Made up of vocalist Shane Ross, guitarist Steve Balaban, bassist Ganapatya (Glenn) and sequencer Saito, Divine 9 is an industrial band whose influences range from NIN to The Prodigy. They arrive to put up a show in the coming event Flow, sharing the stage with local bands such as Concave Scream, Plain Sunset, Saw Loser and West Grand Boulevard. We quiz Shane, Glenn and Saito to see what the band is made of.
Is there any story behind the name Divine 9?
Saito: Yes. Nine is a significant number from a numerological standpoint and it bears a degree of biblical significance. The symbol of the band is derived from the Japanese Kanji and Chinese character for Divine/Spirit/God, merged with a Celtic cross. Ha ha. Who am I kidding? To be honest, I was off my face and dreaming of a higher power when I came up with the name… and it rhymed!
Glenn, you’re the most experienced member in the band. We heard that besides the bass, you play the piano and guitar too. Which is your favorite instrument?
Glenn: The bass I would say, simply because I play bass a lot better than guitar or piano. I used to be good at piano but that was many years ago!
Personally, what’s the best thing being in this band? And the worst?
Shane: The best part is being able to work with brilliant musicians. The worst part is Saito being in Singapore and not with us. We’ve tried bribery and blackmailing to get him back to Australia on several occasions!
So what’s the process of making music for the band then? Since Saito is in Singapore.
Shane: It is tough, but modern technology helps. He designs the songs, emails us, we add to them as a band. Sometimes we’ll edit his arrangements to suit a live situation.
This is Divine 9’s second time playing in Singapore. What was the response when you guys performed previously at Home and Gashaus?
Shane: It was very positive, especially when we played at Home.
Saito: Well, a girl followed me to Zouk after our gig at Gashaus on Christmas Eve last year. She ripped my shirt off in the middle of the dance floor and I got blamed for it!
