skinnydipping with skeeneedee

old article written by good friends shaun ramos and dinno racho for SULYAP (the official CERSA News Group), second semester of SY 1998 - 1999.

skeeneedee should have a reunion concert soon! haha.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
We call CERSA the haven of many talents or better yet the newest Ateneo talent center. why you ask? Many of its talented babies have already joined the dancing CADS, the rocking RAMP, the charismatic TA (Tanghalang Ateneo) and ENTABLADO, etc. Lately, two Ateneo bands, Skeeneedee and Rubberduckies, are making a sensational entrance into the entertainment world of Ateneo. Their unforgettable and amazing performances have already gained them big following. They have joined most of the Ateneo concerts, variety shows, and other events.

Just recently, I chatted with the members of Skeeneedee. They may seem serious during their stage performances but inderneath that deceiving exterior, they are actually a bunch of kalogs. They always make fun of eath other. But who are these guys? “Si Francis ang sa bass, the chickboy ng banda, ngunit siya iyong madalas na nagkakamali.” quips John-B, which everyone agrees to even Francis himself. John-B is the vocalist of the group. “Ako na lang, kasi hindi puwede si Jake, hindi rin puwede si Tatot, at lalo na si Francis!” Jake is on lead and rhythm guitar. Silent as he may seem, he always has the last say on what songs to play for the band. And finally, Tatot is the man behind the drums. They call him the cool guy though they don’t know exactly why he’s it.

Initially, they didn’t really plan to form a band. Once, they were just asked to play for their sophomore batch party. “Game talaga kami for it, so we started practicing. Francis was Jake’s roommate so sali-sali na rin siya. We had to teach Francis how to play the bass kasi wala kaming bass player.” Exclaim Tatot. “Naawa lang sila sa akin, kaya pinasama na lang ako.” Francis continuous.

And that was it. Skeeneedee was formed. Their biggest break came when they were asked to be the front act for the Eraserheads cocert las August 21, 1998 in the Cervini quad. The event was aired live over NU107. After that, more gigs came their way. They were able to play for AMP’s Rites of Passage concert, MISA’s Y2K party, and a lot more. Asked about their most memorable gigs, John-B mentions three. One was a Musmos concert. He said the kids were going gaga over Francis that the band had to be escorted off the stage. “Para kaming star!” Another was the Loyola Mountaineers party held at Freedom bar. There, they were able to perform with great bands such as Parokya ni Edgar. Their gig at Moose Bar in Timog was also memorable. They were given a whole set to play their songs. This was equivalent to 10 songs, a first time feat for the band.

The band attributes different musical influences for their kind of music. But alternative music has always been their specialty. Their songs delve mainly on the up-tempo beat of Offspring or Sublime. Favorite of the band, and their fans are the songs “What I Got” by Sublime and “Come Out and Play” by Offspring.

So what does it take to be the distinguished band to replace the legendary Rubberduckies who will be graduating? It takes practice in PowerChords, the former World Beat or Sounds Familiar, three jamming stations where the band always frequent. Adding to that is the burden of lugging around the bass and electric guitar and cramping each equipment and each band member into one trike. The band also gives significance to a little experience with other bands in the past. Johb-B and Jake were bandmates in high school. They also had a band during their freshmen year in college. Francis also was rocking his head off during high school. Tatot, whom all the band members unanimously agree to be the best in the band, also had experience with a lot of other bands during his high school days.

With all the hassle of impending superstardom, how does the band handle all the pressure? Fortunately, they have other venues releasing the stress of being in a band. John-B and Tatot are busy playing basketball for CERSA Team. Francis and Jake are busy with the flock of chicks they have to attend to. All of them are members of the CERSA Soccer Team. They also hold a twice a semester bonding session called SNOW (Skeeneedee Nigh-Out Weekend). What happens during this night still remains a mystery.

What does the future hold for them? According to vocalist John-B, they want to shift attention from singing cover songs to making their own original compositions. According to bass player Francis, in line with his chickboy image, the band is seeking to become the premiere boy band of the Philippines. With the rate they are going now, it could all become a reality

------------------------------------------------------------------------
where are they now? 10 years after....

tatot is now a businessman based in butuan after spending 8 years working for a multimedia company in ortigas.

jake is one of the most sought-after photographers in the metro. if you read uno, rogue, fhm, etc, you've probably seen his works.

john-b is still john-b. he is a husband, an environmental consultant and a internet cafe owner.

francis is me. he lives a boring life as an extremely loyal corporate slave - working for the same firm for over 9 years. he is still single and definitely ready to mingle. haha.

we never got to compose original songs... we got lazy and work got in the way. but music still is, and will forever be part of us. i have a 110G music collection in my hard drive!!! my precious...

------------------------------------------------------------------------
our fifteen minutes of fame. good old days. i do miss playing for a band. i actually want to form one. i already have a band name in mind.

alpha q

what do you think? LOL.