The event made history with performances from the school’s faculty band, Deadline of Submission, student bands who competed for the title, Anonym, Autumn, Hexagon, and New Gen, and guest artists Paper Satellites, Lance Santdas, and Orange & Lemons. The organizers said the event registered approximately 800 attendees, including students, alums, and faculty.
The event officially started with an opening number from the faculty’s band, Deadline of Submissions. The band members were Mr. Barry Cortez, Mr. Edric Dayon, Mr. Elvin Acevedo, Ms. Hyacinth Pama, Mr. Jared Caligtan, Mr. Jorene Apuya, Mr. John Lynard Evangelista, Mr. Kyle Thomas Saga, Mr. Ray Vincent Delfino, and Mr. Stanley Robinson Bautista. They performed hit songs such as “Liwanag sa Dilim” by Rivermaya, “Migraine” by Moonstar88, and “Masyado Pang Maaga” by Ben&Ben. It was evident that teachers are just as capable in other ventures as in teaching.
After an intermission from the faculty, the contenders for the battle of the bands proceeded to rock the audience. The performance from the competing bands started with Autumn, a 6-piece band composed of Aliyah Labaguis and Von Caling as lead vocalists, Jade Geonzon as the lead and rhythm guitarist, Ken Satorre as the bassist, Francine Francisco as the keyboardist, and Joaquin Nemeño as the drummer. The band started their performance with their arrangement of “Langyang Pag-Ibig” by Ben&Ben, which drew the attention of the audience, followed by “Akin Ka Na Lang” by Itchyworms and “Bawat Kaluluwa” by IV of Spades. The band started the fire even though the sun was still out.
After the attention-grabbing performance, Autumn could not contain their happiness and fulfillment, describing their experience as ‘ecstatic.’
“Every second we spent on the stage was surreal; the support from our audience, the excitement, and adrenaline from performing, everything. We look forward to performing again. But that’ll have to wait until next time,” their bassist, Ken Satorre, said.
The crowd’s energy never falters as Hexagon was next in line to perform. Hexagon is also a 6-piece band composed of Charles Pradel as the lead vocalist, Carl Harina as the violinist, Gene Adriano as the lead guitarist, Regina Bulanon as the drummer, Sean Laurea as the rhythm guitarist, and lastly their bassist, Gavin Patricio. They set the mood of the performance by commencing it with their rendition of “Beer” by Itchyworms, followed by “Tensionado” by Soapdish, and “Halik” by Kamikazee,
In an interview with the band, they said they were initially composed of just five members, with Charles as their latest addition to the team. Their preparation entailed a straight 2-week practice, but they also emphasized the importance of bonding.
“Nonstop practice for two weeks straight, in the studio for about 3hrs a day. We also bond because it’s important to build relationships between band members and not just pure music,” their violinist, Carl Harina, revealed.
After the first two contenders blasted off, Lance Santdas took center stage to add blazing on the ongoing heat. Lance Santdas is a Filipino singer and songwriter who have produced a series of songs, such as his most-played song, “Tunay,” with over 25 million streams on Spotify. It was his first time performing with a full band. He first sang his piece entitled “Fly,” which speaks about the beauty of love. Afterward, he performed his recently released song “Hindi ito ‘yung Tunay” and followed it up with his viral song “Tunay,” creating a contrasting effect between the two songs.
Once Lance Santdas finished his performance, the third contender, Anonym, took the stage and further hyped up the already wild crowd. They are a 7-piece band composed of Angel Suna and Annalyn Sarong as the vocalists, Aleyah Abellon as the rhythm guitarist, Adrian Torres as the keyboardist, Laura Rivera as the lead guitarist, Athena Bello as the drummer, and lastly, Jared Tesoro as the bassist.
