Wolfgang's Hit and Run: The awesome night that was

3 A's to describe last night: Anlupit. Ambangis. Ang AWESOME.

Front acts were great: Playphonics, Salamin, Loquy. Got to appreciate Playphonics and Salamin this second time I got to see them, while it was my first Loquy gig. As usual, Kevin Roy had the best in-between-song hirits, hehe. Sancho is a guitar genius!


In terms of setlist, this was probably the best gig since they kinda-broke-up-and-got-back-together. Check it out (thanks to Benj for posting the setlist):

1. The Beast
2. What Grows In Your Garden Now
3. As Oceans
4. Very Free
5. A Revolution Now
6. Man 98
7. Bassarab's Walk
8. Mata Ng Diyos
9. NO FALTER!
10. Halik Ni Hudas
11. Trenta
12. Arise
13. Left Alone
14. Atomica
15. Love And Despair
16. Molds
17. Aching Tree
18. Darkness Fell
19. Shoulders Of Cain
20. Weightless
21. Diaspora
22. Ilang Alon Ang Dala
23. Natutulog Kong Mundo
*Manuel's guitar string breaks*

24. Roadworthy Man
25. Tulisan

Encore:
Sanctified

I was totally psyched when they played Very Free, Sanctified, Roadworthy Man, Weightless, and MAN98!

Maybe the only other post-hiatus gig that tops this one was Alive 2007 - that one had it over Hit and Run in terms of crowd response, the excitement of anticipation (this gig sorta ended their hiatus), and the fact that Razorback shared the stage with them.


Nobody - NOBODY - comes close to Wolfgang when it comes to rocking out. (Razorback doesn't count - it's just wrong to compare those two bands, it's like pitting twin brothers against each other, hehe.)


I usually thrive on taking gig pics, but for Hit and Run, it was an exercise in futility from where we stood - at the bar, corner of the room, far far away from the stage. But I didn't fret about that at all - to experience Wolfgang with your own two eyes and not through the camera lens was waaay better.


It was a pretty physical gig for me. Since we were far and everybody else stood in front of us, I had to stand on the footrest at the bar to see the band. Doing that required me to keep my balance on the aircon beside me and the bar behind me, thus limiting my fist-pumping and foot-stomping, though I could still headbang. 19East is still a small venue, though, so "far from the band" isn't really THAT far. I so love small, intimate bar gigs.


Speaking of physical, my ordeal was nothing compared to what the guys had to endure - especially Francis Aquino. With his arms flying across the drumkit for 25+1 songs, I totally marvelled at his stamina the whole night. Manuel's guitar licks were a treat to watch (as long as I could see them above all the heads in the crowd, hehe). Mon was farther form me than any other band member, so I was simply contented to hear his basslines and see him smile once in a while. And, of course, I will forever love Sebastian Artadi - Pinoy rock god in his own right.


Wolfgang is one of the primary reasons I am very thankful for being a kid of the 90s (guess what other band would be another reason). I was in first year high school when I first heard their music. Got to love them more in college because my guy Andrew is a big fan. And now, I am old enough - curfew free and salaried - to watch their breathtaking, heartstopping live performances :)


Lemme take this opportunity to thank my fiance, Andrew, for wanting to watch this gig. I initially decided to let it pass because of financial and schedule constraints, but Andrew's answer to my question, "Manonood ba tayo?" - "Oo, Wolfgang yan eh!" - sealed the deal :P And, of course, he's my perpetual gigging partner and driver (hehe), so without him, I wouldn't have witnessed the gig in its entirety.


