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MiG Ayesa
 “You
think I’m overly dramatic...”
Although currently best known to most as MiG, one of the three
finalists on “RockStar:INXS,” Miguel Alfonso Ramon Legarda
Ayesa’s theatre roots are strong. Even as a child, says his
cousin, Suzette Legarda Montinola, MiG loved performing. One of
her favorite memories is of acting out “Grease” with MiG, who
took on the role of Danny Zuko. As a child, Ayesa stuttered but
found that the stutter disappeared when he picked up a script
and took on the persona of someone else.
Fast forward some years and MiG Ayesa was still playing Danny
Zuko, only this time as the star of the Australian production of
“Grease.” He has an impressive array of other stage and screen
roles behind him, too, but always had a band, according to
Suzette. In 1990, he teamed up with Martin Nievera to co-write
“Looks Like Love” for Nievera’s album “Time.” He was also doing
commercials, such as for Ray Ban, and had begun to accumulate
some acting credits, among them the Australian TV movie “Top
Secret: Mission Impossible.” He even played a vampire in “Queen
of the Damned” and what was described as “latex-covered serial
killer” in “Subterano, among other acting roles.
The stage and rush of performing live continued to grip him,
however. He was tapped to play the role of Richie Valens in the
Australian touring production of “The Buddy Holly Story,” which
took him to London, where he performed the role in front of
Queen Elizabeth. Ayesa also had parts in various international
touring companies, among them Angel in Jon Larson’s “Rent,” Joe
Vegas in “Fame,” and Danny Zuko in “Grease.” He would eventually
land the leading role of Galileo in “We Will Rock You,” a West
End Production that features the music of Queen. Here, he
attracted the attention of original Queen guitarist Brian May,
who was impressed enough with MiG's musical chops to begin a
collaboration on a project with him that utilizes originals by
MiG.
Ironically, all of this and his admission that the first record
he remembers buying was INXS’s “Original Sin,” meant nothing in
Ayesa’s s quest to win the spot as lead singer for INXS. In
fact, as he noted in his lyrics for “Do or Die,” a song penned
during the competition, his dramatic roots seemed as much a
burden as a strength. Despite this, he has emerged as one of the
final three as this article is being written.
You can’t copy Michael Hutchence, Ayesa told one reporter. “The
minute you try and copy him, you just become a bad
impersonator.”
Ayesa, 35, born in the Philippines, moved to Sydney, Australia,
as a young boy where he lived with his mother and older brother
Andrew. His mother is a retired doctor while his step-father is
a retired lawyer. He now resides in London, England, with his
wife Simone de la Rue, a dancer, whom he married in 2002, and
their Maltese dog Powder.
One of the highlights of Rock Star: INXS involved his wife. It
occurred when the producers convinced MiG that the only reward
he’d receive for winning the encore with his performance of
Peter Frampton’s “Baby, I Love Your Way” was a phone call from
Simon. Since she was dancing in a live production in England,
that was believable.
Viewers were first teased with the image of a somewhat dejected
MiG sitting on a couch talking to Simone on a cell phone. Then,
unbeknownst to MiG, Simone is seen entering the mansion behind
and unseen by MiG. His reaction when he saw, first, a glimpse of
blonde hair, and then Simone was one of those made for
television events that can’t be choreographed. They just happen.
Thus, it was thoroughly established that not only is MiG an
incredibly nice, generous soul but one who loves his wife.
What inspires him?
“Anyone with a passion and a beautiful soul,” he told one
interviewer. Anyone with “a sense of justice and integrity.
Anyone who moves me to try to be better.”
INXS may have been his first record purchase, but Ayesa says he
mastered the piano playing Billy Joel tunes. At the same time,
he was listening to an array of music styles, such as Stevie
Wonder, James Ingram, Earth Wind and Fire, James Brown, Lenny
Kravitz, Donny Holloway, Queen, and even the Red Hot Chili
Peppers.
His first live gig was at a wedding. “We were terrible,” he told
a reporter. Despite this, he continued to pursue a career as a
musician. He sang with Randy Badass and the Slickmaster Five in
the early ‘90s, the same time frame that found him co-writing
“Looks Like Love” with Martin Nievera. He was also the singer
and keyboard player in Lovetown. Then came the role of Richie
Valens in “The Buddy Holly Story” and although he fronted a funk
band called simply MiG in the late ‘90s, his career as a stage
actor seemed fated.
Despite this, Ayesa apparently never gave up his dreams of
becoming a singer/songwriter. He confirms this, noting that his
original intention in moving to London was to work as a
songwriter to secure a publishing deal. As many aspiring
songwriter/singers have discovered, however, success can be
elusive. As a result, Ayesa looked around for something to
provide an income and settled on the theatre once again. He’d
played Angel in the Australian production of “Rent,” with its
themes of homelessness and HIV, and found himself recapping that
role on the London stage.
It was this role that lead him to “We Will Rock You.” Ayesa was
introduced to Brian May of Queen and that shows musical director
by a colleague in “Rent.” They suggested he audition for the
role of Galileo in “We Will Rock You,” which he did the next
week.
Things didn’t go as planned, however. It was, according to Ayesa,
a “terrible audition.” Fortunately, he was given another chance
and nailed it this time. Unfortunately, Tony Vincent, the
original Galileo, decided against leaving the show. Despite
this, Ayesa was hired to understudy both Vincent’s role of
Galileo and that of Pops, played by Nigel Planer. Six months
later, Vincent left the show and Ayesa was given the lead role.
Then came Rock Star: INXS. After two years playing Galileo,
Ayesa was once again eager to play himself. He admits to being
overly confident in an interview with the Standard.
“During the audition, I was feeling really confident because it
was just me,” he said. “Things suddenly changed when I met all
the other finalists. Then, the second I heard them sing, my
confidence just went out the window. These people are all
amazing.”
Although giving kudos to the others, it should be noted that out
of the fifteen who began the audition, only Canada’s JD Fortune,
Chicago’s Marty Casey, and MiG Ayesa remain as this is being
written. All have had their share of ups and downs, each gaining
a strong fan base on the Internet.
The winner will be selected next week and will go on to record
and tour with INXS for at least one year. Win or lose, however,
Ayesa, who has been labeled the “nice one,” sees the competition
more as a challenge to stretch one’s self than to win, feels he
has won simply by being involved.
“This is a competition among ourselves,” he told the Manilla
Standard. “We only have ourselves to blame if we suck on stage.”
He goes on to prove that his nice guy image isn’t contrived. “I
would love to win the competition, but I won’t compromise or
stab people in the back just to get things my own way.”
--Bio by June Price for ROCKBANDLOUNGE.COM
MiG Ayesa
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