Philippine Concerts

Category: Concert Photos

  • The Kind of Fix that is Bombay Bicycle Club

    The Kind of Fix that is Bombay Bicycle Club

    Bombay Bicycle Club Manila Concert

    You should have heard the collective squeal-scream (Screal? Definitely not ‘squeam’ though) of fans during last May’s Wanderland Music and Arts Festival when Karpos Multimedia announced Bombay Bicycle Club’s performance for July. It was the same screal–with more applause this time–that reverberated throughout the World Trade Center
    when the award-winning English indie rock band gave their Filipino fans enough reason to venture to the venue through a monsoon evening. Almost needless to say, it was the fans’ energy that made frontman Jack Steadman gush out: “I haven’t been to a country where were greeted with such love.” That’s how we are here, gentlemen.

    Bombay Bicycle Club Live at World Trade Center Bombay Bicycle Club at World Trade Center

    Bombay Bicycle Club at WTC
    (more…)

  • Astronomical Flare: Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider Live in Manila

    Astronomical Flare: Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider Live in Manila

    Sam Tsui and Kurt Hugo Schneider Live in Manila
    YouTube stars Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider conquer one country, one show at a time.

    Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider’s musical breakthrough can be likened to the beginning of a star. Like gas clouds pulled together by gravity, music was the gravity that pulled them to similar paths, and set their world into a whirlwind musical adventure. From College Musical to collaboration projects, and composing original songs throughout the years, their light has only gotten brighter.

    This light passed by Manila with intense luminosity, even if for a few nights. Two shows, two different crowds coming together for the supernova that is a live performance. Inside the concert hall, early birds waited patiently, as more fans trickled in the venue.

    Rita De Guzman

    Rita De Guzman, clad in an all black glittery outfit commanded the stage with her confidence as she opened the show. Though her time on stage was brief, she showcased her vocal abilities in three songs. She ended her set with an original, which was refreshing from the norm where local talents limit their capabilities to renditions or cover songs.

    The atmosphere, though dark and frosty, rang with anticipation. The crowd knew what was coming next. Red lights in synch to a pulsating beat triggered more suspense. As drummer Joel Manduke, followed by guitarist Jason Pitts, appeared on stage, the hall resounded with screams. As Kurt ran to his keyboard, the screaming intensified, and the crowd broke loose as soon as Sam darted on stage.

    Sam Tsui at SMX Convention Center
    (more…)

  • Journey Down Memory Lane with Vertical Horizon

    Journey Down Memory Lane with Vertical Horizon

    In the 90s, Vertical Horizon’s songs Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning), You’re A God and Everything You Want were worldwide hits on radio, these singles put them in superstardom.

    Vertical Horizon Live in Manila 2014

    An alternative band from the US, Vertical Horizon made their third stop in Manila. Being responsible for their infectious and radio-friendly 90’s track such as You’re a God, Everything You Want and Best I Ever Had, we were transported back to the ‘90s alternative rock music scene. Newport isn’t a large venue which makes it a great way to see them on a personal level. The sound was so balance and there’s no distortion around the room, with so much anticipation of the fans, the band hit the stage with Instamatic. Finding Me was the next song they perfomed, followed by their hit I’m Still Here. Matt Scannell sounded the same as he did back in the late ‘90s as they played We Are and Forever.

    Seeing them live on stage was definitely worth it. The feeling of nostalgia running through our veins that night was unexplainable. It’s no surprise to all the fans that Matt is a good story teller. His stories about his life in New York City “when I couldn’t afford to live in New York City.” He talked about his love/hate relationship and even tried to speak in tagalong, something like this “Masaya kami andito kami sa inyo” added personal impact to the show. I totally enjoyed this moment about how their songs came to life.

    Vertical Horizon Manila - Matt Scannell Vertical Horizon Manila - Jeffrey Jarvis
    (more…)

  • We The Kings Resume their Reign in Manila

    We The Kings Resume their Reign in Manila

    We The Kings 2014

    “Every time we come to the Philippines it feels like we’re home.” shared frontman Travis Clark at the beginning of the night. The band is indeed no stranger to the Philippines, with the Art of Tour visit being their third time to play on the Manila stage. The SM Skydome rang with approval as the relatively small yet tightly knit crowd delighted in the statement.

