Inside the Eheads' rehearsal

THE word is out. The post-script to the phenomenal August gathering of the Eraserheads is on in a few weeks—it is confirmed and now terribly anticipated. With the show ending so abruptly the last time, it’s no big surprise people can’t wait for the concert date to arrive.

The Eraserheads are currently rehearsing for the show and we know you have a lot of questions. Here are questions about the rehearsals collected from people on Multiply, along with answers.

Did they come with a prepared set list?

Yes they did.

Who wrote the set list?

Ely drafted the initial set list. Then Raymund and Marcus met up with Ely about a week ago to firm up the order of the songs. Buddy wasn’t there, but they figured that three ’Heads is still better than one. On the rehearsal day itself, they sat down inside Blue Light Studio’s ante-room and discussed production details. A lot of ideas were thrown around and according to Raymund, they kept the ones that were funny and cool.

Did they choose their songs based on crowd favorites?

Yes! They chose the songs based on what they thought the audience would like to hear. They also had to factor in that this coming show is a also considered—by many—a continuation of last August’s reunion.

Did they reminisce old times?

No.

Did they take long to set up or was it fast? What axes did each musician bring and which effects did the guitarists rehearse with?

Raymund and Marcus went into the studio ahead of the two and started tweaking on their own. Then Buddy came in. He’s very efficient when he sets up himself. Ely had someone tune his Yamaha acoustic while he did the mic tests etc. For the rehearsals, both Ely and Marcus used a Fender Stratocaster, Ely using Boss effects and Marcus used something that looked like Digitech. Buddy used his Rickenbacker bass guitar and Zoom effects. Raymund brought his own sticks, snare drum and pedal and played on the resident Blue Light Studio drum set.

Magpapalit-palit ba sila ng instrumento?

Hindi ko alam.

Did they still remember all the chords and arrangements?

Yes they did remember it, but naturally there were some parts more shaky than others. Very few though, but there were some.

Was there any song that didn’t sound so good that they abandoned it?

No, they ran through all the songs on the set list to the end. No stops, just a lot of starts.

What track did they repeatedly run through?

Watching their rehearsals was like watching a gig, actually. This was the first band rehearsal I’ve seen where no one interrupted in mid-song to rerun an uncertain part.

Did they try to rearrange the songs?

Nothing like that, actually. They talked more lengthily on the production details but when it came to the songs, seemed like there was no urgent need to rearrange yet. It was, after all, just the first rehearsal for this particular reunion.

Topless ba sila kung mag rehearse?

Awa ng Diyos, hindi.

Did they approach the rehearsal in a business-like manner or was it loose and laid back?

They were as professional as they should be. The adjectives loose and laid-back were adjectives that never came to my mind while I was there.

Joker pa din ba si Marcus?

During rehearsals focused si Marcus, before or after—is a whole different story. Nakakatawa talaga si Marcus, full stop.

Was it smooth or were there disagreements about how things should go?

It went smoother and faster than everyone expected, according to the band members. Everybody played well. The atmosphere was comparatively lighter and they guessed it was because they were more comfortable around each other this time.

Did anyone criticize the other’s playing?

None, zero. It was eerily quiet in between songs, I could feel their thought balloons bump by the studio’s ceiling.

What was the rehearsal food during the breaks?

I duly sampled the spaghetti and meatballs. They also had a great healthy sandwich spread out. Semi-wheat bread, cold cuts, lettuce, tomatoes and other condiments were available too. I imagined that the oily side of the table was for the rest of the bunch, while the healthier looking fare was included with special consideration for Ely’s dietary restrictions. Cool. The ’Heads have paid their dues, so they deserve this red carpet roll-out.

Was there booze or did they play clean?

No booze whatsoever. Just a lot of water, iced tea, softdrinks. Coffee for the sane ol’ Buddy. I don’t think I noticed what Ely was drinking. Siguro tubig din.

How many hours did they spend rehearsing?

The group met at 2 p.m., I got there at 3 p.m. and found them huddled talking about the song order. They got spilled into the studio a bit past that and started playing a stream of songs. After zipping through the first planned set, Raymund suggested a break. And Ely said jokingly, “Sige, break na tayo!” Everyone in the studio was cautiously giggling, the atmosphere was giddy when people streamed out of the studio back to the ante-room. There was some planning with the entire group including the MTV decision makers and their respective managements. A second round inside the studio happened after that, this time smoother and more relaxed. Buddy was feeling under the weather so he left ahead of everyone. Marcus and Raymund left a bit past 7 p.m., while Ely was the last to leave the building.

How many rehearsals left? I suppose two more?

Exactly that, two more.

Did Jazz come prepared?

Jazz Nicolas (Itchyworms) wasn’t there yet. But Jazz is a genius, he doesn’t need to prepare.

What do you think would’ve been different if it was just the four of them without all the cameras shooting?

This would be my guess: With or without cameras, they’d have still practiced the same way. These four have been celebrities longer than half their lives, they are used to being watched. In fact, I think this is why the clamor for them is still on an upswing, because they are so familiar to the public, we all think we know these guys. No deep, dark chamber secrets, at least not any more than the regular guy.

Could you discern roles that each member plays in reaction to others?

Buddy is literally and figuratively the bass player and he’s always been the one that ‘held the line.’ Marcus is the rhythm guitar and he strums the pace for everyone even if he isn’t aware of it or even if he doesn’t make too much of that fact. Raymund is the drummer, he’s the ‘rah-rah’ man who snaps the rim shot when energy should be taken a level up or down, he is aware of that and so is everyone. Ely is the main song writer and the architect of the band, so he lays the blueprint down on the table and says, “This is what it will look like, any suggestions?” What I think I’m witnessing is a band of young dorm guys from UP Diliman who parted ways some time back for reasons so convoluted that all of them don’t even remember exactly why or what made them part in the first place. And here they are again, this time on equal footing. It’s easier for them to see eye to eye this time around.

How do you see the Eraserheads?

I see musicians who felt and still feel the need to part ways in order to establish their individual identities. I think going their separate ways was all they needed to come back together and stand again in that circular formation inside a studio. Now, they face each other with their own weapons of creativity forged elsewhere, this time as servants of the songs instead of their egos.

During the rehearsals, which song did the band think would be a crowd favorite during the concert? Are they cooking up a surprise for the crowd—can you give hints and clues?

I’m sure you’d really prefer that I don’t answer this one thoroughly. All I can reveal is that I overheard Buddy telling a tech person in charge that the sound system should be adjusted so that everyone watching gets a good view and a good audio catch. I appreciate the way he said that the area of the general admission tickets should get a great view of the screen and that the sound-throw should be exquisite because that area is the priority. I thought that was neat. I definitely like the latter-day ’Heads better than the self-declared obnoxious punks they used to be.

--Written by Gang Badoy for the Philippine Daily Inquirer