Finally, let me thank WOLFGANG for filling our lives with awesome Pinoy rock. Thank you for coming back to us when we thought we had lost you. Thank you for putting up such a spectacular show last night. Though the chances to see you are few and far between, gigs like Hit and Run are enough to fill my cup :)


Ok, tama na, super haba na nito, emo pa sa dulo :D


P.S. Lines of the night by Basti:
"T******* Twilight yan, I just don't get it." (as a segue to Bassarab's Walk)
"I feel whiter and gay each day." (referring to the Glutamax ad - SLEX people, you know what I'm talking about)

Moments at Rick Astley's Araneta gig

The sleazy seatmate moment

Me, Menggai (Ma'am Cheng), and her friend Maricon entered Araneta a bit past 8 to secure our General Admission seats. Not long after, a guy wearing an unbuttoned polo without any undershirt plus blingbling over his chest sat beside me. He was probably around 30-40, and he was alone.

As the opening act started (a Bacolod band that did 80's tunes, more on them in a bit), sleazy seatmate started grooving to the beat - his shoulders were bopping up and down (feel na feel niya!), and I was cringing at every glance at him. If I'm not mistaken, he tried offering me his iced tea when he saw that I was facing his direction; I pretended I did not see that gesture.

Sometime in the middle of the opening act, he left and came back. Then when the opening act was done, he left for good. Menggai and I were wondering where he went, but we were really glad when he didn't come back. That would've spoiled the night a bit if he were there beside us, moving his shoulders up and down, and baring his chest for everyone to see. Naisip tuloy namin ni Menggai if he was only there for the front act :P

As for that front act, they did the 80's tunes well - their guitarist and keyboardist were good - but they really just came across as a showband. And there was some faulty pronunciation here and there ("We built this seety on rock and roll..."). And their scantily-clad gyrating female guest vocalist better belonged at some sleazy bar (or maybe at a noontime show) than at the Araneta fronting for Rick Astley. Menggai and I were horrified at the thought that she may have met Rick Astley in that outfit.

Rick Astley in the flesh moment: Still stunning at 42!

Rick opened the show at 9:15ish with "Together Forever". Of course the crowd went wild, and Menggai in particular felt like she was in high school again, gushing over her crush from the 80's. Heck, Rick wasn't from my time as a teen, but I do appreciate his good looks then and now.

He was wearing a suit and tie (his usual gigging outfit), which he paired with Adidas sneakers (so cute!). He hardly danced and said that at his age, he only had energy to dance for one song, and the audience roared in excitement, knowing that that one song was "Never Gonna Give You Up."

Early on, Rick mentioned that he knew about "this certain guy", which again prompted the crowd to cheer, knowing that Rick was talking about Roderick Paulate (famous in the 80's for singing/dancing Rick Astley songs). Then Rick said that this guy wouldn't come up onstage until the end, so that we'd all stay to watch the show

Watching Rick Astley was more entertaining than I expected. He's got this self-deprecating sense of humor. Before singing "Hold Me In Your Arms", he invited the ladies to think of them holding him in their arms, and as an afterthought invited maybe some of the gents too He also interacts well with the audience, which is something I always look for in a live performer. And speaking of interacting with the audience...

Gina's moment: You go girl!

Here's what I wrote about this vid on YouTube:

Some LUCKY girl from the VIP audience gets handpicked by Rick to sing "Arms Keep Missing You" with him! LUCKY LUCKY GINA!

Not only did she get to sing with Rick, but she also got to dance with him, hug him, hold his hand, and kiss him! Aaaaah!

I guess it does pay to be a stalker :D Gina had earlier approached the stage (twice, I think) to take pictures of Rick up close, and he noticed :D

You're sooo lucky, Gina! Way to go!

Rick is such a sweetie



Me and Menggai (and I bet all the ladies in the house) were GREEN WITH ENVY. Somewhere in the vid, you'd here me comment, "Kung ako yun, hinimatay na ko!" ("If that was me, I would've fainted a long time ago!")

There were even times when I couldn't hold the cam steady because I was sooo kilig (giddy).

Roderick Paulate's moment: Rick meets Dick!

And this is what I wrote about this at YouTube:

My gooosh! THIS WAS THE MOMENT PINOY RICK ASTLEY FANS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR :P

Roderick Paulate is a Filipino actor/comedian who was famous in the 80's for his Rick Astley dance moves. I was too young to remember watching those on TV, but I definitely enjoyed this moment last night :D

Apparently, Roderick needed convincing to do this stint at Rick's gig :P Read about it at Gabe Mercado's Multiply blog.

