Hale Live in Dubai!

Dubai | 10/03/2010

It all began with a simple song called "Broken Sonnet." When this ode to love hit the airwaves in the first quarter of 2005 as the carrier single of EMI's Full Volume Pinoy rock collection, nobody?not the listeners, the band scene shakers and movers, nor the song's creators themselves?fully expected the musical maelstrom that would propel an unknown young band called Hale to the top and spawn a new pop rock genre, "melodrama".

Hale. Love it or despise it, HALE's 2005 triple-platinum (as of May 2006) eponymous debut album is a testament to the band's gift both as musicians and songwriters. More than a highly commercial success that made them a household name virtually overnight, this is the record that gained Champ Lui-Pio, Roll Martinez, Sheldon Gellada, and Omnie Saroca artistic recognition from industry titans and earned them even the grudging respect of critics and haters alike. As an upstart, barely a year old band back then, all this foursome wanted was to musically express themselves and be heard. But they didn't count on the massive chart-topping power of their sound's "musical sincerity," "melodrama (melodious drama)" undertones, and "stream of consciousness lyrics"-- catch phrases now exclusively identified with HALE.

2005 to 2006 was definitely the Year of HALE. Beginning with carrier single THE DAY YOU SAID GOODNIGHT, their songs monopolized the #1 slot in music charts across the nation with one impressive hit after another.

THE DAY YOU SAID… never left the radio charts as it was hailed as "Song of the Year on 97.1 WLS-FM, and "OPM Song of the Year" on RX 93.1 and Magic 89.9 WTM. HALE was also named "OPM Band of the Year" on RX 93.1 and "Best New OPM Artist" on TM 89.9.

In preparation for their sophomore album, the band released HALE REPACKAGED in February 2006. It's new and fourth single, TOLL GATE, shoot straight to #1 followed closely by fifth single, BLUE SKY.

Indeed, the band could have gone on forever with this one album alone. Thanks to its roaring success, they've also become product endorsers of the country's most renowned and commercially acclaimed brands.

But Hale, by this time established as one of the country's most-acclaimed bands, have more ambitious plans in store.

Twilight. "There was pressure on us to duplicate the success of our debut album," says Champ. "But in effect, we experimented [with our sound] and did the exact opposite. This album was caught in the band's adjustment phase."

In October 2006, Hale gave the OPM scene an unexpected jolt by creating an album that moves away from their perceived image as a band. TWILIGHT features raw, tough riffs and darker, more intricate lyrics, while encompassing a wider spectrum of musical arrangements (read: non-Hale like).

Many believed this "pulling away from what is" to explore one's artistic depth was a risk-laden, courageous move lesser music artists wouldn't have dared to do at such an early stage. For this alone, Hale proved they're artistic and musical integrity to one and all.

Hale's sophomore album scaled up to the top of the charts on both radio and music channels, with 15, 000 units sold only one week after its release. This certified gold album produced three brilliant singles: WALTZ, HIDE AND SEEK and SHOOTING STAR.

While the band retained their trademark insightful lyrical content and melancholic sonic ambiance Omnie Saroca insists, "Hale tries to be a not-your-typical 'drama core' band." Instead, the album is, according to Sheldon Gellada, "a musical journey through the various pitfalls we've come across."

Hale's bassist might as well be talking about the reason for their decision to keep a low profile and take what the public saw as a hiatus from the scene after the release of their second album. "There was a time when we were at the point of exhaustion. It was just too much that our friendship and performance were suffering. It [became] obvious back then that we needed to slow down and rejuvenate. That triggered the decision to lay low," vocalist Champ explains at length.

The scene waited with bated breath for a long time for Hale to quickly emerge from this self-imposed hibernation. Three years after their first album put them in OPM rock history, Hale prepares for chart domination once again.

Above, Over and Beyond. The second wind. The newfound passion.

ABOVE , OVER AND BEYOND is another "pulling away" that sees Hale braving ankle-nipping waters with a new sound that showcases the band's further artistic abilities without repeating what they've done before.

"We're definitely back with a new level of confidence. People said it was a huge risk and that it could cost us everything we've worked hard for. And that I think is out biggest challenge: proving those people wrong. We took a break to recharge and now we've come back with a fresher album," says Champ.