They started with their version of “Huwag Na Huwag Mong Sasabihin” by Kitchie Nadal, thus giving the crowd a reason to increase the hype. Following their starter, they performed “Huling Sandali” by December Avenue. Since many single and heartbroken students found it relatable, the crowd sang along, creating more commotion and hype. If their second song brought a lot of fuss, their cover of “Still Into You” by Paramore brought even more. As the Tamaraws jumped and sang along, they showed satisfaction with their performance.
For Anonym, sacrifice was their key to the competition. They claimed several adjustments so that they could practice.
“[We did] trial and error on the song, practiced either on the school or studio, and we’ve really adjusted our time to the point where the time that’s had to be spent on school acts is still being spent on practices,” their keyboardist, Adrian Torres, shared.
The spotlight was later shifted to Paper Satellites, a Filipino band who have produced a series of singles and albums such as “Manila Meltdown,” “Mexico,” “Have Fun Tonight,” and their latest single, “Golden Age,” which is the most popular with over 29,000 streams on Spotify. They performed their most listened single, Golden Age, highlighting their instruments, especially their drummer and rhythm guitars.
After the performance of the second guest band of the night, it was time for the last competing band, New Gen. New Gen is a 6-piece band composed of Lennard Pascual and Godwin Cacho as the vocalists, Kenshang Abellera as the lead guitarist, Dwyane Torres as the rhythm guitarist, Steven Crisostomo as the drummer, and lastly Robert Adriano as the bassist.
The first two songs the band sang, “Ulan” and “Stay,” were both from Cueshé. The songs indeed sent shivers and nostalgia down the peoples’ spines. Their last but poignant song, “Eroplanong Papel” by December Avenue, reflects the complex emotions and uncertainties of falling in love.
In an interview with the band, they stated that they wanted to showcase their talents, and ever since, after the open mic event, good feedback arose, which is what motivated them most. They also added that the event was a unique opportunity for them to showcase their talents.
“Since nag online class, it’s really good to have this kind of event because we get to showcase our talents. We were so happy to perform, and just showcasing our talents is just a bonus for us,” their vocalist, Lennard Pascual, stated.
The contenders for the battle of the bands might have already finished performing. Still, the atmosphere at the gymnasium intensified as the famous band Orange & Lemons set foot on the stage. The euphoric audience screams as the band played the likes of “Pinoy Tayo,” “Splendid Love,” which was first released in 2003, “Heaven Knows,” and their cover of Eraserhead’s “Huwag kang Matakot.” They have also mentioned their biggest comeback since 2012 with their album “La Bulaceña.”
As soon as the lyrics “Sandal mo sana ang ulo mo sa unan” from their song “Yakap sa Dilim” were mouthed, the dim gymnasium filled with reverberating yells from the audience who were all jumping with their phones’ flashlights turned on. Orange & Lemons capped off their performance with their hit song “Hanggang Kailan,” making everyone scream their hearts out.
As the members of Orange and Lemons said in an interview, “(Our) Number one advice is practice. Practice makes better (performance). Kailangan, alam mo din kung bakit mo ginagawa ‘yan. It’s not easy to be an artist, especially a band. Being in a band takes a lot of patience. Syempre chemistry ‘yan, ‘di naman kaagad ganito ‘to e. Also, like-mindedness. Kailangan pareho kayo ng goals, so to be an artist is one of the hardest but the most rewarding thing for us.”
After an epic performance from the band, everyone watched the fireworks display that lasted for a minute. The awarding ceremony followed. Hexagon bagged the 3rd Runner-up, New Gen grabbed the 2nd Runner-up, Autumn was declared the 1st Runner-up, and Anonym was hailed the champion. All contenders brought home their prizes.
The event showcased not only the immense talent and creativity of the participating bands and guest artists but also the power of music to bring people together and create a sense of community. PasiklaBands 2023 was a testament to the passion and dedication of the musicians who poured their hearts into their performances and the unwavering support of the audience, who cheered them every step of the way. The event may be over, but the music’s echoes and the night’s memories will surely linger on for a long time to come.
