I was first year college, studying nursing when a group of youngsters from Capiz National High School asked me to help them form a band. Their band leader was Betong who was the brain of this brilliant idea. None of the group plays instrument although most of them got knowledge of what the band is and what instruments like drums, keyboards, bass and guitars. Anyway to cut the story short, the band was starting from scratch or not even scratch because I haven't heard them playing or singing or if they really got the talent or just the guts to do it. So, I asked them how many are going to join the band and who's going to sing, play the drums, the guitar, the bass and the keyboards if ever? And because they were all classmates and good friends so they have already decided on who's who and what instrument to play. I started with the guitarist, which is Daboy and he doesn't know yet how to play the guitar as in proper guitar playing, all he knows is to hold a guitar and strum the strings until they're broken because he strums as hard as using a hammer on a nail. Then, the bassist which is Japet, he's got the potential and he even knows how to play the guitar but because the band already decided he's going to be the bass player so I let him play the bass and he is good, he knows what he's doing although technically he was playing sort of bass on a classical guitar so first time for him to play a proper electric bass guitar. The drummer was Tibo who's not around that time because of busy schedule or half-hearted because he has not played a real drumkit so during our first meeting he wasn't around. And Betong was the vocalist, which I haven't heard how he sings but he's very decisive and determined of making this band work.
The biggest obstacle, apart from they don't know how to play the instruments yet, was they don't have any instruments at all and I myself was just borrowing instruments coz I can't afford.... I'm just a student. The group did not falter and Betong's convincing power and was never a shy boy or embarrassed to ask for something, he said to me if they can borrow the instruments that I'm using. I said, will ask the owners of these instruments and I think they are good people who will lend you these instruments most especially because you are aspiring young musicians. So, it worked and I sweat myself teaching Daboy to learn guitar from rhythm to lead and guide Japet with the bass because he already got the knowledge and skills, I finally met Tibo and he wasn't that bad with the drums only first few tries where the coordination of hands and legs were a bit off but was easily adjusted. And after few weeks to a month of learning their favourite songs, the band made their first gig. So they got an improvised drum kit, borrowed a bass drum from their school drum and bugle corp, borrowed hi-hat, cymbals and single bass pedal from my bandmate Louie, borrowed the bass guitar from Dolores which is an orange SG bass copy, then Daboy because he was so determined and really wanted to be the lead guitarist bought an RJ black Ibanez copy electric guitar with double humbuckers and a very nice fretboard plus the orange stomp box, Boss distortion made in Taiwan.
I joined them with their first gig as the keyboardist and we played Tag-ulan by After Image, Line To Heaven by Introvoys, Senti and Esem by Yano and they call themselves as the Enbaromental band. Baro for borrow I think. By the way, the gig went well because Betong's got a lot of fans, mind you not because of his vocals but because of his looks and stage presence. He was singing like Bono or Billy Idol, he was all over the stage, even laying down on stage, kneeling, jumping, kicking like a rockstar do, however, the singing was also the same, it was all over the place..... It was vile. But, the crowd loved him. I guess it's because they were a startup band, there are room for improvements.
Then, the following year, Betong's younger brother Jay2x got interested in forming a band in CIT (Capiz Institute of Technology) and he plays the lead guitarist and again I was the one who taught him how to play the guitar and mentored their band and lend them instruments which I borrowed. History repeats. Their youngest sister Nana, also got interested and formed her own band where she plays rhythm guitar and lead vocals and they call themselves as the Blue Barbies. Does anyone wonder why I took time, effort, sweat and everything to help these siblings form their bands, it's all because of their beautiful sister who's ever intelligent and talented with a very beautiful voice with the likes of Jewel, Sarah Mclachlan and Barbie Almalbis but it was such a shame that I never asked her to be the lead vocals of my band.
The biggest obstacle, apart from they don't know how to play the instruments yet, was they don't have any instruments at all and I myself was just borrowing instruments coz I can't afford.... I'm just a student. The group did not falter and Betong's convincing power and was never a shy boy or embarrassed to ask for something, he said to me if they can borrow the instruments that I'm using. I said, will ask the owners of these instruments and I think they are good people who will lend you these instruments most especially because you are aspiring young musicians. So, it worked and I sweat myself teaching Daboy to learn guitar from rhythm to lead and guide Japet with the bass because he already got the knowledge and skills, I finally met Tibo and he wasn't that bad with the drums only first few tries where the coordination of hands and legs were a bit off but was easily adjusted. And after few weeks to a month of learning their favourite songs, the band made their first gig. So they got an improvised drum kit, borrowed a bass drum from their school drum and bugle corp, borrowed hi-hat, cymbals and single bass pedal from my bandmate Louie, borrowed the bass guitar from Dolores which is an orange SG bass copy, then Daboy because he was so determined and really wanted to be the lead guitarist bought an RJ black Ibanez copy electric guitar with double humbuckers and a very nice fretboard plus the orange stomp box, Boss distortion made in Taiwan.
I joined them with their first gig as the keyboardist and we played Tag-ulan by After Image, Line To Heaven by Introvoys, Senti and Esem by Yano and they call themselves as the Enbaromental band. Baro for borrow I think. By the way, the gig went well because Betong's got a lot of fans, mind you not because of his vocals but because of his looks and stage presence. He was singing like Bono or Billy Idol, he was all over the stage, even laying down on stage, kneeling, jumping, kicking like a rockstar do, however, the singing was also the same, it was all over the place..... It was vile. But, the crowd loved him. I guess it's because they were a startup band, there are room for improvements.
Then, the following year, Betong's younger brother Jay2x got interested in forming a band in CIT (Capiz Institute of Technology) and he plays the lead guitarist and again I was the one who taught him how to play the guitar and mentored their band and lend them instruments which I borrowed. History repeats. Their youngest sister Nana, also got interested and formed her own band where she plays rhythm guitar and lead vocals and they call themselves as the Blue Barbies. Does anyone wonder why I took time, effort, sweat and everything to help these siblings form their bands, it's all because of their beautiful sister who's ever intelligent and talented with a very beautiful voice with the likes of Jewel, Sarah Mclachlan and Barbie Almalbis but it was such a shame that I never asked her to be the lead vocals of my band.
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