08.24.2007

RIVERMAYA, VERSION 3.0

ROCKING ON AFTER RICO'S GONE: THE THREE MEMBERS OF RIVERMAYA ARE RELEASING LOADS OF NEW MATERIAL, AND LOOKING FOR A NEW MEMBER... WHO COULD BE YOU

by Luis Katigbak

MINUS ONE

How much change can a band go through and still remain viable? There are bands that are essentially one person with a rotating support crew—in those cases, it’s pretty obvious that if that one person leaves, the band is done. Most bands can survive one person’s departure, though; sometimes, the band is even better for it. But lineup changes are always tough, and every case is different.

To take examples from the local scene, there are bands like Sino Sikat, who shed a member just before their major label debut, and seem none the worse for the wear. Brownman Revival lost something like four or five members but are still carrying on (though personally, I prefer ‘classic’ Brownman Revival, to be honest). There’s Sandwich, still going strong after vocalist Marc Abaya left, now with Mong Alcaraz on added guitars: not better or worse, necessarily, but different. On the other hand, after Ely Buendia’s departure, the Eraserheads tried to carry on, but in the end were better off pursuing their own diverse inclinations—working on solo material and forming new bands.

This is my train of thought as I’m interviewing Rivermaya on a Monday night, sitting outside 70s Bistro on Anonas. Everyone knows that their vocalist and main songwriter, Rico Blanco, left the band last May, under somewhat less than amicable conditions. “May nabasa nga ako doon sa isang website, may natatawa na nga doon sa isang thread doon about us, parang sinabi ‘It's funny how everyone's treating this like a telenovela,’ na affected na affected talaga lahat, sinusubaybayan talaga nila,” Japs recounts. “Nakakaaliw eh. Nakakatuwa na binigyan nila kami ng importansya kahit papaano.”

It’s not surprising: Rivermaya is without a doubt one of the biggest bands in the country. They’ve been around for fourteen years, have amassed a loyal fanbase and much acclaim, and were making inroads in other countries. This is why it’s all the more surprising that Rico Blanco decided to leave. "I'm sure a lot of the readers have noticed that we've been doing very active work in the ASEAN region," Mark says. "They've seen us on Star World and we released an ASEAN album, and we've been so, so blessed. Personally I consider 2007 as the height of our career [so far], and the three of us, sobra kaming saya, we had no reason not to be happy and not to be content with what's happening, and that's why it was really hard to accept na iba pala yung nararamdaman niya sa aming tatlo."

So it came as a complete surprise, I say. “Ay, oo. Biglaan,” Mark asserts. “Tapos, after, may sign pa na baka bumaliktad.” “Sinabi,” Mike says. “Ah, sinabi niya na 'Sige, tuloy natin,' tapos ayaw na naman ulit,” Mark recalls. “So wow, parang roller coaster of emotions talagang nangyari.”

"But you know,” Mark continues, “Like our good friend from Warner Asia Pacific said, relationships come and go, you just, we just have to focus on what has to be done and take everything day by day. Sabi naman nung iba, everything happens for a reason and it's most likely a blessing din."

IN WITH THE NEW

The big question is, of course, what are the remaining three members—drummer Mark Escueta, guitarist Mike Elgar, and bassist Japs Sergio—going to do now? The answer is: make new music, and hold auditions.

Skeptics who assume that Rivermaya’s post-Blanco material will not be up to par should take a listen to the new EP, Bagong Liwanag, which contains five new songs by Mark, Mike and Japs: “Sayang,” described as “an open letter to the fans in song form,” “Olats,” “Nawawala” “Sumigaw” and “Banda ng Bayan.” And it’s just the beginning. “Parang teaser lang din ‘yun,” says Japs. “We're gonna release a full-length by the end of the year. Totally new material, wala ‘yung EP songs.” “We're releasing a lot of new stuff this year,” Mark nods. “Kasi our last full-length album was 2003 pa eh, ‘yung all-original album. So, 2003, we really owe them a lot of material and medyo matagal tagal din ang pahinga sa songwriting, so this year, babawi kami.”

ROCK STAR: RIVERMAYA

Then there are the open auditions this coming Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25. Apparently, they’re not simply looking for a new vocalist: they’re looking for a new fourth member of Rivermaya, and that could be someone who sings, or plays guitar, or plays bass (or, theoretically, glockenspiel). “It's that... open?” I ask. “Yeah,” Mark says, “It's just really to, parang get everyone involved na rin, the whole process.”

“What happens if, kunyari, a brilliant drummer auditions...” I start to ask. “Goodbye Mark Escueta!” Mark answers, laughing. “Hindi, hindi, kasi ang plano namin in the gigs to come, we're gonna start switching instruments na talaga. And on the EP, we took turns singing lead already.” It’s an intriguing prospect: a band totally rethinking how it works in the wake of its lead singer/songwriter’s exit.

