Mindanaotoday.com | Cyber Band; Young, talented local rockers worth your time
By: Jack Biantan
CAGAYAN De Oro City — It has been weeks now that Cyber Band has rocked the local music scene when they were among the few invited local bands to perform as supporting acts to the Legendary ‘Teeth’ Band at the full packed USTP gymnasium downtown.
But as the days passed by I still could not get them out of my mind. It was the first time in my life that I have attended a rock concert and the first time I have been impressed by this bunch of young rockers.
What is more impressive is that these talented lads are only in their early 20’s and they play their own instruments, compose their own music and they are all locals.
Their music are full blown Alternative Rock, Avant-garde Pop, New Wave, Standards and noisy Heavy Metal.
What separates their music from other heavy metal bands is that it has soul. Soul that comes from their love for the environment and their personal experiences of love, pain and their wish for World Peace.
Cyber Band are three rockers with boyish looks that could give SB19 a run for their money. They were formed in 2019 with Andoy Patuasic on guitars, Saki Abogatal in keyboards and bass and CJ Alcantara on drums.
The trio are all students of Xavier University. Patuasic is taking BS Phsycology, Alcantara Computer Science and Abogatal BSIT. All of them are of almost of the same age. The leader of the band Andoy just celebrated his 22nd birthday last Nov. 19.
It is refreshing to see these good looking and clean shaven young rockers. They are like the young Beatles minus-1.
Andoy, the most talented of the group and the leader of the band is a veteran of the popular reality talent search show in ABS-CBN ‘The Voice Kids’ where he impressed the three judges Lea Salonga, Bamboo and Sarah Geronimo in 2015.
He was so cute with his guitar as he sang Ed Sheeran’s ‘Give Me Love’ which made the three judges turn. Bamboo thought Andoy would select him but instead the Cagayan de Oro kid selected Sarah to be his mentor.
Andoy reached only the second round after he was eliminated during the battle round.
Andoy during that time was studying at the Liceo de Cagayan de Oro City and he was also starting to carve a name for himself as a young musician.
Fast forward now, Andoy said his ‘The Voice Kid’s’ experience as unforgettable. ‘I met my musical idols during that time,’’ he said.
‘The Voice Kids’ did not show the real Andoy. He was asked to sing songs which did not show his love for rock. He also choose the wrong mentor. It could have been different if he had chosen rocker Bamboo.
The real Andoy showed his real self when supporting ’Teeth’ at last month’s concert at USTP gym.
He blew the crowd away with is entertaining tickling of the guitar and the way he jumped up and down the stage. He owned the stage like the legendary Pinoy Rocker ‘Pepe Smith’.
And what is more impressive is that the songs are all original, collaborations of these three talented young musicians from CdO Andoy, CJ and Saki.
In their four years of existence as Cyber Band, they have released two albums, an Alternative Rock Album, ‘In My Dumb Perspective’, and a Progressive Rock album ‘The Light’.
Last June they were special guests for the legendary band ‘The Breed’, the hit makers of the ‘Black Mercedes Benz’.
They have been awarded ‘Best Album of the Year for ‘The Light’ in the 3rd Indie Musicians Music Award for 2023.
Cyber Band is also in Spotify. They also have a Youtube Channel and a Facebook Page, @cyberbandcdo.
If you want to catch up with the Cyber Band, they will play in the Inkfestation 2 event for tattoo artists and tattoo enthusiasts on December 2, at the Arikay Campsite in Opol, Misamis Oriental.
Just like other bands here in CdO Cyber Band are full of potentials. What they need is proper exposure and one hit single that could shoot them on top of the charts.
They are still very young and have their future in front of them. They have to finish their college degrees first so that they can have fall backs. But as of the moment they will keep on trying until they will succeed.
Cyber Band is the future of Philippine Alternative Music. Just listen to their music and enjoy. (GOD BLESS jackbiantantambok@gmail.com)
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