"This new album is closest to Hale's heart. It took ten months to make. And we enjoyed every minute of it," adds Roll.

Don't expect any selling out on Hale's part though. After their first-hand encounter with the high and lows of this "business is business" industry, this band has learned the most difficult yet significant lesson in every true artist's career: "Never sacrifice the quality of the album for popularity and money."

They've enjoyed being on the zenith of fame and have come face to face with disappointments. So this time around, the band makes sure their presence in this fickle music cosmos would not be end up as tragic ephemera. It's time for genuine substance and lasting significance.

"Right now the band is working on helping people through music. We created Treehouse Productions so we could contribute to society in our own little way. And that is how we want to be remembered."

As the third album ABOVE, OVER and BEYOND continues its strong shaving in sales at leading record bars, it had also produced the first single "Pitong Araw" which scaled the top of the MYX Charts and second single "Leap of Faith" which is again proving a new energy for Hale.

Latest Album. HALE has turned in another solid effort with its fourth studio album which have expanded their boundaries with the new cd KUNDIMAN. The album's lead single BAHAY KUBO will again prove that our band is letting themselves to be experimental and getting their efforts to be more creative as musicians.

KUNDIMAN is leading to a brand new Hale that we've never seen before. "The concept is Filipiniana," Roll Martinez (guitars) explains. "It's called KUNDIMAN for the essences of the songs written and we thought it fits the album perfectly. It's about the cultural observation of our mother country. We're expressing the state of mind of our society in a humane context and not political."

Their soulful, haunting, intelligent songs have set them apart from the others and which prove that they can be uplifting without being so pop-ish, other Tagalog titles are KALESA, ASO'T PUSA, ULAP, MAGKAIBANG MUNDO, BULALAKAW, YAKAP and HARINAWA. Roll added "With this album it was Champ to took the lead in terms of songwriting. The songs on the album talk about everyday life being Filipino and love."

Hale had developed and evolved their song writing with each of their albums - from self-titled album, released in 2005, to Twilight one year later, then Above Over And Beyond in 2008 and now this. "The new album possesses a different attack-- song wise and arrangement. Getting two people to co-produce greatly helped the sound improve. It took us four months all in all to write and record. We recorded in our studio, and got two of our friends to co produce it with us. Angee Rozul and Monty Macalino of Mayonnaise. Monty helped in the guitar section and Angee on the drums and overall arrangement. We surrounded the recording process with a fun atmosphere and relax environment" Champ also shared. And for Roll, "Growth is very important to probably almost all of the musicians and we are proud to say that we mapped out every new ideas, sounds and words to this new album."

AWARDS and ACHIEVEMENTS:
Gold Award (15,000 units) for self-titled Hale (June 2005)
Platinum Award (30,000 units) for self-titled Hale (August 2005)
Double Platinum (60, 000 units) for self-titled Hale (November 2005)
Triple Platinum (90, 000 units) for self-titled Hale (May 2006)

Gold Award (15, 000 units) for TWILIGHT (October 2006)
MTV Pilipinas 2005-Best New Artist
97.1 WLS-FM Year End Awards (2005)
--Song of the Year for THE DAY YOU SAID GOODNIGHT

RX 93.1 Year End Awards (2005)
--OPM Song of the Year for THE DAY YOU SAID GOODNIGHT

Magic 89.9 WTM Year End Awards (2005)
--OPM Song of the Year for THE DAY YOU SAID GOODNIGHT--

RX 93.1 Year End Awards (2005)
--OPM Band of the Year

TM 89.9 Year End Awards (2005)
-- Best New OPM Artist

2006 Awit Awards -Best Ballad for "The Day You Said Goodnight"
People's Choice Award for Favorite Band

2006 SOP Pasiklaband (GMA Channel 7)-Best Pop Rock Band

2006 MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards-Best Pop Video for "Kung Wala Ka"

Tickets are available at Metro Manila Filipino Night Club or call 050-1942074 or Rocky's Cafe contact at 050-6401969 or 055-4147305, Ticket Sales Office at 04-3550511.

Ticket Price: AED70

Start Time: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 at 9:00pm
End Time: Thursday, March 11, 2010 at 3:00am
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates