"Moshcolta" Gig Review

Indie: check. Hardcore: check.

A week after the explosive return gig at “Hello Better Days”, it was a punk’s turn to bring the noise. Moshcolta was punk’s return to the gig scene outside of the political benefit gigs that occurred at the CHR venue over the past few years.

It was held at Hub: Make Lab, the creative lab located in the First United Building in Escolta, Manila. The vintage and DIY stalls and cavernous location lent itself very well to the event - allowing the DIY nature of the punk scene to really shine. The sheer size of the venue also allowed the sound to reverberate and dissipate the sound in a pleasing manner - even rivaling the sound of smaller venues. The sound was mixed very well allowing even the vocals to pierce and shine through the streaming guitars and blasting drums.

Clean Slate opened the pit with a set I have been wanting to watch since 2019. RJ’s unlimited energy rivals that of Gary V’s and invites all comers to the mosh. Catpuke were next and the riot girls didn’t disappoint - they never do. Tidal - the pinoy Title Fight - slowed things down a bit but still played heavy new and old songs. I can’t wait for their new releases! Veterans of the scene Nonentities humbled everyone with their lack of performance rust and brought everyone to scream. The Mind is a Terrible Thing is a gem of a band - complex riffs and staccato singing that rival Bullet Dumas in the form of a 3-piece math rock punk band with lyrics that entice the audience to sing along. Lindenwood was the penultimate band and had the best set of the night. Their whole set was a jumpfest and never let up. Jason also controlled the banter with his comedic timing. Last performance for the day was Irrevocable - a ball of screaming cat energy that was finally let go after years of domestic life. The energy was still there and the crowd just ate everything up.

I love matinee gigs - they start and end early. Moshcolta finished by around 7pm - just enough time to rest and grab some dinner at Fred’s before heading home. I even had enough time to edit and upload videos before the day ended. I hope more events in the future adopt this shift - we’ll thank our feet and backs for it. As for the event itself, I hope to be able to go to more events in the future. The punk scene is home to many friendly, energetic, and wholesome people that live the DIY life - a life I feel at home with and cherish.

Check out the performances below!

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