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Issue 10 | 2012
ABANDON
H
ailing from San Antonio, Texas,
Abandon’s edgy rock groove and
poignant lyrics have brought their
music to international attention, both
in the contemporary Christian scene
and secular hit charts. Every song
gives a sincere, straightforward message of spiritual
transformation through Christ--which amazingly
appeals to mainstream listeners as well!
Abandon’s name stems from Joshua 22:3 (see
verse below), with the band starting out in 2002 as an
independent group playing worship music at their
church.
Originally composed of brothers Josh (lead vocals)
and Justin Engler (guitar), cousins Stevan (guitar) and
Dave Vela (drums), and Ryan Reavis (bassist), Abandon
began their first foray into local concerts and released
their debut album Ambush in 2005, produced by the
band and Tavis Wilson.
The band also released their second album Who
You Are, produced by Kevin Buchert. Reavis chose to
leave the band after this release, with Bryan Fowler
soon taking up the spot as bassist.
Abandon’s music gained rapid international
attention beginning with the band signing on with
ForeFront Records in 2007. Their first EP under the
record label called Abandon EP was released in 2008
with five tracks, of which the song “Providence”
landed on the top 7 of R&R Magazine’s 2008 Christian
rock chart. Following their initial EP are Abandon II
EP (2009), Searchlights (2009) and their latest album,
Control (2011).
Between the albums Searchlights and Control,
Abandon had their first Dove Award nomination
under the category of 2010 Rock Album of the Year,
and joined a multitude of tours and music festivals
alongside Building 429, Remedy Drive, Fireflight, Teen
Mania’s Acquire the Fire, and other contemporaries in
the Christian music scene.
Frontman Josh Engler notes on Abandon’s official
Facebook page, “It’s been a lot of hard work, and
when you’re in the audience looking at a band on
stage, it’s easy to take for granted how they got there.
There’s a lot of leg work that makes it all possible.
From the very beginning, we set out to stay real and
stay real and stay at the audience’s level, even if we
are literally three feet above them on stage…”
During the writing process of Control, Abandon saw
the Northern Lights in person and took the moniker
for the album based on Josh’s reflections. “Seeing
something like the Northern Lights in person makes us
marvel at the natural, God-orchestrated phenomenon
happening in such a beautiful state outside of human
control,” Josh muses.
“Are you in control or is God in control?” the singer
encourages fans to ponder. “We basically want people
to come away with an answer to ‘who’s controlling
your life?’ We’re not really looking for a quick answer,
but more to challenge your perspective and to
provoke thought and motivation. It’s brave to question
where you’re at and search out your heart.”
Control’s single “Live It Out” was featured on
The Food Network’s promotion of the show “Food
Network Challenge”, as well as the 2011 “ESPY Awards
Show” on ESPN. It was also used in some of Channel
Seven’s highlights for the 2012 Australian Open.
Locally, the song “Let Go” from Control was also
used in the introduction video of Saved Festival 2011
in November last year. Fans of Abadon can watch
them live this October as they visit the Philippines for
the first time at this year’s Saved Festival 2012!
“All this time you
have not abandoned
your kinsmen but have
obeyed your commission,
as ADONAI your God
ordered.” Joshua 22:3 CJB
Saved Newsmagazine was able to get
an exclusive interview with Abandon’s
Dave Vela on music, lifestyle and a
special shout-out to Abandon’s fans in
the Philippines! Visit the band’s official
website at www.abandonrock.com.
Photos courtesy of the artist and their
official band website.
UAL
SPIRIVTE
R
O
E
K
A
M
Wholehearted
Worship
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Control is available at House of Praise branches nationwide.
You can also order the album through House of Praise Direct on Facebook!
o
7
questions
with
Toby Huyssen DAVE
of Gloryfall VELA
of
ABANDON
AFTERMATH
STARFIELD
PHILIPPINE WORSHIP TOUR
Tweet Feed
@manila
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet
d.
praise him, my Savior and my Go
- Psalm 42:11
Your Christian resource.
“Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord;
I will sing praises to your name.” Psalm 18:49
facebook.com/houseofpraise
920.5291
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920.5291
loc.loc.
