying to my texts from the new number :D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 03, 2008, 12:43:28 AM
Jan. 10th yata ang next namin -- back to back with The Jerks at RJ on Jupiter St. in Makati. Daan ka.

PM mo sa akin ang new number mo -- I don't think I've gotten a message from you in a while. Not sure I have your new one -- think I've been sending gig spams to your old number.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: chorobs on January 04, 2008, 08:32:25 PM

-way back 96 guys saw you sa puerto galera.. glad your still kickin and rollin.. more power.. more music..
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on January 08, 2008, 01:21:41 PM
-way back 96 guys saw you sa puerto galera.. glad your still kickin and rollin.. more power.. more music..

those gigs in puerto were some of the best! lots of memories in puerto......sleeping in the sand, face down and with a mighty hangover :evil:

watching the gigs in some of the bars in puerto were also rad! like the time sammy from SPY had his guitar plugged into a karaoke machine using his pignose as a preamp...it's all in the hands baby!!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: noobie on January 18, 2008, 10:41:01 PM
Mabuhay ang Blue Rats!   Are you still gigging at the Hobit's?  By the way,  I really miss the Show at Araneta.  More power for you guys!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 19, 2008, 07:15:01 PM
Believe it or not, yes. Will be at Hobbit tonight. We're there regularly on Saturdays. Drop in.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: chorobs on January 21, 2008, 10:07:28 AM
those gigs in puerto were some of the best! lots of memories in puerto......sleeping in the sand, face down and with a mighty hangover :evil:

watching the gigs in some of the bars in puerto were also rad! like the time sammy from SPY had his guitar plugged into a karaoke machine using his pignose as a preamp...it's all in the hands baby!!

--oo nga sir.. kamiss c sammy.. adopted resident na un ng puerto galera e.. hope magkaron pa kyo ng series of gigs don lalo na ngyong summer.. nway what happened to that french guy? playing d sax? is he french? he look french.. hehe


Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 26, 2008, 07:35:02 AM
The only reason he may have looked french is that big sch---z...... hehehe  :-D 

Actually Joe is an American of Italian descent and one of the hottest, most soulful sax players and nicest gentlemen ever to have hit Philippine shores. He's been on this thread several times -- look it up.

A few years ago, he really found his true calling -- both as a musician and as a person -- and now only performs in service of his church. He was truly the core of the Rats and we miss him dearly (you listenin' Joe Boy?!!!).

There's a permanently open slot in the band should he ever decide to hop back in.  :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 27, 2008, 09:22:50 PM
Check out Lefty on the Gibson Website:

http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Lifestyle/Features/Why%20the%20Philippines%20Are%20Asia%5Fs/

Cutie talaga.  :-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on January 28, 2008, 11:08:51 AM
Check out Lefty on the Gibson Website:

http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/Lifestyle/Features/Why%20the%20Philippines%20Are%20Asia%5Fs/

Cutie talaga.  :-D :-D :-D

hahaha! aww shucks.. :P

tenkyu! :)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 29, 2008, 07:38:32 PM
When that guy Bruce interviewed us at Hobbit House that evening, he told me that he asked you to send him a photo of you with your Gibsons. Then he asked me to also send him one with all of mine.

I said, "...with ALL of mine?..."

He replied, "Yup, just a shot with you and all your Gibsons", and he gave me his card.

"Uh, ok. I'll see what I can do", I replied.

So I got home, thought about it, and finally figured, "Naaah.... ma-iskandalo pa".

Respectfully declined in the interest of .........prudence (actually, avoiding scandal).

Hehehe.  :-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: noobie on January 29, 2008, 09:51:19 PM
Sir Andy, is kimmy/ruchelle still with blue rats? Di na kasi ko nakakapanood ng gigs nyo lately... Just kinda wonderin po. hehe. kelan po pala  next gig nyo?
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 29, 2008, 10:44:00 PM
Kim still has an open slot with the Rats when she can make the gigs. She was promoted at work sometime in September/October last year, but as a result of that promotion, she's found it nearly impossible to schedule herself in. So pabugso-bugso lang. We've missed her, but Dopedeeva's covered the bases very nicely along with Lefty's rocking the house when he steps up to the mic.

We'll see what 2008 brings -- hopefully we see more of Kim, maybe we'll have a few surprises up the sleeve.  :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on January 30, 2008, 01:46:52 PM
When that guy Bruce interviewed us at Hobbit House that evening, he told me that he asked you to send him a photo of you with your Gibsons. Then he asked me to also send him one with all of mine.

I said, "...with ALL of mine?..."

He replied, "Yup, just a shot with you and all your Gibsons", and he gave me his card.

"Uh, ok. I'll see what I can do", I replied.

