JET PANGAN of THE DAWN

The Dawn frontman Jett Pangan said erstwhile guitarist Francis Reyes is welcome to rejoin the band if the latter wants to.

“But I know Francis,” Jett told Manila Bulletin Online in a recent interview. “He will only come back if he has already figured things out. I can’t speak for him. He’s the only one who can say, ‘Yeah, I’m ready.’”

 “But the first agenda should be the friendship,” he added. “And then the band. He’s been with the band for 18 years. He’s more of a brother to me. Parang pamilya na kami.”

The Dawn released in July its 11th studio album “Sound The Alarm” featuring new guitarist Kenneth Ilagan.

Jett lamented that communication between him and Francis is nil since they, along with bandmates Jun Boy Leonor and Buddy Zabala, had a meeting a couple of months ago.  

“Akala namin naayos na. It was a hard meeting but never kaming nagsuntukan, never kaming nagsigawan. We thought we had fixed the problem. We even shook hands,” he recalled.

Jett also remembered that the band agreed to issue a statement regarding Francis’ departure a month after that last meeting.

“I thought he’d be ready to talk to us [after a month] but [I was] not [expecting to receive an] email from a friend who’s not a member of the band. OK na sana but there’s this stupid email,” he pointed out.

Francis, in the blog that he shares with his girlfriend whom he said had been unfairly dragged into the issue, concurred that there is no direct communication between him and his erstwhile bandmates..

“Pathetically, we currently rely on mediators, the band’s business consultants, to relay messages back and forth. This is rather stupid, but from what I know, The Dawn and I have decided to just let each side go our separate ways,” wrote Francis.

He also wished the band the best, even as he himself shared having his “own modest plans” that includes “working with music behind the scenes.”

Francis recently won the Cinemalaya 2009 best original music score for “Dinig Sana Kita.”

Jett admitted he doesn’t read Francis’ blog to avoid “coloring it with his opinion.”

“The only way we can [get through] all the lies and speculations is for us to talk again one day,” he said.

Jett is cast in Atlantis Productions’ 10th Anniversary production of the Tony-Award winning musical, “Spring Awakening.”

For Jett, there will be the challenge of portraying his role of the Adult Male Figure in all its various forms: from a loving and supportive father in one scene to a forbidding and abusive schoolmaster the next.

The singer-actor is committed in sharing the message of “Spring Awakening.”

“The musical is about adolescents yearning to learn about sexuality, and generally, themselves.

“Back then, there was a shortage of objective literature and information as regards to things like sex. Now, thanks to a slew of information on just about anything, both child and senior can learn touchy stuff in pro-active ways.”

“Spring Awakening” was written by Duncan Sheik (of “On A High” and “Barely Breathing” – fame) and Steven Sater. It had won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical. 

"Spring Awakening" runs from September 25 to October 18, 2009 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati.

For tickets call Atlantis Productions at 892-7078 or 840-1187.

(Due to explicit content and some nudity, parental discretion is advised)