During the start of the decade, The Hayp, Introvoys and After Image were among the prominent bands enjoying mainstream recognition. But their collective popularity was later overshadowed by younger bands that eventually emerged. An underground music scene was already burgeoning in some unknown bars in Manila. Red Rocks (which later became
Club Dredd), together with Mayric's (now Sazi's) and Kampo (Yosh in the mid '90s), were the only venues where unsigned bands were allowed to play their own songs. From
Power Pop,
shoegazer, postpunk, alternative rock (
Eraserheads, Color It Red, The Youth,
Half Life Half Death, Feet like Fins, Advent Call, Alamid) to hard rock, heavy metal (
Razorback, Askals,
Wolfgang,
Dahong Palay, etc.) to
hardcore, punk, and
death metal (Skychurch, Genital Grinder, Death After Birth, Kabaong ni Kamatayan, Loads of Motherhood, WUDS,
Yano, Bad Omen, Rumblebelly, Disinterment,Circle's End with Geno Georsua, Deiphago, etc.).
The late 1980s and the early 1990s marked the beginning of what was known as the era of underground rock and progressive music, with NU107.5 playing unknown bands through Francis Brew's "In the Raw". It was through this station that many of the prominent and promising rock bands were discovered (e.g., GreyHoundz, Slapshock, Sugar Free, Fatal Posporos, Itchy Worms, Peryodiko, Monsterbot, Tanya Markova, Pedicab, and many others). NU107.5 was the only radio station that played music longer than the standard radio format would allow, as well as sound tracks (The Reel Score). Apart from allotting air time to new and known foreign rock bands (e.g., Save Ferris, Veruca Salt, Metallica, Audio Slave, Sound Garden, etc.), it gave full exposure to Filipino groups such as Sugar Hiccup, Eraserheads, Imago, Cynthia Alexander, Parokya ni Edgar, Wolfgang, Razorback, Ciudad, Teeth, Urbandub, Putreska, Tropical Depression, Rivermaya, Yano, Siakol, Cheese, etc. Its prestigious NU107 Rock Awards honored the Philippine rock industry's best and brightest for 17 years. These Rock Awardees now rule the local scene.
To add to the plight of the underground bands, radio stations would not play their music due to the
payola system in the radio industry despite the fact that most of these bands, if not all, had self-produced (
indie) albums. But
DWLA 105.9 challenged the current system by providing a venue for the bands to broadcast their original songs. Pinoy Rock enthuthiasts were finally elated to hear their favorite underground bands ruling the airwaves.
Radio station LA 105.9 advocated Filipino rock music, playing original amateur (even if poorly recorded) singles and gave new avenues for emerging bands outside organized underground concerts. Rock n' Rhythm, a local music magazine also supported this scene with news and updates, band interviews, album and concert reviews, carrying on the torch that the defunct Jingle Chordbook and Moptop (popular Philippine rock music magazines during the '70s and '80s, respectively) have entrailed. The band explosion opened avenues for non-traditional artists as well, like Intermidya, for example. Their musical instruments looked like materials from a junk shop glued together and which had names like Sandata#1, Sandata#2, Baby Sandata, etc.
The commercial success of
Eraserheads paved the way for more Pinoy Rock acts (
Rivermaya, Rizal Underground, The Youth) getting record deals. Some brave all-female bands got signed (Kelt's Cross, Tribal Fish, Agaw Agimat) and a few solo artists as well (Maegan Aguilar,
Bayang Barrios, DJ Alvaro). Rappers crossed over with great success (
Francis M with Hardware Syndrome and Erectus), despite some earlier controversy with hiphop-bashing allegedly incited by some artists. These bands adopted a variety of influences both in image and music; many fell under a particular genre; however, the crossing over of styles was most often inevitable.
Unfortunately, around 1995, the height of the Pinoy band scene was exploited up to its wits. Bands were guesting almost everywhere from noon-time TV shows and movies to drama sitcoms like
Maalaala Mo Kaya. Even the Miss Universe pageant held in the country was not spared.
The rise of NU 107.
Although the '90s were more inclined to be about pop rock bands mentioned above, many Filipino rock fans were ardent supporters of the more creative and independent Filipino underground community. Diverse not by name alone, these underground musicians were not easily attracted to
mainstream pop sensibilities and grew their own market without the support of corrupt major labels that some critics and artists viewed as responsible for damaging most Filipino music careers.One of the best underground band back then was the Circle's End of U.P Diliman with their main song writer and vocalist Geno Georsua.
A big chunk of these bands shared the same ideology of refusing to be exploited. It was only a matter of time when two factors,
piracy and technology, brought major labels to reconsider their business dealings. In effect, most underground musicians secured their own spots in the Metal,
Gothic rock, Punk and hardcore genres.
This national scene influenced provincial bands as well. In the Bicol Region, the pinoy rock scene was carried by bands such as Boardwork, Bluestar, Idiocy, and Hellbent, to name a few. Local rock concerts became the go-to school fund raising activities, such that there was a concert almost every week. With the explosion of the band scene, however, came hordes of wanna-bes who wanted a part of the action, albeit lacking in talent. The proliferation of bands with a dearth of talent eventually caused the loss of interest of the locals and as such, contributed to the fading out of the scene.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinoy_rock