So I got home, thought about it, and finally figured, "Naaah.... ma-iskandalo pa".

Respectfully declined in the interest of .........prudence (actually, avoiding scandal).

Hehehe.  :-D :-D :-D

honga :P that would have taken a while to set up! :P
dapat pictorial nga tyo, but we couldnt sched it for one reason or another, and the only time none of us was wielding a Gibson, was the night he decides to watch The Rats! hehehe
i just emailed him a pic cuz he asked me :) then gave a "badass" interview hehehe :P
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: noobie on January 30, 2008, 09:47:28 PM
Kim still has an open slot with the Rats when she can make the gigs. She was promoted at work sometime in September/October last year, but as a result of that promotion, she's found it nearly impossible to schedule herself in. So pabugso-bugso lang. We've missed her, but Dopedeeva's covered the bases very nicely along with Lefty's rocking the house when he steps up to the mic.

We'll see what 2008 brings -- hopefully we see more of Kim, maybe we'll have a few surprises up the sleeve.  :wink:

Hehehe.. can't wait to see those surprises :wink:  Sana makajam ulit ako with you guys...  Keep on rockin' Blue Rats! :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 30, 2008, 09:55:11 PM
Hehehe.. can't wait to see those surprises :wink:  Sana makajam ulit ako with you guys...  Keep on rockin' Blue Rats! :wink:

Noobie.... sandali.... confused na tuloy ako. If you've jammed with us, you're always welcome to do so again. But (no offense) am not sure who you are!  :|  :-P

Can you PM me and let us know?

Forgot the second part of your question: Next gig is this Friday, 1 February at Handlebar on Polaris St. in Makati. Drop in bud.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: chorobs on January 30, 2008, 09:56:58 PM
The only reason he may have looked french is that big sch---z...... hehehe  :-D 

Actually Joe is an American of Italian descent and one of the hottest, most soulful sax players and nicest gentlemen ever to have hit Philippine shores. He's been on this thread several times -- look it up.

A few years ago, he really found his true calling -- both as a musician and as a person -- and now only performs in service of his church. He was truly the core of the Rats and we miss him dearly (you listenin' Joe Boy?!!!).

There's a permanently open slot in the band should he ever decide to hop back in.  :wink:

--salute.. i truly belive that sir.. watching him do his thing with the saxophone.. awesome.. a true icon..
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: trees on February 02, 2008, 10:48:12 AM
an sarap basahin   :lol:  . . .go on guys. 
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on February 06, 2008, 07:56:01 AM
When that guy Bruce interviewed us at Hobbit House that evening, he told me that he asked you to send him a photo of you with your Gibsons. Then he asked me to also send him one with all of mine.

I said, "...with ALL of mine?..."

He replied, "Yup, just a shot with you and all your Gibsons", and he gave me his card.

"Uh, ok. I'll see what I can do", I replied.

So I got home, thought about it, and finally figured, "Naaah.... ma-iskandalo pa".

Respectfully declined in the interest of .........prudence (actually, avoiding scandal).

Hehehe.  :-D :-D :-D

Really now... I think it was the prospect of operating the panoramic feature of your camera that daunted you.  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on February 07, 2008, 01:17:47 AM
Demonyito ka talaga delta.  :lol:

Tinanggi ko lang dahil shy ako....  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on February 07, 2008, 06:12:48 AM
mangyayari nyan photo album na ang ibibigay mo kay bruce.....makukulitan iyon cgurado :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tito rens on February 07, 2008, 01:25:07 PM
I saw the Blue Rats play at the LSGH homecoming last Saturday! you guys blew my socks off! I loved the set! "Sunshine" and "Crossroads" hit me hard! It made me want to go up and Jam with you guys! LOL!  :-D  Been a dream of mine to jam with real blues musicians! Keep on Rockin' guys!  8-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on February 08, 2008, 04:32:48 AM
Drop in at the Hobbit House Bluesfest tomorrow night -- we can promise you some serious blues!  :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on February 08, 2008, 10:03:09 AM
I saw the Blue Rats play at the LSGH homecoming last Saturday! you guys blew my socks off! I loved the set! "Sunshine" and "Crossroads" hit me hard! It made me want to go up and Jam with you guys! LOL!  :-D  Been a dream of mine to jam with real blues musicians! Keep on Rockin' guys!  8-)

that was an awesome evening! :)

rakenrol!  8-)

yeah on sat the is a Blues Fest in Hobbit House, jam there!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: foxylady on February 09, 2008, 02:52:04 PM
great blues band! been a groupie for a long time! loved everyone i met.. miss a lot of them who have gone and MIA! :)
here is to the ones who are still with us!
cheers!
see you all later at the bluesfest in hobbit house!
 :mrgreen:

Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: tele-tubby on February 13, 2008, 02:06:56 AM
long hair pa si tom ep dito oh
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on February 13, 2008, 07:39:29 AM
long hair pa si tom ep dito oh

TT - i think you mistook Joe (sax guy) for Tom Ep.  would be cool to see an old pic of Tom on a 'good hair day' tho.  :-)

i think Tom joined BR later pa.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: vegetablejoe on March 19, 2008, 03:11:43 PM
The Blue Rats going through soundcheck at the LSGH Homecoming 02/02/08

... wearing black outfits under the 3pm sun... ...whew!...

