Where have all the rockers gone? NU 107.5, home of nu rock, signs off

In the next 55 minutes, NU 107.5, The Home Of Nu Rock, signs off.

While I can't completely say I'm a full-fledged Filipino rocker, I was weaned on the legendary 1990s bands Eraserheads, Rivermaya and True Faith. Then there were other bands and groups like Parokya ni Edgar, Color It Red, Slapshock, Itchyworms, Dicta License, Stonefree and Sugarfree. As I grew older, and especially from between high school and college, I began my bit of band chasing in. I attended at least 1 day of UP Fair (where I got to see Spongecola, Kjwan, Sugarfree, Chico Sci, Narda, Ang Bandang Shirley, Up Dharma Down and Sandwich live among so many others) without fail, never mind if I had thesis/production the next day and I took the daily trip of Makati-Diliman-Makati which consisted of at least 2 jeepney rides and 1 train ride, or 1 bus ride if I was lucky to find myself on EDSA after 2:00 am which was the time I normally left the UP Fair. (At around the same time, my cousin from the Cortez side founded the UP Los Banos band Valley Of Chrome. Later on my sister dated one of the guitarists from Chico Sci and someone else from Sandwich while appearing on their Sunscreen video, but that's another story.) I got to know the Grounders for a bit, then sided with the Sugarfree bandchasers thanks to mai gar waifu Ceejay. Being in UP College of Mass Comm, I discovered Asin and Sampaguita and Pepe Smith and The Dawn and all these great rock bands I didn't even know existed. In between transcribing interviews and dissecting teleserye (Filipino soap opera) music, NU 107 gave me the necessary kick to keep plodding through my thesis when coffee threatened to land me in the hospital. As a working girl, NU107 got me through the day and from watching them shyly back when I was in MME slaving for the Red Horse Muziklaban account (which would've been fun if not for the SMC people not taking proper care of their agencies - but that's another story for another day), I finally graduated to now working with them through my current agency to promote True Blood, The Pacific and most recently Spartacus: Blood And Sand for HBO Asia, and even helped get one of our electronics clients to sponsor the 2009 NU Rock Awards. And finally, during the most trying of times - meaning, moments of extremely back-breaking work and terrible personal circumstances - what other station would be on my side than the one with the rocking guitars and rolling drums which "rocked the nation"?

Who's to say that NU 107 and its legacy are not a part of my life? And so I feel I must thank NU, as it makes its exit with a bang and with grace. Allow me to swear a bit - isang malutong na putang ina dahil hindi ako nakatulong, at dahil na rin walang nagawa (walang ginawa?) yung mga institusyong itinaguyod ng NU noong malakas pa sila sa panahong ito. While Urbandub (admittedly not one of my favourites) and Sugarfree (bless their souls ♥ ) were on board and legendary The Dawn bassist/NU DJ Francis Brew Reyes made his very epic parting speech, I can't wrap my head over the fact that many of the 1990s and 2000s bands I knew and love that are still alive and kicking seem to be not part of the vigil, as far as I've heard from the grapevine and seen from the Tweetvine.

But like that epic saying goes, "Rock's not dead." Especially Pinoy Rock, which NU had a heavy hand in shaping and promoting. It's really sad that advertising just pulled out of the station and even sadder that many bands that found their audience and home in NU aren't even there. I will feel endless guilt that I was unable to help keep them alive, the station whom I owe a significant part of my unusual music taste and even my very motivation for living to (at one point in time), but I hope I can help commit their memory to mind and heart in this small way.

As I finish, livestreaming is up on http://www.ustream.tv/channel-popup/nu107fm. Sir Cris Hermosisima - DJ Cris Cruise - is on board with Quark Henares, soon-to-be-former-owner. Major Tom's voice has just left the airwaves, and my favourite NU DJ Jay "the gay best friend" Santiago is speaking. Maraming salamat, NU 107.5, at hanggang sa muli. ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥

Live simultaneous streaming of the 2009 Rock Awards. I hope we can see NU broadcast or podcast online! ♥♥♥♥