Way to go, Kuya Dick! :P

Loved it too when Rick had to wear his glasses to read his thank you list



Menggai and I were marvelled at the moment unfolding before us We also commented on Rick Astley's height - he was just a bit taller than Roderick.

Rick putting on his reading glasses was a cute bit, too - one of the several times he hinted at his age during the show.

Like I said, it was really entertaining to watch Rick Astley. I was just there to hear his hits from the 80's, and to personally enjoy his good looks, but his humor and wit were a bonus I really appreciated.

It was also nice that he showed his appreciation for the fans. After singing "Cry for Help", he invited everyone to get on a plane to Jakarta to join him for the next night's singing as well At the beginning of the show, Rick apologized for taking so long to get here (he's never performed here before), and he also mentioned that even though this is so far away from his hometown England, the trip was so worth it. Well, I guess for his fans who have been waiting since the 80's to watch him, that 20-year wait was also so worth it.

- - - - -

These are the only pics I care to post; our place at General Admission was too far for me to take nice shots.

Suit and sneakers

Also, HERE's my playlist for this gig at YouTube. I would've loved to video "Hopelessly", but I wanted to watch the actual Rick sing that song which elicited the most kilig out of me for the night; I had to cover my mouth when I squealed during the intro

- - - - -

Here's a fun recap of that night from someone I don't know, hehe. Hope she doesn't mind me linking her blogpost HERE; like Gabe's post, it also talks about the Rick and Dick moment.

Chris Daughtry told me...

...to "just breath". At that moment, I died

Long fangirly post ahead...proceed if you've got nothing better to do

Rewind to about an hour before...

Andrew who came from Xavier picked me up at Pisay around 5pm. Us high school teachers then went to Eastwood on a school night to watch Daughtry. Got to Eastwood around 5:30pm, parked, went down to the gig venue (Eastwood City Central Plaza).

Chanced upon where Daughtry CDs were being sold. Learned that there were still passes to the autograph signing session, so we quickly grabbed one copy and one pass each. Yey! (Wasn't counting on that anymore.) We also got to hear Chris soundchecking inside the venue with his acoustic guitar. I tried my best not to squeal or do cartwheels - ok, cartwheels I really can't do, but I did succeed at not squealing.

Autograph session started around 6:15pm in front of Shanghai Bistro. No cameras allowed, and only one CD per person (boo!); and I was good enough to comply (tucked Tomi the cam and my old Daughtry CD into my bag then proceeded to wait for the band to appear).


If this pic had audio, you'd hear the announcer saying, "...no cameras allowed during the autograph signing session..."

Chris and the band finally showed up, amidst hushed shrieks from the ladies in line. I spotted Chris, and was immediately drawn to his tattooed arm - I love it when guys' tattoos just peek from under their shirt sleeves.

We were part of maybe the first 30 folks in line, and the line was going awfully fast - strict security/assistants were making sure things went quickly.

I flipped through the CD inlay looking for a shot of the band to autograph, and it was only then that I discovered that it was only the back part (upon which the CD rests) that had a band pic; the rest were all just Chris. Pried that out of the case and presented it to Joey (drummer) to sign. I wanted to start a conversation, but the cat got my tongue - I was starstruck and speechless! As I said, we were ushered quickly, so this rushing and the fact that Chris Daughtry was in front of me didn't help one bit. Joey passed my inlay to Josh (guitarist), and I still failed to say hi or to offer a handshake - I just stood there smiling stupidly as he signed. When it was JP's (bassist) turn to sign, he asked me how I was and I replied truthfully, "I'm nervous!" And I think he answered something like, "I can see that!" And even though I got to talking, I was still too starstruck to offer a handshake.

Next thing I knew, it was Chris signing my CD sleeve, and all I could do was look...

