Basti's Night

Photo borrowed from http://www.pulse.ph/reunion/

Everyone from Wolfgang was in town so a reunion gig seemed like a good idea. And what a GREAT idea it was! If you're a fan, you'd know that Basti is now based in the US, Mon Legaspi is based in HK while Manuel is currently playing for Razorback. Wolf is touring with Lokomotiv and didn't join them for the gig. Now, it wouldn't be a full reunion without their buddy band, Razorback.The reunion concert aptly called Alive 2007 was for only two nights: Jan 6 & 12 at the Music Museum.

Actually I didn't expect to get to see the concert. It was originally set for a one night reunion gig last Jan 6, 2007. We had a Bohol trip set for Jan 4-7! I was asking Mike that if we could get tickets to the concert, would he want to fly back early. But he said, it was just really too much of a hassle since we'd have to rebook everything. As soon as we got back, Mike told me that there was going to be a repeat of the concert due to the overwhelming demand of fans. I called Music Museum to ask about the gig but they said it was still under negotiation. I called again the next couple of days. It was now sold out. Wala, sawi kami talaga. So, I already made plans with some friends to go to a Joey Ayala/Cynthia Alexander gig at Magnet Cafe in Katipunan. Then came the afternoon Jan 12. An officemate informed me that Sabrina Artadi (yes Basti's sister, who happened to be our supplier) was giving 2 passes for our company and if I would be interested to go. Of course I wanted to go, especially since Mike's such a Wolfgang fan but I sort of had the dilema since I've already committed to going out with some friends. But then this concert was most unlikely to happen again anytime soon. Siempre, I chose to go and my friends understood me for ditching them.

And it was the best decision of the day.

The concert was the best gig ever! We were seated at the 5th row on the right side of the venue. The crowd was just so excited cheering ever so loudly when they announced that the concert was going to start in 10 min. Sabi nga ni Mike, nagsigawan din pati mga tao sa CR nung narinig yung announcement. As each band member came out in the dark to take their post on the stage, people were already shouting with excitement and anticipation. They played a short clip showing old pictures from both bands: old gigs, tours, and just hanging out. It was very nostalgic for everyone there. When Basti came out, the crowd just went crazy. (Actually picture pa lang ni Basti sa clip, nagsisigawan na mga tao). Basti and the band opened the gig with a Wolfgang favorite, Center of the Sun, if I remember correctly. After that Kevin Roy took over the first set. Basti backed him up a bit for one song then left the stage to Razorback. I just realized how small Kevin was and how he sounded a bit like Karl Roy. Well, magkapatid naman sila. Later on they did a song together (siempre hindi ko alam ang title pero sabi ni Mike, Black Sabbath daw yon).

Then it was Basti's turn. And you can see, it was really his night. You'll see in his performance how much he missed performing here. He would also quip "ang saya talaga dito sa Pilipinas" and what a f@#%ing good time he's having. He really commanded the stage and asked the audience to join him in the singing. And pretty much everyone sang with him. I tried to join the chorus of songs I knew pero si Mike talaga yung intro pa lang alam na yung kanta. It was really almost as if the audience was just jamming with him and the band. It felt like a big get together of old friends. Ang saya! While almost everyone in the audience didn't stop from jumping up and down and singing, there were a few girls in our area who obviously just came to accompany their husbands/boyfriends and could hardly bring themselves to enjoy. Buti na lang fan ako kahit papano at mahilig sa rak-rakan. hehe.

Not even Basti's or Manuel's still good looks egged them to enjoy. Nakakatuwa rin makita kung paano nagbago ang mga itsura nila. Basti gained a bit of weight but not what you'd call fat. Mon Legaspi shed some pounds and is sporting short hair now. Manuel seemed to look older the most but it didn't stop girls from screaming, we love you Manuel! Tirso Ripoll has the aura of Miguel Faustman but still rocking cool. Miguel Ortigas no longer has his long locks Razorback and dating Dawn Zulueta days. Kevin Roy is not as stocky as I remember him (akala ko nga matangkad sya dati eh) pero makulit pa rin ang itsura. Yung iba hindi ko natatandaan.

Anyway, Wolfgang and Razorback alternated sets and played a few songs together. Kevin was fun and energetic but I preferred Basti's way of interacting with the audience. Manuel Legarda was really a trooper coz he played for both bands and pretty much the entire 3-hr program. Oh Miguel Ortigas only played one song with Razorback, for old times (me ibang drummer na kase sila).

Later on Wolfgang played a new song (title escapes me) and said that maybe they might come out with a few more. When he mentioned that he's due to fly out to America the next day, the crowd grumbled disapproval to which he said, "well what can you do? gotta work." Yeah he misses the Philippines and the fans but reality is he's now a family man. He hinted that he might come back next year and do this again, who knows. And the fans are hopeful.

Overall it was a great show. They recorded both concerts live and will decide which they'll use for the DVD that will hopefully come out in April. Sayang, hindi kaya ng camera ko yung low lighting at smoke machine kaya wala kaming decent pictures ni Mike. I'm grateful that others did have amazing pictures from the gig.