THEY?D always attract an audience, especially during private gatherings. As identical twins suited up in the exact same clothes their parents ?forced? them to wear, the brothers, each with a guitar, would sing before a crowd of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and family friends.

Today, a good 50 years later, twin brothers Secretary Gabriel Claudio and Doctor Rafael Claudio are still performing. They will perform for the first time in public in a fund-raiser dubbed ?Remember in September? on September 18 (7 p.m. cocktails; 8 p.m. showtime) at the Pavilion A and B, Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club, Mandaluyong City.

Naming their band Double Vision, the brothers aim to raise funds for the Bone Cancer Indigent Fund of the Philippine Orthopedic Center, Philippine Foundation for Health and Development Inc., and the University of the Philippines Anti-Violence Against Women program.

?Our support for UP?s program has nothing to do with the latest headlines. We planned this concert as early as three months ago,? said Gabriel. The Claudio brothers agree that they?ve always shared the sentiment to help and do something for the community.

Double Vision will play songs by the Beatles, an original medley of their songs done by the Claudio brothers, and music from the ?70s, ?80s, ?90s, including OPM classics from the likes of VST & Co.

?I think it took us more than 50 years to realize this childhood passion of playing together,? said Rafael. ?We had to warm up and prove to ourselves that we can perform in public and ask people for money to listen to us. These are songs about our childhood, all the way up to the present.?

Growing up, the twins, the only boys in a family of four, inevitably shared hobbies ?
assembling models, drawing, painting and, more passionately, playing the guitar.

?We never formally studied how to play the guitar. We can?t read notes. But we were so thrilled by the Beatles? music that we tried to copy how the notes sounded on our guitars. We used to make-believe we were the Beatles,? Gabriel said.

Gifts

One Christmas, at age 9, they were given their first real guitar by their father ? white for Gabriel and red for Rafael. Since then, they?ve been playing and singing together at home, practising after school and on weekends.

?We were forced to study [playing the] piano and we hated it,? said Rafael, laughing.

It was during those times that the twins developed an aversion to formal music study. Their piano teacher would hit their hands with a stick each time they made a mistake. Besides, said Gabriel, they preferred the guitar.

?We are also dedicating this concert to our parents,? he said. ?When we were kids, one of the greatest delights of our parents was to listen to us sing together for them. It wasn?t always fun for us, though, with our clothes looking alike always; or when we had to perform on days when we would rather do something else, but there were guests in the house who?d like to meet us, so we had to perform.?

With Gabriel the presidential adviser for political affairs and Rafael, the chair of the Orthopedic Department of Medical City, the twins hardly have time for practice.

So how will they swing it? Chemistry, both said. And it also helps that everyone in the band is about the same age. The band also opted to play familiar, tried-and-tested songs so that nobody actually has to learn new music.

On rhythm guitar is a childhood friend from Samar they touched base with two years ago. The other two members they met a year ago (Gabriel plays the lead and acoustic guitars; Rafael, bass.)

?Playing the guitar is also our way of de-stressing, something we do after a long day of work. I always kid that I?m preparing for my next career, when I?m out of Malacañang,? Gabriel said.

?Remember in September? will also feature Monette Villarin, Abet Alfonso, and Boy Collado, with special guest Marissa Sanchez.

?This concert is like a dream come true. I?m sure our parents will be very happy and proud of us when we go onstage,? Gabriel said.