I sooo wanted to say hi, to welcome him to the Philippines, to profess my love for him from waaay back Season Five semifinals...

But no...I just stood there stupidly like a freshman watching her senior crush go by...

Then Chris looked up and met my gaze...silence for a second...then he smiled and said, "Just breath..." at the same time I blurted out an attempt at conversation (what I actually said, I don't remember anymore!) So I just laughed and smiled back and was pulled down from Cloud 9 when the usher notified me that I had to go! The last guy, Brian (guitarist), had already signed my inlay without me knowing it. And he was grinning as if amused that once again Chris Daughtry had charmed another fangirly fan. So I quickly thanked Brian and proceeded to leave.

That moment wasn't as breathtaking as when I met Elliott Yamin, who I actually spoke to and whose hand I got to shake. But as I left the line, I was just as giddy as I was in TriNoma, September of last year.

After all the egging on of my bio co-teachers (Dacs, i-hug mo na si Chris ha!) as I kept lamenting that I didn't get to hug Elliott last year when almost everyone else in line did, I was even more chicken this time around! Not even a handshake! Buti pa si Drew nakamayan si Chris and some of the guys. So siya nalang kinamayan ko



Hahaha, autograph signing palang yung kwento ko!

Anyways... So we had dinner at Fazoli's then proceeded to our seats (Patron Center Left) inside the venue. I was seriously hoping the rumor that the Pinoy Idol contestants were fronting Daughtry wasn't true. And THANKFULLY it was just that - a rumor! At around 9pm, Daughtry started appearing one by one onstage, and the crowd went crazy.

This was how far we were from the stage.

I didn't write down the setlist, so I can't really recall the order. But basically they played everything from their debut album, plus two or three new songs, and one cover - Helter Skelter by the Beatles.

Rawr. Love the beard, love the tats.

Maaan, they're good! They're a tight band (I would've wanted to see some solos though), and Chris is one helluva vocalist, shining so very much more this time than when America the world watched him on TV in 2006.

By 10ish, the gig was over, and although I would've wanted them to just keep playing, I was super satisfied and thankful that I got to watch Daughtry. I can't wait 'til they come back to promote their second album. Hindi pwedeng hindi sila bumalik!!!

As we drove out of Eastwood City, we were stopped in front of McDonald's by traffic guards...the Daughtry van was passing through! I tried to take a video but was again all shook up by the fact of Chris's presence Kung pwede lang sila sundan all the way to EDSA Shangri-la, ginawa ko na. Yes, I'm a self-professed rocker-stalker.

And so ends my first encounter with Chris Daughtry and his band. And this definitely ain't gonna be the last!

Some of my fave shots:

JP and his hot tattoos.

Shoutout to Meg and Angelo, fellow Yaminoys who were out there to see another Season Five alumnus. The next pic's for you! (sorry malabo)

One word

More PICS and some VIDS are at my music Multiply. Do check out the snippet of "All These Lives". That was, for me, the best part of the gig. It was sooo beautiful, I had to put down the cam and watch it for myself.

Experiencing Toto for the first and last time

I never really got to blog about the Toto concert, so here's a "quick" one before I go back to prepping for Field Bio :D

The show started without a front act at around 8:45 p.m. I was starstruck to finally see Steve Lukather in the flesh. During my re-discovery of Toto weeks prior to the gig, I developed a crush on Luke, never minding that he's old enough to be my dad :P

Seeing Luke and the rest of the band give their all on that stage was really awesome; but it was a constant thorn in my side for the rest of the night to see the lukewarm response of the crowd whenever Toto rocked it out. The most responsive the audience got was when Toto played the ballads, though there were enough sincere cheers and applause when Luke or other members would do their solos.

Reading comments on YouTube and on certain forums, I gathered that indeed the general Filipino audience was disappointed by the gig. Most people were looking forward to the ballads - "I'll Be Over You", "I Won't Hold You Back", "Lea", etc. These songs were played, but only as part of an acoustic medley. During that medley, someone in the audience actually shouted "Lugi!" And it really made me sad that this was how the gig was proceeding - the band's vision and the audience's expectations weren't a match at all. But what I really cared about was how the band was reacting to this scenario - it worried me that they weren't having fun.