(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3807/rats020208smalltx0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)


Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on March 20, 2008, 12:38:33 AM
Not me...... clearly the only reasonable character in the bunch.  :-D

I do, however, recognize the logic behind the two posers' ( :wink: ) choice of muscle shirts that day.....

...... we were tipped off that only a folding partition would separate us from the Viva Hot Babes dressing room next door. Sure enough, the strategy worked -- biceps got the proverbial foot in the door.  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on March 26, 2008, 10:28:52 AM
Not me...... clearly the only reasonable character in the bunch.  :-D

I do, however, recognize the logic behind the two posers' ( :wink: ) choice of muscle shirts that day.....

...... we were tipped off that only a folding partition would separate us from the Viva Hot Babes dressing room next door. Sure enough, the strategy worked -- biceps got the proverbial foot in the door.  :-D

hahaha! dont forget the Kitty Girls! :P
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: Jaco D on March 26, 2008, 09:36:51 PM
...... we were tipped off that only a folding partition would separate us from the Viva Hot Babes dressing room next door. Sure enough, the strategy worked -- biceps got the proverbial foot in the door.  :-D

Ha! Nakatugtog pa ba kayo niyan?  Funny thing is "hot-na-hot" ang mga tao on both sides of the partition:  one side literally, the other side figuratively.  Who's who?, bahala na kayo.  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on April 26, 2008, 10:55:14 PM
The Blue Rats going through soundcheck at the LSGH Homecoming 02/02/08

... wearing black outfits under the 3pm sun... ...whew!...

(http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3807/rats020208smalltx0.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)




veggie joe! i just saw this pic now! thanks for posting ;)

you're right...we better rouse from our slumber. mea culpa, too many personal commitments getting in the way. may10 hobbit. see you there! :)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on May 04, 2008, 02:13:15 AM
Taking a walk down memory lane:

i may have mentioned this in this exact same thread, but you know how some stories are for us.....they never get old! :-D

the allman brothers lineup was made up of: 2 guitarists, 1 vocalist doubling on a hammond B3, 1 bassist and 2 very distinct drummers.

2 drummers? now that's different...taking to account to what makes a band big in numbers nowadays.

usually ang nagpaparami ng band members today:

2-3 guitar players--usually the 3rd would double on keyboards or acoustic.

3-5 backup singers......and maybe 1-2 percussion players.

asides from the regular bass, drums lead guitar, keyboard and lead vocalist.


the blue rats have at one time, played a gig with twice what the allman brothers had in head count --and i am not talking about the head down there guys!

if i remember correctly it was a birthday party in batangas or puerto azul.

count it:

3 guitar players--3 beers, me and blue buddha

2 bassists--apa and percy

2 drummers--houdini and cesar

1 keyboard player--jj coloma

1 singer--tricie

1 sax--joey boy

although it was party, not many people came....there were more guys in the band that in the audience. :-D :-D :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on May 05, 2008, 03:48:38 PM
"The Wall Of Sound".  :-D

It was in Puerto Azul. Didn't matter that there weren't more than 50-60 people at that party.... if you recall, it was a toga party. And many of them were wearing.... only togas(!). Ok, well, a few of them had underwear too. Good views from the stage.  :wink:

Those were the days.  :roll:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: vegetablejoe on June 10, 2008, 10:37:01 AM
The Blue Rats at Handlebar, June 6th, 2008

(excuse my phone cam's fuzzy picture quality...)

(http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/1332/brhandlebar0606083id8.jpg)

(http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/4536/brhandlebar0606081vx9.jpg)

(http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/6766/brhandlebar0606082ir7.jpg)

Fun, happy gig... great crowd.

BB, now I understand why everyone else wears black - it's for the photo opps, hehehe...  else you need a diff. color of spotlight.

pictures edited to omit the wine glass at drunkdeeva's .... este, dopedeeva's feet. c",)

Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on June 10, 2008, 10:45:24 AM
OMG I was so drunk at this gig! Sooo fun. Yeah, feel free to call me drunkdeeva from now on. It worked didn't it? :)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on June 10, 2008, 11:32:20 AM

BB, now I understand why everyone else wears black - it's for the photo opps, hehehe...  else you need a diff. color of spotlight.