139139
o
The True Heart of Worship
A Testimony by Toby Huyssen | Frontman and vocalist for Gloryfall Band
“God, what is it that you want?
Because that’s what we want.”
I was a missionary kid.
My parents were missionaries from a very
young age- their honeymoon was a missions
trip from Germany to India by car, and they’ve
been all over the world since then. And so,
growing up in that kind of environment, you
usually, like being born in a Christian home,
assume you’re Christian because your parents
are. And you know so much about the Bible
and about God, and you hear it all the time
from having to sit through their sermons or
just them teaching, as well as being in church
and growing up in that environment.
I think it was a couple of days after my
older brother, who’s also a part of Gloryfall,
accepted the Lord. I was 8 years old at that
time, and because we were visiting Germany,
were bunking in a room together. As we
were about to go to sleep, he said, “I just
accepted Jesus into my heart. It means I’m
going to Heaven. Are you sure you’re going to
Heaven?”
And I got mad at him. I was like, shut up,
don’t say that, leave me alone I’m trying to
go to sleep. But then I’m lying there having
a hard time sleeping because it’s like, well,
I really didn’t know. That haunted me and
bothered me, and had me thinking about that
as I was going to sleep.
It was like, just because my parents are
Christian doesn’t mean I have a relationship
with Jesus. Just because I go to church, just
because I’m technically on the missions fieldit doesn’t mean anything. Just because I’m
helping my parents with the ministry doesn’t
mean anything as far as that, because the
scripture says, some will say ‘Lord, Lord, I
did this in your name and this in your name’
and He would say ‘Get away from me, I never
knew you.’
It got to the point where the Lord was
tugging on me too much, and I couldn’t take
it anymore. I went to my mom and said,
“Look, I want Jesus in my heart too. I want
to make sure that I would go into Heaven, I
don’t want to be left behind.” And so that was
the start.
After that, I started living the life of a
normal Christian kid for a long time up until
highschool where you know, even though
you’re a Christian, you want to be a kid, you
want to be a teenager. There was a point
where I did all the things good Christian
missionary kids would do: I’d attend prayer
meetings, Bible studies and all that. But I
have one friend who approached me and
said, look I want to have a prayer meeting or
prayer time. I want to do it different. I don’t
want to do one of those where it’s like, God,
please help me with this test tomorrow,
with this homework and this assignment. It’s
God, what do YOU want us to pray for, and
that’s what we’ll pray for. And that really was,
as a Christian, the turning point in my life
when we started setting apart time for God
The LEGO Principle
byjoey bonifacio
Love God. Love Your Neighbor.
Jesus called these
book
features
just saying, “God, what is it that you want?
Because that’s what we want.”
And really, that is the heart of worship. It’s the
“I must decrease, He must increase.” And whether
you apply that concept to music or prayer or
anything like that, it becomes a powerful tool to
transform your life and make you into someone
who is an ambassador for Christ. Things will really
happen in your life. The miraculous. And you’ll be
in positions of influence where you wouldn’t even
know how you got there. I experienced that as a
highschooler all the way throughout the rest of
my life where it’s like, wow, what’s going on here?
Where am I? How did I get here? And it’s only God
who can get the credit for all of it.
Hit the brakes and
turn off the engine.
It’s time to refuel.
Refuel by Ru dela Torre
(best-selling author of Road
the two most important
Trip and Back on Track) is a
commandments of all time.
mix of personal reflections and
When He said this, He was
devotional entries to energize
making something clear to
young people while they
His listeners then as He does
spend quiet times with God.
now: in life, it all boils down
The author puts it this way:
to our relationships. Using the
First, you went on a road trip.
example of LEGO®, a company
Along the way, you got lost
that has been transforming the
and had to steer your life back
way people play for more than
on track. Now, your tank is
fifty years, Joey Bonifacio shows
running low on gas. You need
you how to make a difference—
one connection at a time.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTIST
a fresh infusion of wisdom and
OMF LITERATURE
inspiration.
REFUEL
BY RU DELA TORRE
Issue 10 | 2012
FUEL.PH
A social movement that seeks to inspire, encourage,
provoke young people to pursue their passions.