    Currently with four albums in their discography, We the Kings had Manila waiting a good two years since their last visit in May of 2012. Unsurprisingly, the punk/powerpop band’s fanbase came in full force to welcome back Travis, Danny, Hunter, Charles, and Coley.

    The band began their set with a sampling of most of their albums, opening with Queen of Hearts, Skyway Avenue, and Any Other Way, followed by older favorites We’ll Be A Dream and Whoa.

    We The Kings Manila 2014 Travis

    The bond between the artists and their fans was quickly reignited as if the two years had never passed. Almost halfway through the 18-song set, Travis issued a dance challenge: not to be the best dancers, but to have the most ridiculous moves. While many were hesitant at first, it wasn’t long before the crowd finally gave into becoming a mass of pure flailing, jumping energy.
    (more…)

  • More than “More Than Words”: Extreme’s Pornograffitti Live

    More than “More Than Words”: Extreme’s Pornograffitti Live

    Extreme Manila Concert 2014

    Extreme lived up to their superlative name and outstanding rock and roll reputation when they delivered more than enough for fans in their Manila leg of the Pornograffitti Live Tour at the Samsung Hall last June 3. The boys from Boston proved how much their celebrated album stood the test of time as they dished out one song after another. Fans were treated to the raw power of the likes of “Decadence Dance” and “Get the Funk Out,” with Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, Pat Badger, and Kevin Figueiredo fired up the stage like it was the Bourbon Room. They played their most recognizable hit “More Than Words” right smack in the middle of their set, which only sent their fans into a frenzy for rest of their musical arsenal.

    Extreme Pornograffitti Manila

    Extreme Live in Manila Samsung Hall Extreme Live in Manila
    (more…)

  • The Return to Wanderland

    The Return to Wanderland

    Wanderland 2014

    It was a confluence of conditions that made Wanderland’s sophomore effort a triumphant repeat performance. The festival, as true as it was last year, definitely gives a different vibe from Summer Slam, Bazooka Rocks, Malasimbo, and even 7107.

    Say what you want about Metro Manila weather, but I could not imagine Wanderland being scheduled in any other time of year. People were at their most comfortable festive get ups: their shorts, their skirts, flower crowns, tank tops, cotton everything, flower crowns, sunglasses, I-wish-I-was-in-Coachella costumes, flower crowns. Karpos brought the party favors with the carnival staples, the carousel, that inflatable thingamajig with the velcro wall, live art sessions. And booze and food. Amenities in Circuit were topnotch. It is perhaps the best and appropriately stocked locally-produced music festival I’ve gone to. Wanderland certainly did a great job recognizing and acknowledging its audience judging by the effort it put into field logistics alone.

    The Drums at Wanderland 2014

    Wanderland 2014 Crowd

    Architecture in Helsinki at Wanderland

    Wanderland’s distinct vibe is most probably due to the music the festival showcases. In the most simplistic and convenient of terms, blurted out by no other than Lourd de Veyra on stage: hipster. It is the music, the culture, the clothes, the attitude, the entire shebang the term imbibes, incurs, and inspires. Be it as it may, the lineup runs a gamut of musical styles diverse enough to avoid monotony but consistent enough tug a unifying thread binding all of them. All of them except maybe for Franco. It is always great to see them perform on stage, so I would assume the organizers threw them into the fray as a wild card to keep things interesting. And it was.
    (more…)

  • Before You Exit – Finding their rightful place!

    Before You Exit – Finding their rightful place!

    Before You Exit Live in Manila 2014

    Before You Exit headed to the beautiful pearl of the orient to party and have fun with their Filipino fans at the Samsung Hall at SM Aura. It’s not the boys’ first time here, BYE had their debut Manila performance during Circuit Fest (Music & Skate) last May 25, 2013. The return of the band in Manila is part of their Dangerous Tour in support of its newly-released single of the same title.

