TRULY, not everything that’s underground is dead, as local punk and metal movements are alive and well at DSIDE Bar at the Matchbox Yard in Quezon City.
Managed by Oscar Gutierrez, DSIDE is home to almost every genre of rock played outside public radio, ranging from punk, rockabilly and even death metal. The place champions the local music scene, mainly favoring the “underground creatures,” and welcomes a diverse set of audiences.
“No posers,” Gutierrez said. “If you’re [one,] I’m sure you won’t enjoy it here.”
Tapping into the Filipino’s love for beers and fun under the shade of moonlight, DSIDE first made its mark in Malate as a restaurant, where they ended nights with great food, darts, and the ever-present videoke machines.
After moving to the Matchbox Yard Food Hub in February, it carried with it the atmosphere of beer-drenched comrades enjoying the night, as metal-heads and punks began to gather at the place when it hosted live performances of the genres its affiliated with.
Since then countless indie bands have graced their grounds to play for the culture. Among those they have hosted were Steevo and the Bastards, Tubero, BrutalNoodles, Synarchist, and even Australian band Agamas recently entered this shared home of rock.
When asked for his vision for DSIDE, he reminisced to the CBGB of New York City, which was an iconic monument for rock and roll. A biker bar that many regard as the birthplace of punk rock in the US, Gutierrez hopes to somehow recreate that same local monument.
“Everybody’s welcome. Unless you don’t like us, it’s fine…that’s life,” Gutierrez asserted. “In our place, there are no celebrities, no rock stars. We’re all equals.”
He added: “Respect the roots. Respect one another.”
Exposed to so much talent of this “overlooked branch” of OPM, DSIDE looks at the genre with hope and admiration, especially at the bands that have worked hard enough to reach mainstream status, with a reminder that talents shouldn’t remain underground.
“The rock music scene in the country has a long journey ahead, especially the artists that have made it to the mainstream,” Gutierrez observed. “Almost all of them are really brilliant that you could line them up with foreign acts.”
Being a musician himself and a lover of the genre that DSIDE caters to, Gutierrez understands both the culture of the music and the expectations of those who play it.
From his experience, SoundStripasked how he would define the perfect gig venue. “DSIDE,” he answered. “It’s the perfect [place] for a gig.”
Gutierrez invites every lover of underground music to come home to DSIDE every weekend and enjoy great food, and the finest of what Pinoy underground has to offer, at the Matchbox Yard Jordan Plains, Commonwealth Avenue, Fairview, Quezon City.
(For more on DSIDE and the bands they are hosting, follow their Facebook page: DSIDE BAR at Matchbox Yard.)
Image credits: John Isaac Lucinada