70s Superband in London shows

Once a musician, always a musician. This is probably what goes on in the head of anybody who is watching a 70s Superband show. Those guys turning in a spirited performance are much, much older than they were when they were making hits as members of various bands. Besides, it has also been quite a while since they have made some recordings. But they are still in a band. They are still making music.

Truth to tell, it takes a lot of effort on their part to keep on doing what they obviously love. And I don’t mean that because it has now become harder to get up in the mornings and they now have knees that refuse to dance all night long. Most guys their age are comfortably retired and living in leisure with their families. Not the members of the 70s Superband though. Because this is what they want to do, and what they had been doing for years, they make all sorts of sacrifices just to be once more on stage and to play with a band.

Friends and colleagues for as long as they can remember, the members of the group decided to band together a few years ago to do some special shows. Their love for music and nearly 40 years have resulted in memorable stints one after another and they soon found themselves getting more and more invitations to do various gigs. The demand inspired them to seriously take up the idea of performing again. And so they did. They are now known as the 70s Superband, The Ultimate OPM Experience.

The 70s Superband is made up of the following: Nonoy Tan, lead vocalist of the group Wadab, composer of My Love Will See You Through and Always by Marco Sison, You Made Me Live Again by Janet Basco and Kahit Lalala Pwede Na by Champoy, the grand prize winner in the fifth Metropop Music Festival; Rey Matoto, vocalist and bassist also of Wadab, now an arranger and musical director for films, television, commercials and various artists.

Monet Gaskell singer for VST&Company and the bands Friends and Short Circuit; Snafu Rigor drummer of Cinderella, plus also of the Drastics, the Deltas, the Ramrods and Blackbuster. The composer of T.L. Ako Sa ‘yo, Larawang Kupas, Mr. Dreamboy and of the grand prize winner in the Seoul Music Festival, Bulag Pipi At Bingi by Freddie Aguilar; Mon Espia, vocalist and guitarist of Labuyo, arranger and session guitarist who also plays for the jazz band Whiteflight and for Powerplay, composer of Everyday by Agot Isidro and Paikot-ikot by Randy Santiago.

And the brothers Jun and Nitoy Mallillin of Abrakadabra. Jun is the arranger, keyboard player, lead guitarist and founding member of the rock band Abrakadabra of the big hit Bote Diyaryo. He composed the hit songs Dahil Mahal Kita and Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal by the Boyfriends. His younger brother Nitoy was a second-generation Abrakadabra who was named Best Drummer in Shakey’s Battle of the Bands in the early ’80s.

When taken collectively, they boast of having been part of some of the biggest and most enduring pop recordings by Filipino artists. It is around these hits from the Manila Sound era that they have built their act and acquired their huge following. After taking Manila by storm, they are now bringing the show to the UK and soon to other places abroad. Pinoys in London can catch the 70s Superband at The Dome on April 4; the Epic Studios on April 6; and at the Britannia Theater on April 6.

Watching a 70s Superband show will take you back to those golden days through these songs. Awitin Mo (At Isasayaw Ko), Rock Baby Rock, Swing, Disco Fever, Magnifica, Step No Step Yes, Ikaw Ang Aking Mahal, Ipagpatawad Mo, Pag Tumatagal Lalong Tumitibay, Parang Ulap, Sumayaw Sumunod, Dahil Mahal Kita, Bato Sa Buhangin, T.L. Ako Sa ‘Yo, Ikaw Ang Superstar Ng Buhay Ko, Tuloy Pa Rin and many others.

Congratulations to the finalists of the third Philpop Music Festival. The lucky ones this year are: NGSB (No Girlfriend Since Break) by Davey Langit; The Only One by Venelyn San Pedro; Awit Mo’y Nandito Pa by Ronaldo Sorioso; Torpe by Daryl Ong; Babalikan Mo Rin Ako by Soc Villanueva; Song On A Broken String by Jude Gitamondoc and Therese Marie Villarante; Salbabida by Jungee Marcelo; Dear Heart by Mike Villegas; Hangout Lang by Allan Feliciano and Isaac Joseph Garcia; Qrush On You by Qyork’s James Palma a.k.a. Flava Matikz and Cedric Bonjoc a.k.a. Knowa Lazarus; Kung Akin Ang Langit by Cecilia Bocobo and Isaac Joseph Garcia; and Langit Umaawit by Ronaldo Sorioso.

One of these songs stands to win a cool million bucks at the Philpop finals in June. But before that happens, there is something about the finalists that will have to be sorted out. If I remember right, while double entries are allowed in the contest’s rules, the same does not hold true for the finalists. 

Sorioso has two songs in the finals, Awit Mo’y Nandito Pa and Langit Umaawit, and Garcia co-wrote Hangout Lang and Kung Akin Ang Langit. Will they now be made to choose which one of their works will be recorded and performed on finals night? Should that be the case, does it mean that they will be making room for the No. 13 or 14 finalists, which as per the early voting was concerned, are inferior works?