Rock band Slapshock, which is known for its distinctly earsplitting sound, knows for a fact that when somebody doesn’t like its music, it means that the person has a different preference. For 15 years now, Slapshock has been the center of music critics who find its music unpleasant.

In retrospect, many tossed the band aside when the quintet was just starting out in the mid-90s, when the rap metal movement was also emerging. But instead of accepting what its critics say about its music, the band just continued doing what its members truly love and passionate about.

“To be honest, we are inspired more when we hear bad things coming from our detractors. Because on the other side we have supporters that, rain or shine, still watch (our gigs) and listen to our music. We have more supporters than those who don’t like us,” Slapshock vocalist Jamir Garcia told us.

Now on its 15th year, the rock metal band released its seventh studio album under Polyeast Records. Called Kinse Kalibre, the record documents Slapshock’s 15-year old career.  Featuring “Ngayon Na,” the album’s first single referencing some stylistic Slapshock trademarks—stomping through “Ngayon na, isigaw sa mundo…Ngayon na” gives a fiery shout-along hook while introducing some fresh dynamic sensibilities. The single’s music video is directed by Team Manila and now being aired on MYX Channel, which is running it’s no. 1 seat in one month.

This full-length album consists of 12 tracks—produced by the band, all songs originally written by Jamir Garcia, mixed in Malaysia and was mastered at John Greenham Mastering in San Francisco, USA. Aside from working with notable artists outside the country, Slapshock also worked with Xander Angeles (photographer) and Team Manila for the album artwork that have also done many projects with the band.

“This time, we can honestly walk in every show knowing that we have made at least a contribution in this industry. For the last 15 years, we are able to crash the image of being just a fad. Some bands have expiry dates, they only last for a couple of years or after releasing one or two music albums,” Garcia said.

The band’s secret to longevity lies on its members. Apart from their loyalty to the group, Slapshock still has the same members: Garcia (vocals), Lee Nadela (bass), Lean Ansing (guitars) and Chi Evora (drums). Also, the quintet still works with same crew, and receives support from the same sponsors and the same record label.

“And, yes, the sound is still loud and I still scream the lyrics from time to time. And we are a solid band. Up to know, out talent fee is still divided equally among us and not one of us has had a side band in all our 15 years together,” Garcia exclaimed.

With Kinse Kalibre, the band has once again found a place for reinvention, created a multi-layered and genre-smashing album set to cater more to our local market.  Jamir said, “In this album, we we’re challenged to produce something that will cater more to our Filipino listeners. This time, I have challenged myself to write five Tagalog songs.” Tracks include “Kinse Kalibre (intro),” “Ngayon Na,” “Reset,” “Deliryo,” “Asal Demonyo,” “Burn In Hell,” “In The Line Of Fire,” “Langit,” “Under The Needle,” “Heartless,” “Salamin” and “All Hope Is Gone.”

“Kinse Kalibre represents our 15 years of existence as a band. Kalibre means that after 15 years, the band is still here creating what we’re known for. We’re happy with what we’ve achieved but we never aimed to have everyone know us. Mas importante sa amin that people like us for our music. We’re fine in our niche and knowing that there are people who solidly like our music,” Garcia concluded.

“ LEADING LADIES ” is a hilarious comedy about two English Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, who find themselves so down on their luck that they are performing “Scenes from Shakespeare” on the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. When they hear that an old lady in York, PA is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash. The trouble is, when they get to York, they find out that the relatives aren’t nephews, but nieces! Romantic entanglements abound, especially when Leo falls head-over-petticoat in love with the old lady’s vivacious niece, Meg, who’s engaged to the local minister. Meg knows that there’s a wide world out there, but it’s not until she meets “Maxine and Stephanie” that she finally gets a taste of it.

Harvard Law-educated playwright Ken Ludwig specializes in this type of nostalgic comedy: “LEADING LADIES ” is set in 1958, around the same time as “Moon Over Buffalo”; his other best known works — “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Crazy for You” and “Shakespeare in Hollywood” — all take place in the thirties.

