Frankly, I’m tired of answering questions about why our name. I think it’s a pointless exercise. A name is just a name. Why fuss about such a trivial thing? But many people still just don’t get it! Ian related to me once a story he read that Sting, yes Sting himself, was once ambushed by an overeager if not clueless media writer here in the Philippines (hardly surprising) with the same question. Yes, Sting himself, whose moniker is probably the most famous in modern rock was asked “Why the name Sting”? He quickly answered with a stinging, pun intended, reprimand. Quite rightly, in fact, the erring interviewer probably deserved to be tied to an anchor with rusted barbed wire, and be thrown into the polluted Pasig River.

A musician, any musician would rather talk about his music. So when the interviewer now in front of us four started asking questions about how the band adjusted to each other’s different musical backgrounds, and about Flowerfish, but nothing at all along the lines of the dreaded why-Sheila-and-the-Insects question, we were genuinely pleased. So much so that our responses came out very naturally. Even animated in some instances. You don’t get that often by the way. Kudos to the ‘Overdrive’ production team especially their interviewer Matt Teves, a neophyte by the way from what I heard afterward, which makes it an even more impressive feat.

Lucky though we were that night, a few days after, I was asked the dreaded question again by a friend of mine while hanging out at the bar in Outpost while our band was waiting for our turn to play. I quickly struggled with the sudden urge to turn green and expand 6 sizes bigger. Luckily, I wasn’t wearing my purple spandex boxer shorts.

Worse, later when we played that night and in the middle of one of my spiels, someone from the audience had the temerity to actually ask loudly “why Sheila and the Insects”? I actually thought for a second about turning ballistic. I settled instead with a prompt reply – “because it works”. No further articulation and we promptly went on to play our next song.

We appeared in FHM this month. It's not exactly a centerfold but then again, had we done a Brokeback Mountain number, would we have come across as titillating? I guess not. I'd rather eat bugs. Just like that and I got my wish.

This article was forwarded to me yesterday by an officemate. It's from a local daily. Thought I'd share it when everyone here. I had a good laugh with the ending here where our staying power was compared to insects' resilience to a nuclear holocaust. Let the bombs fall! Onward to world domination!

What's behind Sheila and the insects' staying power?
By Armor
The Freeman 07/31/2006

Some bands would record a hit song, enjoy instant popularity, but disappear overnight. Some would sign up with a major label, and then become musically confused. But some are simply made of sterner stuff.

Take for example Sheila and The Insects (SATI). The band that gave NU 107 such hits as "Everyday Drive" and "Your Comedy" is becoming bigger and stronger with each release.

Last year, sticks man Jerros Dolino bagged the NU 107, "drummer of the year" award. This year the group was nominated for the "Best Indie Act" category on MYX Channel. With gigs in both Cebu and Manila plus music videos such as "Quick To Panic" and "Happenstance" invading the TV screens, guitarist Ian Zafra, vocalist Orven Enoveso, bassist Boobop and drummer Jerros Dolino are currently running a monster band.

"Flowerfish," the 10-track new CD, is a continuation of Sheila's musical stereotyping. After two years, the insects renovated their hive and added more honey to the elements found in their previous releases - treble melodic guitars, tight drums, low but sometimes crunchy bass lines, inventive lyrics and a predictable song structure that appeals to the hi end audience. The results are atmospheres that send the mind on trips and the soul on a search. And the sonnets are luscious and romantic. If you are a new wave fanatic, owning a copy of "Flowerfish" is a must-have.

"Flowerfish" opens with a mid tempo anthem, "Maybe Only Maybe" which showcased Bisoy's baritone ala Jack Sikat. On the second track "Maude", which has the sad, self-pity fashion of the 90's - he modified Robert Smith's squeaky-throaty vocals. As for the rest of the songs, his incarnation branches out to British - pop vocalists, Ian McCulloch and Ian Curtis, though not losing his low toned voice.

While Ian Zafra's multi layered guitar bloom like flowers on the major 7th intro of "Lemerson"; and after lyrical lines of the Curish ballad "Luna Grace", Boobop's bass lines swim like fishes in between the 3 note guitar support and Jerros' solid drumming.

