RICHing out for fame with his band

Extract from " 'Sellout' talk doesn't bother rich"

by Joe Lee - (Malay Mail)

PEOPLE can say what they want but Richael L. Gimbang couldn’t care less. After his elimination in Sunday’s third weekly Akademi Fantasia (AF) concert, the 23-year-old from Penampang, Sabah, knows accusations of ‘selling out’ for moving to mainstream popular appeal will be thrown his way.After all, he was known as an underground rocker."I know it’s going to be an issue for some, and I anticipated it when joining AF."But at the end of the day, it’s all about music. AF provided me a platform to showcase my talent and it allowed me career options," he said.Richael, or better known as Rich, has two albums under his belt - one with his own underground band, Estranged, in 2004, and another with a mainstream rock group Psyklone which he fronted for a self-titled debut effort in 2003. So it may be a tad embarrassing for someone with his experience to hold out in the competition for only three weeks." I only feel sad at having to part ways with the others. It was distressing but I’ve come to terms with it," he said.He is also grateful to his band for allowing him to join AF. "And now that my journey here is over, I will get back with them," he said.Rich said he talked to Maestro Talent & Management on the possibility of roping Estranged for a joint effort.