Erby pulls no punches for the stars

By K. Basrie

JAKARTA (JP): Guarding celebrities is still an unusual profession here.

Many local dignitaries feel safe enough walking around, even in big cities like Jakarta, without "Rambos" to fend off bothersome fans and make sure they don't get hurt.

Why? Well, maybe city folk here are indifferent to fame. Or perhaps celebrities just don't like hiring bodyguards.

That's why Erby Dwitoro, 33, specializes in guarding only foreign celebrities, and providing security for major gigs.

He has "done" almost 100 stars since 1990: Diana Ross, Cindy Crawford, David Copperfield, Color Me Badd, Michael Bolton, Metallica, Natalie Cole, Steven Seagal, Phil Collins, Kenny Rogers, Air Supply, Tommy Page and Jacky Cheung.

This is what he had to say when we interviewed him at his office in Jamz, Blok M.

Question: What made you choose this profession?

Erby: It's a tough and challenging job. To be a professional bodyguard you need more than just a fit body, sharp eyes and a wide range of self-defense skills. You also need management skills, you know. I use the management skills I learnt at university.

Erby graduated from Jayabaya University in Jakarta in 1988. He started working at a showbiz firm when one day in 1990 he was asked to handle a crowd of teenage fans mobbing a star at a five star hotel.

Do you think that bodyguards are necessary for local celebrities or executives?

I don't think so, not for celebrities anyway, because fans here are not as brutal as those abroad. They can be easily handled and asked to cooperate, unless they're treated badly. Anyway, you can't use firearms without special permission. That's why nobody here has been wounded or killed by fans obsessed with a star, convinced there's a mutual attraction. Not like abroad. Remember John Lennon and Monica Seles? Look how many guards Michael Jackson or Madonna have on tour... But that's no excuse for locals not to hire security. We have had many reports of harassment experienced by local artists here while touring. They should have thought about it beforehand.

If fans in Indonesia are so friendly, why do foreign artists need local bodyguards like you?

I not sure why, exactly... I think their managers just want to make sure their charges are safe and know what's going on. Even though they have their own personal security people, the managers want us to be the main bodyguards because we know the situation better here, like, what the fans are like, the city, the routes, the security systems at the hotels and venues.

How many men do you have?

I usually divide my team into two or three groups with me as the captain. The number of people in each group depends on the "class" of the stars and the size of the venue. The groups, each with its own leader, are located at the airport, the hotel and the venue. Being the captain, I'm always close to the stars, from when they get in until they take off again.

Where do you get your men from? Do you recruit people especially for events?

No recruits. But I can provide as many as 1,000 men for a venue as long as everything is right. Most of my people are students and graduates with Army discipline, people who know how to work as a team. If one of us makes a small mistake, the whole team suffers, we all look bad.

He argued that ethics, brains and social skills are as important as brawn. "They need to get on with the security people of the hotels and airport who know every detail of the buildings and alternative roads to and from the venue." They also need to know about protocol and have dress sense. "Otherwise they're not professional."

Would you say you're a professional bodyguard?

I keep learning, from the security guys the stars bring with them, for instance. I got something useful from David Copperfield. They taught me a lot, like how to carry someone with one hand free through a throng, how to drag clients off fast. Watchfulness and quick responses are mandatory in this business.

Erby, who practices the martial art of Merpati Putih, says he knows nothing about guns and has not killed anybody yet. He freely admits to not meeting the high expectations of his clients all the time. "When I was guarding the magician David Copperfield in a mall here and he asked me something, I felt like a dwarf," he said.

How much do you charge?

It's not major money, especially because this is new here. Tell me how many local artists have their own bodyguards... None of them. So our fees are still much, much lower than abroad.

At first, Erby did not want to say how much he charges. Later, in a whisper he said it was around Rp 5 million per package, depending on the client and venue.

How do you get your orders?

Through showbiz promoters, impresarios. Even though we get the order from them, that doesn't mean we have to follow all their regulations or requests. Before I sign the contract, I stipulate certain conditions to avoid misunderstandings. For instance, I want the agreement to describe that I can change the itinerary if something unexpected happens.

How would you describe your job?

It's a multi-function job: bodyguard, guide, translator and sometimes servant. It includes protecting clients from being hurt by their fans, answering their questions about everything they see heading to their hotel, organizing the security system at the hotel and venue, accompanying them around and guarding them until their planes take off again. I always try to do my best because I want to give them a good image of Indonesia.

On the way to the hotel, almost all of his clients have the same questions: about the traffic jams, the slums, the garbage all over the place, the toll gates. "It's not easy to answer such questions."

Do you ever get presents from the stars?

Sometimes. In the form of dollars or stuff. I once got a jacket from singer Anita Sarawak.

What was your favorite present so far?

An unexpected kiss from supermodel Cindy Crawford.

Did it make your wife jealous?

Oh, come on. How could a woman be jealous of a supermodel like Cindy? That's impossible.

What else do you get from this job?

The glamor of penthouses in five-star hotels which I wouldn't be able to afford.

Any unforgettable experiences?

My first son, Mohammad Alvaro Adhana Koze, who is now two years old, was named after saxophonist Dave Koz, who was on tour here in May 1994. I was on duty guarding him when my wife was rushed to a hospital to give birth. Hearing the news, he told me to leave him to be with my wife.

Have you ever been asked for sex by female clients?

No... And if that happens, I'd do my best to get away from them. I'm not that kind of guy.

How do you handle the teenagers, who are more aggressive than the older ones?

Tell them gently to line up properly because the artists are waiting for them, ready to give them their signatures. I always carry pens in my pockets. It's simple but it works.

Bodyguards in Indonesia have no legal association. According to the International Professional Security Association (IPSA), there are currently 232,000 people in the industry worldwide. Erby predicts that business will be sluggish next year with the 1997 general election. "Things will be quiet, because no foreign stars will be allowed to perform here."