Split Attitude bids adieu in final gig

Split Attitude, one of Saipan's longest running roots, rock, and reggae local band, is calling it quits and will have its farewell bash at Shooters on April 12, 2007 starting at 7pm.

All fans and friends of Split Attitude are invited to come and see the band on their last performance, as all members of Split Attitude and special guests will be there to make this an exciting and memorable event. Other local rock and reggae bands/performers have also been invited to add to the entertainment lineup.

Split Attitude started in April of 2000 as a two-man team when singer/songwriter Irvin Babauta responded to an ad that guitarist John Torres had placed in various places on the island looking for a lead singer. Since then, Split Attitude has had the opportunity and pleasure of jamming with various other musicians, all of whom have helped to either define or re-define the Split Attitude “sound” and chemistry.

Although Split Attitude has had only one all-original album, Island Habitz, which includes the mega-hits “Pak Pak Paki” and “Mr. Policemon” they have also had videos to three of their songs produced and aired on Marianas Music Videos as well as the chance and honor to appear on a video with a top Japanese pop group.

Other achievements include top prize winner three years in a row at the San Francisco de Borja battle of the bands on Rota (of which many of you probably know about the last battle being the infamous prize non-payment issue which up until now remains unsettled), and second and third place winners in various other battles of the bands on Saipan.

The main reason why the band is calling it quits is because of guitarist John Torres' decision to relocate to Guam and because of the economic situation on Saipan.

“We were doing so well in the beginning, playing almost seven nights a week when we first started as a two-piece. The clubs were hardly ever empty, even on the weekdays. We managed to pack numerous clubs on the island almost all throughout our entire band lifespan. Yes, there were times when things were slow, but not as slow as it is nowadays,” said Torres.

To cut costs, Split Attitude was even forced to reduce the size of the band, going back to its original two-performer setup. However, even this drastic measure did not produce favorable results, as the chemistry and sound that Split Attitude had attained with the other musicians was no longer there.

“Thus, the final farewell jam bash where we hope to bring back the sound and chemistry and revive many of the good memories we all once shared. We truly hope to see a lot of former fans and friends of the band there at the bash and look forward to making this special event a night to remember,” Torres said.

The farewell performance will be on a Thursday since most of the other bands/performers have their scheduled gigs over the weekend. Local band friends of Split Attitude, such as Brokemouth, Project X, SFX, and Stroken, are also expected to jam.

“This is the only night where we can gather all available musician friends of Split Attitude, so, we hope to see as many former fans and friends as possible. For those who can't make it, we thank you for all your patronage and support and we wish all current and future rock and reggae local bands success. Hopefully one day, more support will be given to our local bands,” Torres said.