Holy Cow! You're actually doing a tour here and I didn't know it was even happening until a few days ago. Anyway, what brought the band to the Philippines?

Glenn Bogador: Actually, this is the second time for us in the Philippines because we played last year too. But this time around it was a lot more fun because we've made friends from last year's tour. We've always wanted to go back home and play for a hometown crowd and play with the bands we look up to like Intolerant, Skychurch, Badburn, Piledriver, Tame The Tikbalang-- it was definitely a treat for us. Playing here is also a bit of a kick in the ass for us because we know that the caliber of bands here is unbelievable. Definitely a humbling experience to play with bands here.

How have the shows been? I know Ten 02 because I caught the Korean Thrash band Mahatma there a few months ago. A small place with nice tasting food is how I remember it. Was there a lot of moshing during your set?

G: The shows have been amazing. It was great to see old friends and make new ones. All the bands we played with blew us away. We're the biggest fans of Pinoy Metal bands for sure. Ten 02 is an awesome venue and it's funny how it makes a complete turn around on Saturdays because every other day of the week its jazz or acoustic stuff. I remember the staff moving some of the tables outside to make room for a little pit. So yup, there was a pit when we played and it was good to see friends in it. Great venue with great food, good vibes and very friendly staff, definitely a must visit for everyone.

Let's revisit recent history for a moment. Was Shepherds The Weak around when Intolerant played in Hong Kong? How did that show go down among local audiences?

G: We met Intolerant a year ago when we played Manila last summer and we told them that they needed to infiltrate and destroy Hong Kong with their music so we brought them over. Of course with the help of our other friends in King Ly Chee we managed to bring them over to play. The show they played here was insane!!! One of the best shows we've put together in a while and they definitely made lots of new fans here.

Enlighten us about the band's nationality. Who are the Filipinos in Shepherds the Weak?

G: We're all Filipinos brother, all Pinoys through and through, hehehe. But we all live in Hong Kong. Some of us were born here while some moved here at a young age, like me.

How would you describe the state of heavy music in Hong Kong so far?

G: I don't really know how to describe the state of heavy music in Hong Kong. Definitely a whole different ball game if we compare it to the Philippines. In fact, it's miniscule in comparison. Unlike the Philippines where you can find more than 10 different bands from every single genre at any given time, here in Hong Kong there's probably two or three bands that play, say, Death Metal, two that play Hardcore, and maybe one Black Metal band, and these bands don't play as often as bands back home. (When I say ‘home' I mean the Philippines, hehehe.) The commitment level is different too, most bands here do it to join the bandwagon of a passing fad then eventually find something else to latch on to. It's an endless cycle of new bands coming and going.

About the band's name, are there any biblical or spiritual connotations in your choice of ‘Shepherds the Weak'?

G: Most people that find out about us for the first time almost always assume that we are a Christian band, hahahaha. I wish there was a cool biblical way of explaining where we got our name but the truth is we got it from Samuel L. Jackson's monologue in ‘Pulp Fiction' just before he kills that kid eating a cheeseburger, hahaha.

G: We were all interconnected at one point and we all kinda shared mutual friends. I think at one time a couple of us played ball together not knowing we'd eventually start a band. Mike (drums), Richie (vocals) and Mushie (guitars) went to the same high school and I knew Richie a while back before the band. Terence (vocals) was introduced to us through his roommate Jason, Jay (guitar) hung out with us when we were already a band, and then it was natural for us to pick him when we decided to add another guitar player because he was already a good friend. We'd really rather have someone that we can hang out with rather than have a shredder that's a scumbag outside the band room. We're very proud to say that we are the only band left in Hong Kong with no line up changes, having been like this since the beginning.

Do disagreements and fights ever break out among you guys? How are they resolved? And to contrast this negative question, what do the members of Shepherds the Weak love about each other?

G: Disagreements do happen in the band. We're six different individuals so it's bound to happen. Fortunately it has never escalated past just a simple butting of heads because we all have so much respect for each other that it's just not in us to fight. For some reason we are blessed to have this incredible personal chemistry with each other, we can hang out every weekend and not talk about the band at all. I guess it's because we were friends first before we became a band. We've developed a really strong relationship with each other and I'm glad it's that way.

To probe the depths of the band's relationship, do you get tired of the other dudes' faces once in awhile? Or has it gotten to a point where, after a few days apart, you start to miss them?

G: Once in a while something comes up within the band that will surely annoy us about each other but it's never reached a point where we couldn't stand each other. We've really developed a strong friendship and we treat each other like brothers. Sometimes I do kinda miss those guys when we haven't seen each other in a while, like when we traveled back to the Philippines the five of us flew in earlier than Terence (singer) so the whole flight and the next 24 hours back in Manila all we talked about was how much we missed having that bastard around, hahaha.

What bands did each of you grow up with and what other bands eventually shaped the beginnings of Shepherds the Weak?

G: I guess the common denominator among us is obviously Metal in one form or another. We all loved the usual standard issue metal bands that everybody loves like Slayer, Sepultura, Pantera, Megadeth but we do have our own personal preferences with other styles of music, most of the time we poke fun at each other because of that too. Some of us listen to Hip Hop, Mike is really into Jazz and Progressive Metal and the same goes for JR. I have different phases in taste and it tends to influence the rest of us, sometimes I'm in my 70's disco funk week, 80's hair metal, anything. Huwag lang Soulja Boy or any bling bling Hip Hop bull crap. We're more into The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest kind of Hip Hop, hehehe. In the beginning we actually tried everything, played funk for a while too pero it was always leaning towards the heavy.

