Month: June 2013

The afternoon rains are slowly getting more frequent as the last days of May peel away. In a few days, we can only expect the weather to get more bipolar with the rains steadily pouring and the heat becoming less infuriating.

Yes, summer is drawing to a close, and Circuit Fest was just about the perfect way to give it a proper sendoff. Throughout the season, we’ve seen our glorious share of music festivals, but one thing that made Circuit Fest stand out was the lineup. For pop to punk enthusiasts, the 9 international acts served a dream team of sorts which included bands who had been frequent visitors in Manila such as Mayday Parade, This Century, We Are The In Crowd and Yellowcard to the highly anticipated first-timers The Downtown Fiction and Before You Exit. All of them shared one stage. What more could they have asked for?

To spice things up, the event also highlighted skating icons Riley Hawk who is the son of the skating legend Tony Hawk and the Fil-American skater Willy Santos. A mini ramp was set up near the entrance with local skaters showing off their skills amid the slippery slope caused by the rain.

At around 3:00 in the afternoon, the festival began. The wide stage was perfectly set in the center of the venue, decked with the colorful circular logo of the event and a huge LCD screen which featured the current act’s animated logo and occasionally, the overview of the crowd. At both sides, 2 smaller screens that highlighted the performers up close. Right in front of the stage was the moshpit, tightly packed with aggressively hardcore fans. Another highlight of the event were the vibrant colors of the lights, well complemented by the sporadic spurts of the smoke machines, which both gave the festival the flare it deserved.

Globe Circuit Event Grounds was very well suited for concerts, appropriate enough for the festival. With various booths encircling the venue, the atendees was delighted to browse different merch, apparel with a few freebies along the way. The event was also hosted by Glee’s Mark Salling who interviewed a few skaters and some of the bands right after their performance.

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