Another Sotto in showbiz

After Tito, Vic, Val, Oyoboy, Danica, and Ciara, we now have another Sotto in showbiz: Gian, the third child and only son of Sen. Tito and Helen Gamboa. But unlike his uncle and cousins who are into comedy or a more conventional type of music, he’s a rocker.

"At 16, producers were already asking my mom if I could be an artista," he says. "But I did appear in some TV shows, like Iskul Bukol, and I know I’m not that good as an actor. Music is really my passion. I write and sing my own songs. But when my mom first heard my rock songs, she said: You call that music? Mag-Elvis na lang daw ako. My three sisters were more encouraging. Also all my uncles, sina Tito Val, Tito Maru, and Tito Vic. As for my dad, who was also with bands like Tilt Down Men and VST and Company, he requested me to finish college first bago ako sumali sa isang band. Iba raw kasi if you already got a good college education. So I followed him and got a degree in Entrepreneurial Management from the University of Asia and the Pacific. I also help out in the family’s food business. My mom, a very good cook, is putting up new food outlets in malls soon. But after mapagbigyan ko sila, I went back to my first love, rock music."

Gian is the vocalist and lead guitarist of Nerveline and their debut album, Anesthesia is being launched by Ivory Records in SOP and Eat, Bulaga! He’s proud that he didn’t ask any of his parents to pull any strings to get the record deal with Ivory.

"I wanted to try it on my own. Now I can proudly say nagpakahirap akong mag-isa. I started by recording my songs all by myself. I’d record the parts for the guitar, bass, and drums separately, then mix them. But when I was recording it na, I realized mahirap kayaning mag-isa, so I asked my friend Buddjhie, my classmate in Letran, to join me as bassist. Then we recruited Ace, who was with another rock band before, as our drummer. The band was formed in 2002 and we did several demos of our songs that we offered to various recording companies. It’s not an easy climb for us. Lagi kaming rejected. So we decided to record the entire album first. Then we looked for the right label for us. I asked my dad to listen to it and he says it’s better than my past songs na sobrang ingay. Ivory Records decided to gamble on us and I’m glad they’re the one who got us since it was also they who gave the break to Wolfgang before. Wolfgang recorded several hit albums for them and is now a respected name in local rock music. I hope we also achieve the kind of success they got."

Why did he call their band Nerveline? "Kasi when you listen to music, your nerves will somehow be affected, di ba? Line naman comes from our wanting to make a connection to the listeners with our kind of music."

What bands influenced their music? "From abroad, I’d say the main influence is from the Grunge band of the ’90s, like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Nirvana, also the likes of Red Hot Chili Pepper and Metallica. Personally, I also enjoy the music of classic rock artists such as Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and the late Jimi Hendrix. Locally, I listened a lot to VST & Company and to Wolfgang."

Where does he get the inspiration to write his songs? "The songs just come naturally. When I am forcing myself to compose, mas walang lumalabas from me. My dad and I just love watching movies, and sometimes, after watching a good movie and it has a big impact on me, something hits me at ‘yun na, when I get home, I get my guitar and come up with a new song. I composed most of my songs on an acoustic guitar in our beach house in White Cove in Batangas."

Their debut album, produced by veteran rock producer Angee Rozul, has 11 cool songs, some of which have been heard by their fans before when they played in rock festivals like last year’s Parental Advisory Tour and Summer Slam.

The only Tagalog song, Basang Labi, is their carrier single. It’s a midtempo rock tune that showcases their own brand of Pinoy rock imagery and it sounds like a potential hit for local rock aficionados. Other promising cuts are Sunday Paint, Missing, Cradled Soul, the title track Anesthesia, and The Nerve. The next few months will be busy for Gian and his band. Their album will be launched on TV via SOP and Eat, Bulaga!, then they will be doing a series of bar tours, mall tours, and campus tours to promote their album. The music video they did for Basang Labi, directed by Gari Buenavista, can now be seen in various music channels.

Born on March 18, 1978, Gian looks more like his mom with his fair mestizo features. He is honest enough to admit he has a love child. His girlfriend, Joy Woolbright, a fashion model, has given birth to their son, Vicente Sotto IV, six months ago. "The baby boy is now my mom’s favorite," he beams. "Pinalitan na ako."

Will he encourage his son to also be a rocker? "It’s up to him. He will have to make the decision for himself. Like me, everyone was telling me to go into acting but hindi ko talaga ‘yon hilig. Most people discouraged me from going into rock music, but here I am, finally doing what I really love to do."