AS band names go, the Doors got their name from The Doors of Perception, a 1954 book by Aldous Huxley that details his hallucinatory experiences when taking the drug mescaline. The Eraserheads was actually inspired by the film, Eraserhead, a 1977 cult classic by the equally eccentric director, David Lynch.
Well, the name The Dorques may have an intriguing ring to it but there is nothing profound about it at all.
"When we sat and asked ourselves what we were, we all agreed we were a bunch of dorks that wanted to be in a band, hence the name," declares ringleader Alessandra Tinio.
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Pretty wacky | | Notwithstanding their, yes, dorky looks and their dorky, quirky brand of bouncy, dance rock, the members of the less than three month old Dorques are already veterans of several bands, most with equally dorky names. Guitarist Nino Mendoza is actually the well-known frontman of the blues rock outfit, Blue Jean Junkies, drummer Aimee Marcos has pounded the skins for Princess Bato and fronted Gretel and while she was in London, Alessandra herself was once a part of a Ronettes cover band called The Darling Delinquints. Together with bass player Albert Largoza and other guitarist and vocalist Joff Cruz, they all comprise The Dorques, a band that’s not exactly The Next Big Thing but could well be under the right circumstances.
As the regular "house band" of Restaurant Zen’s Panic on Tuesday Nights, The Dorques have already established a following among the gig’s growing habitues. Even as their B-52’s-meets-the Gang of Four sound remains as raw as the sushi that the fine dining Japanese bistro serves for the rest of the week, the Dorques do bring extra oomph to the dinner table that most of the new and probably more talented bands don’t have.
Joff struts with goofy abandon as he sings the band’s usual opening number in French (who cares what those lyrics are all about?) as well as his signature reading of the Jesus and Mary Chain’s "Just Like Honey," the band’s only cover tune. Aimee looks just as goofy in her trademark MMDA cap and hits the drums hard like there’s no tomorrow. Both Albert and Nino, even with his Ron Wood rooster mane and overall rock star swagger, still look cool in their complementary roles.
And Alessandra? Based on the several performances of the Dorques that I witnessed, Aless seems to be the glue that holds this band together. A huge fan of the Clash and a sometime writer and stylist herself, the one-time DJ also understands how important style can be to a start-up group that has yet to perfect its act and realize its full potential. The Dorques have a visual appeal that few other bands can match and anchored on the incredible stage presence of Aless, who exudes the glamorous aura of someone between Ava Gardner and Gwen Stefani. Audiences can’t simply take their eyes off her especially during that part when she lets out her now trademark orgasmic moan that ends "Oh, Oh Oyster," the pogo-inducing dance number that usually closes their set.
The best part is, the kid is a lot more than just a pretty face. Listen to her. "I have always been a fervent listener when it comes to music and it wasn’t until I discovered The Clash that I realized you didn’t have to study technical aspects of music to write it. I still don’t have a clue about notes but I generally enjoy writing lyrics," she enthuses. "Someone once asked me what questions we’re trying ask with our music. The only thing I can say is we don’t ask questions we make statements. We have the chops to express a distaste for several of the norms in our society: the shallow outlooks in your social life, what someone thinks of you, social status, traditional etiquette. We just write songs that may seem grammatically simple but have a lot of underlying messages. But then again we couldn’t care less if the audience really gets it or not because we write for ourselves."
That’s quite a mouthful. Aless usually collaborates with Joff when it comes to writing the band’s originals. Joff himself is pretty open-minded about his own influences and his presence in the Dorques provides an added dimension to their creativity.
"I listen to the likes of bands like the Pixies, Blur, Weezer, Pavement and new British bands like Bloc Party and the Futureheads," he beams. "I also like French pop music, quirky Japanese bands as well as hip hop from the late ‘80s and early ‘90s that are not too obvious influences yet. What inspires me to write songs is the fact that I really like pop music. But when I get sick of all the songs that I have and there’s nothing else to listen to, it makes me want to create my own music."
Although Joff writes most of the music, Aless loves the fact that everyone else brings something different into the mix, thereby resulting in the unique flavour of the band’s sound. And while they have yet to land a record deal or have enough material to complete an entire album as of this writing, the word of mouth on the Dorques has been encouraging so far. Aside from Zen, they’re now expanding their following by making the rounds of other similar joints like Big Sky Mind, Saguijo and Mayric’s, where they were a big hit according to Pepper Andres of the Ex-Presidents Combo.
And for those who are wondering why Nino and Aimee don’t seem to have the kind of prominent roles that they have or had with their other bands, let’s just say their day jobs may have something to do with it. Aimee is also a consultant for a giant software company with two corporate clients to give her headaches while Nino is a substitute teacher in English to Koreans.
Pretty dorky, huh? Well, that’s The Dorques for you.
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