Around 1pm I was already ready to go although the concert do not start until 8pm. One should anticipate the crowd. Ticketworld sold more than 2,000 tickets after only several hours of selling it, there's a really long line in Ticketworld outlets, even in National Bookstore. and they only had 2 days before the big event. That's how badly the fans wants to see them.
At around 2 pm, i met up with Nina in Ever Gotesco. It's been a while since I saw Nina. The last I think was the Pupil gig in Makati. Anyway, so we went to Market Market and met up with some other peeps. Ricah, Miki, Miki's friend, and Jai. At about 5 we made our way to the the concert area. Before we went inside though, I dropped by Artsbar and picked up the shirt I asked him to bring: Markus Highway exclusive t-shirt beybeh! and of course the official Reunion shirt, ha ha! which was featured in Inquirer yesterday, by the way.
We were in by around 5. The security was tight. One security guard was even hustling me with the lighter. He said lighters aren't alowed. He opened my bag and saw my Marlboro Lights, then he said: "may lighter ka e" i said "wala akong lighter!" then he repeated "may light ka!" and i went "wala ako'ng lighter!" that went on for like less than a minute but he didn't find my lighter inside my bag. that's what I call: tamang hinala! haha
Below is the lay-out of the area. which Markus graciously shared to us on-line so we wouldn't get lost.
We waited 3 hours for the band to play. just there, sitting, sharing E'heads trivias. Then my fellow Listers arrived! Thea, Dino, Julieus, Yem, Tops and more. It was like a mini-reunion, only Bernz was nowhere to be found. We were at the VIP section, around 8 meters away from the stage because before the VIP section there is an SVIP section which are the band's friends and family. It was effin' hot! the lady in front of me wouldn't budge to move one step forward so we could breathe at the back. But I finally got my best position. and stood there for an hour. Then it came...
It was superb! The lights were great! the screen right behind the band was so big and it featured pictures of the band in their E-heads days. then it wrote: SA WAKAS! people were wild as wild goats! screaming and all. The stage had an elevator, hehe! Each band member was lifted up on stage through this elevator thing. They started the set with Alapaap. Apparently it's Ely's favorite. They always play Alapaap first at most gigs before. And there I went, all teary-eyed. It was my first time to see them live. And it was so magical. Goosebumps! Goosebumps! I've waited so long to be in that place, to see them play live. I've waited 15 years or so.
Below is the line-up of songs they played:
alapaap
ligaya
sembreak
hey jay
harana
fruitcake
toyang
kama supra
kailan
huwag kang matakot
kaliwete
with a smile
shake yer head
huwag mo ng itanong
light years
If you read the news lately, Ely's mom died last Thursday of Heart Attack. Despite that, he still went on with the show. And he gave his best. He even joked a bit, after the song Alapaap he said: Thank you! Good night! and acted as if it was the end. It was evident he was dead tired. Roadies went on changing his guitars from one song to another and he was almost not moving from where he stood. Still, he went on and completed the first set. The last song was Lightyears and you can definitely see how sad ely's face was on that big big screen!
Doesn't really matter where you are It always seem to be so far 'coz you're lightyears away You're lightyears away from me
After the song, he sat and the roadie went to tap him on his shoulder, took the guitar, helped him stand and then he walked backstage. the timer on the screen was set to 20 Minutes but it stopped after a few seconds. we waited more than 30 minutes when Markus, Raimund, Buddy, Lyra (Ely's Sister), and the promoters went on stage and annouced that the concert has to be cut short due to Ely's poor health. Ely collapsed backstage. Then the promoter initiated a 1 minute silence to pray for Ely's speedy recovery. Then the crowd was advised to go to the nearest exits.
So me, Jai, Nina and Miki's friend head to Market Market to get something to drink. Aftera can of soda and 3 sticks of cigs we went our separate ways and headed home. I was with Nina at the taxi and I told her it was my first time to see the band play. She didn't know. I told her that I never thought the song Lightyears is about death. And we went on telling stories about the 'heads' good ole' days and hoped Ely was okay.
when I got home, i kicked my shoes off, put on my new Markus Highway shirt, and went on-line. one person posted the supposed List of songs for SET 2 he found backstage:
maskara
poorman's grave
torpedo
trip to jerusalem
back to me
maselang bahaghari
maling akala
tikman
spolarium
magasin
para sa masa
overdrive
pare ko
minsan
huling el bimbo
Then i uploaded the video I managed to shoot through my cellphone in Youtube and showed it to Gibs, who happened to be on-line at the moment. He argued that he hated how the 'heads sold out. That they have to pretend to be friends for 2.7 million. I told him about the blog I wrote previously, which I also posted in friendster, by the way, entitled 08 30 08. The point I was kind of making was that: If you think they don't think about Money, you are deeply mistaken. They're human too. They need it. But you can't judge them by that fact alone because they are creative and talented, and it's definitely not their fault if they get a chance to play for 2.7 Milliopn pesos! and they deserve it. they worked hard for it. they earned it. it wasn't easy.
