SBC: Get SPOOKY – A HALLOWEEN BASH AGAINST GENDER BASED ABUSE
Ex-member of East Coast indie-rock band Real Estate and solo member of wavy synthpop project Ducktails, Matt Mondanile was slammed by sexual misconduct allegations and was eventually booted by the Philippines’ Sleeping Boy Collective. Following the recent ban of an international act, the show has now turned into a benefit gig for survivors of domestic and sexual abuse. Sleeping Boy Collective has teamed up with Grrl Gang Manila for a quick talk about street harassment and addressing the issues of sexual abuse in the country. All of the event’s proceeds will go to the Woman’s Care Center Inc. So with your entrance fee, you gave so much to our strong women in the Woman’s Care Center.
Abuse happens not only when an artist gropes, harass, and sexually assault a woman but it happens right next door in your neighborhood. Anyone from your loved ones can also be victims of street harassment. The silly ‘tambays’ on a Sunday afternoon aren’t the only ones calling you out for your appearance, but also your co-workers, relatives, and even friends can judge the way you look. That is why Grrl Gang Manila is open for all women who want a safe environment; Discussing the issues that happen day to day and fighting against catcalling, sexism, and rape culture.
The show was needed for the entire community. The issues of gender abuse needed to be addressed to women of all ages. Attending the show was not for my enjoyment in going but for my advocacy standing against abuse-related cases, especially when the President of our country normalizes this kind of behavior, which is unacceptable at all levels. It is in our moral senses to keep our people safe from abusive relationships, trauma, and incidents. A 'boys will be boys' mantra isn’t going to work out in any situation and it is time to get rid of their egos and it is time to call out for their bullshit.
I donned a 'Where’s Waldo?' costume last Tuesday and everyone was wearing the best Halloween costumes from a Ricky Bobby cosplay, Pussy Riot, Napoleon Dynamite, and even a giant T-Rex suit. Those costumes were surely a way to scare away the predators out there.
The first band up front was slacker rock/lo-fi project, College Friends. This was Dennis aka College Friends’ first ever performance with a live band. Usually, the leads and his brother perform up front with an electric guitar and a tiny synth on stage. Hearing the guy with an expansive full band set was good to hear. The feeling where you just want to cry while listening to Silent Sanctuary manifested in this performance, and yes, the silent sanctuary part was the actual name of the song. I honestly find this set really decent and it didn’t hit as much that I expected it to be. Each song doesn’t vary that much and they may sound like the same each time it progresses. Nevertheless, their performance was pleasantly melancholic to enjoy. The sad, loser feeling of College Friends similar to the Geeks’ indie bedroom pop jangle might win you over from time to time.
The second act was Calix x skinxbones. Do I really need to say more about Calix x skinxbones? Well, heck yeah! Rapper and ghetto priest along with fellow NOFACE RECORDS producer skinxbones are back at it again with a short but sweet set. You guys should definitely check their music out. “The Lesser of Your Greater Friends” and ‘bottom of the world’ is now available on Bandcamp.
The third band to play was Tall Ice Lung. And holy shit. This band was too damn good. Beast Jesus’ Francis Maria’s side project came to life with a 5-member setup. A 6-song set blasted through the speakers and amps at that night. Every song felt like you wanted to dance and at the same time call out the world for being too cruel and painful. Can Sarah Records’ twee pop and a Dischord Records’ punk phase appeal to a younger audience? You bet it can because Tall Ice Lung’s breezy noise pop and resonant garage rock speed was enjoyable from the very first second to the last. Hope they could play more live sets in the near future! Keep watch people!
Right after Tall Ice Lung performed, it was Grrl Gang Manila who came up next and brought up a quick talk regarding about SHIPS (Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces) and its effect on women in the community. The talk was educational and I was glad that people actually came in to get informed about the current issues related to gender-based abuse. If you want to call for help or when you feel abused or violated in any manner, you can always reach out to Grrl Gang Manila on their Facebook page and other social media accounts, they are always there to help.
The fourth band was shoegaze/computergaze/industrial mega band, GYHT (Goodbye Yesterday Hello Tomorrow). Essentially, this band became a monster by beefing up their sound by adding a drummer and a bassist. Gone are the usual three-piece members that usually jive in the likes of industrial and ambient music. There are some sludge rock elements that I hear in some parts of their set. Each song lasting for over 6 minutes and I can barely hear myself talk while they were playing, I guess I was able to transcend somewhere in the midst of their big wall of sound. The hard-hitting post-rock guitar work and drum fills and lead vocals Rosan’s quiet vocals become the icing on the cake in this performance. God I love these dudes, Here’s to another solid year for GYHT!
Fifth band that followed are alternative-rock indie darlings, Ourselves the Elves. The band turned it up a notch on a rather unexpected turn of events where each song has this fire where people are just moshing in and out of the audience barrier. Some indie-scenesters in the crowd were dumbfounded to know that you can actually mosh to Ourselves the Elves. Holding hands while listening to “Longing For” won’t make an appearance in this gig. But the energy, shoulder tackles, and the crowd surfers of the moshpit are present in Ourselves the Elves’ one of a kind live set.
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The second to the last band that followed is dream-pop trio, Memory Drawers. This was my first time seeing this band play live. On a simple setup of bass, electric guitars, a drum machine, and a Korg Synth, the three made it sound like the music is made up of 6 people. The lackadaisical wonder that these guys possess was refreshing to hear live. I also wanted to point out that I was engaged by the guitarist’s work on each song. The guitars literally never miss a beat when each song is being played. This might be one of my favorite guitarists at the moment. The fun, poppy and the not-so-grand sound of Memory Drawers is a thing that you guys should never miss in your lifetime. Dreampop so mellow and not a messy, over-the-top sound? Well, Memory Drawers is for you.
The last band for the night is synthpop trio, S E R I E S. After a short hiatus from recording and numerous line-up changes, this trio never loses their own essence of pop music. Performance wise, the other synths weren’t working and it sometimes wasn’t in sync in the other songs. After a few stumbles here and there, the trio came back after a few songs in their set. S E R I E S evolved to become a better synthpop band after recovering in some technical difficulties in performing.
This show was solid from start to finish. Not only the bands did an amazing job but Sleeping Boy Collective did an amazing job at organizing a very informative show as well.