BONEHEAD:Pinoy Rock 95's!

"A CROWN FIT FOR A BONEHEAD"

"Five guys, barely of legal age, talk about life after their number 1 song. They call themselves Bonehead this is their story…..

This band’s a happy band…and you would be too if by some gift of chance your song becomes no. 1 at a popular radio station and stays ahit for five weeks. So here we are at drummer Paul Lacsamana’s house. Paul, bassist Philippe Recto sit around a table and wait for the rest of the band. Guitarist Chico Cristobal walks in and heads straight for Paul’s bedroom ( where their jammings are held).

We get up to follow him in and I glance around; drums in one corner before a wall full of various posters, amplifiers and guitars on the floor…singer Dino Navarra walks in the room with sleepy guitarist Monjo Balinghasay who plops unto Paul’s bed and closes his eyes to catch some sleep. After several minutes of introductions and monjo’s im so tired moans, we decide to go back out to the table and begin the interview.

We start off by talking about their first song “Hari ng Sari-Sari”, which they wrote last July(1994). Originally in english and with acoustic guitars. We had nothing better to do that day recalls Philippe and Monjo, he adds that they finalized the song in Alabang Country Club, translating it into tagalog after Monjo’s suggestion. The title “Hari ng Sari sari” was also Monjo’s idea, now isn’t it a little strange that a sari sari based song was written at a country club? Which reminds me to ask them how they feel each time they’re introduced as the boys from Ayala Alabang.

“Discrimination…” says Dino explaining that though it bothers them, they cant deny the fact and they try not to mind it much. Then Paul adds “ song namin pang masa, sabay kami tingin nila mataas” it makes it harder for the people to relate to us na it's our song.

“What we used to do when we were in high school, we’d go over to this construction site near the school that has a sari sari store and just make tambay” says Dino, and his bandmates laugh a bit as they recall thoses times. Well, memories produced a hit for them. “we didn’t thinkit was gonna be no. 1, but we knew it was gonna get radio play.” admits Philippe. But Monjo relates that when their song wasn’t played several days after it had been submitted to LA 105.9, he called the station office and asked the president if they had already received it. Then when they finally heard it on the radio one afternoon, he called all his bandmates and tell the good news.

These days, they don’t bother waiting by the radio anymore and their song (without their knowledge) even appeared in one of those song hits magazines.

Bonehead’s musical influences are bands like black Sabbath, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Jimi Hendrix, Blues Man BB King and even R.E.M.and the Beatles. Locally they look up to Razorback and the classic Pinoy rockers like Mike Hanopol and Joey Pepe Smith.

They have 7 other original songs ( one of which I had the pleasure of hearing during their jamming that afternoon) and have plans of recording an album someday, but they agree that they cant be sure of what the future may bring. “We’re not flash in the pan that after this, Hari ng Sari sari, there's nothing next. It's not this trip thing, we make good music and we’re worth listening to."

So what now? I guess we can tune in to the radio and wait for bonehead's next hit."