Ken Ludwig has won numerous awards and several Tony nominations for his work. His musical “Crazy For You” ran for five years on Broadway and four years in the West End winning Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk and Helen Hayes Awards as Best Musical of the Year. “Lend Me A Tenor” (produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber) has proven to be one of the most popular comedies of the past 25 years, winning two Tony Awards. His work has been translated into 16 languages and performed in more than 30 countries.

Noted theater actor and director Michael Williams will direct  “ LEADING LADIES. ” Michael, who is celebrating his three decades in Philippine theatre recently appeared as Captain Hook in “Peter Pan”  and as Richard Hannay in “The 39 Steps”. Currently, Michael is also busy with his own company,  Theater Down South.

The leading men taking the stage, and most of the laughs are James Stacey as Leo and Topper Fabregas as Jack.

James was recently seen as one of the Pirates in Peter Pan, as the Cat in the Hat in Seussical, the King in Sleeping Beauty, the Giant in Jack & the Beanstalk as well as in Sweeney Todd, A Christmas Carol, Mulan, Cinderella, Fiddler on the Roof and Aladdin among others.

Topper was last seen in Sweet Charity for 9Works Theatrical. His many Rep credits include roles in Shakespeare in Hollywood, The Secret Garden, The Sound of Music, The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado about Nothing, Aladdin, Gay Birds, and God’s Favorite among others.

The rest who shall comprise the truly fun-loving cast are as follows:

Cris Villonco shall play the role of Meg. She was last seen as Maria in Resorts World Manila’s The Sound of Music. Before that she appeared in Rep’s Shakespeare in Hollywood, The Joy Luck Club, Romeo & Bernadette, Mulan, Cinderella and Hamlet. Among her other theater credits include Orosman at Zafira, Legally Blonde The Musical, Noli The Musical, A Little Night Music, Alikabok and Five Women Wearing the Same Dress.

Giannina Ocampo, who will play Audrey, is a fresh addition to Rep’s roster of talents after having joined the Rep Summer Workshop. She made her professional theater debut playing the title role in Sleeping Beauty. After that she played Gertrude McFuzz in Seussical and later joined the cast of Peter Pan.

Jamie Wilson will be playing the role of Duncan. A certified theater veteran, Jamie has appeared in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Broadway Bound, Biloxi Blues, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Camelot, South, Pacific, The Blue Room, Rent, Stop Kiss, Angels in America (Millenium Approaching and Perestroika), Stones in his Pocket, Our Country’s Good, Les Parent Terribles, Speed the Plow, Frozen and Sacrilege among others.

Juno Henares shall play the role of  Florence. Considered as one of Manila’s most respected theater actors, among Juno’s numerous theater credentials include roles in A Chorus Line (as Maggie), Annie (as Grace Farrell), Private Lives (as Sybil), Present Laughter (as M0nica Reed), Two and Two Make Sex (as Ruth), Moose Murders (as Nurse Dagmar), Romeo and Bernadette (as Camille Penza), West Side Story (as Anita) and Amadeus (as Constanze Mozart).

Hans Eckstein will play the role of Butch. Fresh from the success of playing Oberon, king of the fairies, in last season’s Shakespeare in Hollywood, Hans has also played a gamut of roles on the Rep stage with roles in Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Taming of the Shrew, Cinderella, Seussical, Fiddler on the Roof, Gay Birds, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol, Sweeney Todd, Equus, Sleeping Beauty and very recently, Peter Pan.

Oliver Usison, who plays the role of Doc, was last seen as Horton in Seussical. His previous Rep theater credits include roles in Our Town, The Cherry Orchard, Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, The Baker’s Wife, Proposals, Ten little Indians, The Secret Garden, Much Ado About Nothing, Pinocchio, Aladdin, Gay Birds, Fiddler on the Roof, A Christmas Carol, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, Sweeney Todd, The Joy Luck Club and Shakespeare in Hollywood among others.