Precisely why I chose not to put on "the uniform"..... didn't want to be labeled a "poseur"....  :-D

And note that angelic glow in contrast to my mates' standard "mean rock n roll vibe".... although I have to admit that the deeva's semi-black-see-through-teddy-camisole-lingerie-like-thingie fills one's imagination with somewhat less-than-angelic thoughts. Quite deliberate I'm sure.  :lol:

You have once again proven why you are the Rats' favorite official paparazzi-cum-chronicler.  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on June 10, 2008, 11:46:13 AM
although I have to admit that the deeva's semi-black-see-through-teddy-camisole-lingerie-like-thingie fills one's imagination with somewhat less-than-angelic thoughts. Quite deliberate I'm sure.  :lol:

Couture dude, couture. :)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on June 10, 2008, 12:03:29 PM
Haute.... or Nought?  :lol: :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on June 10, 2008, 12:47:18 PM
I hate you  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on June 13, 2008, 05:26:27 AM
more pics!!!!!!!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on June 14, 2008, 05:56:06 PM
more pics!!!!!!!

ay, the rest is for sale na.. :P
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on June 14, 2008, 06:06:10 PM
I bid... I bid... I bid............. one peso.  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: dopedeeva on June 15, 2008, 03:07:55 PM
haha kulet!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on June 18, 2008, 04:59:54 AM
pwede bang paypal? :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on June 18, 2008, 12:46:25 PM
pwede bang paypal? :-D

hahaha! :P
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on June 21, 2008, 07:38:56 PM
b2d, check this out -- tentative setlist namin for tonight daw:

June 21, 2008, Hobbit House

1st  SET
1.   Unchain My Heart - ray charles/joe cocker
2.   Bright Lights - jimmy reed/blues messenger
3.   Tell Mama - savoy brown
4.   Battle Is Over - levon helm band
5.   Few and Far Between - shannon curfman
6.   Tobacco Road - john loudermilk
7.   One Way Out - allman brothers
8.   Cut You Loose - angela sterhli
9.   You Got Me Hummin’ - cold blood
10.   Kumadre - tita sam

2nd  SET
1.   Heavy Love - buddy guy
2.   Wild About You - robben ford
3.   Man Of Many Words - joe bonamassa
4.   Same As You - scott henderson/thelma houston
5.   I Know A Little - lynrd skynrd
6.   Take Me To The River - al green
7.   Pride And Joy- stevie ray v
8.   Love Me Like That - shannon curfman
9.   Try - janis
10.   Whipping Post - allman brothers

Napansin ko lang for the first time na outnumbered yung old tunes natin (nung panahon mo) by the newer tunes we've learned in the last year.  :-o

Uh-oh.... what does this mean?  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: vegetablejoe on June 21, 2008, 08:29:27 PM
You Got Me Hummin' is in your setlist now?! Damn!!! wish I could have gone to watch you guys tonight...
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on June 22, 2008, 03:34:00 AM
Yup, tried it out tonight. Turned out great -- it's a keeper -- what a great tune. Modified it a bit so it's this weird blend of R&B/Funk and a Janis-style Hippie Blues delivery.

Even more interesting tonight is that we had some very special surprise guests.....
Tricie and Miguel showed up at Hobbit straight from the airport flying in from Sydney!!!

Did half a set with the band. Holy moley! We had all forgotten the power of that voice and why the Rats used to play so loud. She blew away our 40-watt Matchless and Tweed Bassman amps, a 200-watt Fender BXR, and Miguel's considerable pounding on that drumkit. Then she says she was holding back 'cuz she thought she sounded too loud on the monitors. Anak ng tinapa talaga.  :-P
What a great evening.

Catch them with other members of the Rats and Tebbet's band -- back to back at Handlebar on July 3. Head over there -- you won't regret it.  :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on June 23, 2008, 09:16:36 PM
Yup, tried it out tonight. Turned out great -- it's a keeper -- what a great tune. Modified it a bit so it's this weird blend of R&B/Funk and a Janis-style Hippie Blues delivery.

Even more interesting tonight is that we had some very special surprise guests.....
Tricie and Miguel showed up at Hobbit straight from the airport flying in from Sydney!!!

Did half a set with the band. Holy moley! We had all forgotten the power of that voice and why the Rats used to play so loud. She blew away our 40-watt Matchless and Tweed Bassman amps, a 200-watt Fender BXR, and Miguel's considerable pounding on that drumkit. Then she says she was holding back 'cuz she thought she sounded too loud on the monitors. Anak ng tinapa talaga.  :-P
What a great evening.

