The Scene Around: The Bloomfields A DROP INTO THE BLUE album launch

07/04/2019 08:50:37 PM 

The Bloomfields

It was in 2011 when The Bloomfields previously released Hit The Ground Running, the album comprised of their all-original tracks such as Express Highway, It's Complicated, and Panaginip. 

Rock Space hits PH market

07/02/2019 10:35:15 PM

A consumer tech brand has made waves in the Philippines recently.

Rock Space, a known solutions provider in digital lifestyle field, was formally launched in the country this past June as a result of seeing an opportunity to become an essential part of the Filipino’s everyday life. But the unveiling had been a long time waiting as nine months prior, the digital lifestyle brand has established 27 concept kiosks, 3 concept stores, and 1,377 retail stores established across the archipelago.

Happy Andrada unveils Spring/Summer 2020 collection

05/27/2019 04:12:39 PM

It was a hot Saturday afternoon – and at the same time, a happy one. It was all filled with fun, music, summer food carts, drinks and shades, lawn games and prizes held at Fashion Art in Quezon City, as fashion designer Happy Andrada launched her Spring/Summer 2020 Bridal dressing robe collection.

The Scene Around: JLE Music LIVE #2

05/27/2019 12:16:38 AM

It sucks that I rarely wrote about gigs in my blog anymore. Well, actually, it's terrible that I wasn't able to post something new here at The SlickMaster's Files.

The Scene Around: Cynthia Alexander with Joey Ayala at Conspiracy Garden Cafe

02/01/2019 11:55:11 PM 

It's Sunday the 27th, most people are at homes or malls, taking a chill pill for what has been a stressful week. And while are doing the usual family-bonding affairs, Cynthia Alexander had a surprise second show at Conspiracy Cafe – just two weeks since her initial-staged gig.

The Scene Around: Liwa Art Collective

01/08/2019 04:23:11 PM 

It was a summer in December as Seamulat staged one weekend full of aesthetics and advocacy in Liwa, San Felipe, Zambales.

The Scene Around: TEETH Bar Tour

01/10/2019 03:19:26 PM

A staple rock band during the 90s, Teeth waged a comeback of sorts last year in a series of bar tours in the country, specifically, Angeles, Cabanatuan, Dumaguete, and on the majority of the bars in Metro Manila.

The Scene Around: Prelude To 28

01/06/2019 11:25:40 PM

One of the surprising plot twists that took place in the past year was pulling off (FINALLY!!!) a birthday gig. Yes, it took place after being stuck on the shelf for three years.

I initially made thoughts about organizing a birthday party in my own way in 2015 but to no avail. A year later, I was this close to booking bands and venue – until I realized that I don't have the budget to execute everything, I withdrew everything. The same thing occurred in 2017. 

On a random night in August 2018, I was approached by one of the newest young peeps in the prod scene. Karen, who manages At The Back MNL, offered a deal that I almost refused – to organize the much-wanted birthday party of my life. 

The Scene Around: Pepe Smith Rock Fest

01/05/2019 02:45:30 PM

It was a first Saturday of the month of June 2018, and the stage was set at the Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City as the Pepe Smith Rock Fest finally pushed through after months of long delay. It is first known that this tribute concert was then moved to a later date when this guitarist of Juan Dela Cruz band suffered a stroke in late 2017.

The Scene Around: It's Time! The Paranoid City Farewell Gig

01/05/2019 09:30:14 PM

It was the final Saturday of 2018, and we have seen a lot of breakups and demises for the said year. Hell, we even noticed bands like Rob and The Hitmen, Run Dorothy, and Kamara retire from making music – be it permanently or just temporary.

The Scene Around: END OF AN ERA

10/31/2018 05:16:35 PM

It's sad that one of the notable venues in the arts scene has come to a close; and by the end of the month of September, we saw its last hurrah.