Why hold open auditions? I ask—after all, they must know any number of capable musicians after all their time in the industry. “Kasi ngayon, sobrang open kami to a lot of options,” Japs answers. “Mag-explore… kasi hindi mo masasabi eh, why restrict yourself?” “Oo, tsaka ‘yung mga kilala namin may mga banda na rin,” Mark says. “Nakakatuwa rin 'cause even ‘yung mga friends namin from other bands, sinasabi nila ngayon, ‘Kung wala lang akong banda sasali ako sa inyo.’ Siguro exciting na rin, something new. And Rivermaya naman, is always about new stuff, song to song, nag-iiba.”

Exciting indeed. Still, the three members of Rivermaya are all excellent at what they do already—one hopes that what the audition gives them is a first-rate singer and frontperson. (So if you’re reading this and you happen to be a first-rate singer and frontperson—and take note that they’re not necessarily the same thing—please drop by the auditions. C’mon, don’t be shy.)

I note that the auditions are open to males and females. I ask if they have a preference. “Open talaga, open,” Japs says. “Si Lord na ang bahala sa amin,” adds Mark. “Basta siya naman ‘yung palaging bahala sa amin [laughs].” Japs says: “Kung meron mang mag-balak na below 18, basta siguraduhin niyo lang na medyo may consent kayo sa magulang ninyo.” They all laugh; Mark himself joined Rivermaya when he was 17, and had to have his mother sign the contract. “17 ako nun eh, so that was 2001 no?” Mark says, causing everyone to laugh even harder.”Hindi, 1994. So dito na ako lumaki, dito na ako tumanda...”

“Di ka pa naman matanda e,” Mike points out. “Dito na ako tatanda,” Mark says. “Excited nga ako kung sino man ‘yung bagong kabanda. Swerte ko nga actually eh, na ang dami ko nang naging kabanda, and I consider it a blessing.”

TULOY ANG LIGAYA

Rivermaya has been on the receiving end of many a blessing, and they do count them all. “Gusto ko lang magpasalamat sa lahat, lahat na nag-text, lahat ng nag-email, lahat ng tumawag, para lang sabihin sa akin na ‘Ituloy nyo, kaya niyo ‘yan, isa lang ang nawala, ituloy niyo...’” says Japs. “Lahat, ang dami, pati neighboring countries, daming nag-email. ‘Yung iba hindi namin kilala, mga fans from abroad, nag email na ‘We heard what happened, we support you.’”

“Nakakatuwa, nakakataba ng puso na parang akala namin na kami lang yung sobrang apektado, andami palang apektado doon sa nangyari and nakatulong din talaga na we were sharing the burden with so many people,” adds Mark. “[Rico’s] leaving the band was probably a reason to not go on, but there are thousands of reasons to go on eh, so doon na lang kami sa... it wasn't really a hard decision to make.”

“Tsaka yung bottom line talaga, kaming tatlo, musikero talaga kami, a hundred percent, more than a hundred percent, we love what we're doing,” Mike says. “Why stop here just because of... hindi naman minor bumps, pero kumbaga, gusto namin 'yung ginagawa namin. Although alam namin na challenging siya, pero ang buhay naman in general, ganoon talaga eh. Bahala na kung anong mangyari sa future, basta kami we love what we're doing and we're going to continue what we're doing, for us and for everyone else."

Thanks to the band, Lizza Nakpil and Tony Molina. Thanks also to Joelle Jacinto. Photograph provided by Warner.

The Rivermaya auditions will be held this coming Friday and Saturday, 9AM to 5PM, at the Ishmael Bernal Gallery (beside U.P. Film Center and across Molave Residence Hall), Magsaysay Avenue, U.P. Diliman, Q.C. Go to Rivermaya’s official site or their mailing list for details. Click here to see the audition poster.

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Artist	Song Title	Type
Rivermaya	A LOVE TO SHARE (ACOUSTIC)	Caller Ringtunes
Rivermaya	BALISONG	Caller Ringtunes
Rivermaya	ELESI	Caller Ringtunes
Rivermaya	HIMALA	Caller Ringtunes
Rivermaya	AWIT NG KABATAAN	Caller Ringtunes
Rivermaya	214 (TRIPNOTIC MIX)	Caller Ringtunes
Itchyworms	Loveteam	Monotones
Kamikazee	Ambisyoso	Monotones
Itchyworms	Awit Ng Barkada	Polytones
Kamikazee	Ambisyoso	Polytones
Rivermaya	Awit Ng Kabataan	Truetones
Rivermaya	Elesi	Truetones
Rivermaya	Hinahanap-Hanap Kita	Truetones
Rivermaya	Kisapmata	Truetones
Rivermaya	Panahon Na Naman	Truetones

Click here for more gigs!

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