Francisco "Bamboo" Mañalac serves as the band's frontman. Contrary to popular belief, the band is not named after him. According to Ira Cruz, the guitarist, the word bamboo relates to strength and durability with an island feel to it.Also, it's very Filipino and Asian at the same time.
Two of its members, Bamboo Mañalac and Nathan Azarcon, were formerly part of Rivermaya. The other two members, Ira Cruz and Vic Mercado, were former instrumentalists of another band, Passage. Cruz and Azarcon were also former members of the band Kapatid during that time.
Four years after their departure from Rivermaya, Mañalac and Azarcon caught up again with each other, during which Azarcon introduced him to Cruz and Mercado.
The idea to form the band was hatched toward the end of Bamboo's stay in the US. He and Nathan began talking about forming a band. Nathan then enlisted the services of Ira and Vic. As soon as Bamboo returned to the Philippines, the group members scheduled a jam session. The band's lineup boasts of seasoned musicians whose resumes are dotted with stints with popular rock groups. Despite the number of years the band members have piled up in the music scene, they are not exactly too keen on talking about their past exploits. "We'd rather not talk about where we came from. We'd rather talk about where we are now." We don't see this a comeback. This is a new beginning. It's about the band now.
