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c h i k k a
i n t e r v i e w
from
Smile
readers as well. Special thanks
to Ulysses “Yul” Session, Journey’s road
manager, for helping make it possible.
As Journey’s frontman,
what are the best and
worst experiences you’ve
had so far, and why do you
consider it so? — Eunice
Castellon
“
The best is when I’m in perfect shape to
share the magic of Journey’s melodies with
the fans. The worst is when I’m not in good
shape to do it and have to do it anyway
in front of 10,000 to 15,000 people. That
scares me, but the show must go on.”
Where do you see
yourself in 10 to 15
years? If you could go
back in time, would you
change anything? — Anita
Holloman
“
I’ve been envisioning that since I started
with Journey. I know my downtime will
come soon. It’s inevitable. Farming and
cooking full time, not only part time, have
been among my dreams. A solo album —
I’ve been longing to show that side of me. It
has been my dream since the beginning of
my long singing career.”
When are you coming out
with a solo album? — Terri
Win
”
I’m hoping to come out with one next year.
Let’s cross our fingers on this one.”
Who are your favorite
singers? Is there any
singer or musician that you
look up to? — Adi Effendy
”
There are tons of musicians that I have
admired over the years. The Beatles, Led
Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, John Farnham,
U2, Steve Perry, Nat ‘King’ Cole and Ann
Wilson of Heart, to name a few.”
How did you handle the
expectations of Journey’s
fans when you performed
with the band for the first
time? — Adi Effendy
”
That time, I was just being myself. As
much as possible, I try not to worry about
people’s expectations.”
Do you ever miss the
relative anonymity that you
had when you were still
performing in Manila? —
Jonathan Evans
“
Yes! There was more intimacy back in those
days.”
“
As much as
possible, I try
not to worry
about people’s
expectations”
Arnel (bottom left) with
the rest of the band
“
THE TOUR IS DOING WELL,”
Arnel
Pineda writes to us via email, still on the
road with Journey as the band crisscrossed
the US and Canada.
The frontman of the classic rock group
said the “Eclipse” tour, which will also
take the world-famous band to Australia,
New Zealand and Japan early next year,
is exceeding his expectations. “If I may
say, it’s better than the way I expected it to
turn out,” he says. “Each city we’ve visited
has its unique highlights and memorable
moments. As of now, I’ve done more than
300
shows with Journey. That is a lot of
great stories.”
We asked Arnel which cities he’d like
to return to and enjoy on his own, without
a stadium performance on his schedule.
“
I would love to come back to Paris, New
York, Las Vegas and San Francisco with
my family,” he replies. “I like those cities’
energy. They are unique and left me and
my family breathless. We’ll keep coming
back for as long as God permits us. And
we’ll see Australia’s cities next year.”
In the meantime, Arnel watches
Breaking Bad
and
Damages
to fight the
occasional boredom during lulls while on
the road. “
Breaking Bad
reminds me of the
darkest days in my life,” he explains. “I
watch it to test myself whether I’d be enticed
to come back to my stupid ways back in
the days. And
Damages
?
It’s a mind-
stimulating story about deceptions and
betrayals. Those are so appealing to me.”
Arnel graciously answered questions
