Friday, June 28, 2013

Bazooka Rocks II Bar Tour: 7th High

A great acoustic set from Mad Hatter Day
There is already much anticipation and excitement for Bazooka Rocks II in August (see poster below) and Pulp Philippines is just mounting on the excitement with the Bazooka Rocks Bar Tour, the first leg of which was held last June 22, 2013 at the Apex Lounge in 7th High at Bonifacio Global City. 



Albeit a bit challenging because of logistics, the bands were separated from the audience with an ongoing birthday/engagement party of sorts but that did not stop the crowd from cheering and singing along to their favorite local bands.


Pat Poblador of Mad Hatter Day
Up and coming local bands, Penguin, Mad Hatter Day, Faintlight and Save Me Hollywood performed cover songs from bands who will be performing on Bazooka Rocks such as All Time Low and Anberlin as well as performing their own original songs. 

It was refreshing to see Mad Hatter Day and Save Me Hollywood to perform an acoustic set since we are used to their signature rock/pop-rock sound. We got to appreciate Mewa's vocal range more and Julz just looks super cute with all her energy even in an acoustic set. :)

Rizza Cabrera
The night was also made special by an improptu Rockaoke hosted by Rizza Cabrera. Make sure you check out her Youtube page here she does great covers and belts out like Adele. :) You can also follow her on Twitter: @cabreezzah 

So what happens in a Rokaoke? - well it's basically an open mic where anyone can come up on stage and sing and you get a prize for it! (A Bazooka Rocks Poster from Pulp) One thing that I noticed is that when it comes to singing we Filipinos really don't let up! My boss from the US is amazed as to how we get each other to sing in front of other people, she says that is not the case in the States. I guess that just goes to show how Filipinos love music as well as singing. 

Thumbs Up for a great prizes!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Event Announcement: Fall Out Boy Night


Another band night is coming up and the Young Bloods have their war paint on! Mismo Productions is presenting Fall Out Boy Night on July 13, 2013 at Route 196

I've already been to a couple (more than actually) of band nights at Route 196 and they are always a blast! You get to spend an awesome night and hang out with fellow Fall Out Boy fans as well as sing, dance and gow crazy with FOB songs you just love plus you get to meet local bands as well! :) 

All you need is P150.00 to get in and you're all set (and that comes with a free drink-too!) :)

If you need to warm up for the upcoming Fallout Boy concert in August then Fall Out Boy Night is definitely the way to do it! :) 

See you all on July 13, 2013 at Route 196 and don't forget to like Mismo Productions's Facebook page here and follow them on Twitter: @MismoProd 

Don't forget to RSVP for the event here. :3 

UPDATE!!!

Hey Young Bloods! Things got bigger and better with Fall Out Boy Night since there will be lots of Fall Out Boy merchandise (ballers, T-shirts) as well as other band merchandise which will be sold during Fall Out Boy Night! 

Not only that but there will be great prizes available as well! 

Amazeballs Merch will be there and check out these lovely Fall Out Boy ballers which will be up for grabs as well as will be given away as prizes! 

You can follow them on Twitter: @AmazeballMerch Make sure to like their FB page here and check out their amazing band merchandise. You can order and just meet up during Fall Out Boy Night so you don't have to pay for shipping fees! :) 






BUT WAIT--There's MORE! 

Our very own Young Bloods are also Young Entrepreneurs and they will be selling Fall Out Boy shirts as well! Check out these t shirts from Alek, Dom and Jess or collectively known as Adj. Works You can click here for more details! Please note that the Inifinity on High shirts may not be available so make sure to post your inquiries ASAP! :) 




This amazing shirt design will be available on FOB Night


Not only is Inna the hard working admin and founder of Fall Out Boy PH but she also has Fall Out Boy shirts available for sale! You can click here for more details. 



I have the one in Maroon and will be wearing it for Fall Out Boy Night :) 

If you guys have any questions about for Fall Out Boy Night feel free to leave a comment here, PM on Facebook or Tweet me @ica_cheng. 

Can't wait to see you all this July 13, 2013 at Route 196 for Fall Out Boy Night! :) 

The following bands are all lined up and set to save rock and roll ~ what about you guys?! Of course Pcheng Photography will be there to cover the event - come on over and say hi and don't forget to smile for the camera! :D 

CIRCA

PARALUMAN

Letter Day Story
Blue Boys Bite Back 

Upcoming Movies: The Bling Ring


There are two names that caught my attention when it came to the movie 'The Bling Ring' one was (obviously) Emma Watson and the other - Sofia Coppola. 