They started out really hyper. Greg, their keyboardist, was jumping up and down amidst his 4 keyboards, coaxing the audience to get on their feet, yet the audience remained stuck to their seats. Towards the later part of the gig, I didn't see the same level of enthusiasm they portrayed in their live DVDs; it was obvious that they couldn't feed much from the energy of the audience, which I believe is an important thing for bands.

The general sentiment from the comments I've read is that Toto doesn't know how to play their old songs anymore, that they were just showing off with their new stuff and with their solos, etc. But I think Toto did try to give it all to the Pinoys that night - the mere fact that "Lea" and "99" made it to the playlist indicated that they were made aware (via their Cebu gig the day before) that the Pinoys wanted the ballads. You see, "Lea" was also requested the last time they were here (in 1994?), and the band obliged with just the chorus, saying that they haven't played that tune in 10 years. Also, "99" is allegedly Luke's least favorite Toto song, and it never makes the playlists anymore. And, "I Won't Hold You Back" and "Georgy Porgy" aren't part of their setlists in other legs of this tour, yet they included parts of it in their Manila performance. I also watched the vidclips I took of the gig, and I caught Luke saying that they'll be jamming a bit, because "weren't really counting on this", referring to the Pinoy's penchant for their slow songs - thus the "totally unrehearsed" medley of the ballads we oh-so-wanted.

So I guess for those who felt "bitin" after the medley should actually be glad they even got to hear parts of the songs that the band never meant to play in the first place.

As for me, I was just glad to see and hear Luke sing the first half of "I'll Be Over You". Oh and yeah, it's funny because the only other person I knew in the audience, besides my companions Menggai and Dave, was the reason I got to like "I'll Be Over You" in the first place :P

A day after the gig, I felt sad that the show was over. After weeks of looking forward to the gig, now I was dealing with the fact that I'll never get to see them play again; I've read in a forum that the manager mentioned that this was their last tour (not that I wasn't expecting that though - they've got senior citizens in the band already! :P) Also, I was still bothered that most of the audience (and maybe the band) didn't enjoy the gig, which in effect kinda took away some of my enjoyment as well (nagpaapekto ba, hehe).

But this made me happy - excerpts of goff's post at Philmusic.com. I don't personally know goff; I just came across this thread and saw that this person was a friend of Toto's manager:

Coincidentally, did you know that a Filipino now manages Toto? He is none other than Sonny Abelardo. Sonny is the grandson of Nicanor Abelardo of UP Abelardo Hall fame and his name is really Nicanor Abelardo lll.

...He pala is producing and managing Toto and is Luke's manager on Sonny's new label Ride Records. Sonny has been in production for the last 20 plus years with the likes of Miles Davis, The Crusaders, Al Jarreau.

...During dinner Sonny and I talked much about his plans for Steve Lukather. The new album is out along with a real cool video for the song Ever Changing Times under Ride Records. He plans to bring Steve here as a solo artist for this album sometime this year if things can be arranged. Along with the CD is a DVD of the video and a behind-the-scenes in the studio featuring Steve and the musicians on the new CD.

Anyways, I'm hoping even just for a small venue Luke gig, if that would be feasible for them. Anything to see Steve Lukather live again.

- - - - -

Songs I remember at random from their setlist: Medley: I'll Be Over You, Won't Hold You Back, Lea, 99, Georgy Porgy; Gypsy Train (opening song), Hold the Line (2nd to the last song), Africa (encore), Rosanna (with a cool jazzy intro), Hydra (keys and drums solo), Falling in Between, Bottom of My Soul, Pamela, I'll Supply the Love, Stop Loving You (with Tony Spinner on vocals). I think there were others but I don't know their titles.

