The six teens who created the pop work Mang Jose first bonded over a shared love of irreverent performance while attending Ateneo High School in Manila, Philippines. Originally performing under the name Comic Relief, the group specialized in crafting parodies of well-known songs, a skill that would become the foundation of their long career. Rechristened Parokya Ni Edgar—translating to Parish of Edgar—the band would go on to earn a reputation as the Philippines' reigning court jesters, writing witty pop-punk songs that center often strange, unexpected subject matter. In 1994, the group began performing at Club Dredd, Manila’s iconic hotbed for alternative music, where their oddball outfits and unapologetically goofy stage antics turned them into fast local favorites.