BAND OF THE WEEK
"Do the Grind: Giniling Festival"

For Jeje Santos, 21 year old vocalist for fast rising band Giniling Festival, their coming together was a story that is as magical as any and to get to where they are now is one surprise he can’t get over with so easily.

We sat down with Santos recently for a bit of a chat about his band and how they come up with inane yet absorbing ditties like, ahem, “Siling Giniling.”

How did the band get together?
We were all part of this organization called The UP Music Circle. We got acquainted and hit it off instantly. Eventually, Anto (Garcillano, lead guitar), Lec (Cruz, Bass), former drummer Alay Magno and I decided to form a band.

Who are in the current line-up?
We have added Jebs Mangahas on twin lead and we replaced Alay with Monpi Lopez on drums. Anto, Lec and I still occupy the same positions.

Where was your first gig?
It was in a small club in Katipunan back in 2003. So yeah, the band is already 3 years old.

Describe your music?
It’s what we call "happy" metal. Happy, because our lyrics are fun not angry or sad...take for example our song "Siling Giniling," which was basically inspired by Radioactive Sago’s "Astro." It’s about an imaginary, "ultimate" product which one can use for anything and everything. For the metal part, it’s self-explanatory. We definitely sound loud and hard.

Who are your influences?
Parokya Ni Edgar is one big influence. We also listen to Motley Crue, Nirvana, Tool and System of a Down. We also love the music of Kamikazee. Still, there are people who kept on comparing us to that foreign group, The Darkness.”

What was your most memorable gig?
One of the most memorable was the set we played in a cemetery for a fund run. It was definitely a weird experience but really, really fun.

What is the band working on nowadays?
We have a single out on the indie label Terno Records called ‘Psycho’ so we are currently promoting that one. We are also preparing to make a video for the same song so watch out for us in MTV and MYX.

Where can we catch the band?
We play everywhere basically including Saguijo and some UP gigs. We also play on a lot of Terno-a-go-go produced shows but you can book us anywhere and for whatever occasion [laughing], just call or text 0917-5345404.

>>NRJ Ramos