Fans who have bought the previous CD, "Manipulator" (circa 2002) will be intoxicated again by lyricist Orven Enoveso's lyrical inventions. Phrases like "frantic suicide gone wrong now" (Quick To Panic); and the satirical lines "eyes on the deejay, strobe lights hypnotizing, beg for more chanting, syncopating disco dancing till they die, disco is dead (The Disco Machine); are just on the right tempo and on the right stanzas.

On a recent development, "Flowerfish" will be repackaged and might include new song "Monolove". The band had break management with distribution label V3, which is a subsidiary of Viva Records, and is having talks with Cebu-based indie label, Daybreak Records. A minor conclusion we can glean from this is that indie bands are for indie labels and commercial bands are for the major labels. Unsigned bands and artists therefore must also choose which recording label could cater best to their kind of music.

Backed up by a well planned marketing strategy, loyal fans, and a lifetime passion for music, "Flowerfish" adds a few more years to SATI's lifespan as a pioneer of the country's underground scene. A change in the band's personnel has triggered a positive effect on the group's musical direction. In the chaotic world of the music industry, bands come and go, but Sheila and The Insects are determined to stay and stand firm on their musical philosophy. After all, experiment proves that no one survives a nuclear war. Except of course - the insects.

“Isn’t it nice to jam without arguing?” That pretty much summed it up. Jerros made the comment after almost two hours of jamming with none of us picking a fight with another or raising his voice which is what usually happens every time we work on new songs.

We were working on the arrangements to a new song tentatively titled “My love”. Cheesy, I know. We will have to change that, definitely. The ending to the song has stumped us. We know we have the basic arrangement pat but the closing and climax isn’t there yet. Plus, maybe I should think of a different chorus line, something with more punch.

Another pattern I’m beginning to notice with how the band works is that what usually happens now is in the beginning of a project, we’d play around a lot and experiment like crazy but end up paring away the flourishes down to the barest minimum. Like when I tried to experiment using different effects sounds. After a while of playing around with combinations of rarely used effects, I ended up going back to the basic mix I’ve been using. Same with Jerros. He usually tries out very technical approaches to the drum parts but after repeated jamming will usually end up just using 2 basic patterns.

Its not that we’ve lost our free-spirited approach and recklessness, which isn’t actually bad per se. Or that we’ve become lazy. I take this as a case of us becoming more mature in our approach to songwriting. We’ve become more patient with our arrangement and more disciplined.

Even our volume settings have come down significantly. When before I’d crank up the volume to my amp at the 12 o’clock position, now it’s usually only around 9 o’clock. “Let’s keep our levels steady, guys”, Boobop likes to remind everyone. We find it a lot easier on our collective ears. Plus it’s easier to hear the nuances of our arrangements that we would have totally missed had we cranked everything up.

Last week I went in the studio early and sat in on the practice session of Left of Center, one of Cebu’s punk pioneers. I remember thinking I was sure my ears would bleed. After they had left, I looked at the amp settings and couldn’t believe they had actually maxed the volumes. Then again it’s a totally different attitude, playing punk.

Unconsciously or otherwise, the band is now drifting towards a simpler sound. More pop, less fizz. Still a potent drink though. Maybe even more so.

Less is more. That’s our new attitude, more or less.

Random dirty tricks employed by other bands I learned from observing with incredulity and some times, as the unwitting victim on the receiving end.

Dirty trick no. 56
When playing in most small productions were many bands are slated to play, no one wants to play early. The assumption, usually right, and shared by the bands and the audience, is that the better bands play later in the order. To avoid playing early if that’s your schedule, show up at the venue with one less member and a lame excuse and ask to be moved to a later slot. Make sure the missing member arrives as soon as a primetime slot opens. Text messaging comes in handy here.

Dirty trick no. 7
Before you leave the stage to make way for the next band, mess up the guitar amp mix by randomly turning all the dials.

Dirty trick no. 22
If you want to be booked for more gigs than you actually deserve, build up your own instrument set-up and rent it out to small concert promoters. Then, package your band in for a few more extra thousand bucks. Most promoters won’t refuse the temptation of getting a discounted rate for both a band and a complete instrument setup, even if your band sucks.

