MANILA, Philippines - There’s a lot of bad in the world — celebrity home-wreckers and election violence included. But while diabolical gold diggers and douche-y politicians are a tad difficult to defeat, at least the score against bad music is up thanks to Us-2 Evil-0. More than just the dynamic duo of Mich Dulce and Quark Henares at the vocal frontlines, there’s Nix Puno on bass, Bogs Jugo on beats, and Wincy Ong wielding keys and guitars; ex-men from bands like Twisted Halo, Narda and Pupil having formed a supergroup that gives good aural — and for the greater good at that.
With Quark and Mich’s campy choreography, the band’s winning boy-meets-girl-on-TV-who’s-bad-for-the-heart single This Mighty Heart Attack, and their “Dirty Debutantes” debut album launch today at Mag:Net High Street, evil doesn’t seem to stand a chance where our ears are concerned. Supreme gets into a huddle with these heroes and drums up team spirit.
What is this “Evil” we are fighting against?
WINCY ONG: The inherent evils of everyday life: traffic, taxes and terrible music. And of course, the evil that is unrequited love.
MICH DULCE: Paying for parking is the biggest evil in the world!
QUARK HENARES: Actually, paying for parking really is evil. I mean, we’re going to a mall to give you money already, why the hell are we being charged for space? Will put that on the evil list, along with the National Artist Award and the Teletubbies.
MD: And I quote RA Rivera when I say, “Tumblr is evil.” Tumblarity is even more evil.
How did the battle of good and evil that is your band name come about? Did that “one drunken Rockeoke night” in 2007 have anything to do with it?
WO: Our lyrics are subliminally about our battles against evil. We even have a political song called WTF, which is about our country and what we’re up against. I didn’t sing any particular song that night in 2007, but I really hope against hope that our songs could be karaoke-friendly in the future. It’s not evil to dream, right?
MD: Wincy wasn’t even there that fateful night. Or was he? Ako, crush ko lang si Boga eh. I just wanted to be in a band with such a hot man and apparently so did Quark. But he’s not gay; it’s just a straight man crush. I didn’t care what we would sound like. I just liked Boga. (laughs).
QH: Yeah, that kind of sums it up. Bogs and I had been talking about having a band for a while, then during one of the early Rockeokes, Mich goes up to me and says, “I’m forming a band with Boga,” to which I go, “No, you can’t. I‘m forming a band with Boga.” So she says, “Eh ‘di let’s both have a band with Boga.” Mich, Nix and I are batchmates, so we all started making plans. “Kulang nalang ng gitarista,” we decide and look to the far right and see Wincy sitting there alone. We all got really excited and kept repeating the line, “Uy, hindi usapang lasing ‘to ha.” It was, though. But it was the best usapang lasing ever.
Let’s talk strengths, superpowers, and what Us-2’s members each contribute…
WO: Quark is our fearless leader. He gives us courage and tells us what we ought to do when the going gets tough. Mich is our mother superior and queen bitch. She completes us the way Renee Zellweger did Tom Cruise. Nix is the quiet Beatle. Bogs is the kuya who guides us and supports us; he’s the beacon of light that shines throughout the stygian depths. His catchphrase after every gig is: “There’s only one thing that I’m going to say, guys: Good job!” I’m the eccentric love child of all four.
MD: I contribute drama, tears, and PMS-induced rage. Quark contributes added drama by embellishing my drama and telling it with far too much enthusiasm. Nix is our disciplinarian and the most reliable out of all of us. Bogs contributes groupies with his dashing good looks and alpha male one liners a.k.a. “Rock!” Wincy is the tie that binds us — he is our entertainment and daily amusement, not to mention our band genius. Plus, Wincy gives the best hugs ever. The kind na may paa. Favorite ko yun!
QH: I just gotta say my superpower is building Wincy Ong up, because as someone once said, he is my muse.
In 140 characters or less, can you tell us what kind of music we’ll be hearing on “Dirty Debutantes”?
WO: Boy-girl harmonies, strange lyrics and lots of man-to-man dancing. Plus, the inimitable Bogs Jugo saying, “Check this out! Here we go!” That completes me all the time.
