DAVAO CITY SideCrash is the next alternative rock band to watch out for in Davao City. Not because their manager is the popular TV anchor/reporter Aljo Bendijo, formerly of ABS-CBNs TV Patrol. And not because they are composed of five good-looking young guys, but because they are truly a very talented, exciting and very promising new band.
They were discovered by their producer Rolly Guinares of Awiting Pinoy Records, who is also a fellow Davaoeno based in Manila, just like his former high school classmate Bendijo.
SideCrash Band is composed of lead singer/rhythm guitar Bermin Berms Gaya, 21; lead guitarist Ronnie Balong Binag, 22; drummer Nico Vincent Lopez, 21; keyboards player Ian Wendell Sison, 22; and bass player Byron Contemplo, 27.
Gaya, Lopez and Sison were formerly members of the 12months2pay Band, which won Victoria Plaza Battle of the Bands in 2005. Binag, a talented guitar player from several bands including the Fire Exit and Ping Mustang bands, later joined them.
They first took bass player Matthew Magnaye, who was replaced later by Contemplo from Creeping Edge, Muzik Addiction and Crazy 88.
We had to find a new bass player for Matthew was not allowed by his parents to go to Manila for the recording, Guinares said.
Magnaye still has to finish his course, unlike Gaya, who finished already his nursing course at the University of Immaculate Conception (UIC). Lopez and Sison are also nursing students of San Pedro College and Ateneo de Davao University, respectively, while Binag is a commerce student at the University of Mindanao. Contemplo, the oldest among them, took BS Medical Technology also at SPC.
SideCrash has recorded already six original songs composed mostly by Gaya and will be leaving for Manila soon to complete their first album. SideCrash went to General Santos City last March 18 to promote their first single To Live For You. They had a press conference and a one-night show at the Cassado Bar of the East Asia Royale Hotel.
SideCrash also visited several FM radio stations before they also rendered three songs at the Wild FMs Street Party along Osmena Street in GenSan.
They also went to Cagayan de Oro City to promote their single and upcoming album, which will come out probably in April or May.
Bendijo will also be directing their MTV to be shot by his buddy and talented cameraman from ABS-CBN Davao, Cocong Catacutan.
Of course, we will feature landmarks from Davao and Mindanao for we want to promote Mindanao as a whole, Bendijo said.
SideCrash got its name after the group’s car suffered a near fatal accident while going to Cagayan de Oro City to meet their producer.
SideCrash also wants to establish unity among fellow countrymen by bringing the music in Davao to other islands and help in uplifting other peoples lives, Bendijo added. (PR)
(SideCrash will be holding a press conference on March 24, Friday, 11 a.m., at the Apung Kula Seafoods Grill on Rizal and Anda Streets.)