We all know Emma Watson as Hermione Granger in the movie version of the Harry Potter franchise and she has since grown into a beautiful young woman from the awkward buck tooth kinky haired Muggle turned Gryfindorr. 

Sofia Coppola on the other hand is an Academy award winning director and also the recipient of the Golden Lion, which is the top prize given during the Venice Film Festival. She is the woman behind the movies Lost in Translation and Somewhere and now she is working her magic on 'The Bling Ring' which is a movie based on actual events of how a group of teenagers robbed a number of celebrities including Paris Hilton. 

Check out the trailer below! 



Full of wit, humor and albeit disturbing because it's based on actual events, Bling Ring is showing on July 3, 2013! Make sure to catch it in cinemas! :) 




Album Review: Your Story To Tell - Save Me Hollywood




























I get really excited when I think of the fact that a band that I featured in my list of buzz worthy OPM artists last March is well on their way to conquering the local music scene not to mention a few International stops.

With a new album out, (album launch here) constant gigs and a couple of international stints - they will be representing the Philippines in the upcoming Baybeats Festival in Singapore this June and they will also be opening for a number of foreign acts for the upcoming Bazooka Rocks Festival II in August; Save Me Hollywood is everywhere and they are slowly gaining a steady fan base offering love and support to the talented 5 piece band (Hello my fellow Woodies <3). 

Okay - so it's no surprise that I am a big fan of the band and that I will probably ohhh and ahhh at their new album which is out now and currently available at local record bars for only P199! :D But I will try to be as objective as possible (really now Ica?-try nga diba?!) :P 

The album is also available on iTunes! Just click on this link here

I got a copy of their 'Your Story To Tell' album during the launch last June 1 during the Eastwood leg of 12 Stone Music Fest and it's a constant soundtrip in our car, in my playlist and even while working. 


The album has 11 tracks which features a genuine pop-rock/punk group whom we can really be proud of representing our country. 

Even before they were Save Me Hollywood, the members have already been making waves in their own respective genres and industries and when they came together formed a formidable band that should be reckoned with. 

Originally a project thought of by Caldie ("Calde") Calderon of Chicosci, he brought in Melvin Macatiag of Typecast and the bassist and the drummer recruited Aaron Corvera and Kenneth Arranza of April Morning Skies as guitarists. The band is fronted by Former Miss Teen Philippines, Myx VJ and current Jam 88.3 Dj Julz Savard. 

The name of the band - 'Save Me Hollywood' rings true to the theme and the songs in the album. In an interview the band has said that they wanted to have a 'Hollywood' theme as the name for their band, they wanted to play on the thought that fame is not what it's made up to be. A number of tracks in their album have that 'Hollywood' theme as well. 


Check out the album tracks here: 

For the Record
Any Press is Good Press
Happier This Way
High 
Not Like the Movies 
We Are One Tonight 
Reckless
05.11
Lights.Camera.Action
Your Story to Tell 
Hollywood Ending 

I think it's pretty unique that they maintained a cohesiveness when it came to the theme and lyrics of the album. It wasn't all over the place but instead had a steady theme which made listening to the album a great experience. 

Aside from having a certain theme when it came to the lyrics and the album in general, the music was an eclectic ensemble of pop-rock and punk-rock which easily showcased each band member's contribution when it came down to the music and the lyrics. 


I've seen and read a lot of posts that when they first listened to 'Save Me Hollywood' they thought that they were listening to a foreign band and that is what you get- a well thought out band who comes out with well thought out music, melodies and lyrics and not just some 'artist' doing revivals or simple melodies with shallow lyrics. 

If you haven't heard of any of Save Me Hollywood's songs you can check out their two music videos here. I've always said that I love their videos since they feature local locations such as Ortigas, the Katipunan LRT Station and even your local Mercury Drug Store - proudly OPM. 



Reckless


High

Monday, June 24, 2013

Project 365: Week 11

As the year went on, the shoots just kept coming but the words and writing the blog post, still took along while.  I usually write when I'm not doing anything, whether it is photo projects, post processing photos, and or shooting events.
April 5, 2013 - Playing with smoke 
This day, I was able to hang out in Mediahub, and the team.  This is my friends' office.  I tend to goof off with my friends, and their employees.  Right around this time, my wife bought me e-cigarette to help me stop smoking.  The people in Mediahub had a blast with my solution to stopping cigarette smoking.  We had so much fun that we shot a smoke photo portrait.  Using a Canon 500d, with a wireless trigger mounted, and the receiver connected to a Canon 580 EXII as primary flash, and wirelessly triggering a Canon 430 EXII.  the one behind the smoke is the master flash and the fill flash is coming from the left side.  This was my favorite shot during that night since most of the photos were weirdly lighted.