Catch them with other members of the Rats and Tebbet's band -- back to back at Handlebar on July 3. Head over there -- you won't regret it.  :wink:

Awesome! i didnt know that :P
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on June 24, 2008, 07:49:21 AM
b2d, check this out --

Napansin ko lang for the first time na outnumbered yung old tunes natin (nung panahon mo) by the newer tunes we've learned in the last year.  :-o

Uh-oh.... what does this mean?  :-D


i'm getting old  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 16, 2008, 12:10:04 AM
Here's a great article on the Rats' "secret weapon" over the last few years.

http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=2008091437&type=2

Hindi talaga kayong mapu-puyat!  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on September 16, 2008, 01:05:41 PM
Here's a great article on the Rats' "secret weapon" over the last few years.

http://www.philstar.com/archives.php?aid=2008091437&type=2

Hindi talaga kayong mapu-puyat!  :-D

Idol! :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: BAMF on September 17, 2008, 05:27:01 AM
I hate you  :-D

Marry me !
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 21, 2008, 07:06:42 PM
i remember the time....

when the rats played the music museum a few times(2-3)

on one night three bands played:

the Blue Rats, Mexicali Blues band and the headliners: Jun Lopito and the Bodhisattvas.

on the other nights we played in MM, Razorback played, Maegan Aguilar, Tita Sampaguita(Cowboy was still manning the guitar spot for her)..oh, Lampano Alley was there too...Soul Dredgers...Mr. Crayon...Huka

The 90s blues revival.

Though this thread is named for the Blue Rats, in the wake of the sonic onslaught this group has(and still) 'masterminded'...

this thread is also dedicated to:

what the band is still doing in the now: Fortunately BB, lefty,dyanibee and DD are still posting what the band is up to. other sources are multiply and the yahoo groups. this individual is glad that you're keeping "the lovelight shinin'"..i just wish that i could come home to jam.

Lately though, recent activity has shown that JP aka Mr.Fingers(not to be confused w/Lee Ritenour aka Capt.Fingers) has been in the limelight, in an article 'masterminded' by Deacon Blues..not only exposing the Rat's secret weapon but showing us that there's still hope in the pinoy music scene.

Kinda sad though is that, All the groups mentioned above are either on hiatus or gone. Occasionally Binky Lampano(i heard) comes home to reunite the Lampano Alley and mr crayon also reforms....

but i dare say this...the Blue Rats are still there, holding up the torch by which all standards of how the blues should be played. with integrity, good taste and a sense of humor--of which the band has tons of. :-D

the three guitars at a time approach: timeless. I'll never get tired of seeing(hearing) the different textures and contrasts that the three axemen of BR is most definitely almost virtuosic(is there such a word?) in nature.

JP, needs no introduction. Finesse, taste and fire in a tight package encompasses his style. He has the right tools, and he knows how to use em' all not just to his advantage but always for the music. He is capable of self indulgence but he doesn't succumb to it.

Cowboy, he IS the real deal. Loyal to the blues and the rock that follows it, he is not bogged down with details on how he should be true to the artform...but he does his own take on the blues and he makes it work! Grease lightnin in a bottle! when i was in the band, i'm always lookin over my shoulder to try steal licks from this guy then realizing everything i pick up from him becomes backwards when i play them...lefty kasi eh. :-D

Blue Buddha..the cat is out of the bag! matagal na noh?!?! Andy Locsin is THE Rhythm machine, he holds down the fort and makes the band move forward,upward, sideways and twists itself into a little ball and suddenly explode to the delight of blues loving audience.

it's 4 am...i'm leaving for ontario at 6, when i touch down and settle down at my hotel i'll continue this....
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 21, 2008, 08:04:32 PM
and deserving his own post,

back in the saddle again and never missing a beat is Mr. Butch Sixto Roxas!

My dear old friend and once mentor on the classical guitar is a superb musician and all around great guy!

Realizing that he "can't serve two masters" he had to give up the lead guitar spot on BR to concentrate on his true love in music.

during his hiatus, he (finally) got married and ended up having a string of endless success in the field of classical guitar. i assume that he had his final recital, and is continuing to teach the "new bloods" in classical guitar.

The hiatus lasted 7 yrs, but not without leading forays back to the places where he used to play with the rats. I remember bumping into him during one of binky's sets in el pueblo during fete, almost 5-6 yrs ago.

