Urbandub turns 10 at the first Rock 'N' Rogue event

The words dress code and rock concert hardly go together, but at the kick off of the Rock ‘N’ Rogue series, fans had to bear with the policy and dress appropriately as Urbandub's 10th year anniversary was celebrated at Encore. If you don't know what Encore is, it's what Embassy used to be, and yes, if you're getting pictures of underage girls in makeup and high heels, you're right on track. Last night's concert started late, like all proper rock shows, especially in the Philippines. If the eager fans, called 'Dubistas' were predicting the delay, they didn't see it as a reason to arrive late, themselves. Ticketholders were lined up as early as 6 pm, in the summer rain, too.

Perhaps the fans knew that braving the rush hour traffic and the sudden rain would be nothing for what was promised. "A lot of songs, a lot of singing, a lot of jumping around on stage and old school urbandub music," said Alipe in the band's interview with NoisyNoypi. The higher-than-usual price didn't deter them, either. Five hundred pesos for a ticket is pretty steep, even with two beers included. People were there because they absolutely, truly loved the band. Even if Urbandub began playing past 11 pm, everyone was all too happy to forget about whatever morning appointments they had the next day. I was afraid for the floorboards when the band broke into First of Summer. "The next song we're going to play is something you probably don't know," said frontman Gabby Alipe by way of introduction. Then the crowd hears the first few chords and goes crazy. Urbandub is one band that can perform without a vocalist. This is not to say that their vocalist is negligible - not at all. It's jut that with five albums spanning ten years, the fans know all the lyrics - and they love to sing along at the top of their lungs. This is amazing because Urbandub's lyrics aren't exactly simple. Watching the crowd last night, I wondered what makes a band this big? Urbandub is a guaranteed crowd-drawer, so much so that at the annual UP Fair, advertisers market a single night featuring Urbandub as exclusive. When UK band The Barbs came to play in Manila, with Urbandub as the front act - lots of people went to watch, not even knowing who the Barbs were. They were there for the homegrown talent. I remember the first time I heard an Urbandub song on the radio. It was Soulsearching. I remember learning that they were from Cebu, and being a huge Shiela and the Insects fan, I thought maybe there was something special in Cebu air. Then I remember thinking it was a pity they were in Cebu, because let's face it, going to Cebu to watch a band is pretty impractical. Since coming to Manila, the band, like any other group, had its fair share of ups and downs, but it seems it was all worth it. While they all admit their folks were at first apprehensive about their moving to Manila, the band says when they proved they could make it, their families were very supportive. There are some bands that are great to listen to, and there are some that you just have to see live. Urbandub belongs to both categories. If you don't know what owning the stage means, catching one of their gigs would be a good idea. Alipe is a great vocalist, and an equally great frontman. You can feel their chemistry, and when he talks with the audience, he really talks with them. Drummer Jan Jan Mendoza keeps the beat well - brings it up and tones it down perfectly, banging his heart away but never stealing his bandmates' thunder. Urbandub has that rare chemistry - a formula for lasting. "'Di kami magkakabarkada. It took us ten years and 5 albums to realize we were friends pala," said Alipe on Noisy Noypi. Their guitarist, John Dinopol, knows how to enjoy himself like no one is watching – and he knows some guitar-spinning tricks, too. He plays as if he's blissfully lost in the music and you can't help but keep looking at him - which is saying a lot, with the girl bassist on the other side of the stage. For some reason, girls who can play the bass are automatically ten times cooler, and it doesn't hurt that Lalay Lim is pretty. She's also strangely demure. Despite a serious you-cannot-mess-with-this-one vibe, she smiles like a colegiala and shakes her head at even slightly green jokes. "'Pag adult ka na, puwede ka na maghubad in public," said Alipe to an all too supportive crowd, while Lim gave a disapproving smile and positioned her guitar on her hip, as if to say, "on with the show." And on with the show they went, way into the wee hours. This was, after all, the celebration of a decade, and if they wanted to play every single song on all their albums, I'm pretty sure no one would mind. It was one in the morning, but the way the crowd was bouncing around, you'd think you were in an advertisement for an extremely effective energy drink. Alipe kept thanking their fans in between songs. "Akala namin konti lang pupunta, pero andito kayo, ang dami niyo! Thank you for showing up tonight. Thanks for the support all these years. This next song is for all of you," he said, before the band played Endless: A Silent Whisper. What, no sitting on sidewalks? - GMANews.TV Made possible by JB Music, Encore, and J2unes, the Rock 'N' Rogue series is the brainchild of JB Music VP-Sales and Marketing Jerico Fernando. Fernando thinks of the series as a way of giving people a nice time watching rock bands in a big club with a superb sound system, and a concert for a cause. If you're wondering why the ticket price is the way it is (500 pesos), it's because 50,000 pesos will be donated to the featured band's chosen charity. The series is also made possible in cooperation with Rogue Magazine, Channel [V], Garage Magazine and Manila Bulletin. Rock 'N' Rogue will be held monthly until December, and will feature other local acts like Up Dharma Down, Bamboo, Wolfgang, Razorback, and The Dawn.