Taylor Hicks at TriNoma

Looong fangirly post that starts out with a rant and ends with some plugging :D

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Pansin ko lang ang malas ko sa pagimbita lately. For two consecutive events, I kinda got stood up. And the people I invited had totally valid reasons for not being able to join me, but I can't help but feel bad about it, hehe.

So yeah, was able to watch Taylor Hicks at TriNoma, albeit alone. What's funny about that is that my friend Christi from RX 93.1 gave me 6 seat stubs so I can watch Taylor up close (yey!), but I only ended up using ONE.

Another funny thing is that three hours before the show, I went to claim the tickets from the Concierge, but was told that there were no tickets from RX. After almost an hour and a series of texts and phone calls, I finally got my six tickets.

Another funny thing is that I forgot to bring my camera; the main reason I wanna watch gigs up close is for better shots. Alas, none of that for me this gig.

So anyway, I used one ticket and was able to give away three. I searched the crowd outside the fenced seating area and picked a girl with an SLR. I approached her, asked if she had a ticket so she could take better shots inside. She had two companions with her so I gave them three tickets in all. At least those seats weren't wasted.

I remember watching Elliott Yamin at TriNoma last September, from the 3rd floor, looking down at the seating area, seeing the empty seats and thinking, "Those seats are mocking me." Hate to say it, but some folks must've seen the seats beside me last Thursday and were probably thinking the same thing. Actually there also were a lot of vacant seats at the back and it would've been better if people outside the seating area could've used those seats, too.

At a bit past 7pm, the band went onstage and was soon followed by Taylor. The crowd's reception wasn't as excited as Elliott's crowd. During Elliott's TriNoma gig, folks were already positioning themselves in strategic spots around the mall 3 hours before the gig, and they screamed (shrieked?) when Elliott came out for soundcheck (which I didn't see Taylor do, though he did soundcheck for both Glorietta and Greenbelt) and when the announcer would say that the gig was about to start in a few minutes. The crowd wasn't really responsive either to the music, there were only a few people who'd clap when Taylor clapped, or cheered when Taylor introduced his band members. In fairness, though, those who did respond clearly enjoyed the music, and showed it! Also, when Taylor waved to the fans in the upper floors, they'd wave back.

As for Taylor's performance, it was awesome! So much energy, and a strong soulful voice, and the cutest dance moves ever :P And yeah, Taylor Hicks is waaay cuter in person than in photos! Aaaaand Taylor and his harmonica rule!!! A lucky guy was able to catch that harmonica when Taylor threw it to the audience at the end of the show. Too bad there wasn't any encore - super bitin pa ako! I wish he'd come back for a major show, if not at the Araneta, even just in Hard Rock or some other venue that could accomodate a good number of fans.

Taylor's band was awesome, too! Got this list from The Official Soul Patrol Forum: Maestro Louie Ocampo - piano and musical director, Rickson Ruiz - percussion, Bobby Taylo - bass, Ric Mercado - guitar, Tats Tolentino - sax, Mike Agorrilla - drums, Marvin Querido - 2nd keys. I don't really know them (sorry!), but I've heard that they're well-respected musicians in the scene. And they're really, really good! They got to shine in different parts of the gig with their solos as Taylor would introduce them to the crowd. It was also great watching Taylor having so much fun with the band. I can't find the names of the back-up singers, but they were good, too!

The meet-and-greet after the show was really quick; I think only 25 stubs were given out for that (my seat stubs from Christi didn't come with meet-and-greet passes). So I just hung out backstage and waited for Taylor to leave (sorry na, professional stalker po talaga ako ng mga musikero). When he passed by, I handed him a Christmas gift - a CD of OPM songs (same CD I burned for Elliott) and a necklace from UP Shopping Center that had the word "pananalig/faith" carved in Alibata. He took the gift bag and was about to sign it when I shouted out, "No, that's for you!" He said, "For me?" and then motioned to hand the gift over to his manager but then ended up walking away with it instead. He didn't say thank you, but I was glad I was still able to give it, though I wasn't able to have my "Heart Full of Soul" book signed. I know Andrew hates it when I get all fangirly like this, but I can't help it. I just keep thinking that if I were a performer, I'd love to know what the audience thinks about my work, and I'd definitely appreciate it when they'd tell me about or show me their appreciation. Sorry na kung loser ang dating, but for me it's just genuine appreciation for their gift of music.