Dirty trick no. 22.5
(continued) Since you own the instrument set-up, sabotage the house mix during the sets of the other bands and make them sound lousy and unprofessional. Kill their monitors. If they complain, crank it up until you get the annoying microphone feedback. Repeat steps as often and as long as your technical crew can believably feign ineptness. When your band’s turn comes up, unleash the full power of the house speakers, slide in your optimal pre-mixes, and turn on your vocal effects racks. Audiences will marvel at how much better your band sounds compared to the others.

Dirty trick no. 5
Be the crowd favorite by playing the cheesiest covers, whatever genre and whatever era, never mind your band image. If necessary, play it twice or thrice on the same night.

Dirty trick no. 99
Steal fresh batteries from the effects boxes of the other guitar players in the band room and replace with weak ones.

Dirty trick no. 88
If your band genuinely sucks, crank up the amps, boost your overdrives, and play way louder than necessary. If you can’t impress the audience, numb them. At least you’ll be remembered.

Dirty trick no. 21
To build undeserved publicity on the internet, open numerous accounts using different names and create discussion threads about your band. You get more points if you visit the legitimate threads of fans of other bands and pick fights. Incessantly annoy them with random digs and sarcastic remarks on their adored band, the more famous, the better. Always leave a trail to your own band’s artificial thread. Who can tell if the threads are real or otherwise anyway?

Dirty trick no. 40
Spray graffiti on strategic public areas using your band’s name.

Dirty trick no. 65
Steal other bands’ gig posters posted on studio bulletin boards or public areas. Better yet, replace with your own. If you can’t openly steal it, vandalize with felt-tipped markers when no one is looking.

Dirty trick no. 37
Acknowledge everyone you know in sight every time during your spiels between songs.

Dirty trick no. 17
When thanking the corporate sponsors of the show, always name the top executives in attendance and throw in quips and crank up the charm power. Gamely wear the t-shirts and caps emblazoned with the sponsor’s brand, never mind that it’s for a cheap product you would never actually touch with a ten-foot pole.

Dirty trick no. 72
Always be ready with your own version of the birthday song and play it every night. As a rule, every night, there will always be at least one in the audience who will pretend it’s their birthday just to hog 30 seconds of the limelight.

Dirty trick no. 1
Copy. If you can’t be original, why bother.

The three go together like a ménage a trois, hot, wild and passionate. It’s the ultimate rock cliché. So overused that no one dares wear it on a T-shirt for fear of being labeled uncool. But a cliché it is. Our parents believed it and they believed it too much. To them, sex is dangerous, drugs kill, and rock and roll is evil.

An old friend of mine who played guitar for a band, his name is Chev, told a scary story once. He was practicing his electric guitars in his room and, typical of him, had gotten so into the rock and roll moment. Gyrating and twisting all around like a guitar god on fire. He was throwing licks like mad and had gotten orgasmic. He was way up there in his guitar-driven bliss when by chance he opened his eyes to suddenly find himself surrounded by middle-aged people led by his mom, arms outstretched with their palms facing him all mumbling incantations. Apparently, they had been praying over him for some time. He certainly was not devil-possessed as they must have suspected but he might as well have been from the scare and trauma he suffered.

How misunderstood rock and roll is to most parents showed its extreme form in Chev’s story. That is why parents would rather pay for piano lessons than loan us the money to buy a cheap, pawned electric guitar. I further suspect that this same fear is what keeps the ballet schools in business. If parents can’t keep their daughters away from the stage and spotlight, at least they can make them wear tights and Pointe shoes rather than skins and DM boots. For many maybe, it’s a fair trade-off never mind the money spent for tuition. Besides, recitals, aside from graduations, are what parents live for, right?

I survived my teenage years intact in spite of my parent’s anti-rock and roll bias and my measly allowance. And though I will never forgive my mother for happily buying that crappy amateurish digital Yamaha organ for my sisters while I begged and groveled for a loan so I could buy my electric guitar, I survived still. My mother could call it part of building character. I call it favoritism. And fear of the rock and roll evil.

Apparently, my mom didn’t relish the idea of her son sporting long hair and playing overdriven guitars. Fate played a funny twist on me as, years later, I end up sporting a shaved head and playing chorus-driven guitars instead. Not as ugly but maybe just as scary if I didn’t keep my day job. Well at least I’m tattoo-free. For now.

