Side A celebrates its 25th year in the biz next year with the release of their 10th studio album, a landmark of sorts.

I ONCE swore that I?d write about Side A ?when pigs fly.?

Well, swine flu, so here we are.

It?s not that I hate the band, it?s just that ? rock snob that I am ? I?ve never really had much use for Side A?s brand of crowd-pleasing pop rock and radio-friendly balladry that made them, at one time, the biggest band in the land.

Hey, whatever floats your boat. Lots of people love Air Supply too, and Side A is still huge by local standards. They?ve recorded 15 albums to date, have played an average of three gigs a week for the last 24 years, and still have plenty of loyal fans.

It?s funny how things work out: Back in the early 1990s, Side A was the band that ?alternative music? was the alternative to.

Now of course, alternative has become mainstream, with bands like Sandwich, Pupil, and Bamboo hogging MTV and radio. The massive ?Ako Ang Simula? media campaign drew on the likes of Raimund Marasigan, Aia de Leon, Rico Blanco, Sugarfree, Peryodiko, and Rocksteddy to drum up the youth vote in their PSAs.

The subtext is that these are artists with something of vital social and political import to say, while Side A and their ?showband? ilk are mere ?entertainers? and not exactly what you?d associate with the idea of social change.

These distinctions are, of course, entirely arbitrary. It merely underscores how far mainstream what used to be ?alternative? has become.

As for Side A, they?re still very much around. The band celebrates its 25th year in the biz next year, but in the meantime, they?ve just released their 10th studio album, titled ?Only 1? (MCA Universal).

The album is a landmark of sorts. The band underwent a crisis when bassist and chief songwriter Joey Benin left some years back to manage the family farm. According to Naldy Gonzales, the band?s only remaining pioneer, the remaining members seriously considered calling it quits, were it not for the timely arrival of new members Ned Esguerra and Leevon Cailao.

The infusion of fresh blood proved to be just what the doctor ordered, and the band decided to soldier on, much to the relief of their fans. Eric S. Caruncho