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Slapshock conquers Dubai |
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5/2/2008 9:30:55 AM |
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Members of the Pinoy hard rock band, Slapshock still couldn’t believe it really happened.
Jamir Garcia and company recently graced the Dubai Rock Festival—an annual outdoor concert series— together with heavyweights of rock from the international music arena, including Korn, Muse, Velvet Revolver and Marky Ramone, among others.
Garcia, vocalist of the group admitted it was the biggest gig the band ever had in its 10-year existence.
“It still feels quite unreal”, he said.
The gig counted Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Sepultura and Incubus among past participants. Slapshock’s participation in the event was the first ever for an Asian band, of a Filipino act, for that matter.
The band performed on the first day of the two-day gig alongside Korn, Machine Head, Killswitch Engage, As I Lay Dying and Nervecell.
According to Garcia, they were well received, proof of which were a couple of pictures and a video that the group showed to the members of the media.
“Right from the opening chords of “Shed Your Skin” the crowd was already with us creating this huge mosh-pit in the middle of the ground. This continued until the finale we did, “We Are One,” related Garcia.
The experience, the whole group agreed, was “something else”.
“It’s a gig we can always look back [to] when we’re old”, said Lee Nadela, the group’s bassist.
“I will remember it all my life”, added drummer Chi Evora.
Although the crowd, about 20,000 strong, was mostly Europeans vacationing in Dubai that time, Garcia insisted that there were also Filipinos.
“It was really heartwarming seeing [our countrymen] out in the crowd. They were waving the [Philippine] flag and shouting “Go Pinoy;” they were also screaming [the band’s] name; so, what we did to show our appreciation was to dedicate “Misteryo,” the only song in Filipino, to them,” he shared.
The band members said that hobnobbing with their (musical) heroes was a dream come true.
“Yeah, Slash [formerly of Guns and Roses, now playing guitar for Velvet Revolver] was really great, really friendly, he actually acknowledged me and asked about our set when we came down together on one of the elevators”, said Garcia adding that Korn frontman Jonathan Davis was very affable as well.
“Scott Weiland [formerly of Stone Temple Pilots but is fronting for Velvet Revolver] was kind of weird though. He was sort of, spaced out… he wouldn’t even smile,” Garcia divulged.
Garcia said that being thrown out there with rock’s big names was something unexpected.
“They actually called us; they said they heard a lot about us and wanted to know if we’d be interested,” he said.
Quite a coincidence, considering their deal with EMI had just expired.
“It’s like we’re starting over… but what a way to start,” Garcia intoned, smiling.
According to Garcia, more than just allowing for a slot in the gig, the group that produced the show, Center Stage Management, also offered to sign them up not only for a management deal but also for a recording contract.
“We are already working on the songs. Yeah you can say, we’re really excited; finally we will be able to come up with an album that will be released in the Asian and European region. This has been a long-time dream for the group”, he declared.
The album in question will be the bands’ sixth overall [not counting ‘the best of’ and ‘the remix’ albums]. The band said it would contain all-original material. And no, there won’t be any changes in their approach regarding their music.
“We will be the same band everybody knows; no drastic changes. Ever since we started we didn’t cater to fads or trends; we definitely won’t start now”, Garcia promised.
Garcia said, they are aiming to put a “heap big deal of Pinoy flavor” to the album because that was what CSM stipulated. “We agreed, of course, as it could only mean that we get to retain very much who we are as a group—a Pinoy group.”
And to further cement their passion in upholding their roots, Garcia revealed that they are planning to launch it in Dubai on June 12, which as we all know, is Philippine Independence Day. |
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Source: Manilastandardtoday.com |
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