Kamikazee-Queso-Greyhoundz gig is the craziest ever
I was standing by the parking lot gate of saGuijo in Makati last Friday, Feb. 8, and found myself part of a queue of people that covered the entire street.
It was the second night of the Kamikazee-Queso-Houndz tour.
I couldn’t attend their first one last Feb. 4 because 70’s Bistro was packed to the brim. People started arriving early and by 8:30 p.m., the bar would no longer allow anyone in.
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So you could imagine the scene at saGuijo, a much smaller venue than 70’s Bistro, and on a Friday night at that.
Sound muffled by packed crowd
People spilled out to the streets and caused traffic. You could no longer hear the music from inside the bar because the sound had gotten so muffled by the number of people that packed the place.
The Kamikazee-Queso-Houndz tour was collective effort by the three bands. Greyhoundz and Queso are the fathers of the local rock metal scene while Kamikazee has openly said that it considers Queso their older brothers in music.
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Because each band has a considerable cult following, hundreds flocked to saGuijo, which could comfortably hold about 50 people. Fans hoped they had a shot at squeezing into the venue to watch the bands play.
Bathing in other people’s sweat
The moment I entered SaGuijo, my camera lens fogged up. Heat and steam radiated from so many warm bodies inside the venue. The only spot I could plant myself on was the subwoofer behind Greyhoundz.
As the band played for the next 45 minutes, I witnessed the craziest show on the smallest venue ever.
I bathed in other people’s sweat and breathed in everyone else’s exhale.
And that was just the first band. With Queso and Kamikazee still up, I realized that it was impossible for me to stay squished for 3 hours in a heated venue without fainting.
All part of the experience
Between sets, people wove in and out of the bar to gulp in some air. And those fans who stayed inside the entire time, I simply couldn’t imagine how they managed.
I guess it was all part of the experience, as sweat and suffocating heat were not a surprise to avid followers of these bands.
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To those who have never seen the scene and are curious, two things: you’ll applaud the intensity of the bands and the fans—an underground movement that deserves to be noticed but, save for some of these name acts, don’t really get due recognition.
Second, the experience of being in an overcrowded room with no air or having a small venue turned into one whole moshpit can be a turn off.
Two more gigs in larger venues
But there are two more gigs in the KamiQuesoHoundz tour, as it’s called, and both are set in larger venues.
On Feb. 13, Wednesday, the bands will play at 19 East in Sucat, Parañaque with Gloc-9 and EarthMover.
On Feb. 25, Monday, KamiQuesoHoundz will land at The Collective in B-Side at Malugay Street in Makati with Brigada and Wolfgang.
Tickets can be bought at the door for P300.
VIEW PHOTO GALLERY: KamiQuesoHoundz at saGuijo, Photos by Nina Sañdejas
Niña Sandejas is an award-winning music photographer whose work has appeared here and abroad. She was included in Preview magazine's 2011 Creative It List and was named in early 2012 as one of 14 Women Who Rock by Rogue magazine . Visit her blog, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram @rosarioko.