    Riley McDonough Connor McDonough Toby McDonough

    The boys from the Theme Park Capital of the World opened the show with their new single and tour title , “Dangerous.” They played a total of eleven songs including “A Little More You”, “Settle for Less”, “Heart Like California”, “Three Perfect Days”, a fan favorite “Soldier”, “End Of The World”, and a cover of John Legend’s “All Of Me”, Rascal Flatts’ version of “Life is a Highway” and “Bless the Broken Road”! (more…)

  • Anne Curtis Annekapal Concert Photos

    Anne Curtis Annekapal Concert Photos

    Anne Curtis Annekapal Concert

    ‘Bravery’ is the word that perfectly sums up The Forbidden Concert: Annekapal. Anne Curtis showed pageantry, passion, and playfulness like no other performing artist in our country today. Fans were treated to a relentless barrage of innovative production numbers and lavish costume changes, which kept a delightedly brimming Smart-Araneta Coliseum holding their collective breaths for the next big surprise.

    annekapal-anne-curtis-concert-2014
    Anne Curtis Opening Number
    Anne Curtis as Dyesebel
    Anne Curtis as Dyesebel

    Anne Curtis Performing Let It Go
    Anne Curtis Performing Let It Go

    (more…)

  • MDR Live: A Silent Concert of Historic Proportions

    MDR Live: A Silent Concert of Historic Proportions

    Ely Buendia and Bamboo MDR Live

    On May 8 at the Rockwell Tent, MDR (short for “Music Deserves Respect”) showcased history as it brought together two of the greatest OPM icons in one stage, and in a silent concert which was to be the first of its kind in the Philippines. Bamboo and Ely Buendia treated hundreds of spectators to the wonder of what a silent concert ought to be. Not only that, as a very welcome bonus, their sets also induced waves of nostalgia as the two played some of their classic hits from their former bands from the ‘90s.

    So how does a silent concert work? First off, the stage was enclosed in a soundproofed glass which appeared to be a recording studio transposed to the center stage. The artists, with their accompanying bands, were subliminally mute to the crowd unless they plugged their headphones into the docks spread out across the venue. Similarly, people behind the glass couldn’t hear anything from outside.

    Ely Buendia MDR Live at Rockwell Tent

    It was a most unusual setting for everyone present. At the beginning, it took quite a bit of getting used to since it was very much like plugging your ears to an ordinary music player. As the concert progressed, however, the crowd got to experience the difference in terms of the quality of sound – how every note, every instrument and every bit of sound seem to blend seamlessly into something you usually call music, only purer and more personal.
    (more…)

  • Turn up the Heat with Close Up Forever Summer

    Turn up the Heat with Close Up Forever Summer

    Closeup Forever Summer 2014

    Heat waves have once again engulfed the country. The season of the sun has arrived. With this take-over came an extreme anticipation for the freshest beach party in the Metro. Amid the blistering weather, and the severe traffic jam, thousands of people swarmed to Circuit Events Ground Makati.

    A sea of people stepped out of their cars or cabs to walk to the venue. That’s how excited they were for the show. Circuit Grounds provided the fitting venue to cool down what with their grassy terrain. People could laze around the turf or sit on mats as they watched the sun go down while listening to the DJs spin their beats. This relaxed atmosphere was short-lived for the crowd was ready to rave the night away.

    Closeup Forever Summer Mars Miranda

    Revelers clad in tank tops and shorts pumped their arms in the air; some even getting lost in sound with their movements. Local DJs Marc Naval, Martin Pulgar, Ace Ramos and Mars Miranda started the party with their mixes. Close Up gathered the best pool of local electronic DJs. The emcee announced, as Ace Ramos and Mars Miranda wrapped up the local section of the festival, that the Filipino talent is of international caliber.
    (more…)

  • Home is where the art is: Malasimbo 2014

    Home is where the art is: Malasimbo 2014

    Malasimbo 2014 Crowd

    “This is a milestone for me,” intimated Miro Grgic, all-around talented fella (he’s a sound engineer, musician, DJ, and producer all rolled into one) and of course, the co-founder and director of the music and arts explosion that is Malasimbo Festival.

    Surveying the amphitheater filled with folks swaying and dancing about as well as taking into consideration the sheer intensity of performances past (read: Grammy-award winning Robert Glasper Experiment, Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez, and the legendary Roy Ayers who practically killed it onstage), one can’t help but agree that the 2014 Malasimbo Festival was quite a brainchild to behold.

    Jose Gonzales Malasimbo 2014
    (more…)

  • Mayday Parade’s Perfection

    Mayday Parade’s Perfection

    Mayday Parade Derek Sanders 2014

    We all have favorite bands that we need to see perform live at least once in a lifetime. The opportunity to watch Florida-based band Mayday Parade live at SM Skydome was the first time for some and the second or third for many. Thanks to Pulp Live World, die-hard fans welcomed them to Manila for the fourth time.