We went to cover Paramore Night 4 last April 6, 2013. FYI, my wife is a big fan of Paramore.  I was taken a back because the crowd were so lively.  Here's a link to more photos and blog post about that fated night just click here


April 6, 2013 - Hands in the air
Its pretty obvious that I favor the crowd when it comes to gigs like these, and hopefully we'll be there to cover more.  The photo below is also shot during the same event but shot past midnight so that makes it to my shot for April 7, 2013.

April 7, 2013 - for the crowd

Sunday, June 23, 2013

30 Seconds to Mars Album Buyout

The Echelon family with their Cds and their prizes 

This was our third time to cover an album buy out from Odyssey (the first one was for Paramore and the second one was for Fallout Boy) and you know what they say - the third time is the charm. 

This most recent album buy out was for Thirty Seconds to Mars' Love Lust Faith + Dreams album. 

Like always - fan support was awesome! We got to see Echelon Philippines have a lot of fun with the games, the band performances and the great prizes from the sponsors! :) 

Game winners with their prizes :) 

Some of the games included a lot of singing and when you are a true fangirl/fanboy or for this case a true Echelon there was no need to convince anyone to go up to the front to sing - people just went on their own accord - no need to force them. Th and tere was even a wacky dance off with Thirty Seconds to Mars' 'Up in the air'. 

Diachroma
Aside from covering Thirty Seconds to Mars songs, local bands: Diachroma, Yuko and Progeny also performed impressive original songs. 

Thursday, June 20, 2013

An Annual Phenomenon: Toycon 2013

Lego Heroes: A display of Super Heroes from different Franchises made entirely out of Lego. 

Would you consider an annual event a phenomenon? Even if Toycon happens every year I still get this 'Wow!' feeling whenever I see the number of people gathered (inside or outside) of Megatrade Halls 1, 2 and 3. When you pass by for any other convention, you can easily compare the number of people who attend or rather the lack of attendees-nothing compares to Toycon. 

Lines are so long and snake across the 5th floor for miles at a time (no joke), some cosplayers content themselves with just hanging out -outside the convention and pose around for eager photographers and curious onlookers. 

COSPLAY: Supergirl: Lot's of Superman Reference due to Man of Steel 

Unlike last year's Toy Convention were we were able to attend the Opening Ceremonies  (Ribbon Cutting), this year we had a meeting at 10:00 AM so we had to miss the opening ceremonies and arrived well after lunch time. It's a good thing I asked a friend to purchase tickets for us in advance or else we would have been stuck in line for hours ~ not to mention we had another gig at 3:00 PM in Odyssey Megamall (Thirty Seconds to Mars - album buy out - photos and blog post still pending! :P) so yeah - schedule is always full but we just had to squeeze Toycon in :) 

TOYS: It's fun to drool...errr marvel at the many, many, many toys on display. 

Looking at my blog post on Toycon last year - there was an air of regret since we were not able to have the 'ultimate' Toycon experience. Unfortunately it was also the same for this year-if not even more. I know I told myself last year that I would file for a leave on the Friday of the Toycon but with work and all the other events we have ~ things really didn't fall into place but in the spirit of making the most of what was already there - we did our usual stroll around and taking photos but there was one extra special objective that we had for this year's toycon and that was to support my cousins Luis and Beau with their SuperElite Props booth (Luis isn't my biological cousin but we are basically are- in the essence of it). 

If you guys don't remember Luis you can check out my Interview with a Storm Trooper blog post last year! :)  

SUPERElite PROPS 

So apparently SuperElite Props has been a project that Luis has been working on and it made it's debut during this year's Toycon. So what is SuperElite Props all about? Well you can actually own your very own movie props (Storm Trooper Helmet, ROTJ Lightsaber, TK E-11 Blaster) all of which is locally made with the best materials and is as close to the original as possible. 
Reference Boards for SuperElite Props during Toycon 

Monday, June 17, 2013

Event Announcement: Bazooka Rocks II Bar Tour



One of the most awaited shows to literally rock you off your feet is the upcoming Bazooka Rocks which is slated to be the Philippine's First Indoor Rock Festival with a line up of over 12 local and international bands and of course a last performance from A Rocket to the Moon. The Rock Festival will be held on August 25, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center. 