Door 7 Smallville Complex
Diversion Road,
Iloilo City
www.fuel.ph
PHOTOS FROM FUEL.PH
FUEL YOUR PASSION. MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.
is the tagline of this typographic, socioiconic, and
ministry-oriented restaurant located at the Smallville
Complex in Iloilo City. Fuel.PH is all about passion for
food, for ideas, for beliefs, and is definitely all about
Christ.
The vision of Fuel.PH was birthed 5 years ago, in
2007. A few of the founders had been on short-term
ministry trips to Iloilo, and saw a need for a space for
people to come together. In the valley of the need,
the vision of Fuel was birthed.
“Fuel.PH is founded through a partnership
of people who believe that true passion is worth
pursuing,” said Matthew Barr, the Director of Fuel.PH
and one of its founders. “There is such a great need
in Iloilo for a place where church leaders can meet,
for youth to hang out without alcohol and still have
fun, and most importantly, where passion comes alive
and is showcased. This vision has been turned into a
tangible reality through the provision and faithfulness
of God and His people.”
One night after wrapping up a large evangelistic
youth event in Iloilo, some of the leaders sat down
and tossed around some thoughts concerning the
needs they observed, and some ways that these
Matthew Barr
Director of Fuel.PH
THE MENUS
THE TAGLINE
The tagline, ‘Fuel your
passion, make something
beautiful’, was created
to inspire and encourage
the youth to pursue their
passion. Matthew adds,
“We wanted to challenge
the youth to fuel the passion
that lies deep within them.
We didn’t want it to stop
needs could be met. They didn’t want to just have
a once-a-year successful youth outreach event and
leave it at that. They wanted to see the youth flourish
and be discipled into their calling and purpose in life.
Through crazy brainstorming and prayer, Fuel began
to develop!
“The staff that is currently working with
Fuel –except for our amazing Filipino marketing
manager– came from Dallas, Texas, and have been
involved in similar faith-based community projects.”
Matthew said, “We were all friends before we sold
everything and packed our bags for the Philippines.
This experience has brought us closer than just being
friends. We are a family pursuing a calling together.”
As with any great restaurant, the
menu makes or breaks the business
and also plays a part in the success
of food ministries. Matthew gave a
summary of Fuel.PH’s menu:
“All of our menu items are created
with a young person’s budget and
health in mind. Our milk teas are
freshly brewed teas mixed with our
in-house special syrups–its all real
stuff. Our coffee is Philippine roasted
beans and are the best quality of
beans Iloilo has to offer. The BBQ
with just the discovering
of one’s passion. Which is
where, ‘Make Something
Beautiful’ comes into
play. We said, ‘Great, now
that you’ve found your
passion, it’s time to make
something beautiful for your
community.’”
meals are cooked using a special
technique that doesn’t require a lot of
energy, because we believe in being
green and helping the environment.
Also, our Mum meals are meals that
are prepared by real life Mum’s.
”Lastly, our snowballs! They are
a very popular item at Fuel. The
snowballs are considered by many to
be like shaved ice, but it’s tastier and
fluffier. It’s like you’re eating snow
with a yummy flavor. Fuel provides
the only snowballs in Iloilo,” he said.
THE SOCIAL MOVEMENT
Proceeds from the restaurant are also allocated for community development, including a partnership with a non-profit
organization that provides meals and education for underprivileged children- the Sonshine Center. Fuel.PH is also currently involved
with Hope Community Center in Iloilo, reaching out to a community of people living and working in the local dump site. Besides
allocating proceeds, their recycled Styrofoam cups and coffee grounds are used for gardening by this community. Matthew said of
their involvement, “This partnership has successfully made an impact, and we have seen firsthand the effects of “teaching a man to
fish.”
Fuel.PH is a great role model for anyone looking for ministry options. Through passion and a knack for advertising trends, Fuel.PH
has created one more avenue for people to live like Christ every day of the week.
Find your own passion, and make something just as beautiful!