“ LEADING LADIES ” will make sophisticated and reasonable men and women of the 21st century cackle till their faces hurt.

The artistic and creative team of  “ LEADING LADIES ” is led by Baby Barredo (Artistic Director), Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo (Associate Artistic Director), John Batalla (Lighting Designer) and Denis Lagdameo (Set Designer).

The production staff is composed of Gidget Tolentino (Production Manager), Ayam Barredo (Company Manager), Dingdong Rosales (Stage Manager), Pol Roxas (Sound Technician), Pablito Salvador (Lighting Technician) and Adul Lasin (Set Execution and Scenic Artist).

“ LEADING LADIES ” shall run from February 10 – March 4,  with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and matinee shows on Saturdays and Sundays at 3:30 p.m. All performances are at Onstage, Greenbelt 1, Makati City.

For tickets, inquiries and other information, call Repertory Philippines at 571-6926 or 571-4941 or email info@repertory.ph. Tickets are also available thru Ticketworld at 891-9999 or www.ticketworld.com.ph. Visit www.repertory.ph , subscribe to youtube.com/repertoryphils, and add “Rep Phils” in Facebook.

In its last five nights, expect for more breathtaking revelations and sweet surprises, especially from “My Binondo Girl” love teams Jade (Kim) and Andy (Xian Lim), and Zeny (AiAi delas Alas) and Papa Chen (Richard Yap).

Will the ‘Jandy’ love story have a happy ending or will tragedy strike and leave everyone crying?

Witness the final moments of MBG’s memorable characters Matteo Guedicelli, Cherry Pie Picache, Gina Pareño, Ricardo Cepeda, Laureen Uy, Marina Benepayo, Eda Nolan, David Chua, Gillet Sandico, and Simon Ibarra. “My Binondo Girl” is under the direction of Malu Sevilla and Francis Xavier Pasion.

Don’t miss the last week of “My Binondo Girl,” weeknights, from January 16 to 20, after “Budoy.” For more updates, log on to http://mybinondogirl.abs-cbn.com or follow @my_binondogirl on Twitter and like www.facebook.com/abs.mybinondogirl.

“Walang Hanggan” features the undying love that revolves around characters from three different generations: the love triangle among Virginia (Roces), Margaret (Gamboa), and John (Eddie Gutierrez); the ill-fated lovers Marco (Gomez) and Emily (Zulueta); and young sweethearts Daniel (Martin) and Katerina (Montes).

Roces expressed excitement over their newest series. She said, “I’m a fan of teleseryes myself, that’s why I’m very happy to be part of it. But what makes “Walang Hangan” more special is that this is Helen and I’s first-ever onscreen project.”

Meanwhile, Zulueta, who is set to revive love team with Gomez, took pride in the narrative that they will be offering to the audience. “The story was so great, that it was hard to turn down the role. Everyone can surely relate with the characters’ journey,” Zulueta mentioned.    

While Zulueta and Gomez rekindle an old onscreen romance, Martin and Montes starts anew. Martin shared, “This is a new challenge for me since this is the first time that I’ll be doing a ‘full love story.’ But I’m getting inspiration from the fact that I’m working with the best actors and actresses of the industry.”

Completing the powerhouse cast are well-regarded actors Rita Avila, Melissa Ricks, Joem Bascon, and Paulo Avelino; with the special participation of Eddie Gutierrez and Joel Torre. The series is directed by Jerry Lopez Sineneng and Trina Dayrit.

 Never miss the beginning of a story of true love bound to last forever in ABS-CBN’s biggest teleserye offering this 2012, “Walang Hanggan,” this Monday, (January 16), after “Ikaw ay Pag-ibig” on Primetime Bida. For more updates, log on to www.abs-cbn.com or follow @abscbndotcom on Twitter.

If Katy Perry and Simple Plan excite concertgoers, they would be more thrilled to hear that Avril Lavigne, James Ingram, Edwin Mccain and Bryan Adams are scheduled to set foot Philippine shores to treat music aficionados. To top that, ’90s boy bands like Hanson and A1 are also coming here.

