The Jerks: the band that birthed the Philippines punk scene
Amid a backdrop of martial law in 1970s Philippines, a blossoming punk scene formed. Thousands of miles away from the heroin-ridden squats of London town or the sweat-soaked walls of New York’s CBGB, Filipino punks were fighting against the dictatorship which ruled their country. At the forefront of this vital musical movement was The Jerks.
Punk music was much more than a fleeting musical scene. It was a shift in cultural attitudes and a defining moment of the 1970s. This cultural shift was felt not just within the niche subcultures of the Anglo-centric world but across much of the globe, including Asia. In fact, some of the greatest contributions to the genre came from Japan and, in this case, the Philippines.
Forming in 1979, The Jerks are perhaps the first band from the Philippines to adopt an alternative rock or punk sound. Operating under martial law in their home country for the first few years, The Jerks soon became a legendary live act within the Filipino hardcore scene. Back in 1981, the same year that hardcore punk was beamed into the living rooms of the US during Fear’s infamous SNL performance, the Philippines hosted its first official punk show, entitled Brave New World.
A fitting name, given the country ended its reign of martial law that same year, Brave New World shot The Jerks to the height of the Filipino punk scene. Reflecting on the punk scene of the late 1970s, amid the oppressive dictatorship of the time, Jerks founder Chikoy Pura shared to The Pinoy Rocker, “Being a rock musician in those days was like being a pirate. Some people would hate you because you were different, while other people would love you for the exact same reason.”
Although the group carved out a reputation for themselves through intense live performances, they did not put out a formal release until 1994. “I guess we were more into our regular gigs,” Pura explained, “We came in at a time where record deals were hard to come by, especially for a rock band like The Jerks. The bands of our generation were more focused on the live performance rather than recording.”
Their debut, The Jerks Live, released through backdoor records, encapsulated the energy of their performances, even if the punk scene in the Philippines, and within a wider global context, had begun to wane by the 1990s. The group quickly followed it up with their eponymous debut studio effort, which turned out to be their last. Despite being a cornerstone of the Filipino rock scene for decades, The Jerks have only released those two albums, in addition to a single back in 2022. Revealing the reason behind this lack of material, the frontman said, “It’s not my priority to make albums. Making albums is just another option I can take, but it’s not a priority.”
Today, the Philippines houses a booming rock and punk scene featuring a variety of unique and innovative artists. While The Jerks remain something of an obscurity within Western music scenes, the group have witnessed huge changes within their country, adapting to each with ease and a punk attitude. They were the band that started it all, and they certainly have a lot to answer for.
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