It was evident during those reencounters that he had with the scene, and largely because of this thread...that he still has the blues in him.

he came back with a vengeance....and then you got three different guitar styles intertwining and trading blues fire licks....an equally vicious blues harp taking center stage when he has too, also providing a unique blues texture that only a experienced harpist can provide...with a solid backdrop of rhythm guitar, bass and drums....topping it off with fierce and soulful vocals sung by the tandem dd and kim.

why do i know that? i see it in the videos, i can just imagine what it feels when i'm watching you guys --even from the back row..

well done guys!
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 22, 2008, 08:57:01 AM
b2d, some other updates. Kim jumped out last year because of getting promoted at work. 3beers took a break too. Just a few weeks ago Lefty decided to take a break to concentrate on projects and spread out for a little while.

So Kedy Sanchez of Working Stiffs has been sitting in for Lefty and bringing his own brand of versatility to the mix. He was smokin' last Saturday when Joey had to sit one out. A very lyrical, bluesy style. Saksak na saksak.  :-D

Lots of new tunes -- a bunch of jump blues styles. Masaya.

And the beat goes on.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on September 22, 2008, 11:24:03 AM
yes indeed.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 02, 2009, 02:52:07 PM
Got this just as I was about to post:

"Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days. Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic."

Hehehe. That's how old we are.... it's not a new topic.... just a continuing story.   :lol:  Some updated for you old fogeys since September of last year:

• Kedy's settled into the 3rd geetar seat.
• Mang Vic settled in and found his shuffle.
• Whitey's discovered (after a lifetime of playing) that an Fm harp sometimes works on a Blues in C major.
• Joey P.'s discovered the Joy of Ex (changing out guitar electronic circuits).
• Dopedeeva lost it.   :wink:
• Got a set of hot new pipes in the person of Mel -- soulful and smokey -- gotta come hear her and Mai belt it out together. Makes good brownies too.
• Johnny's still wearing black.  :-D

Some different places we've been playing: Rte. 196, Capone's.... Am a bit worried though. Gig stories these days are relatively tame. No one's getting into fights or being arrested anymore.... much less colorful. Hmmm.... might indeed be getting crusty and old.

Bunch of new tunes. Drop in and check them out. Some people say we're not as loud as we used to be. No need for cotton in the ears anymore and you can actually hear the vocals now. And the tunes no longer wander about aimlessly. Might soon be time to be put out to pasture.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: lefty on December 02, 2009, 05:50:16 PM
 noooo waaaaayz??  :-P
those are some preety interesting updates! hope to catch up with you all at the nxt gig!
dopediva you gots some 'splainin' to do! hahaaa
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: vegetablejoe on December 03, 2009, 08:32:21 AM
may I add:

• and Blue Buddha has gone acoustic!

On the contrary, you guys are sounding better than ever. Doing without the jammers has given you time to concentrate on the songs.

... Hmmm.... might indeed be getting crusty and old ... Might soon be time to be put out to pasture.

...and excuse my ancient phonecam, here's a partial pic of your last gig at handlebar.

(http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8060/br1109.jpg)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 04, 2009, 09:35:36 PM
Once again Veggie Joe, you are too kind.

But that's photographic proof right there......... Johnny's still wearing black.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on January 29, 2010, 02:35:13 PM
Yey!  Buhay nanaman ang thread!  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 29, 2010, 10:12:24 PM
Yey!  Buhay nanaman ang thread!  :-D


Hindi lang 'yan ang buhay.....

Dylan Finn Epperson made his entrance into the world three days ago and is the newest mouse in this family of Rats. Whitey's wife is doing well.

Exactly what a 50+year-old Rat is doing bringing new rodents into the world is a big question. I suppose it's like those old bluesers having to prove "the plumbing still works".... And the name.... being a harp player, I told him it should have been "Blind Lemon Epperson", or "Pink Dog Epperson", maybe "Greasy Lip Epperson", or "Toot Slim Epperson". Guess it's just Whitey living up to his name.  :wink:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: kedysanchez on June 11, 2010, 11:35:23 AM

It's been a long time...

THE BLUE RATS @ Route 196
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Route 196 is along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City (near Blue Ridge gate)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 31, 2010, 05:23:02 PM
More updates to end 2010:

- Dopedeeva is taking a temporary break because of some bad wine.  :-D
- Mel has stepped in as the Rats Front Woman and what a voice she is! Very quickly becoming the band's main draw....  8-)
- Vic's nailed down a true authentic shuffle and the tunes really move.  :wink:
- Joey, Kedy, and I are playing 15-25w amps and sounding much better.  8-)
- Whitey no longer hesitates being up front. Took 7 years.  :-P
- The Rats have a great new regular sax player on tenor and bari -- Roxy Modesto -- whose bari hangs down to her cowboy boots.  :evil:
- Johnny wore white sneakers to a gig.  :-o  We almost fainted.

