11.20.2006
HALE KEEPS ALL YOUR LETTERS
THE FOUR-MAN MULTI-PLATINUM PHENOMENON INSISTS THAT THEY'RE JUST REGULAR GUYS... WHO HAPPEN TO HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF LOYAL FANS
“Ayaw namin isipin nila na we’re rockstars, na we’re ‘up there’,” Champ Lui-Pio tells several journalists at a recent presscon for the release of their latest album, Twilight. Throughout the entire conference, the boys of Hale—guitarist Roll Martinez, bassist Sheldon Gellada, drummer Omnie Saroca, and of course, vocalist Lui-Pio—try to convince everyone that they’re just normal, everyday, average guys who happen to be in a rock band. The press is not buying it, of course.
For example, a series of concerns were raised due to the band’s announcement that they would be “taking a break” after this second album. Concerns such as: Shouldn’t they be more visible, shouldn’t they capitalize on this momentum of getting back in the game, what if other bands surpass them? Concerns.
Hale are quick to point out that these are not their concerns.
ROLL: Kasi para sa amin, mas important yung hindi kami ma-burn out eh, kasi ordinaryong tao lang din naman kasi kami eh. We just happened [to sell] thousands of records. Pero, kailangan pa rin namin mag-aral, kailangan pa rin namin tapusin yung mga responsibilidad namin sa pamilya namin.
CHAMP: To begin with, we never expected to be where we are now.
ROLL: At saka we don’t think that way, na kung successful, kailangan hanggang sumuka na kami, basta lang ma-follow up ‘yon. Kasi we think far ahead, eh. Parang baka mamaya, itong third album, hindi na kami masaya. Pero hindi pa rin namin masabi, kasi malay mo, parang ‘yung second album, biglang naging sobrang excited rin kami, na gumawa na rin kami ng third album. Pero, as of now, ‘yun ‘yung plan… Hindi naman kami magiging invisible, we’re gonna still, like, play.
Like, will they turn down fans and huge gigs?
ROLL: Yes, kasi you can’t replace everything sa family atsaka sa buhay namin eh.
CHAMP: Oo, quality of life pa rin.
None of these answers seem to pacify the press. But what about the fame?
ROLL: We’re really not concerned about that factor.
CHAMP: We’re not concerned about kung ten years from now kung in pa rin kami o hinde. Parang, for us, it’s really about music talaga. Talagang, alam mo ‘yon, ‘yung showbiz stuff, wala talaga kaming pakialam dun eh. To begin with, we started off wala talagang pumapansin sa amin sa tugtog. Sanay kami eh. Parang naranasan namin to play with no one even giving a shit who we were, and now na kahit saan kami pumunta, people recognize us, so para sa amin, it’s all about doing what we love to do, as long as we’re happy, kahit ‘yung tumugtog kami isa lang nanunood. It doesn’t matter if, it doesn’t make a difference if isa lang ang nakikinig or ten thousand ang nakikinig, basta sa stage kami, masaya kami, ‘yun ‘yung importante.
And so they try harder to convince these showbiz press types how normal, everyday and average they are. Like, they do ordinary stuff: gigging in Mayric’s wearing pambahay, they don’t have a wardrobe even, just rotate six T-shirts for gigs. And they try to maintain a personal relationship with their fans—Champ’s dad receives and accommodates texts from his son’s fans, Sheldon has allowed into his house a couple of girls who went there in the hopes of catching a glimpse of him. Roll insists that their relationship isn’t like those of celebrities, where the fans mob them, get autographs, have pictures taken. Hale has conversations with their fans, during gigs, and especially on their mailing list, which currently has 16,000 members—the most members of any local band mailing list in the country.
Okay, 16,000 may not be a normal, average number, but to their credit, Hale does consider their relationship with their fans very important. They are, basically, grateful to be appreciated as musicians, to be “gotten.”
CHAMP: The best part [about being popular] is being able to share our music on a big scale.
ROLL: Ang best part dun ay naaangkin, eh, ng tao ‘yung kanta mo. Halimbawa, ‘yung kanta namin, makikita mo na kumakanta sila tapos feel na feel nila ‘yung kanta mo, parang makikita mo ‘yung sarili mo sa kanila, kasi pareho lang kayong nararanasan sa buhay kapag nakikita mong kinakanta ‘yung kanta mo.
Champ then shares that moms come with their kids and tell the band their kids are doing well in school because they listen to Hale. Other kids approach the band after a gig, asking for a wish of good luck for their exams the next day, and then send them thank you letters because they passed.
CHAMP: So, I keep all the letters, kami lahat, lahat ng binibigay sa amin, we keep them, kasi para sa akin, that’s the trophy, more than the platinum award. ‘Yung letters nila na sinasabi nila yung influence sa kanila, how it affects them in a positive way, ‘yun talaga ‘yung trophy namin eh. Not the triple platinum. Tapos, para sa akin, ‘yung impact na nakuha nila from our songs.
Of course, they admit to appreciating the perks of fame, like getting to eat at the best restaurants in every city they visit, and getting to choose what bars to play at per month, while a lot of other bands are begging for a slot in a production. And perhaps they understand the implications of being so popular, which is why they’re so adamant about keeping it all real and not getting burnt out. They want to still want to play their songs, to record a third album, to still be Hale.
For now, Hale will promote Twilight, which they claim is more straightforward lyrically and musically than their first album. And then after, they’d like to get back to an ordinary life; they want to go back to school, want to be able to ride a bus again and get stuck in traffic. Normal, everyday, average things.
Join the army of Halers here!