Unfortunately, Gibs didn't bother to understand me and cut me off. He went on to his "i miss you, come back home" thing and "he didn't want to loose me over this Eraserheads" crap. But now I'm kind of rehearsing how to tell him what i've been wanting to tell him for the longest time: get outta' my life!
After that, I threw myself to the shower and hit the sack. It was about 1am, I think. I woke up at about half past 6 in the morning. Breakfast was the left over doughnuts from yesterday. I read the news and Ely is awake and is in stable condition now. He only had a mild attack due to stress. And it dawned on me: If it was the first and last time I would see the 'heads play live, I am already satisfied and I don't want to ask for more. Basically, that night fulfilled all my longings for the band I adored since I was in fifth grade. It was pretty amazing.
i just got home from the Eraserheads Reunion Concert. Unfortunately it was cut short becuase frontman Ely was rushed to the hospital after the song Lightyears.
The show was so Grand. God it was like a Michael Jackson concert indeed! Fireworks, laser beams! elevator stage...
below is the video i managed to shoot using my Nokia5310, despite the tears and all.. as it was my first timie to see them all four play as Eraserheads Live.
It was a riot indeed. Everyone was emotional and very jumpy too. It was VERY crowded. I tell you. I think tickets almost sold out in what, 2 days of sale? Shet! Lucky for us, Markus was so kind and generous to let us in the VIP.
i've been thinking about things in my life lately because something is about to happen that i think would validate why i'm here, slaving in the corporate world, living on my own.
some things i imagined when i was younger came true and some are coming true. a negligible work that pays the rent, taking photos, having my own apartment, snubbing boys, sunny & smart down to earth friends, going to gigs of band i adore, and lately an eraserheads reunion concert...
it's surreal but it's happening and i'm very thankful for it. and everyday i check my multiply, yahoogroups, emails and check up with my friends to make sure that this is happening. unfortunately, Professional cams aren't allowed inside which makes me focus on being there. being present at what would probably be one my life's highlights. i write better than i shoot, anyway (sometimes).
it's such a warm and fuzzy feeling and i never get to feel this all too often. so when i do, i like to make it linger a little longer.
The recent days have been a mix of frustration, uncertainties and happiness for me when I think about E'heads reunion concert on August 30th, 2008. News sprung out off the world wide web that the the much-awaited reunion of the decade was canceled. it turned out Phillip Morris was not able to get away with the law against Cigarette Companies sponsoring big whatever Entertainment events. So I just read and read and Markus kept writing words of hope and all that. Then he said all will be revealed on Monday. And revealed it was, the first thing that greeted me Monday morning was a text message from Julius: "Raymund confirmed the reunion will push through on the 30th, ticket selling will be announced on Tuesday." so imagine the glee, mann.
I've been waiting for this day for ALMOST forever.
You can say I'm one of their biggest fan. I'm one of those who grew up listening to their music. I couldn't imagine who I could have become without the 'heads and although their break-up was bad, i've kind of anticipated and dreaded it. And i waited and waited for this to happen. Ely on every interview had always denied that This would be a possibility in a near future. But then again he also mentioned in one of the interviews at Pulse.ph that he makes music for money. So the best opportunity came, according to circulating rumors, they were paid at least more than 2 million each for this event. There were people who took it against the band to sell out like this, but personally speaking, i think they were a sell-out from the start. Otherwise, we couldn't possibly all be aware of their canny presence. They really made music to make money. It's hypocritical if they say they don't. But I am definitely thankful for the money and the fame that they got in return because right now I get to listen to more than a hundred songs that makes me happy. You can't also say they totally compromised their ability to make good music because they made Great music that we all loved, in the first place. They are so talented and creative and smart and I think their life as the Eraserheads is an example of hard work and hard play. Altogether, I don't think it's their fault that they can get paid 2 Mil each at least for a one-night-only concert.
They shaped a generation. They showed us that any kid at school can go out there and rock n' roll! and be famous! if you only work hard enough. They gave the youth the voice and hope we so craved 6-15 years ago. So let's give it back to them now. They truly deserve it.