Jeremy Camp
TWEET FEED
PLANETSHAKERS
@planetshakers
@jeremycamp
1 Feb 2012
Hillsong United
@hillsongunited
3 Jun 2011
@mattycrocker @joelhouston balancing act in Manila...not
that much balance though... http://twitvid.com/LUU7S
@jeremycamp @adamcappa
21 Apr 2012
Check out his vlog entry together with Adam Cappa during their trip to Manila this year!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9-JkHBhKNE
@planetshakers Thank you Manila, Philippines we will
be back. Thank you @beccamusic http://t.co/JziySf5U
israelhoughton
@israelhoughton
21 Apr 2012
It’s official!!! Manila is the loudest place we’ve ever been.
@joelhouston and @christomlin were right!!!!”
israelnewbreed
@israelnewbreed
22 Apr 2012
Could have easily stayed on stage 3 hrs and done every
song we know in Manila.
Kristian Stanfill
@kpstanfill
3 Dec 2011
Compassion Project in Cebu
@kpstanfill i’ll never 4get what we saw in Cebu this
week. the beautiful hope of Jesus in the midst of
horrific poverty. headed to Bantayan Island now.
Adam Cappa
@AdamCappa
25 Jan 2012
@adamcappa Playing at COP in Manila, Philippines!
Over 20,000 came out & more than 2,000 gave their
life to Christ!
CCM artists know how to have fun too! See Joel Houston’s
antics during Hillsong United’s tour in Manila last June 2011.
PHOTOS TAKEN FROM ARTISTS’ OFFICIAL TWITTER AND YOUTUBE ACCOUNTS
Issue 10 | 2012
C
anadian band Starfield has always kept their mission statement in mind—for their concerts
to bring glory only to God and to have the audience sing praises to Jesus Christ! Anything less
would be considered a failure.
By this standard, Starfield definitely succeeded in leading wholehearted worship in their very
first Starfield Philippine Worship Tour held last September in Cebu and Iloilo.
12
ER 18, 20
PTEMB
CEBU – SE
The Starfield Worship Tour in Cebu
wasn’t just a concert, but was a gathering
of worshipers from different churches to
connect to one God. On that night, there
was only one church and one name on
everyone’s lips- Jesus Christ! The sold
out concert was held at the J Centre
Convention Hall in Mandaue, with the
audience literally rocking out for God.
Beginning with Cebu-based Carlos Choi
Band, worship began with original songs
that resonated among the audience and
showcased the Cebuano talent for music.
By the time Starfield came on stage,
everyone could feel the presence of God
descend over the convention hall.
Starfield hit it off with their song,
“Filled with Your Glory”, followed by
“Hosanna”, “I Will Go”, “The Saving One”,
and a few songs popularized by their
contemporaries: “Open the Eyes of My
Heart”, “Hallelujah” and “How Great is Our
God”.
At one point, the audio system
switched off and only Tim’s acoustic guitar
was strumming the chords to “How Great
is Our God”. The crowd started singing,
proclaiming the greatness of our God
and continued until the music started up
again. The crowd’s enthusiastic energy
added many great moments, as the people
shouted out with an upbeat declaration of
praise. More than just a concert, that night
was all about worship!
with reports from Rhey Magallanes (Christian Pinoys) and Anne Ilagan
12
ER 20, 20
EPTEMB
ILOILO – S
Continuing from their Cebu concert,
Starfield flew to Iloilo the next day to prepare
for the final leg of their Philippine Tour.
The city of Iloilo was abuzz with excitement,
with everyone gathering at the Rose Memorial
Auditorium of the Central Philippine University
in anticipation of its very first Christian worship
concert led by a foreign Christian band –
Starfield!
This Canadian band touched the hearts of
hundreds of students, youth groups, and even
the local police groups and firemen who were
present to ensure peace and order in Iloilo, as
they led and lifted up songs of praise to the
SAVING ONE. It was a crazy and amazing
experience that one would not easily forget,
seeing how the usually-shy Ilonggo crowd
almost brought the house down as they sang
(and danced) along to the many songs that the
band performed. It was an all-out worship to
the KING of Kings!
