I WAS guzzling a few beers at my then-girlfriend’s gig in a dark, crammed bar in Mandaluyong City when I was first introduced to Calebral back in 2014. Coincidentally, my job as a DJ and marketing executive in a local online radio company at the time bestowed upon me the privilege and duty of inviting talent as well as helping to bring them to a bigger stage and audience whenever necessary.
And whenever one talks about the local underground independent music scene, “talent” is a buzzword thrown around as familiar as it is elusive—especially when most of what you hear at gigs are raw, chaotic breakdowns blasting through broken down speakers, worn and torn out from the nightly abuse of inexperienced artists just trying to get their music through a crowd.
But then, these guys came up one stage and started to play. That moment, they hit the first verse with some sick, rugged twist of punk rock and hip-hop. I was like, “Who the hell are these guys?!”
Perhaps, I was just drunk. Or maybe, I was just dazed and confused with all the distorted noise and mindless clatter that reverberated throughout the dank walls. Those possibly gave me a slight hint of talent from the group that rocked the platform.
They ended their first song and went on to the next with a rather different melody and progression that echoed some good-ole blues and rock n’ roll. That got me thinking: “What the hell exactly are these guys trying to do?!”
Two more songs followed, each with its own distinct voice and personality, yet also with the same peculiar taste and signature that characterized their previous songs. And although I was already half-sober to make sense of their faces, or what their music was all about, I went off to ask for them from all the equally half-sober guests and requested a copy of their material.
Luckily, the gig’s organizers were their colleagues. I introduced myself to Alain and Bryan—the band’s front man and drummer, respectively—and handed them my card. We had a couple more beers after that, and the rest was history. Four years and dozens of gigs later, Calebral had gone out of that dark, crammed bar to bigger stages and broader audiences as they enjoyed relative popularity in the indie music scene with their fast and loud, rather jagged style of rock that occasionally featured elements prevalent in other genres such as jazz, blues, hip hop and generic OPM.
This curious and erratic style—which the group defines as “Time Machine Rock” and can be heard all throughout their four album releases—had earned them quite a diverse following and allowed them to literally play on any stage, at any gig, and with any artist on the lineup.
On top of their music is their relentless energy to provide the best experience to their fans—something that is usually lacking among the general population of independent artists in our time. It makes Calebral such an attraction to watch. And if you haven’t had the fortune of accidentally stumbling upon any of their albums or music videos, or them playing in one of the many gigs livening up the bars of Metro Manila, then this just might be your chance…
Calebral will launch their fifth studio output—a double album in fact, called Basurock—and the music videos of their latest singles: the carrier track with the same title of the newest release, and “Tapos Na Tayo,” on July 21 at the Cabin 420 Bar & Bistro inside the A. Venue Mall in Makati City. For an entrance fee of just P250, not only will you be witnessing one of the rising forces in the local music scene, but you’ll also be seeing some mainstream favorites like Typecast, Valley of Chrome, and a few other underground bands such as Gin Rum & Truth, Bonifacio Republic, and The Republicats that you might have to hear yet.
See you guys there! Support OPM!
(Calebral is composed of Alain on vocals, Carl on guitar, Lennon on bass and Bryan on drums and vocals. Check out their Facebook page (also named “Calebral”) for more info on their music and upcoming gigs.)