    It has been seven years since the band released their debut album A Lesson in Romantics, a record that’s considered to be their breakout album from whence a song called Jersey gave Mayday Parade worldwide attention.

    Returning with an impressive four studio albums under their belt, Mayday Parade set out to give us another rock show to remember.

    Mayday Parade Live in Manila 2014
    (more…)

  • The 7107 International Music Festival Field report

    The 7107 International Music Festival Field report

    Red Hot Chili Peppers Live at 7107 in Clark
    Red Hot Chili Peppers

     
    I would like to get this out of the way before I start Team Philippine Concert’s field report of the 7107 International Music Festival: Contrary to what the organizers plugged, it is my humble opinion that the Philippines’ music festival season kicked off with the UP Fair. The festival is fortunately riding on the season’s upswing, as it drew a mixed bag of anticipation and excitement over the course of its promotions. The festival promised to serve as a unique platform for our local artists to shine side by side with legendary performers. It is also aimed to promote the Philippine culture throughout the world. How did the festival fare? Team PC was in the midst of the action at Clark, Pampanga.

    7107 IMF Parking Lot
    7107 IMF Parking Lot with a view of Mt. Arayat

     
    Day 1. Team PC arrived at the Global Gateway Logistics City by mid-afternoon on the first day of the festival. From the sounds blaring from the speakers and the sight of giddy concert goers oscillating between flocking and scattering at the grounds, it eventually became apparent that the party was in full swing even before we neared its gates. It was almost a compulsion once one enters through the gate, after the RFID tag in the festival wristband beeps that you are good to go, to immediately drink in the premises and let the wanderlust, the one that brought you to the festival from wherever you came from, lead you on. Although the organizers made it a point to take care of its media guests by providing us with a tent with amenities, we decided to skip that part and took on the entire festival head on. Because, hey, we’re here; being here is 90% of the entire experience. The remaining 10% is what you do after setting your foot on the festival grounds, and we set off to do just that.
    (more…)

  • 7107 IMF Day 2 Photos

    7107 IMF Day 2 Photos

    Day 2 of 7107 international Music Festival upped the ante from the previous day’s spectacular first day with even a more diverse array of sounds in the line up. Homebrewed heroes Abra and Loonie, Radioactive Sago Project, Spongecola, Itchyworms, and Rocksteddy wowed the crowd with stellar performances worthy of the world stage. Nightfall elevated the festival’s intensity with the driving energy of Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, the bombast of Luciana, the lyrical prowess of Kendrick Lamar, and the pageantry of Empire of the Sun.

    red-hot-chili-peppers-7107-imf

    The eagerly anticipated performance of Red Hot Chili Peppers was a dream come true for all the festival goers, with the legendary California band unleashing a relentless musical force only the rock veterans can offer. It is a momentous event that will be talked about for years to come, one that cements 7107’s place in Philippine concert history and sets the bar for music festivals in the country.

    empire-of-the-sun-7107-imf
    Luke Steele of Empire of the Sun goes down the crowd

    kendrick-lamar-live-at-7107-imf
    Kendrick Lamar looking at the 7107 IMF bouncing ball

    red-jumpsuit-apparatus-live-at-7107-imf
    Red Jumpsuit Apparatus live at 7107 IMF

    More 7107 IMF Day 2 Photos (more…)

  • 7107 IMF Day 1 Photos

    7107 IMF Day 1 Photos

    7107-imf-day1

    Possibly the largest and most ambitious music festival set up in Philippine shores to date, the 7107 International Music Festival kicked off its first day with an exodus of thousands of concert goers pouring into the Global Gateway Logistics City grounds in Clark, Angeles City.

    7107-imf-2nd-stage

    Local and foreign artists shared two brilliantly designed stages to awe audiences with equally brilliant performances. Highlights of Day 1 were sets from Kaskade, Kjwan, Alvaro, Taken by Cars, Reid Stefan, DJ Riddler, and Kid Ink. The success of the first day only builds up the anticipation for the festival’s second day that features Empire of the Sun, Kendrick Lamar, and Red Hot Chili Peppers!

    7107 Day 2 Schedule (more…)