In January, the only female recording artist to have five singles (from an album, Teenage Dream) at no. 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, is set to return to the Philippines to stage another concert at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on Jan. 22. “California Girls” and “Fireworks’ singer Katy Perry, who has been named by MTV as its first artist of the year for 2012 due to her remarkable achievements, first visited the country in 2009 for a one-night performance. With ticket priced at P10,000,00, her concert is one to watch out for.

Before we see Katy, the Canadian quintet Simple Plan famous for its pop punk songs like “Perfect,” “Addicted,” and “Crash and Burn” to name a few is the concert scene’s opening salvo. On Jan. 12, Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), David Desrosiers (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Chuck Comeau (drums and percussion) will be sure to entertain their Filipino fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Avril Lavigne, another Canadian star, will visit the country to promote new album Goodbye Lullaby. The pop rock princess who scored a string of international hit singles such as “Complicated,” “Sk8er Boi,” “I’m With You,” “My Happy Ending,” “Girlfriend,” “When You’re Gone,” and “The Best Damn Thing” performed in a sold out arena in Manila in 2008.

One of the most anticipated concerts this 2012 is that of the Hanson’s. The American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson, is best known for the 1997 hit song “MMMBop” from the album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations. The trio is scheduled to do two concerts in the Philippines, one in Manila and another in Cebu.

Concert season

In the first quarter of the year, if the schedule does not change, at least 20 foreign acts are expected to stage a concert in the country. From February until the summer season ends numerous concerts are expected to be staged both by local and foreign acts. Music promoters and producers call it the concert season.

Exactly one year ago, in the wake of upcoming concerts by foreign artists like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, singer-actress Kuh Ledesma called for the immediate regulation of such concerts. She asserted that lawmakers should study ways to protect the interests of local acts as the concert season nears.

As expected, Kuh made a lot of buzz and got the support of OPM artists. But then again no solid initiative had taken place to look into the appeal of local artists.

In an interview, Kuh Ledesma insinuated that proper authorities must make immediate move to protect the interests of Filipino artists who are being challenged by concerts staged by international acts. She furthered that the presence of foreign acts greatly affects the number of attendees to their concerts. The singer made this statement while she is promoting her show with other OPM singers as guest artists.

It’s easy to understand the sentiments of Kuh and all the local artists that will only benefit from the spillover from international concerts. But the issue is that Filipino concertgoers are looking for quality entertainment. We can’t deny that from the set list to choreography and from entire stage design to sound engineering, which are all essential in music events, local concerts are no match to the ones staged by foreign acts.

Why would concertgoers watch local artists who sing foreign song if they can just pay more and watch the original artists, who are apparently foreign musicians? Staging a concert is like selling a product. Is our product good enough? Is it original and will it satisfy the consumer? Although most local artists believe so, the real situation is otherwise.

It’s interesting that in 2011, more foreign artists have set foot on our tropical shores to either promote their album or entertain their fans with sold out shows in big concert venues. In October alone, 15 international musicians held a concert in Manila including Jayson Mraz, Black Eyed Peas, and David Foster and Friends.

On the other hand, local singers were only impelled to stage their concerts in small venues, which they even failed to fill up considering that more often than not the performances were collaboration of two or more local artists.

It’s an enticing and a very inviting slogan. But foreigners will definitely be surprised once they are welcomed by our psychedelic airports. Anyway, as of this writing, the title above is one of the trending topics on Twitter worldwide.

This is the country’s newest  tourism slogan launched by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to members of the press on Friday, months after the agency faced criticism over its failed “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” campaign. Apparently, hours after it’s launch, ABS-CBN news reported  that in 1951, there’s an Ad campaign called “It’s more fun in Switzerland,”

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said during the event that they “want the world not to watch but to participate” in the new campaign. But like a party or celebration, where is more fun?(Singapore shouts,”Party over here!”) It seems that the government secretary is left with no choice but to defend the plagiarized slogan.