Eraserheads, Delirium and Anticlimax
Sunday, 0120. I can tell you this: it was intense. From the moment it was announced, the Eraserheads reunion concert was attended by high drama. The original sponsor of the concert, a cigarette manufacturer, required registration on its website for free tickets. The cigarette company was found to have violated the ban on tobacco advertising, and the show was cancelled on August 23. The show was back on the following day; a different promoter had stepped in, and tickets would be sold via Ticketworld. On August 28, Eheads frontman Ely Buendia’s mom died following an illness. It had been raining all week, and the concert was to be held in a field at Fort Bonifacio. Would the reunion concert go on as scheduled?
It did, and it didn’t. I’ve never seen so many people at Fort Bonifacio. Thousands of people—do we have crowd estimates?—descended on the field on the one clear, rainless day of the week to see the biggest, most important Filipino band of the 90s. As far as I know there were no TV or newspaper ads for the gig, just radio stations playing Eheads songs and fans blogging, texting, emailing the news to each other. It was one of those things that You Just Knew. The band took the stage at 2020 to a delirious ovation. They had not played together in many years, but by their mere presence they reversed time. They could’ve just stood there, and it wouldn’t have mattered: the audience was singing their songs to them. From the opening strains of Alapaap, it was 1995 all over again.
Fourteen songs* later, at around half-past nine, there was a 20-minute intermission. It felt longer. Then Raimund Marasigan, Marcus Adoro, and Buddy Zabala returned to the stage with Ely’s sister, Lally. She read a statement thanking the audience for their support, then breaking the news that Ely had to be rushed to the hospital. The gig was off. Ten years ago, that news would’ve been greeted with boos, mineral water bottles would’ve been launched (they were not allowed into the venue), and good luck getting out of there. But the news was received with a shocked silence: it is widely known that Ely had a heart attack last year and underwent angioplasty. There was a minute of silence for his speedy recovery. Then the thousands quietly filed out of the venue. It was eerie, walking out of there in near-silence when your systems were still adrenalized.
Ely is now in stable condition. According to family members, he had passed out from fatigue, stress, and lack of sleep following his mom’s death. He is resting and will be fine. Meanwhile we’re going to have to deal with our own Ang Huling El Bimbo/Magasin/Pare Ko deprivation.
It just started raining.
*1. Alapaap 2. Ligaya 3. Sembreak 4. Hey Jay 5. Harana 6. Fruitcake 7. Toyang 8. Kama Supra 9. Kailan 10. Wag Kang Matakot 11. Kaliwete 12. With A Smile 13. Shake Yer Head 14. Huwag Mo Nang Itanong Sa Akin  Â
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
August 31st, 2008 at 02:40
jessica! thanks for blogging abt the concert so quickly. relieved to know that ely’s ok. yeah, weird pala ng pakiramdam pag ganun…ang taas pa ng adrenalin mo pero kailangan mong pigilin/patayin kasi tapos na. na-confuse ang cells ko dun(baka magka cancer tuloy ako nito). pero WOW sulit pa rin. so many people came. the eraserheads still rule!
August 31st, 2008 at 02:44
“Meanwhile we’re going to have to deal with our own Ang Huling El Bimbo/Magasin/Pare Ko deprivation.” >>> plus Minsan and Overdrive. argh! REUNION CONCERT PART 2!
August 31st, 2008 at 03:19
“…by their mere presence they reversed time. They could’ve just stood there, and it wouldn’t have mattered…” >>> So true. A lot of people – including me – actually felt like one song came in such quick succession after the other that it felt like the band was just going through the motions. But it didn’t matter. The music was great, the crowd was so euphoric and the night was one to remember.
It’s just sad that it ended the way it did.
I hope Ely gets better. He looked really weak and tired onstage. You could see it in his eyes, especially when his shades came flying off during the intro to “Shake Yer Head” (which imho was the best song of the night).
Maybe in the distant future, when all of these four guys are in a better state of health and relations, maybe they could try this sort of thing again. But after tonight, those 15 amazing and heartfelt songs are enough.
August 31st, 2008 at 05:13
This is my first time to attend a concert that the people (or majority of the people) actually know almost all of the songs and actively sing the whole time. Truly, Eraserheads is THE BAND of the 90’s.
(Kahit iyong mga emo/punk kids na hindi ko inaasahang makita ay nasa labas ng field at nagtatiyaga manood with their cool, ukay-ukay, black attire).
I hope there’ll be another “reunion.” (and what’s the english of bitin?) BITIN!
*it’s good to hear Ely is doing fine. I’ve been hearing from gossips that he undergone a Triple By-pass surgery. Good thing it’s not true.
