Eraserheads Reunion Concert

A week has passed but my head is still a-buzz with the recent Eraserheads reunion concert. 
The news of an Eraserheads reunion hit like an undetected earthquake that rocked every Eheads fan's world.  There were a lot of questions (was it true? was Ely really going to do this? when and where is it going to happen? where and how do we get tickets?) BUT there was no question in the fans' minds; they were going to attend what would probably be the greatest reunion concert in the history of Philippine music.
By now most of you have read about the sturm und drung (to borrow Tim Gunns' words in Project Runway which means storm and stress in German)
surrounding this much anticipated event in the OPM scene.  If not you can head over to Philmusic.com for the gritty details.

4 days before THE DAY
Approximately 8,000-10,000 tickets were sold from Aug 27, 6pm until probably just a few minutes before the concert started at 8.15pm on Aug 30, 2008. There were only two ticket prices on sale: P1300 for Patron section and P800 for the General Admission.  There were also SVIP and VIP tickets which were probably available to family, friends, and celebrities, members of the press and whoever else that had a connection somewhere to the organizers or to the band.  I’m also told that VIP tickets were given to those who signed up at Red Nation website when it was still being “promoted” as a free concert by Philip Morris.  Since Mike and I weren’t remotely affiliated to anyone, I got our tickets at around 6.45pm as soon as the tickets were sold.  In fact our control number was 79 and 80. Talk about being excited.

The final venue was the Fort Open ground (just behind NBC tent and across Bonifacio High Street).  Attendance was probably close to 15,000 (or 20,000 according to the final promoter, Radiohead) including SVIP and VIP invites never mind if it was a standing only concert, no seats provided at all.

The Fort and The Crowd
Mike and I were at the Fort around 3.30pm.  I wanted to make sure we didn't have trouble with parking.  Even my lucky parking streak can be shaky in situations like this. And anyway, the concert was the only thing on our To Do list that day.  We had an early dinner and by 5.30pm, we headed to the concert venue. 
There was already a good crowd of people when we got there. One could feel the excitement and anticipation in the air.  The mood was very festive.  People came in prepared with their plastic mats, plastic bags or used carton boxes to sit on the open ground.  A few also brought along umbrellas or jackets in case it rained. Pretty much every other person had a camera on hand from simple point and shoots to DSLRs to document their attendance and what can be considered a historic event. As expected several booths were selling food and drinks and of course, Eraserheads CDs.
The Patron section was still a good 300 ft from the stage.  The field had a relatively flat terrain and even with the elevated stage, I knew I would hardly see anything from my low point of view.  I relied mainly on the large screens at the back of the stage, on the sides of the stage, behind the tech booth (which was situated right smack across the stage) and on the large screen near the back of the Patron section to get a view of what was happening on stage.  (Marcus Adoro posted a layout in his Markus Highway multiply site)

The Concert
At around 8.05pm the screens flashed a ten-minute countdown before the concert started.  And thousands of fans altogether screamed their excitement.  The crowd even counted down the last 10 seconds of every minute that turned and brought the time closer to seeing Eraserheads once again on stage.  10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1… The huge background screen flashed old band pictures.  It was almost pandemonium then there was an explosion of music and the band started playing the intro to “Alapaap” as the band rose from beneath the stage, revealing each of them in their usual spot when they used to perform together.  There were fireworks literally and figuratively.  And just about everyone shouted, screamed and sang along as a sea of cameras and hand held phones were recording every possible moment of it.

It was just surreal. Ely, in the middle front, was wearing aviator shades and white long sleeved shirt. Buddy was on the left side, in plain t-shirt and jacket looking like his usual old self albeit gaining a little weight.  Marcus was just as I remembered him but with longer hair. Raimund, on elevated stage behind, sported a wig when he came out but later revealed his Joker green hair. I looked at their faces on screen as they played their respective instruments and sang their old songs.  At first I thought I saw discomfort of playing together after all it’s been 6 years since they shared a stage.  But maybe it was just the anxiety of performing in front of thousands of fans they never knew they had.  Later on, each would break a smile here and there.  Raimund would throw drums sticks at the crowd.  Yeah, they were having fun. 

There were awkward pauses in between songs.  Nobody really cared. Ely was never the type to talk in between songs but a few times he shouted to the crowd "ang daming tao ah" or "ok pa kayo dyan?" It was humid and hot.  No one was comfortable.  Everyone was sweating. But then again, nobody minded at all.

I just wished that the director kept at least the top of the main screen on the band members. It was hard enough for people at the back to see anything that was going on on-stage. The director kept playing with the background.  Sure for effects.  But really the fans went there to see Eraserheads NOT clouds when they were playing Alapaap or pictures from UP as backdrop for Sembreak.  There were several times that the screens we relied on at the back were just blank.  Not sure if it was just a technical glitch but I think it was more of negligence from the tech booth.

Just the same, everyone was really high over hearing old favorites.  Ang saya ng concert.

Sigawan, talunan, kantahan.  Kahit ako na walang makita enjoy pa rin.  But then I noticed but didn’t think much of it at the time:  parang di ko mabasa mukha ni Ely nung kumakanta sya, saka parang yung pagkanta ni Ely kahit kita mo na tinotodo niya parang hindi nya maitodo.  There were times, instead of really singing some of the words he’d just say it in rhythm with the music.  Well Ely was known for changing his lyrics sometimes in the same way when he changed the intro to “Toyang” that night “They tried to tell us we’re too old… Too old to go bold.”  So maybe he was trying something new to his singing.

After what I later found out was the 15^th song, I saw Ely on the screen, squatting with his head down on his guitar. I thought maybe he was just tired or overwhelmed.  Then the lights closed.  The screen flashed a 20 minute countdown.  After a little over an hour of reminiscing with the band, it was time for an intermission.

The Missing Ending
More than 20 minutes had passed, the concert hasn’t resumed.  And then I heard Buddy’s voice.  He introduced himself and the rest of the band. I turned to the screen flashing their faces.  He then introduced Lally, Ely’s sister to make the announcement: They thanked everyone for being there but Ely was too sick to continue, he’s being rushed to the hospital.  They’re apologizing but they had to cut the concert short.  Francis Lumen, Radiohead and MTV PH main man, asked for a minute’s silent prayer for Ely.  After which the crowd was asked to peacefully leave the grounds.
Everyone was stunned. I guess everyone had mixed feelings about it.  That was it? Bitin. Hindi tapos yung concert. Was it true? But Ely seemed fine. We hoped he was fine.

But as selfish creatures, we all had one nagging thought in our minds:  Sana may reunion ulit.


Post script: 
I read on Phimusic.com that after the crowd dispersed, the rest of the Eraserheads found their way to Saguijo which was supposed to be the post concert party venue of sorts.  They didn’t go all at the same time.  But they ended up playing songs that was supposed to be played in the 2^nd set in the guise of celebrating with the knowledge that Ely was going to be fine.  Tingin ko nabitin lang sila tumugtog. 

By now we all know that Ely underwent another angioplasty procedure due to a blocked artery.  He’s been released from the hospital and is now awaiting full recovery.

Below are the songs from the first set
1. Alapaap
2. Ligaya
3. Sembreak
4. Hey Jay
5. Harana
6. Fruitcake
7. Toyang
8. Kama Supra
9. Kailan
10. Huwag Kang Matakot
11. Kaliwete
12. With A Smile
13. Shake Yer Head
14. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong
15. Lightyears

Pictures here c/o Francine and her friend. You can also check out pictures posted on Flickr.com