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POPGUN: A Shot In The Dark For A Spot in the Limelight

Pop-rock personalities Popgun is not your fly-by-night garage band.  While its music exults in its delightful humor, delicious guitar riffs and playful lyrics, a combination that’s worked for groups like the Eraserheads, it takes heavily from late 70s and early 80s influences to create a sound that is rather refreshing. “Where’s Benri?” I ask, referring to Benri Cadiz, their bass player. “Laguna.” Monsi Simon, lead guitarist and vocals, says.  “Layo, no?” Rocky Teodoro, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist, asserts.  “Sobra,” is the monosyllabic follow-up of Nico Pineda, drummer. The core of Popgun is probably its original material, which I personally classify as delicious pop-rock.  Their first display was in September 1999 for a U.P. concert featuring Wolfgang.   Soon afterward, they landed a gig at Oracafe in Quezon City. “A friend of ours from Beybeh Beybeh (another indie band – GD) set us up there,” Monsi volunteers.  “It was a spur of the moment thing, so we really didn’t have time to promote.” That debut saw four people watch the group.  The second time, though, they were able to invite the usual gaggle of friends, and filled the place to capacity.  The EP wasn’t long in coming.  Dodjie Garcia produced, engineering and supervised the recording of the CD.  Five songs out of a more-than-40-song set list made the EP. “’PG-5,’” Rocky grins, “that’s what we want to call it.” And when Popgun decided to do mp3s with Soundbuzz’s Chinky Lazo, the songs exploded!  “Dancing King” stayed on the Pop Rock’s “Buzz Pick” charts for more than a month, and “Mahiwagang Kamay” topped the alternative charts for a week.  A record deal would be nice.  It isn’t a shot in the dark. “We don’t limit our sound,” Rocky laughs. “That’s why we’re Popgun!  We’re the gun in the pop business.  It’s all good.” Back To My Music