My mother, like my neighbors’ mothers, had also paid for piano lessons. My sisters gamely showed enthusiasm, feigned or otherwise. I on the other hand, never got even just a subsidy for my replacement strings. Those years, I would attribute the dull sound of my old rusted strings to “rock attitude”. Besides, wasn’t money the antithesis to the rock and roll lifestyle? That was enough to comfort me then.

Like we cared how we sounded back then anyway. Back then, it was all about rebellion and attitude. I joined the band because I thought it was cool. The love of music was never a reason. I didn’t know anything about making music to begin with anyway. I only started to worry about actually sounding good when it suddenly struck me in the middle of my first gig that up there on stage in front of the people, you actually needed to sound good.

So I sang, or at least tried to. I know I sucked that first time. But I survived with the determination to actually better my craft. Fast-forward to more than ten years after, I think I’m finally succeeding. The journey was long and hard, and yes, along the way, as I’m sure my parents had had worried, there were the trappings and the temptations. True to the cliché’s promise, it couldn’t be Rock and Roll without the sex and the drugs.

Yes, there were the drunken parties, the pseudo-orgies, and the psychedelic sessions. On our heydays, yes we had those, every opportunity to sin was laid, but I survived. With a big grin from ear to ear. Yes, the cliché was true about the triumvirate being dangerous, suicidal, and evil, but in the end, I suspect my mom’s character building must have worked because surprisingly, I turned out ok. So holding out on a kid’s allowance does have its merits. Surprise, surprise.

Today, I hold a fancy corporate job running a dozen young and talented underlings collectively called the marketing and communications department plus I hold a teaching post at the university. In school listening to myself sometimes, I’m even surprised to find I actually sound academic and learned.

Maybe the trials and the trappings of the rock and roll lifestyle built up my character more than the constricted allowance. Too hard to determine. Too close to call. In any case, I had grown to like rock and roll. Unlike my sisters who grew up to like boys and promptly forgot about the crappy Yamaha.

Not surprisingly, it is the Yamaha organ that is now gathering dust in an unused room in my parent’s house while it is my Stratocaster that continues to gather scratches every weekend gig.

Sheila and the Insects gig dates:
6/30
- JAM Nites @ Bluewave, Macapagal Blvd., Pasay City, 9pm
- Flowerfish Party @ 6 Underground, Makati city, 11:30pm
     with: Southern Grass, Pumping Pluto, Pinas, Happy Meals and Monsterbot
- Fete de la Musique, SM Mall of Asia, West Wing, 1am
7/01
- RockEd Concert @ Eastwood Main Plaza, Libis, QC, 8:30pm
- Guilles Bar, Tomas Morato, QC, 10pm
- Ninja Kiss Production @ Saguijo Cafe, Makati city
     with: Radioactive Sago Project, Bagetsafonik, Analog, Sundownmuse and Brigada
7/02
- Anniversary Party @ Gweilos, Eastwood, Libis, QC, 9:30pm
     with: Menaya, The Pin-up Girls, Dream Kitchen, Pumping Pluto,
     Helen and Spring Boutique
7/04
- WATS Party (exclusive) @ BBQ.com, F. Cabahug st., Cebu city
7/05
- Club VUDU, Crossroads, Cebu city
     with: Powerspoonz, Tabularaza, Gasulina, and Urbal
7/07
- Handuraw Cafe, Mabolo, Cebu city
7/08
- Kahayag Cafe, Mabolo, Cebu city
7/22
- X-Series, Kasadya, Cebu city

*schedules may change w/o prior notice

Random tips on playing in a band from an accidental band player who has learned most of his lessons the hard way:

Tip no. 65
If you want to learn to play an instrument, the best way to do that is by joining a band. Especially if you’re like me, an average guy, who doesn’t have the natural talent nor the patience and the dedication to learn an instrument well. Just dive in and jam even if you know only four chords. When you’ve got an instrument slung over your back and you’re in front of a live audience, you’ll quickly discover that you actually have to sound good and that the rock and roll poses you practiced only half mattered. Necessity is one damn strong motivator.

Tip No. 129
Never wait until you are totally ready before joining a band. If you already have a band, never wait until you are totally ready to play gigs. What I’ve learned all these long years is that you never really are. Go ahead and just do it.