Can you divulge your musical background? What about the other members? How would you describe the current state of your collective chops? Are your chops hot shit right now? Is Shepherds the Weak's live performance tighter than a girl virgin's you-know-what?

G: None of us have any professional training of any sort. Except the few music lessons I had at elementary school but the rest of us are self-taught, which shows cause we're not like, say, Behold . . . The Arctopus, hahaha. Everything we know now, we learned by watching our friends play, listening to other bands that we love especially fellow Filipino musicians and of course music from around the world as well. So to answer your question we're not ‘hot shit,' hahaha. But we are, however, tight live, at least I'd like to think we are but ultimately it's up to the listeners and show goers to judge, hopefully we've practiced enough to please them.

How much has the band evolved as songwriters, and to a greater extent, musicians, ever since the commitment toShepherds the Weak invaded your lives? Do you now listen to other people's music with a different set of ears?

G: We seem to now have a better grasp of our own songwriting style. We have our own way of somehow pulling out a song out of a single riff idea. I'm not sure how it works for other bands but this approach seems to work for us. Having said that, we also have times where we may have 15 or so guitar parts floating around but none of them seem to work together. As we evolve as musicians and as we learn from our friends and other bands we do have a different ear now when it comes to listening to other bands, but not in a critical way. We've learned to pick out the best parts of a bands song a lot easier or at least the parts that we like individually. We are also better at understanding where a particular band is coming from or what they are trying to get across with their music as opposed to just passively listening and not taking anything in.

When playing any of your songs live, are there particular parts you just love like a breakdown or an intro?

G: It's more like songs we like to play rather than parts we like within a song. Where are songs that we hate to play live now but we still pull them out every now and then. With song parts, I guess for me, personally, I love the grooves.

Are you guys used to the musician's lifestyle yet? After years of being Shepherds the Weak, is performing now second nature for all of you?

G: Performing is definitely part of our lifestyle now. We'd love to say that it's something we do full time but unfortunately it's just not possible. By ‘lifestyle' you mean the whole sex, drugs and rock and roll? We're far from that, hahaha.

Can you keep this whole thing going before ‘adulthood,' receding hairlines, careers, and domesticity (e.g. family and kids) barges into your lives and ruins your dreams?

G: We plan to do this well past our adulthood, maybe by then we'll be more involved with the production side of things but we'll definitely still play together as a band even if just inside our little band room. To us it's more than the band itself but the camaraderie and fun we have together as a group.

Do you think you can handle the music industry and create something that lasts with Shepherds the Weak?

G: I'm not really sure what you mean by creating something that lasts with us, but with handling the music industry, we've never really cared about penetrating the ‘industry.' All we care about is that we play together, make friends along the way and have a good time. I guess that's the thing that we'd like to last within us. (I feel like I misunderstood this question, sorry.)

The vast majority of the world is ignorant of the band's discography so far. Which releases does Shepherds theWeak have to their credit? Wasn't there an EP in 2006? We'd appreciate the update. And are there any plans for a full-length album?

G: We released our EP ‘Strength In Numbers' three years ago and at the moment we are taking a break from playing live to concentrate on writing new music for our first full-length. In fact if you see us live we hardly play any of our songs from the EP. We have an entirely new set save for one or two old tunes.

Outside your commitment to Shepherds The Weak, what other upheavals are shaping your lives?

G: We only wish that we can do STW full time and actually make a living out of it but that's not possible. We all slave during the day or in some cases at night. I teach Grade two, Jay (guitar) works at a Macintosh dealership, Terrence (vocals) works for Verizon, Mushie (guitar) is a waiter, Richie (vocals) manages a coffee shop and Mike (drums) runs a diner. We have to put up with gas prices and living costs just like everyone else.

Can we expect Shepherds the Weak to headline any big shows in the future, namely this year's installment of Summer Slam? And regarding Pulp, since Joey Dizon from Intolerant is its editor, will you be featured in the magazine?

G: I don't think we'll be featured in the magazine anytime soon, we've been mentioned though because our good buddies in King Ly Chee were featured this year. With Summer Slam, we don't know yet, I wish we can play it, would be cool to play for a hometown crowd of that magnitude.

Thank you for this interview Shepherds the Weak. What other interesting places has the commitment to playing gigs brought the band? And what are your goals for the remainder of 2008? Is there anything, even outside music, that you're looking forward to at the moment?

G: No problem and THANK YOU for interviewing us. Our goals for 2008 are simple, just write new music and enjoy our off time. We've been playing non-stop for about three years straight so it's cool to not have to worry about playing a show and just focus on writing. Hopefully by the end of the year we can post something new on our myspace. We're looking forward to playing again soon but not until we've rebooted, hehehe, ‘cause we need a break man. Outside music, we're looking forward to Transformers 2, that's for sure, hehehe. Thanks again to Filipinometal for the interview.

Thank you so much again for your interest in us!

STAY HEAVY