QH: Happy music, I think. Something you can program your alarm clock to or put in a mix CD to the girl you’re in love with. It’s pretty harmless stuff. We didn’t set out to make a classic or anything. We just wanted to translate the fun we have onstage to the album.
Who are the “Dirty Debutantes” that inspired your album title and where do they dwell?
WO: As members of the human race, we’re all dirty debutantes. We broke out from the chrysalis all filthy and dirty, yet despite our not-so-immaculate state, we thrive to clean up the world of evil. We are the dirty debutantes. You, me, us.
MD: Diego Mapa thought of “Dirty Debutantes.” We just stole it.
QH: Yeah, it was a bit of a trade. Diego wanted to call his band Monsterbot’s debut album “Dirty Debutantes,” and I couldn’t stop laughing because it reminded me of the Ed Powers porn series. He instead used the title of an article I wrote about his band, “Destroy! Destroy!” So we ended up stealing the “Dirty Debutantes” title nine years later.
Who/what/where/when as to the cardiac arrest sung about in This Mighty Heart Attack?
WO: It’s one of the many songs about unrequited love and that feeling you have when you’re clenching your vitals for that one iota of reciprocation. Alas, you cannot command love, for it is love that commands. But hell, yeah, let’s all dance to unrequited love. Unrequited love is disco.
QH: I love how Wincy just seems to have his own world here. It’s about someone Wincy loves, and that’s the honest truth. She’s a TV star and all that.
MD: I love how a number of girls can think that they are that TV star. Yet only we know which TV star that really is (laughs).
And then there’s Mikey is the new Mong, which has the line “To all you hipsters in Saguijo.” Has a Saguijo hipster ever come up to the band feeling a bit mocked?
WO: Everyone has a little hipster in their souls. Even nuns, and strangers to Belle & Sebastian. So, I guess being a hipster is a universal thing. That includes us. But yeah, being clever has its dangers. Thankfully, Saguijo hipsters don’t hear 100 percent of our lyrics when we play.
QH: Funnily enough, I rarely see hipsters in Saguijo. I see a lot in Cubao X, though. Maybe we should change the lyrics.
Cecile Zamora has compared Mich and Quark to Chuck and Blair. Do you think you’re as cute and creatively conniving?
MD: I love the Blair and Chuck reference as people who know me know that I have a need to be Queen B and am quite the serial plotter and conniver. What can I say, I’m a mean girl at heart. Quark is a secret Chuck but is always polite and non-confrontational. But together we are probably the most evil people you can ever imagine, though Quark will never seem like it. I must say, though, that unlike Blair and Chuck, I don’t think Quark and I will be having sex in the backseat of a limo any time soon. Maybe me and Quark are more of a Blair and Serena rather than a Blair and Chuck. I need him like Blair needs Serena, because Serena always gives Blair a million chances even if B screws up, and B can’t live without S anyway, no matter how strong B pretends to be. Oh my God, Gossip Girl fan, much?
WO: Mich and Quark are the best when they’re performing. It’s so hard to play onstage sometimes when I see them do their funky dance moves. They are really cute. Like a latter-day version of Simon and Garfunkel, minus the pretentious lyrics, plus more onstage fighting.
QH: Alas, I only watch Lipgloss. No Gossip Girl for me.
What wins in life for Us-2 Evil-0? Which teams are you rooting for? Jinkee or Krista; Alfred Vargas or Ara Mina as QC councilor; Taylor Lautner or RPattz?
MD: Wincy’s love life. I don’t think there has ever been a day we got together where Wincy’s love interests were not mentioned. Ever. Xiao Long Bao. Silly dance moves. NFC. Momol pacts. Band loyalty!
QH: Win si Ong, that’s what I always say. I’m actually so behind on tsismis because I just got back from the States. I’d vote for Ara, though. And I’m Team Ashley Greene, doesn’t matter if Edward or Jacob wins.
WO: In the great scoreboard in the sky, I really do hope happiness trumps whichever.
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Us-2 Evil-0 “Dirty Debutantes” album launch: Nov. 28, 2009, 10 p.m. at Mag:net Bonifacio High Street with Arigato Hato, Turbo Goth, Monsterbot, Ciudad and Us-2 Evil-0.