August 31st, 2008 at 09:25
Hey Jessica! Thank you so much for the update/news/blog. I was literally crying when I was reading your blog. I truly wish I was there. I’m here on the ship cooking for 2500 guests while singing the Eheads hits and I played all their songs on my friend’s Ipod all night long. A simple tribute. LONG LIVE THE EHEADS!!!!
August 31st, 2008 at 10:00
Same thing occurred to me. I am really proud of our generation. After the announcement, no boos, no expletives were heard in the air. It was just quiet resignation and breathless shock. I am listening to “Hard to Believe” right now and thinking, please let there be reunion part 2. I definitely sensed that he was tired, but the crowd urged and tired so hard to transfer their electrifying energy to him. And I loved every minute of it. Here’s to hoping for Ely’s recovery..physically and emotionally.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:59
it was everything i expected and more, a flux capacitor, generatring 1.21 gigawatts of love, tension, release. it all came into play – ely’s patented standoffishness (in spite of yells of “group hug!”), the incredible humidity, that ridiculous countdown that had me screaming in anticipation, the hurtling indie-ness of no sponsor banners, the ginormous stage and those epileptic graphics, the music (and musicianship) that barreled past nostalgia and was swooping, sad, transcendent; and the final dramz that ended it all. it was bitin, to be sure, but given all we knew of the band, perfect. i can’t believe i was actually there.
August 31st, 2008 at 16:39
I wouldn’t say that there were NO boos. There were douches in the patron section who were chanting for a refund. They were probably the same ones snorting mary jane before the concert started. Thankfully, most of the crod was classy enough to stay silent. The actions of the majority were commendable. The actions of those select few? Not so much.
September 1st, 2008 at 01:47
hi! they sang “lightyears” di ba? last song?
September 1st, 2008 at 05:12
“…to see the biggest, most important Filipino band of the 90s.”
Come on, Jessica. You too? We can do without the qualification “of the 90s”. Let’s all be honest, what the hell is wrong with “ever”?
PS. You forgot “Lightyears”.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:44
thanks jessica for posting about the most important band of my life.
grouphug!
yes the minute of silence had a calming effect on the crowd.
hard to get the adrenalin out of the system. my cousins walked it off in serendra.
hoping for a part 2 and part 3
yes light years was the last song before the intermission.
can someone post the remaining 15 of the promised 30song list of raimund?
September 1st, 2008 at 12:33
Great heartfelt account of the events … thanks for posting your thoughts on this since I wasn’t able to attend the concert myself.
It’s interesting you wrote “Ten years ago, that news would’ve been greeted with boos, mineral water bottles would’ve been launched (they were not allowed into the venue), and good luck getting out of there.” because my first question to all concert attendees when I found out it was cut short was … “Did people boo?”
September 1st, 2008 at 15:02
I would’ve paid more for less. “They could’ve just stood there, and it wouldn’t have mattered.” How true. And you probably did not hear but at the back, when advised to go to the nearest exit as the concert would have to be cut short because of what happened to Ely, instead of complaining, people clapped, thankful for the glorious fifteen songs sung to them. It said a lot about Eraserheads fans. I’m proud to be one of them.
September 1st, 2008 at 18:57
For Kat Reyes: Can’t confirm but someone daw took a photo of the setlist backstage:
maskara
poormans grave
torpedo
trip to jerusalem
back2me
walang nagbago
maling akala
tikman
spolarium
magasin
para sa masa
overdrive
pare ko
minsan
huling el bimbo
Sobrang sayang! Ugh, pero solb pa rin! I almost cried during the concert! Sobrang nostalgia! =)
September 1st, 2008 at 21:41
stuck here in the province. missed the show. and some lucky people saw the second set at saguijo. here’s the account by raimund from the sandwich mailing list:
”
after the first set i was so hyped. i went looking for buddy to check
up on him cos his bass effects was malfunctioning.
i found him coming out of ely’s tent and said ely was rushed to the
hospital. we were all stunned and after a quick production meeting and
meeting with his family we had to announce that the concert had to be
cut short.
we prepared 3 sets. the first was just a warm up. the remaining two
was going to be the fun part.
there was more videos and light shows and pyro in store for everyone.
after getting fans family and friends safely out of the venue maps and
i headed over to saguijo bar to meet sandwich pedicab cambio and some
friends to hang.
after a few beers buddy arrives so we decided to play the second set
on borrowed equipment. thanx to mark maya for the stix. we had a
little help from ebe, kris, vin, aia and tani. by the time we were
playing el bimbo marcus shows up so he got to play also.
i guess we just did not want to go home to our posh hotel rooms all
down and defeated. i’m thankful we have great friends to support us,
cheer us up when we’re sad, pick us up when we’re down.
here’s my new motto
drum now ask questions later
raym
“