Why OPM icons are raving about ‘FANNY’ documentary

MANILA – Several Filipino music icons are all praises for the music documentary “FANNY: The Right to Rock,” about the long-forgotten ladies of rock and roll.

Written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Bobbi Jo Hart, “FANNY: The Right to Rock” features members from its changing roster that includes Fil-American siblings June (guitar, vocals) and Jean Millington (bass, vocals), Alice de Buhr (drums, vocals), Patti Quatro (guitar, vocals), and Brie Howard-Darling (drums, vocals).

Now in their 60s, FANNY is getting the band together for a new record. They trace their road to rock-and-roll stardom from being a self-formed Fil-American garage band of California teens to a ferocious rock band in the '60s and '70s.

The one-and-a-half hour documentary also has Def Leppard's Joe Elliott, Bonnie Raitt, The Go-Go's Kathy Valentine, Todd Rundgren, The Runaways' Cherie Currie, Lovin' Spoonful's John Sebastian, The B52's Kate Pierson, Charles Neville, David Bowie guitarist and bassist Earl Slick and Gail Ann Dorsey, and other music icons.

Raimund Marasigan of Eraserheads, Boboy Garovillo and Jim Paredes of the APO Hiking Society raved about the documentary that reveals the band’s groundbreaking impact in the music industry.

Contemporary rock musicians Jazz Nicolas of Itchyworms and Caren Tevanny of General Luna are also elated that the documentary will be shown in selected Philippine cinemas starting September 7.

“It’s very powerful and inspiring. I hope to hear more of them and meet all of them,” Marasigan said during the exclusive advance screening of the documentary. “FANNY is very funny,” he added.

Garovillo, whose musical group APO Hiking Society was active at the same time as FANNY, saw some connections with the struggles of the band.

“I urge you all to watch it. Kahit paano makaka-relate kayo sa buhay ninyo, kung paano ang (kanilang) paghihirap and how to accept things in life. Ang ganda po,” he said.

“They were the inspiration (of other female rock bands) and now they’re being recognized and that’s really a wonderful thing. You know at their age now, they’re still doing it and that’s love,” Paredes added.

Nicolas also echoed Garovillo’s realizations, empathizing with the struggles of the female musicians.

Coming from an all-female band, Tevanny wished she lived in the same era as FANNY to get a chance to jam with them.

“No matter how old you are, you can still do your thing. You have to try and try, and you just do it for your happiness,” Tevanny said when asked about what she learned from 'FANNY.'