While August is still a few months off, Bazooka Rocks is still making headlines with their Bazooka Rocks Bar Tour featuring local bands who will also be part of the epic Rock Festival. The first leg of the tour will be on June 22, 2013, Saturday at 8PM at The Apex Lounge, 7th High. Bonifacio High Street and entrance is for FREE! 

Everyone may be looking forward to the foreign bands who will be playing for Bazooka Rocks, I am both excited and looking forward to the local bands who will be performing. Some of you reading this may be thinking (Did this girl hit her head or or something?) With all the amazing foreign acts performing I am very glad that we also have our own amazing line up of OPM bands who will be performing. 

Two of the local bands who will be performing have a special place in my heart - this is because I was actually blown away by their talent and their music long before Bazooka Rocks came along - if you have been following my blog posts and tweets you already know them but for those who don't I have been following and blogging/tweeting a lot about Mad Hatter Day and Save Me Hollywood. Both bands were featured in my list of Buzz-worthy OPM bands blog post last March and now both bands are well on their way to local and international recognition. 


Two sides to a coin: Mad Hatter Day 

These guys are still in College but they are already making waves in the local music scene. Mad Hatter Day is not your typical female fronted band as their music speaks for itself. They have a more Flyleaf-isque tone to their music, you can easily hear the metal and glam rock influences and Mewa's lower ranges is definitely something unique and I will say again - reminds me of Shirley Manson of Garbage. 

Make sure to catch them during the Bazooka Rocks Tour and Bazooka Rocks Festival! 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Event: Independence Day Concert at the Araneta Center

Join the Club rocking during the Independence Concert 
While the rest of the country was celebrating Independence Day, the Araneta Center certainly was not far behind with their own Independence Day activities as they joined in the country through their Freedom Rocks event

The 115th Independence of the Philippines was celebrated through a FREE concert featuring OPM acts Join the Club and Tanya Markova. Aside from the great music there was also fun games (and lots of prizes!!!) lots of delicious food and drinks from the different food stalls comprising the FLAVORS food market.  


Shot! Shot! Shot! Shot! Drinking game - do I spy a Kevin there?---- :P 

Tanya Markova - Music and Theatrics. 

Theatrical group - Tanya Markova took over the stage with their stage makeup and lots of props (bubbles, confetti). Aside from the great music there was also face painting and a freedom wall and as mentioned earlier delicious food trip courtesy of FLAVORS food market. 

Project 365: Week 10

As the month of March comes to an end, I'm still searching for something to work on so that I can somehow deviate from what I shot earlier.

I'm writing this, May 20, 2013 so you can say that I have lots of drafts to work on since I'm on day 117, and what we have here on this post are day 65 -  71 so I have a lot to work on.  I'll try my best to remember my mind set when I shot these 7 images. 

March 29, 2013 - The skateboard
I'm not sure, if I mentioned that I used to skate(ride the skateboard).  I was very fortunate to spend some time with my friend that I skated with back then(around 2000- 2005).  I like this shot since it shows how the board, trucks and wheels were beaten and aged.  Had fun riding with the guys again and shot some photos as well.  Shot with, Canon 500d, Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. Post process was done in Lightroom 3.2,  set the clarity of the board a little higher to show the roughness of the wood.

March 30, 2013 - Fast food comfort
I had fries this day, and was thinking of yellow stuff with textures.  Nothing happened this day, so you can say that it's pretty much uneventful.

Shot with an iPhone 4S, post processed in Snapseed.  

This was shot in McDonalds, Strata 1000, Emerald Avenue.  I guess the fried potatoes was the highlight of the day, since I often bring food from home, and rarely eat out(fastfood or cheap eateries).  






March 31, 2013 - By the rail
During the day shift, I still have the privilege of eating my last meal of the day during diner time.  I believe I was walking back to the office from the Lasapin food place, since Adrian(office mate) buys his food there.  

When we were walking to the food place, I thought in advance that I'd be shooting it.  The way the rail leads your eyes beyond may be the reason why I thought of shooting it. 


I had a hard time trying to remember what I used here.  Checking out my FB profile, this was shot with my iPhone 4S, the image was imported to the computer, was post processed in Ligthroom as it is my preferred software.   




Bash Brothers 06.09 Event

Marben of Badburn getting the crowd wild.