After the gig, I was finally able to meet up with my supposed gig buddies, Andrew and Sam. I had dinner while Sam had coffee at Starbucks, where we found ourselves sitting next Taylor's band. We were later joined by our friends Sandra and Peter, and then it was time to leave Quezon City for traffic-cursed Sucat.

- - - - -

In the days leading to Taylor's TriNoma gig, I did my homework and uploaded his album to Rabii. I bought the album almost as soon as it was available in the Philippines, but I never really got to listen to it much until now. Unlike Elliott's R&B and Chris Daughtry's alternative rock, Taylor's blues/rock/soul takes a bit more time to appreciate, but I'm learning to love it, nonetheless. I just noticed that of the Top 4 in American Idol Season 5, it's only Kat McPhee's album that I don't have; I'm interested, but I'll probably buy it way later on. What's nice about that AI season is that it really was overflowing with talent (so much so that I ignored the following season), and their music genres are so diverse that each AI fan has a different favorite.

After the TriNoma gig, I also ended up buying Taylor's pre-Idol album, Under the Radar. It was independently released in 2005, produced by Taylor himself, and contains two tracks ("Soul Thing" and "The Deal") that are also found in his self-titled, major label, debut album. The CD had an autographed sleeve, and cost P600. If it weren't so expensive, I would've also bought his other independent album, In Your Time, which also cost P600 and was also autographed. I'm kinda regretting it now because I'm not sure that album would be available anywhere here in the Philippines.

A day before the gig, I also bought Taylor's autobiographical book, "Heart Full of Soul". I'm only in Chapter Two, but it's turning out to be a very nice read. Taylor tells his story so well, with so much emotion, and with a lot of wit, too! You'd really feel bad about his growing up in a broken family, but you'd also be entertained by his witty comments now and then. Like when he was talking about him and Kat McPhee in the Idol Finale, he said: "The two of us didn't talk much to each other as we awaited the big decision that evening. It was nothing personal, though...I liked Katharine and knew she'd worked hard to get this far. Plus, let's face it, she was pretty easy on the eyes, and it was more fun looking at her than Chris Daughtry." :P I wish the TriNoma gig had been longer, or that I had attended Glorietta and Greenbelt, too. Ironic even that it were the gigs closer to my house that I wasn't able attend. It would be awesome to have Taylor Hicks (and, of course, Elliott Yamin!) back in the Philippines :)

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Awesome pics from Taylor's Greenbelt gig, by Eric Fernandez.

Aliiive!!!

Man, there's sooo much to say about that friggin' reunion gig last Friday.

Hope you don't mind the longish post.

- - - - -

Got to Greenhills at around 4pm to pick up our reserved tickets. On my way up to Music Museum, saw Louie Talan settle down on the steps to have a smoke. Sabi ko sa sarili ko magpapapic nalang ako w/ him after I claim the tix. Timang kasi on my way back down nakasalubong ko siya on his way back up.

But then, a few minutes later as I was calling Drew at the foot of the stairs to tell him I got the tix already, down comes Basti Artadi, and suddenly the world is a better place to live in(hehehe). Grabe, tumatawid lang ng daan si Basti pero he had his mean rocker face on - I swear, those eyes, that face, that scowl is to die for. As Basti makes his way to the parking lot, I resolve NOT to let this opportunity pass - aabangan ko pagbalik niya para magpapic! :D So yeah, nevermind people around us were prolly thinking what a loser/stalker/fangirl I was, I went ahead and asked for a pic w/ Basti pagkabalik niya from the parking lot. He kindly obliged, and even commented na "hi-tech" daw camera ko ('cause of the swivel LCD I guess hehe). Then I asked him when he was going back to the States and found out na kinabukasan na pala flight niya.