Tip No. 9
If you make a mistake on stage, don’t show it. Don’t smile or appear embarrassed. If your bandmate screws up his part, don’t look at him disapprovingly. Don’t react. Just try to recover and keep playing. The thing I’ve learned after years of playing is that most listeners won’t know at all from listening that you’ve made a mistake. The average pair of ears doesn’t know shit about syncopation, flats and sharps or muted notes. So don’t cue them in on it. In many cases, half of them will be too drunk to notice anyway.

Tip No. 18
Before playing your first song, always tune your guitars using a tuner. Don’t do it by ear. No pair of ears is better than a decent tuner.

Tip No. 68
If you’re the vocalist, don’t eat salted peanuts before a show.

Tip No. 82
Never plagiarize. You’ll never get away with it.

Tip No. 77
If you’re a vocalist, you should know about King To Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa. If you don’t already, ask about it from a Chinese drugstore. It could save your life one day. Or at least your next gig.

Tip No. 3
No matter what anyone says about ultimately, what’s important is your music; I’ll say this for the record: looks count. If you think you may be just a rock band playing your own stuff, you should learn that essentially, a gig is still a show, and when in show business, presentation is everything. So take some effort to look good. Even if the look you want to achieve is that of someone who doesn’t care about his looks, you’ve still got to put some effort to it. Some might want to show up wearing shirts that look vintage and undersized but you should take care that the shirt doesn’t actually look shrunken and used. It’s a delicate balance. Learn it and master it.

Tip No. 1
Practice. You’ll never play a perfect set, believe me, but practice anyway.

Tip No. 92
Before a gig, especially a major one, learn to set positive instead of negative goals. Instead of declaring what you don’t want to happen like I hope I don’t mess up my lead or I hope I don’t crack my high notes, set specific and realistic goals that you can actually do something about. Some examples would be: I want the audience to see that I’m loose and confident out there, or I should move around more and have fun on stage. Don’t focus on the pitfalls you want to avoid. Think instead about the heights you want to scale. Instead of setting a floor you don’t want to go under, set a ceiling you want to surpass. Negative goals make you worry. Positive goals make you want. With negative goals, you can’t wait to get off stage. With positive goals on the other hand, you can’t wait to get on.

Tip No. 99
Always unload before going up on stage. Take a quick backstage trip to the urinal a few minutes before call time. You’ll regret not having done so when you feel the need to pee halfway through a long set. The audience might not know the difference from your contorted face whether you’re deep into the emotions of the song or that you’re actually just struggling to hold your bladder, but you will!

Call times tonight:
8:30 pm – Saguijo
10:30 pm – 6 Underground
12:00 pm – Gweilos Eastwood

Gasolina was playing like they owned the place. Everyone seemed to enjoy the show although I still thought their levels were just a tad bit too much for everyone’s ears that night. We were up next so I slipped away from where I was sitting and picked my way through the crowd to the bar and ordered tap water and some salt. The nightly shows had taken their toll on my voice and I needed to sooth my throat. Because I had been in such a hurry earlier that night, I had left my pei pa koa candies which should have been the perfect remedy. For now, I had to improvise.

Taking long but small sips of salinized water, I discovered, works wonders for tired vocal chords. Of course, it helps you retain water and keeps hangovers in check too, but tonight, I wasn’t drinking much if at all. We still had another show after this so I had to stay sober.

This was our first time to play at 6Underground and that much I said so, on my opening spiel. The place was almost full. It was packed at the bar and most of the tables were occupied with quite a few unoccupied ones closest to the stage where, I surmised, the people avoided for the ear torture. Fair enough. We did make sure though that we kept our levels only as loud as we really needed to be. Not a decibel more.

There’s a line that goes, if it’s too loud, you’re too old. But to me it ain’t the age. It’s the wisdom that comes with it, as against the brash stupidity of youth. No music is worth damaging your ears for. Besides, how can you appreciate any music if everything sounds muddy and too painful. So we consciously kept to comfortable levels. Good music should be enjoyed, not suffered.

That must have helped. Plus the audience’s good vibes. Whatever mix of factors and star alignments contributed, that show was one of our best. Too bad we had to leave immediately afterwards. We still had one last show to do before we could call it a night.

It was already past midnight when we finally got to play at Mayric's. Our Saguijo set earlier that night kept us from coming earlier. Thankfully, the small crowd that night waited and stayed for our set. Among the songs we played that night was 'Monolove'.

Monolove snippet