Disclaimer. Hey everyone, this is Paul blogging for a change. For this event, Ica stayed at home for a number of reasons, mostly since she was working on her sideline as a freelance writer. So pardon the lack of blogging prowess in this post - let's just make it about the photos okay? 

I actually started with shooting gigs with productions from Bash Brothers who are actually acquaintances of mine. They gave me my first break into shooting music events.  Like any Bash Brothers gig, expect alot of metal music, slam dancing, and whole lot of moshpit mayhem.  


Kenneth Aranza and the rest of April Morning Skies
For the curious people that would like to experience what a metal gig looks and feels like:  Get ready to break some sweat, be cautious, and of the moshpit as it is not like the other gigs that you've seen.  Expect, fists, feet, and bodies flying everywhere.

As with the previous Bash Brothers gigs that I've been, it was always quite an experience, maybe the toughest to shoot, but its always a fun to listen to Metal bands such as Badburn, and April Morning Skies.  Its just too bad that Divine Sacred Order wasn't able to join the party.  








Again, thanks to Bash Brothers for inviting me again after a long hiatus. For updates on Bash Brothers Productions and Events make sure to like their page here

For MORE photos of the gig click here
And don't forget to like our Facebook page also.

Synchronized slamming


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Event Announcement: Thirty Seconds to Mars: Love Lust Faith + Dreams Album Buyout


Mars is indeed coming. After their last album This is War in 2009, Thirty Seconds to Mars has come back with a new album, Love Lust Faith + Dreams

The first single 'Up in the air' (you can check out the video below) was actually the first ever commercial copy of music that was sent and played in space. A CD copy of the song was sent to both NASA and SpaceX and was on board the Dragon spacecraft on SpaceX CRS. 

While a lot of people are definitely excited for the new album, 30 Seconds To Mars' street team in the Philippines Echelon Philippines tops the list. You can check out their Facebook page here and follow them on twitter: @EchelonPH


Just to make sure that the album gets its due reception, Odyssey will be having an album buyout for Love Lust Faith + Dreams on June 15, 2013 at around 3PM and if experience has taught me anything it's that Odyssey's album buy outs are crazy fun! I should know - I've been to two! Check out my posts for Paramore's album buyout and Fallout Boy's album buyout

You get to meet with fellow Mars junkies, there are games, prizes and fan performances! So make sure to clear your calendars coz Mars is definitely coming! 

You can also follow Odyssey on twitter for more updates:@odysseylive 

Pcheng Photography will try our best to drop by ;) 


Sunday, June 9, 2013

Events: Midnight Meetings 'Pwede Ba?' Acoustic EP and MV launch

ALL SMILES. Midnight Meetings after their set. 

There is always a sense of celebration and accomplishment when it comes to having a launch, it could be a launch for a new product or a new brand but for musicians, it is the launch of your hard work through an EP, an album or a video that takes that really matters and there was certainly an air of celebration last June 4, 2013 at Route 196 bar in Katipunan as Midnight Meetings had their 'Pwede Ba?' EP and MV launch. 

Formed in October of 2012, Midnight Meetings describes their music as Alternative Soul Music with Attitude. They are an Indie band who are currently self managed at the moment, which I found very impressive since they organized everything during the launch, with the love and support of friends and family but it was pretty much obvious that the whole event was pretty much organized by the band which I really admired. 

SNEAK PEAK: Midnight Meeting's video 'Pwede Ba?' being played on the screen. 

I have been blogging, tweeting and promoting about their launch for some time now and we as Pcheng Photography were very fortunate to be a sponsor of the event :) 

Aside from Midnight Meetings there was an amazing line up of bands who would be performing for the night. (We'll be getting there in a bit ;) 

The blues and the jazz started early with a good old street perfrormance from Hoochie Coochi Mikkie (Mykell Bryant Gozon), he surely charmed a lot of people (Paul included) with his guitar, harmonica and amazing blues inspired singing. 

Tips - Happily Accepted Anytime! - Hoochie Coochi Mikkie 
 
Midnight Meetings drummer Ralph De Guzman showing off Midnight Meetings shirts being sold during the launch. 

A Midnight Meetings fan with her copy of the Midnight Meetings Acoustic EP. 
Close up and (very) Personal: Midnight Meetings Acoustic EP. Photo from Midnight Meetings' Facebook page. 
We haven't been able to take up close photos of the EP yet, but I will be posting an EP review soon (but wait there's more!) we will also be giving away a SIGNED Midnight Meeting Acoustic EP and a Midnight Meetings Keychain so watch out for that! ;)