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Contrary to what everybody is saying, Urbandub’s gig on May 9 isn’t the Cebuano band’s farewell show. “It’s to celebrate our 15th anniversary,” clarifies vocalist Gabby Alipe.
And while yes, it is true that Urbandub is taking an indefinite hiatus, he also clarifies it won’t happen until the end of the year. “May 9 will be the last time you will see all four members together on stage, but John Dinopol and I will be honoring a few more commitments to close the year. We don’t want to get sued, ha ha.”
When 2015 is done, so is the band comprised of Gabby on vocals, Lalay Lim on bass, John Dinopol on guitars and JanJan Mendoza on drums. We speak to Gabby about the last 15 years, their plans for the future, how it was like moving to Metro Manila, and fatherhood.
May 9 is almost here. Do you have a setlist already?
Yes, our singles. Fifteen years, so 15 singles, plus a few more songs. Like a best of album. We’re releasing a DVD of the show so it’s going to be, like a live album, greatest hits thing.
What are your plans for 2016?
Family, take a vacation, and then focus on my businesses.
Wow, businesses.
Yes, matagal na rin mga ito, around 2009. I started investing kasi you to have na rin. I have a clothing line, it’s called Skills and Bones, I’m a partner there. I have several little businesses, I invested in several small, local brands. John has his Pinnacle clothing also and he’ll be expanding soon. Lalay, I know has a few also but she’s a full-time mom.
It seems like family is the number 1 priority at this point for all of you.
Yes, when I had my kid in 2013, I noticed the passion for performing, changed. I just want to be with my kid, eh. Duon ko na feel na maybe we should start slowing down a bit. Medyo matagal na rin — we’ve been in the industry for 13 years. What clinched it was when Lalay got pregnant the year after, [in 2014].
For me, I understood that it will be hard for her to commit to the band. Kung ako nga, na tatay lang, nahirapan ako, lalo na siguro siya. When her baby turned 3 months, she stopped playing with us. Russel Manaloto of Faspitch started playing with us. When we were approaching our 15th year, since everybody had their own plans na rin, we thought maybe it’s time to take a break and end it on a high note.
Who put the idea forward?
Me. I was the one who talked to everyone. Like I said, it was gradual. You can tell, everybody was starting to get tired. We wanted to end it on a good note rather than continue on and [let] stress get to us. We might end up fighting pa — we don’t want to end it that way. We wanted to end strong, end on a high note, and end while we’re still relevant.
What do you mean by that?
People still go to our shows, they still buy our albums. Kumbaga, hindi pa naman kami laos. And the music scene in general has changed as well. People pay more attention to DJs now than organic bands, which is also good because music is still music, but our era, we’ve done more than enough. We wanna take a rest, take a break and look back on the things we’ve done as a band.
What are you most proud of in the last 15 years?
We were able to achieve our main goal, which was to put Cebu music on the map, to put it on a national scale, bring it abroad pa. We were already content and happy to be able to perform in Manila. Taking it from Cebu to here, is already a big deal. We never really imagined we’d start headlining shows, or we’d be able to do tours.
Is there a show, a gig, that you couldn’t believe was really happening? Like, all four of you guys just looked at each other on stage, and thought, is this really happening?
The first NU Rock Awards show that we played. That was in 2003, and we won song of the year for “Soul Searching”, which is from an indie album pa. That was the biggest for us, parang woah, puwede pala maging career ang ginagawa natin. That was the turning point for us. All we really wanted to do was perform in Manila and represent Cebu. And then look, we were able to stay here 15 years.
What won’t you miss?
Late nights.
How about a song you wouldn’t mind not playing?
“First of summer”, ha ha ha. We play it all the time! We cannot not play it, even if we’re sick of it. During rehearsals, we don’t play it anymore. But we enjoy it live because nakikita namin yung reaction ng mga tao. We play it because the fans like it, and the energy from the people, wow. For 30 minutes on stage, wow.
All this is coming from you becoming a father — how different has your life changed?
I don’t go out as much. Naiba yung paggawa ng kanta. The angst is still there but it’s not as pronounced as when I was in my ’20s. [You realize] after a while, that I have nothing to complain about. I was able to pursue my dream, make a living off of it. I have my kid. I’m happy. I have nothing to complain about. All the bitterness and the heartbreak, ubos na. I’ve written them away. I’m over it.
Did you think fatherhood was going to change you this much?
No. I didn’t think it would, but it did. I’m happy it did. Oddly enough, I never saw myself as a dad but when I became a father, gusto ko yung feeling.
But you still write songs, right?
Yes. I’ve always written songs for myself naman.
So if not heartbreak, what do you write about now?
More philo stuff, I’m at that age now eh — I’m 35, and a father now. I’m finding it harder to write anything meaningful in the urbandub sense. For me, if I can’t put myself in the mindset of how I write for Urbandub, then I can’t write an Urbandub song anymore. As a fan of music in general, when you’re used to a band writing a certain way, when they change, parang nakakalito. We don’t want to alienate people also.
Did you see this coming?
Of course. In the beginning, when we got signed, our mindset was, get in get out. Let’s take it as far as we can and then let’s end. Because, you have to understand, we’re from Cebu. We never thought Manila would ever notice us. Sobrang removed ang Cebu scene from here so when we got to Manila, we said, let’s just make do with the welcome and then go.
Was the move to Manila difficult?
Oo, comfort zone namin ang Cebu. We moved here in 2004. I quit school for it, JanJan quit school for it. Manila was intimidating because it was so big, and sanay kami sa Cebu where everybody knows everyone. So we clung to the bands we were friends with. I hung out with Jay of Kamikazee and Ebe Dancel and Eight of Quezo in QC. At one point, naging housemates kami ni Jay with Darius in Malumanay Street. After gigs, feeling namin rockstars na kami, but then we’d go up to our rooms and then sa stairs nakalatag lahat ng awards ng Parokya. ‘Marami pa tayong kakaining bigas,’ sabi namin.
And then you’re here, ending it already.
But we’re not going to turn our backs on music naman, eh. Everybody’s going to do their own thing outside of it. We just want to try something new. Ako, for sure meron akong ilalabas in the future but not now. I want music to be behind the scenes in my life at the moment. Because for the past 15 years, music lang talaga eh.
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