Tim Neufeld similarly presented the Gospel
in this city, and many prayed to surrender their
lives to Christ. Before the night ended, Tim
also shared a personal message encouraging
the youth leaders of Iloilo to continue igniting
the passion of their congregation to serve
others and spread the name of Jesus Christ.
Led by frontman and vocalist Tim Neufeld,
this four-man band is composed of his
brother Jon Neufeld on guitar, James
Johnston on bass, and Colin Trask on drums.
Photos by:
Leroy Lumban
Fernie Binondo
Photo courtesy of artist
Q: Have you done covers or mostly
perform your own original songs? Which
song would you say defines the heart of
FERVENT?
A: We seldom do covers. We play all original
Q: How did you end up forming
FERVENT?
A: The band was formed in 2006 by me and
my brother Joharni. Starting out as a worship
band in church-- we are both PK (pastor’s
kids) --we decided to form FERVENT and
write our own music. As the years passed,
we decided to get our cousins into the band.
Q: I heard you play both mainstream and
worship songs. Do you play both during
gigs or do different set lists?
A: Yes, we always make it a point to let
people know what we are as a band, through
the message of our songs. Our songs don’t
really sound like the typical worship songs
that we know of, but people get it when they
become familiar with the lyrics. We don’t
wanna be labeled merely as a Christian band
that writes Christians song/lyrics. I believe
we as a band go beyond that, or at least we
want to.
songs. We have a song entitled “Only Losers
Win”. I believe that song says who we’re
really playing for, and that only those who are
willing to lose their life for God will truly win
this race, as the Bible says.
Q. FERVENT was able to go to Hong Kong
twice, with the last being your very own
tour. Can you talk about your experiences
there? What was it like doing your very
own tour?
A: That was around 2010, and 2011. It was
great and such a blessing to be on tour
with Carlos Choi Band (formerly STILL) and
FRONTLINE, one of the best bands in Cebu.
We also went around HK. It was FUN! We
loved the crowd and the people there, and I
think they loved us too, because they wanted
us back.
Q: What Bible verse would define
FERVENT?
A: Rom 12:11 “not lagging behind in diligence,
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;” (NASB)
Joyous Harry Bendoy (vocals, guitar)
Joharni Benoy (drums)
Hanson Gason (lead guitar)
Jaydunn Lagahit (bassist)
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
FERVENT’s frontman Joyous Harry Bendoy
Q: What can we look forward to for
FERVENT? If you have an album out or
currently in the works, can you tell us a
little bit about it?
Q. What do you hope to achieve
A: We’re currently in the process of
A: As a band, we ultimately want
to glorify God through our music,
and be a tool in bringing people
to Christ. We are proud to be a
Cebuano band. There are a lot of
good bands here, and we wanna tell
the whole world that we have the
Christ-factor not just the X-factor. :)
recording our songs. We’re praying for the
album to be done before the end of the
year.
We also played at Robinsons Mall last
Oct. 18 for OMF Literature’s 55th Year
Anniversary, and last Nov. 3 for Gising
Kabataan at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu.
with FERVENT? Both as a
Christian band and a Cebuano
band?
Issue 10 | 2012
TOP 10 CHRISTIAN SONGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW YET
#1
Matt Redman - 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
Album: 10,000 Reasons (2011)
Track: 4 (Live recording)
Israel Houghton - Jesus At The Center
Album: Jesus at the Center (2012)
Track: 8 & 9 (reprise)
#5
#4
#3
#2
Matthew West - Forgiveness
Album: Into the Light (2012)
Track: 3
CD REVIEW:
#7
#6
Kari Jobe - We Are
Album: Where I Find You (2012)
Track: 2
Where I Find You
Kari Job
Kristian Stanfill - One Thing Remains
Album: Passion: White Flag (2012)
Track: 8
Tobymac - Me Without You
Album: Eye On It (2012)
Track: 1
#8
#10
#9
Big Daddy Weave - Redeemed
Album: Love Come To Life (2012)
Track: 7
Moriah Peters - Well Done
Album: I Choose Jesus (2012)
Track: 4
7
questions
ABANDON'S
D R U M M E R
with
1
Where does the name
"Abandon” come from?
