SINGAPORE — Rockers The Dirt Radicals is all set to put on a free one-hour show at Hood Bar and Cafe at Bugis Junction tomorrow (Oct 17) — a show the pop-punk group says may be its last.

The band, which comprises bassist-vocalist Sam Cooper, his brother and drummer Matt, and guitarist Masashi Kimura, has had its fair share of ups and downs over the past decade. In 2005, the band, known then as Pug Jelly, was nominated for an award at the MTV Asia Awards while touring with big-name acts such as Avril Lavigne, Sum 41, Simple Plan and Fall Out Boy.

They later disbanded, but got back together to release an album as The Dirt Radicals in 2010. And the trio, who met in high school in Singapore, are now considering taking a hiatus from the band’s activities.

“What’s happened over the years is we all grew up together in Singapore, and one by one we left Singapore,” said Sam in a phone interview. “Masashi moved to Japan, I moved to Italy and Matt moved to London. And it’s getting really hard for us to do anything because of the pace of our own lives, relationships, wives, girlfriends, jobs, other hobbies and stuff.”

“Above all, we are best friends, and we didn’t want music to ever be a catalyst for us not being friends anymore. Masashi is busy a lot, and I don’t want to pressure him anymore. Matt and I don’t really know what our future holds either, so I guess we just decided: Let’s do this show, celebrate 10 years and at the end of it, whoever’s left standing will either keep going, or we might pull the pin after it,” he continued.

The Dirt Radicals, which recently released its latest single Your Heart, chose to celebrate their tenth anniversary here in Singapore because, for the band, this is home.

“There was one point when we were trying to base the band out of London because (Matt and I) were in London, and Masashi would come over and do a Europe tour. What we found is Singapore is our band’s home,” said Sam, who lived in Singapore for fifteen years.

“I don’t know how it happened, you can’t choose the home, the home chooses you. I think it’s because we all met in Singapore, because all of our memories are there,” he said, recounting stories of a particularly memorable gig at Baybeats 2011, where the crowd knew every line to every song, and of the night they spent getting drunk with Linkin Park lead vocalist Chester Bennington.

Although Sam says the band is not yet sure yet of its plans for the future, it will be releasing at least one more EP, Duder, in November.

“I think what we also feel is we want people to miss us. People always assumed we would be there. We noticed now that we’ve announced our last show, which isn’t at all a publicity stunt I might add ... people care a lot more. We’ve just really run out of steam,” Sam said. “We just have a way better response, and we are just going to reflect after the show. It might even mean Masashi leaves, and Matt and I continue. We have to wait and see.”

The Dirt Radicals will be performing at Hood Bar & Cafe at Bugis Junction tomorrow. Local rock band Caracal will be opening for the band. Doors open at 6pm. Admission is free.