All aboard the Cobra Starship

MANILA, Philippines - Success, for American band Cobra Starship, the group behind the hit Good Girls Go Bad (featuring Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester), has given them more “I-told-you-so” rights, as guitarist Ryland Blackinton puts it.

“Before, you yell at somebody, and they don’t mind you,” he explains. Today, guest appearances in Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with Conan O’Brien after, this is but a thing of the past.

The band, as Ryland describes his group, has more “juice,” as they say in his native America. Make that clout, in more popular lingo.

“This makes our parents proud,” chimes in vocalist Gabe Saporta. Their bragging rights, about their son having a platinum record, or appearing in Kimmel’s show, have grown by leaps and bounds.

Before, Ryland recalls, his parents would ask him to go get a job. Obviously, they didn’t go gaga over Ryland’s passion for music.

Now, the protesters are silent. Wild applause has replaced those words of doubt.

And Gabe, Ryland, bassist Alex Suarez, drummer Nate Novarro and keytar player Victoria Asher brought their funky, playful music to London, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Japan and now, the Philippines.

After last night’s show at TriNoma Activity Center, the band will perform at Greenbelt 3 Park tonight at 6:30 and Alabang Town Center tomorrow at 6:30 p.m.

Not a single member of the band has set foot in the country until a few days ago, when they arrived for the last leg of their Asian tour.

Alex says his very good Filipino friend back in his native Connecticut introduced him to pancit. But that’s just about it.

The audience may be totally new to the band. But the age range of those who will come over to see them is not.

It’s the young people who dance to the beat of Hot Mess , Nice Guys Finish Last and other cuts from Cobra Starship’s self-titled album.

It’s precisely the group Cobra Starship loves seeing get up on its feet to dance or sing with all its might.

“Being successful for us means having access to young people,” Gabe speaks for his band, “Our music spread quickly because of the kids.”

And that, to him, is more fulfilling than signing autographs or reading flattering comments about the band on the Net.

Thanks to the band’s young audience that saw Gabe mount the stage in his purple hoodie, the album art of Viva la Cobra was used to promote the fourth generation Apple iPod nano in purple.

Packaging comes with the territory, Gabe will tell you.

That’s why they’re taking the way they look seriously.

“We’re working on a new look that we can’t reveal as yet,” says Ryland.

Besides their songs, and the purple Apple iPod nano, it could be anything young people will latch on to with all the zest and gusto they are known for.

At the end of the day, it’s this connection with others that makes the band feel real good about themselves. Take it from Gabe, who chose a friend over other labels that were offering to carry the band in its roster of artists.

Friendship is also the key behind the success of I Kissed the Boy, the band’s cover of Katy Perry’s I Kissed the Girl.

Katy happens to be a friend. And Gabe recalls joking about doing a remix of I Kissed the Girl.

The result is a surprise hit in the tradition of Hollaback Boy, the band’s take on Gwen Stefani’s song.

The band never released the songs. They were born during light moments when the band was tossing ideas around and enjoying each other’s company.

It only goes to show that Cobra Starship works best when the lights are low, the pace nice and easy and they have each other.

“What’s important is that we’re making music and we are with friends,” declares Gabe.

Five years after this band made up of musicians with divorced parents got together, Cobra Starship is as tightly-knit as ever.

“The band is our family,” says Gabe. His three “brothers” and only “sister” in the band agree.