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Being part of the music scene can either make you or break you.
In my case, it broke me. I could not handle all the stress and attention given to me during those wild days. So, what happened was I eventually withdrew into my shell and basically walked away from it all.
That was in 2011. And here I am again, almost 5 years since I turned my back on the industry that I loved, I find myself attending gigs, taking care of copyrights, mingling with bands and basically just being in the center of this crazy world called the music industry of the Philippines.
But this time, I can dictate the amount of attention I elicit.
As a writer I can stay in the background and just quietly take in everything that is happening all around me. Mentally documenting just how crazy the music industry of the Philippines is.
So what pulled me back?
Let’s just say it must’ve been a good mix of timing and luck and knowing a few key people here and there.
So here’s my story:
I was invited to watch a gig by a friend of mine who says there’s this actress who came up with some amazing stuff I had to hear. The word “actress” immediately turned me off. I’ve had my fair share of listening to horrid gigs by actors and actresses who thought that – (just because people will line up to see them) – they were musically inclined. My ears and I politely declined.
A week or so later, my buddy asked me to come watch another gig showcasing this actress. Once again I said “No”. But it got me thinking, is he just into this band because that actress is in it or is it really the music that mattered? Knowing my pal, he can’t stand horrid music as much as I.
So I relented the third time he asked me to watch. And it just so happened that it was during the Fete de la Musique.
That’s when I first saw Glaiza de Castro and her band. And I was immediately taken aback by the sheer amount of musicality this band possessed. The place was jam packed with people. I could barely see the band because of the crowd. But I could definitely hear them. And that’s what mattered.
So, I decided to write about this band and document their growth because our local media only concentrate on people when they’re already hitting the big time. And usually, they’re just focused on showbiz personalities. I want to do an “Almost Famous” type of journey with this band.
I somehow ended up hanging out with the band after their show and even managed to become an impromptu bouncer to guide Glaiza de Castro to her waiting van.
Wading through fans to get to her waiting van. Haha!
After she was gone, IQ (synths), Jean Paul Verona (Guitars/ Songwriter) and I headed to Metrowalk where we started talking about the band, how it started and all the other things I’ll eventually put down on paper here on this blog.
So far my journey with the band has taken me to a lot of places and we’ve talked about a lot of things. So here are some things to look forward to: Individual Interviews with the band members, Full band Interview, Glaiza and her take on music, the band’s equipment preferences and Jean Paul Verona talks about the making of the Synthesis album!
So, I hope to see you here in the next couple of weeks as I continue to write about this band.
Oh and just in case you’re wondering, the band didn’t hire me to write about them nor are they paying me for this. I did ask permission to write about them and that’s basically the only agreement we’ve had. Not all write-ups are going to be positive so…
Tata!