The idea came from a great
scripture, “If anyone would come
after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross daily and follow
me.” Luke 9:23. Jesus is calling us
to give up this life, this culture, and
embrace Him. Follow him and put
our wants, desires, and dreams
second to His will. 3
If Abandon could sing
in another language, would
language would it be?
The language of the Philippines
would be awesome.
6
Out of everyone in
the band, who is the
quirkiest? What are
some of his quirks?
The quirkiest? Thats a funny
question. Maybe I am? I do and
say random things. I actually have
the ability to talk like cartoon and
do celebrity voices. I don’t know if
that’s talent or quirky. I’ll let you
decide.
Chris August - Center Of It
Album: The Upside of Down (2012)
Track: 1
2
Building 429 - Where I Belong
Album: Listen To The Sound (2011)
Track: 6
Can you tell us about your latest project/album?
Aside from praying,
what do you do to
prepare for a concert?
We don’t necessary have a
ritual, but we do stretch, vocal
warmups, and listen to music. A
lot of times I (Dave) will have a
pre-show playlist that I listen
to. Currently, I have Paper Route
and Kye Kye on there. Great bands. 7
5
Which of your
songs would be a good
introduction of Abandon
and the band's music for
a first-time listener?
Thats a tough one. I would say
“Feel It in Your Heart” and “Live It
Out”. They help sum up Abandon’s
style and message. 4
What are some of the things you CANNOT
go on tour without?
I cannot go on tour without coffee. I bring coffee from home and I am
addicted to it and I love it. The toiletry bag (toothbrush, toothpaste, body
deodorant, hair wax, dental floss, etc.) is definitely a must. Always need
my iPhone and Apple laptop. PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTIST | PHOTOS TAKEN FROM BRAND WEBSITES
Where I Find You features more of the
inspirational artist’s melodic Christian
pop. This is bright, positive-minded, and
uplifting modern CCM with a hefty cast
in its production including Ed Cash, who
also produced Jobe’s 2009 self-titled
debut album, and production from Matt
Bronleewe, who previously worked with
Natalie Imruglia.
D A V E
V E L A
Control is our latest album. It is by far, one of the most challenging and satisfying set
of songs that we have ever written. We called it Control because we wanted to ask the
question: who is in control of our lives? Are we in control or is God in control? This is the
struggle we were dealing with at the time, and in all honesty we are still going thru. There are times when we have to trust in Gods sovereignty, that He knows what He is
doing even when we may not understand. Control is a journey of our lives dealing with
trust, frustration, questions, and redemption. We wanted this record to be a very honest
record of what we, and many others go through. The goal was to lead us to Him, and bring
us to a point of giving Him control and trusting Him with His will for our lives. 4
Kari Jobe is one of Christian music’s
best selling female artists and one of
the most respected worship leaders in
the country. On her sophomore release,
Where I Find You, this 12-track album
features the current hit radio single,
“We Are,” that Kari describes as a “song
of commission for us as believers to be
reminded of what we’ve been called to
and that is to impact people’s lives in
everything we do. It also includes the
track “We Exalt Your Name” with guest
vocals by singer/songwriter Matt Maher.
A special shoutout from Dave
to the Philippines:
Hey Philippines
we thank you so much
for being such great
fans. We are so excited
about playing in the
Philppines, it is our
first time going and we
cannot wait to meet
every one of you. Keep
us in your prayers
and keep Christ at the
center of your lives. God
bless you and see ya at
Saved Festival 2012.
QUICK TRIVIA FOR
DRUMMER FANS:
Dave Vela uses a Shira Kashi Oak
5B Wood Tip as well as a Hickory 5B
“Pro-Round” Wood Tip. Basically
ProMark drumsticks and Evans
drumheads.
Come To The Well
Casting Crowns
Come To The Well is the 5th studio
album from Casting Crowns, and is an
appeal to Christians to let the “living
water” of Christ well up in us, overflowing
into the relationships we have around us
(spouses, parents, children, neighbors,
strangers), both inside the church and
beyond.