So there, hours before the gig, I've already stalked one wolven one. Two to go.

Hours later, Drew and I were already inside the Music Museum (gates opened at 6:30 pm), hardly believing that this gig was actually gonna take place. You see, Drew and I are really big Wolfgang fans, and the news of the sudden breakup last 2002 really shattered our hearts.

At around 9pm, a slideshow of Razorback and Wolfgang pics from the 90s (heehee) were shown, then the lights went out and Metallica's "Wherever I May Roam" started playing . Dun pa lang, sinimulan ko na ang sing-along, hehehe. Finally, the guys of Wolfgang and Razorback started the show (hala, I forgot na what the song was hehehe).

Here are some of my fave shots. I like most of my pics, though they're quite blurry kasi di ako gumamit ng flash, tas di naman ako marunong magset ng tamang aperture and shutter speed para sharp yung pics, hehehe.

Showing off the supposedly sold-out tix. Balita ko may mga di na-claim na reserved tix eh. Sayang naman, dami-dami kayang gusto sana manood. Tsss.

Beautiful lighting onstage. Took these shots while waiting for the gig to start.

Ampayat na ni Mon Legaspi! And grabe, I really really really missed seeing Basti perform. When those eyes flare up and those eyebrows arch - sends shivers down my spine.

Kumikinang ang mga polo nina Papa Louie at Papa Manuel Legarda. Rock n roll never looked this good!

Basti and Kevin Roy: When you've got these two guys onstage, you know it's gonna be an awesome awesome gig.

Tirso Ripoll's talkbox rules!!!

Manuel

Mon

The Basti Pose

While watching these rock gods onstage, I couldn't help but notice the enthusiasm flowing from one band member to another. Mon kept hopping around. Manuel was smiling a lot. Basti and Kevin were all fired up. Tirso was definitely enjoying his talkbox (really cool gadget, astig!). Brian Velasco and Francis Aquino were hot on the drums (Twas my first time to watch Francis - he's one mean fckn drummer!!! Sayang though nag-States na rin siya.) Naaliw talaga ako sa kanila, they were truly enjoying playing together again. Let's just all hope that that gig convinced them all to really get back together and churn out more rockin' albums!

After the gig, Drew and I hung out for a while at the lobby w/ some Wolfmusic gals. Later on, Basti came out and Drew asked to have a pic w/ him.

Much later, Manuel also came out and I had him sign my Acoustica inlay and also had a pic taken w/ him.

Last to come out was Mon, and as we were posing for the cam, he suddenly ducked so I made weird face (parang, "ngi, ba't ka nag-duck") at him before realizing that the camera hadn't flashed yet so tingin ako ulit sa cam tas siya naman tumayo ng tuwid...thus our kooky faces in that pic. Hehehe. Kulit ni Mon.


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Quotable quotes:

After having a pic w/ Basti, I called up a friend who was very much used to my fangrrrly moments. Our conversation went something like this:
Dacs: Duuude, nagpapic ako w/ Basti!
Sam: Did you ask for his autograph?
Dacs: (pauses to think) Ay syet, no.
Sam: Dacs, ano ka ba? (and proceeds to scold me for forgetting something like that)
Dacs: Eh ganun eh, kabado.
Sam: So, what does he smell like?
Dacs: (pauses again to think) Dude, I didn't smell him.

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"That wasn't the fckn song, was it?"
- Kevin Roy, after singing Giyang lyrics when the solos were done, when in fact Razorback was playing Tabi ng Bulkan. Di ko nga napansin na mali siya eh. Though Drew saw Louie na umiiling when Kevin started singing the wrong lyrics :P

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"P****g !na ang saya dito sa Pilipinas!" - Basti
"Yeeeaaaaah!!!" - Audience



Pics from Alive 2007 are here: http://mightydacs98.multiply.com/photos/album/58