Starting 2011 strong:
Jan. 12 - Handlebar on Polaris St.
Jan. 20 & 27 - Oxford Suites Hotel on P. Burgos

Happy New Year to all. Should be a great year.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on January 03, 2011, 09:04:42 PM
Wow.... I just had a look at the numbers and scrolled through the first 10 pages of the Jazz and Blues Cafe forum. This thread has the most replies (538) and the most views (38,720) on this forum. Outrageous -- gan'un na katanda na tayo my fellow Rats. O siguro tayo na ang pinakamadaldal -- di talaga maka-shaddap!!  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: deltaslim on January 05, 2011, 07:24:20 AM
Wow.... I just had a look at the numbers and scrolled through the first 10 pages of the Jazz and Blues Cafe forum. This thread has the most replies (538) and the most views (38,720) on this forum. Outrageous -- gan'un na katanda na tayo my fellow Rats. O siguro tayo na ang pinakamadaldal -- di talaga maka-shaddap!!  :-D

That might be true but I think longevity, hard work, integrity, diversity, professionalism and class has a lot to do why there's much to talk about (and see and hear) when it comes to the Blue Rats!

Di pa ba tayo mag Bluesfest? :-)
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: the_Nong on April 23, 2011, 12:36:37 PM
the band is indeed outrageous! it was a long time ago when i saw Apa using his Vintage Bass (im not really sure if it was a Greco or Gibson SG), and made me want one! hehehe.

i was a Bassist then when my then band, "Hija" played with the Blue Rats & Mexicali Blues band on a tuesday or thusday, i dont remember, basta mid week hehehe. my bandmates then were Dondi Sanz, Richie Quirino, Johnny Alegre and Noel Nieva which we usually stop over in Mexicali in ATC before going to San Mig after practice way back 1996. funny how time flies!

i hope to see/play with you guys again someday.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on May 25, 2011, 01:45:47 AM
That might be true but I think longevity, hard work, integrity, diversity, professionalism and class has a lot to do why there's much to talk about (and see and hear) when it comes to the Blue Rats!

Di pa ba tayo mag Bluesfest? :-)

Kinakati na daw ang mga tropa Delta -- making squeaking noises about revisiting Hobbit House for an "event".  Time for a Bluesfest? End June or in July? Are the Bruddahs in?  :wink:  Malamang dapat na nga -- getting older and creakier. Some signs:

- Mel is engaged.  :-o
- Dopedeeva is expressly forbidden to engage in anything that  risks scandal/controversy.... and she now has a driver.  :-P
- Vic now replies to texts.  :-D
- Joey now exclusively plays a 48-year old guitar, sports facial hair, and wears shades onstage.   8-)
- Kedy really freaks when band members flake out on gigs as they have often done for 16 years.  :?
- Whitey blew out his knee bending it (which is what knees are meant for).  :oops:
- Roxy now has an official nickname: "Shorty".  :lol:
- Bennii Obaña is now a card-carrying Rat, evidenced by his having coined a band member's nickname: "Shorty".  :mrgreen:
- We played at a US Embassy reception today.  :-)
- Johnny wore black at that gig.  :evil:
- There are now 10 people in the band.  :|

Time to do a Bluesfest before Mel gets married, Dopedeeva likes the wine, Vic starts texting "thoughts for the day", band members become reliable on Kedy, Whitey has knee surgery, Roxy gets tall, Bennii is given a nickname, a Rat is denied a US visa, Johnny wears pink, and the Rats are able to field a complete soccer team.

If we arrive at this point, it's time to play bingo nalang.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 17, 2011, 08:15:01 PM
Time for an update.

We have descended into the depths of decency. Just wrapped up 6 months of all-Thursdays at Martini's, Mandarin Oriental Hotel(!). Scary stuff. No more bar fights, really strange creatures, and jammers who can't play. Very interesting.

In between, we've played Blues Nights at the Philippine Jazz Festival and with Shun Kikuta at the First CCP International Jazz Festival. The latter performance was apparently the only sold out show of the entire one-week event. Great Stuff.

Starting up Thursdays at Martini's again on 5 January 2012. Drop in. You can actually hear yourself talk.  :cool:
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: SixtyCycleOhm on December 17, 2011, 09:44:24 PM
Any upcoming shows before the year (2011) ends? I've been wanting to see some quality bands in the blues even blues rock genre in Manila but haven't seen one so far.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 17, 2011, 10:35:29 PM
Try Wally Gonzales & Friends also at Martini's on Wednesdays for some bluesy classic rock, and look for where The Bleu Rascals are playing around town for some more authentic blues -- young kids, but they've got pretty good mojo.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: SixtyCycleOhm on December 22, 2011, 10:39:00 AM
^ Thanks. Will try to catch them.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on September 20, 2012, 03:06:27 AM
"Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic."