Inspired by the story of Jesus talking
to the woman at the well, the title track
illuminates the album’s main theme:
“She thought she was standing by a
well talking to a man, but really she was
standing by a hole in the ground and she
was talking to the well,” frontman Mark
Hall says. “We come to Jesus and we have
already got our well. We have already
got what we think is going to sustain us
and we come to Him to bless our thing
so our thing will work even better for us.
Jesus isn’t a sprinkle. He is life. That’s the
central teaching moment of the record.”
PHOTOS TAKEN FROM ARTISTS’ OFFICIAL WEBSITE
REFRESH YOUR PLAYLIST
FEATURED ARTIST
SALAMIN
SALAMIN’s Paolo Valenciano, Mikael Bersales and Eo Marcos joins
Saved Newsmagazine for an exclusive interview.
Q: What are some of your favorite bands
or artists?
Miks: I love the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Iron
Maiden. A lot of this stuff really, when I
was a kid, I didn’t listen to the lyrics. It’s
really the instruments. But I’m pretty sure
I listened to some songs that were pretty
bad. I love The Mars Volta, Rush, a lot
of jazz, a lot of Big Bang. I love classical
music.
Eo: The band that I studied a lot, the band
that got me playing the drums is Incubus.
Then, Foo Fighters, Beatles, I’m very into
pop. I listen to a band from Japan called
Toe.
Pao: I think I have a weird taste in music. I
grew up listening to Gary V. and I’d be lying
if I said na I didn’t listen to pop. I really like
acts like Chris Brown and Rihanna. The
bands I liked when I started were Incubus,
Deftones, Rage Against the Machine. I also
like stuff like Mumford and Sons, Florence
and the Machine, Adele. Leaning towards
rock, but I really do love Rihanna.
Q: Early this year, Salamin played at the
Winterfest in Korea. What was it like
playing there as a heavy metal band?
Eo: It was interesting, because their
culture is really K-POP. They’re not really
heavy metal, but it’s really cool because
they were very into it. They were very
responsive.
Miks: There was another [heavy metal
band] but it was more rock.
Pao: I think we were the heaviest band.
Eo: Well, they appreciated our music,
pero nung una nagulat lang ata.
Miks: We started with one of our heaviest
songs. They were trying to dance to it.
Hello Anxiety
Salamin
Like them on
salaminpilipinas
Q: They didn’t do a moshpit at all?
Miks: No. I bet they don’t even know
what that is, but you know, it was great
because even old ladies were clapping.
And then there were people with their
iPads and signs.
Eo: That’s not to say that the Filipino
crowd sucks. It’s also cool what he said,
but it’s hard to please the Filipino crowd
and when you do, it really cool. We
had a couple of gigs wherein we were
scared thinking that ‘Pano kung hindi sila
magrespond?’ to us. Hit or miss din.
Q: How was it like playing for a Korean
audience vs a Pinoy audience?
Miks: I think it’s great. Personally, I
really love the Korean crowd. The Pinoy
crowd sometimes will just watch, won’t
even care, but the Korean crowd loves
to get into it, you know? They just
want to dance, or even just move their
hands, but they really like to show their
appreciation. And as an artist performing
on stage, I mean that matters a lot
talaga eh. I think the only difference is
I think hindi pa sila nakakapanood ng
heavy metal band, so that’s why they
don’t really know how the traditional
way of appreciating it is.
Which of your songs got the most
reactions from the Korean crowd?
Pao: It was the heaviest song,
“Crusades”. That was the weirdest part
eh, we were really rocking out. It’s so
ironic that the heaviest song got the
best response because they don’t seem
to listen to heavy. I think they couldn’t
believe it din eh.
Not to put down the Korean
performers, but there’s a huge
difference between the intensity of
the performance of a Pinoy band and a
Korean band. It’s because here, [Pinoy
bands] really have to earn like, the
respect of the crowd unlike in Korea
where whatever the performers say,
sumusunod sila. And that’s great, it’s
amazing to be able to perform in a
crowd like that.
(“Crusades” also happens to be a band
favorite because of its energy and
message.)
Q: Where did you get your album
name Hello Anxiety from?
