Itching to Get Back Onstage with AcidRadius While Reminiscing Our Short History

I’m finally back in Davao! Now let’s go back onstage!

It’s been two weeks since I got back to Davao and I am itching to go back onstage!

I miss playing with my band so much.

I can’t believe I’ve been in the same band with Mitch and Glenn for 7 years now.

Sheesh! How fast time flies.

I can still remember becoming a fan of Induce the first time I watched them play live. I made a vow in my mind that one day I’d be playing with those guys.

It didn’t take that long before Glenn and I started talking about forming a band with Mitch in tow.

I was kind of disappointed that Kiss didn’t join us at first. He finally did after we had gone through a series of drummers

From the Ashes of the “New” AcidRadio.

The band AcidRadius started in 2018.

I had fallen out with the guys I formed the “new” AcidRadio with because of distance, musical direction, motivation and other personal things. I had fun playing with them but that relationship and excitement eventually fizzled and we parted ways.

I didn’t really think I’d be in another band again.

I kinda wrote it out of my life because I was sick and tired of being disappointed. The “new” AcidRadio had gotten enough traction to get noticed but there was just something off with our partnership as a quartet.

Months passed and I was quite settled with just being a musician in private. I just wanted to focus on other, more important things in my life like establishing my career as a copywriter.

Until Glenn strongly insisted we get together and try it out as a unit.

This would become the “New” “New” AcidRadio.

Our chemistry was unmistakable. It was like I was back in familiar territory again. Glenn and Mitch’s level of musicianship were leaps and bounds above others I’d jammed with and it really felt like I was with my old bandmates Jean and Domz again.

I couldn’t help but smile every time we hit the stage.

Something I wasn’t really able to do in the past few years that I had been playing.

The only problem we had during those early days was keeping a drummer in the band.

One Hitch After Another

First, The Long List of Drummers

Ok, so it’s no secret that our first main problem asa band was keeping a drummer.

If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Schedule conflicts, multiple bands, oversized egos, lack of talent. There were many reasons why we couldn’t keep a drummer. We started getting good drummers like Felix Sumile III who was a solid and had very little to no ego.

The problem, he had to relocate to a far place because of his family.

The logistics of keeping him as our drummer proved impossible to maintain and we sadly had to part ways with him.

That was a bummer.

I really liked Plong.

And then Kisstong finally agreed to come onboard which was really cool because he was the drummer I first wanted when I agreed to form a band with Glenn. Basically I really wanted was just to be a part of Induce.

I didn’t care if I was the singer or a third guitarist. I just wanted to be part of the Induce crew.  

And then Kisstong had to move to New Zealand.

Which finally led us to our current drummer Chocko Bordeos which seems to be the most perfect fit since he’s just as solid as the previous two and has zero to no ego.

Frankly, when I close my eyes, I hear Kym through him in the same way that I hear it through Al Verona’s drumming (although Al’s drumming has elevated wildly through the years).

That’s the tale of our long line of drummers.

The Pandemic Hit

When the pandemic hit, we basically had to shelve ourselves for 3 years. That’s 2020 to 2023 of very minimal gigs.

We could have gone online but we didn’t.

That was a failed opportunity.

Most of the blame falls on my shoulders because I was busy with work.

Career Concentration

My career as a copywriter is a dream come true.

I’ve always wanted to earn from the thing I love doing best.

It’s my way of providing for my family and even though I may love the idea of earning through music, years of being a musician has opened my eyes to the reality that this might not be the most lucrative career for me.

I’m not the best guitarist nor singer and my songs aren’t really hits.

So…

I don’t want my son to starve.

I Became a Dad

I have no regrets of becoming a dad.

I’m just sad that my choice to focus on my son affects my participation in the band. It is unfair to the other guys and I’m thankful that they are understanding enough.

You see my fear is that I won’t be there to see my son grow or miss out on things that I might regret later on in life when he no longer needs me to be around him.

I’ve heard way too many horror stories of regrets that I don’t want to be one of them.

And I’m really enjoying my role as a dad right now.

Maybe more than playing music.

Maybe.

Now That I’m Back, Let’s Go!

Now that I’m back, I want to reconnect with my bandmates and start playing again. Small gigs to forge our bonds and make sure we have the right chemistry.

I’m itching to play onstage again.

The past few days have been spent furiously practicing and trying to shake off the cobwebs acquired from not playing regularly.

Anyone got a gig AcidRadius could be a part of? We’re really good. I promise.