This was the warning, so I will post an update just to upset the warning.

15 straight months na at Martini's. Who would've thought? Certainly not us. Ovewhelming decency. Since the last update, here's what has happened:

- Mel is married....  <_<  ....and singing better than ever.
- Clare Lapuz of ex-Mother Björn and @2003 Rats fame has come onboard and rejoined us. Nice flexibility.   :wave:
- Dopedeeva is now allowed to fill in on occasion. Kung minsan, naka disguise pa rin.   :mrgreen:
- We now have two alternating drummers -- Mang Vic and Gilbert (who brings chops, youth and pogi points to the drumchair).  :-D
- Joey and me now experimenting with how surprisingly great some cheapo guitars can sound and play.  :drool:
- Kedy recovering from a health scare and is back in the saddle.  :)
- Whitey playing better the older he gets.  :cool:
- Roxy refuses to grow despite major infusions of natural, organic, and vaporized fertilizer.  :oops:
- Am traveling way too much.    :|
- Johnny is moving up the deadly weapons chain -- loud bass, airsoft, aikido, now a bullwhip.  :-o
- There are now 11 people in the band -- enough to field a soccer team. I wonder what that means.    :eek:

Lots going on in the Philippine blues scene these days. Nice to see.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blues2death on February 09, 2013, 07:25:06 PM
buhayin uli! wahahaha

Life and Facebook took over...all the updates that I ever needed and wanted, I could check out on FB and Blue Rat's FB page.

Out of the blue naging curious lang ako about the super long philmusic thread that started 6-7 yrs ago. Grabe siguro ang kalasingan ko when I started this thread, huwaw naman sa mga kwento at super bad grammar ko ...hehe

Last post was from bb, september '12...stunning...but I not too surprising.

Nothing's changed, still proud of that goddamn band, and I still miss you guys.... will be coming home late this year.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: kedysanchez on June 17, 2013, 07:51:17 PM
Hello rat friends.

Just felt like posting our current band schedule in case you would like to enjoy an evening of the blues.

Martinis, Mandarin Oriental, Makati - still every Thursday at 9:30pm

And a show at HANDLEBAR, Polaris, Bel Air on June 28, also at 9:30 pm.

Hope to see you.
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: kedysanchez on June 24, 2013, 01:34:21 AM

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/109821/hotels-open-doors-to-exciting-music



Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on July 20, 2014, 06:22:56 AM
And so it has come to pass.... The Rats ended a great 3-year run at Martini's at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel with a bang on Thursday, 17 July 2014.... on the 20th anniversary of the band's existence:

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/165778/bye-to-the-blues

What a trip. More to come.  :-D

Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on July 23, 2014, 12:53:29 AM
Ok kids... here's the update to the previous post following the winding down of 3 years at Martini's:


- Mel, as you know, got married.... to Julius Lopez....

- Julius is now a Rat too.... filling the alternate bass chair along with The Man In Black.

- The Man In Black is happy that there's an alternate so he can put on a facemask and and whack people with a big stick atop the deadly weapons chain.

- Clare has really settled in and, along with Mel, both form the deadly two prong vocal attack that blows people away... or is it a four-prong attack?!!  :drool:

- Gilbert now regularly fills the drum chair.... he too got hitched earlier this year and became a Dad. Cry your hearts out gals.  :cry:

- Having found out how surprisingly great some cheapo guitars can sound and play, Joey has returned to expensive guitars because they sound and play better.  :money:

- Kedy has developed into a true lead player and is predisposed to making virtuoso musical jokes during solos.  :-D

- Whitey has gotten so good that he has been the appointed the band's official counter of "musical brain farts" because he now rarely makes them and remembers what keys the songs are in.  :eek:

- I am still traveling way too much.

- Roxy is in the curious position of having both her disposable income and personal happiness dependent on..... Hungarian sausage.


Post Martini's, our August seems full with a gig every week. But there is talk of a Rats Grand Reunion on September 19 at the original scene of the crime -- Hobbit House -- to mark 20 years of foolishness and merry making. So Ex-Rats.... save the date and tweak your gear. You will hear from us shortly.
Whitey -- can you post pics of the last Martini's gig here?
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: fretboard on April 21, 2015, 02:02:53 PM
post some more!  :-D
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: blue buddha on December 19, 2022, 04:00:28 PM
Hmmm.... wonder if it's time for an update. 7.5 years since the last post! An awful lot has happened...
Title: Re: BLUE RATS....95'-present.a decade of blues
Post by: fretboard on January 17, 2023, 04:42:53 PM
update please