Pao: Well, basically, what happened
was we were having a lot of problems
in the recording of the album, and it
was really stressful. It took a year to
record it and I honestly felt that we
were never gonna finish the album. We
were spending so much. We weren’t
happy with the mixes. We weren’t
happy with some of the stuff that we
did. And then one time, my status on
Facebook was “Hello anxiety, my old
friend” and when [the band] saw it
they were like, ‘Dude, parang eto na.’
If you see the album art, it’s a kid
versus a tidal wave. We felt that you
really need to look at things in a
different perspective, so whatever
problems you encounter, you really
have to go against them. So in our
album art, you have a kid with a
slingshot going against the tidal wave
and there’s no way the kid’s going to
win. I mean, the kid’s gonna die, but
he still goes against the flow. Not just
going against it, but really fight it,
and you need to be willing to die for
whatever you stand for.
I think it’s kinda like how life is as a Christian, because if you are a
Christian, then you’re going to be in trouble, basically. It’s not going
to be an easy-peasy life.
I mean, we’re talking about now and I just realized that it’s funny how
God uses you. Like ‘Oh, it’s a Christian message pala’ even if it’s just
the cover ng album. Things might seem impossible but you gotta
stay strong.
Q: What about your advocacies as a band? Do you support a
ministry or foundation?
Miks: We support World Vision. We are sponsors of World Vision kids.
Eo: Yeah, in Cebu.
Miks: I think we were made musicians and we were put in our position
to give our songs, not just to play music. So it’s fulfilling also to use
your status as a musician for ministries or advocacies.
Eo: We were also at PGA Hospital.
Miks: We were in the cancer ward. We were there one Sunday and we
just met the patients, talking to them and performing for them.
Eo: It’s heavy to see them, but it feels good to see them smile.
Q: What’s next for Salamin?
Pao: We’re planning to go on a break first. I think every band will tell
you that’s it’s healthy to take a break. We took a break before and we
were, well, a lot of the songs in Hello Anxiety came alongside while
we were on a break. So we feel that we should keep ourselves from
Miks: It’s like what my granddad used burning out. We think that it would be good chance for us to explore
to tell me. When I was a kid I hated
other genres, listen to other stuff and then come back together
studying. So pag prayer time, he’d ask, again.
“What do you wanna pray for?” and I’d
pray na walang exam. So he used to
But we’re definitely going to release new material, work on a new CD
say that you never pray for stuff like
this year.
that—you should pray for strength.
PHOTOS TAKEN FROM ARTIST’S OFFICAL SOCIAL NETWORK ACCOUNTS
He said I’m not solving the problem.
Just this October, two members of Salamin were
nominated for the ‘Stig Awards with Paolo Valenciano
under vocals and Sho Hikino for guitarists under the
Rock & Metal category. What a great present for Paolo,
who just celebrated his birthday last October 12!
- TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL -
Jacob fathered twelve sons whose descendants became the Tribes of Israel.
After conquering Israel, each tribe occupied a separate territory in the land.
See if you can find the Twelve Tribes of Israel below!
it’s not the brand, it’s the message
Reuben | Simeon | Levi | Judah | Zebulun | Issachar
Dan | Gad | Asher | Naphtali | Joseph | Benjamin
R
VOLUNTEER WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER
Calling all writers and photographers! If you have the talent
for writing and a passion to serve God, come join the
Saved Newsmagazine team in this ministry!
Send a sample of your writing to [email protected].
Visit savednewsmagazine.tumblr.com for more info!
Salvation is found in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved.
ACTS 4:12
Issue 10 | 2012
N E W S M A G A Z I N E
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Editor’s Note
On days when everything goes wrong, when your whole life falls apart, when you’re in situations where there
are no solutions to your problems, can you still lift up your hands and worship God wholeheartedly? Persecution
and suffering can sometimes feel like they encompass the whole world. But the funny thing is, they can be
blessings too! This is the perfect time to honor God for who He is, not for what He’s done. This is the time when
distractions like popularity, fame, social status, money and other worldly things fall short of the one important
fact- that God is the only one who deserves our wholehearted worship.
Witness His great love and presence when we surrender everything and simply
praise Him as our sovereign Lord and Savior.
Regin Tan | Editor-in-Chief
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