The Scene Around: Jack TV Mad fest 2018

10/31/2018 03:59:03 PM

It's that time of the year again, as JACK TV waged its maddest music, arts, and dance festival once again at Circuit Makati.

The Scene Around: BEKO Eat Like A Pro: The Cook-Off Cycle 2

11/19/2018 11:54:33 PM

Two months from the success of the premier installment, Beko Philippines staged its second cycle of the successful Eat Like A Pro: The Cook-Off this past November at Robinsons Metro East in Pasig City.

The Fete de la Musique 2018 Experience

07/19/2018 03:19:53 PM

It's that time of the year again. The fans are flocking the bars of Makati, hearing live music for free and booze is quite virtually unlimited everywhere. And good times are rolling from afternoon 'til dawn. 

For those who aren't much aware, the third Saturday of June has been set for the annual music extravaganza called Fete de la Musique. And now on its 24th year, FDLM in the Philippines are on its largest self yet with 39 stages situated around Makati City on 23 June 2018, plus another set of main stages slated around Intarmuros, Laguna, and Baguio by the following week. 

And just like what I did in 2017, yours truly took an entire afternoon and evening to hover the city, talk to some of my affiliates in the scene, and witness some of the acts rock the stage and let the spectators be amazed.

The Scene Around: Marc Abaya “Red Bleeds To Blue” Tour

06/05/2018 06:00:13 AM

As Kjwan embarks on a series of road trips outisde the country later this month, here is their frontman presenting his own kind of music as RadioManila Productions and Yellow Room Music Philippines staged a rare Wednesday night outing in line to Marc Abaya's new single.

The Scene Around: Orange & Lemons and The Bloomfields LIVE at SaGuijo

05/23/2018 09:36:03 PM

Thursdays are really meant for throwbacks and titos. Why's that so? Well, we have two of the widely-known bands of the 2000s played respective long sets for one night only in the famous music house in Makati City.

The Scene Around: Summer Noise

05/22/2018 11:23:30 PM

It was six months ago when The Rest is Noise staged a Yearender show much earlier than anyone else in the gig scene. The program lasted for 14 hours and featured 22 musical groups and has drawn massive raves inside the packed Century City Mall. Imagine starting out with IV of Spades and end with Autotelic during that fateful and blockbuster Saturday.

The Scene Around: Sisikat Muli Ang Araw jam party

05/23/2018 10:35:28 PM

It's been a long while since I made a decision to ditch the concept of me writing my insights about the gigs I attended. However, with the month of May turning out to be a memorable so far, I couldn't let some of these nights of times passed by without me blogging about it. After all, I have been recuperating from a lot of interpersonal fights.

The Scene Around: Red Ninja Year 9 Fest

05/01/2018 02:46:11 PM

I heard this name spewing from all corners since 2016 (well, I was then a newcomer). Imagine a simple prod's dream of setting up a music-festival like gig where people don't even have to splurge concert-amount money just to see their bands gather together for a packed afternoon-and-evening of music and fun.

The Scene Around: Mandiriwa: Joey Ayala at Ang Bagong Lumad (The Concert)

09/17/2017 02:20:33 PM

It was in 1992 when this renowned folk singer-songwriter staged a one-time big-time concert at Music Museum, one of the sophisticated music halls in the Metropolitan. That also paved the way for him to release all of his three albums at once during the special evening.

Fast forward to two decades: It was on mid-July 2017 when music event producer Ian Urrutia (known as the man behind Vandals On The Wall) invited me to their latest concert project to date – yes, after the famous Dama (Johnoy Danao, Ebe Dancel, Bullet Dumas) and Secrets (Aia de Leon, Barbie Almalbis, Kitchie Nadal). 

Two months later, I stood inside the halls of Music Museum, witnessing Joey Ayala and his famous crew Ang Bagong Lumad graced the stage of this premier performance venue after merely 25 years. And just when I thought of seeing this at the low end of a VOTW and Gabi Na Naman Productions' risky move, I was wrong.