Fort Bonifacio August 30th, 2008. Check the newspaper today! Tuesday! for complete details. be there! it's a date!
my friends are getting a little desperate about getting Promoted. my teammates who's with DELL for a little less than a year is desperate of getting promoted. at huddles they bring it up. and sometimes they talk to me and ask about it. ask why I'm still an agent, taking in calls after what, a little less than 2 years now? and at first i thought maybe I'd get offended but after a few brain-freezing moments to answer those questions i told 'em I don't want to get promoted. I like my position. I'm so comfortable with it, y'know.
Once i attended a talk with Angel, a very good speaker who's with the Learning & Development team, he told us that before you attempt to apply for something, make sure that you are at least 200% more than qualified of the position. "magbanat ka muna ng buto" as he puts it in the native language.
right now it's not that i'm slacking or I don't have the ambition, mann I am a very ambitious person. I wouldn't travel from Cagayan de Oro to Manila if I were any less ambitious. It's only that I think I will have my own time. And besides, my ambition goes beyond the call center industry. it goes beyond what I can even imagine.
in mean time, i'm totally enjoying the ride. no need to hurry baby!
just thought of converting pictures to black and white today. so i scoured photos in my picture folders and also borrowed one from a friend who's more than willing to lend it to me for a li'l b&w practice. haha.
mitch - this was in Tuguegarao, she'd repeatedly asked me to shoot a special photo for her special friend. i guess this one takes the cake out of all the shots we made. one fella commented "charming" in DevArt on this photo. the anticipation - if you have the time please tell me what to do with this photo, i still feel there is something missing.
Markus - yay! shot last night at 70's bistro. my shots last night were uh.. not so good. i guess I didn't prepare enough. going to gigs like this has to be planned well. tsk! i loved markus' outfit though. maybe if i wasn't sleepy (and shy) enough i could have come up to him after the set and take a decent shot. Jugs of Itchyworms - another photo taken last night at 70's bistro. at first i feel like cropping it, but uh.. changed my mind and blurred out Chino instead.
that's all. your constructive opinion will worth a million to me.
i am currently obsessing over the genius of Einstein. i bought this book (Einstein: His Life and Universe) last week and i just couldn't put it down. and i remembered i was absent at the time the law of relativity was explained to me in my Physics class in college (yeah, right) so i had to consult Wiki. so i found a video of a class in Yale which explained the Special relativity and General relativity. Prior to that the Professor also explained the Black Hole.
it's so entertaining. it brings out the curious kid in me. it makes me want to go back to college. it also makes me question why I'm here and not getting a job at the university in the first place. Science had always been a favorite of mine. i guess in time i will come to my senses and realize i'm just another Nerd.
One thing you should know about me is I'm a very lazy person. If there's one job i'd like to have, it would be becoming a thief for billionaires. Something like a day of work would make me the Billionaire. But then again, it takes talent and guts. I ain't got any of that.Or at least I haven't practiced any of that. i only practiced sleeping all day during rest days and taking calls during work days. Pretty boring, huh?
I know.
Moreover, I am pretty excited for a second round of my Tuguegarao escapade. Region 2, baby! I'll be going up north with my co-workers. Will just be loungin' in the beach or in my former manager's mansion with maybe some lemon juice? my favorite! Yeah, I'm lazy like that.
note: I added my Flickr account's photostream in this blog, just in case you want to check it out! I also tranferred the tag from my previous blog here & I changed the template! dang! I've been busy...
am i so bad? i gave Alvin (co-worker) a bit of a beating. he borrowed money from me and i told him i need it by today. but he said he can't and i said no can't do it's for my rent. i already told him i had my budget all planned out and i let him borrow it because i didn't need it until today which is for my nosy landlady a pay-your-rent day! i understand he has responsibilities, 3 kids : one in high school, an infant and another toddler but i thought we all have responsibilities and as of mine i have it all planned out. everything is on its place except for this. i demanded that he pay me the whole amount until i got tired of it. i'm no atm machine --- he has to know that. i have responsibilities much like all of us. that's why we are at work. that's why i couldn't pick up my parents at the airport later because i'll be working, it's my responsibility. it was his responsibility to provide for his family and live up to his words. it's not easy being the bred-winner of the family, i understand that clearly, but negligence is not an excuse. i can't be absent later or be late because i know it would be negligence to my job even if i know my parents would not like to stay with my relative for a night. it's because i gave my word to the company first. i said i wouldn't be absent so i won't be. i just hoped he would do the same thing to me. to honor his sworn words to pay me today.
i know i'm being harsh, but i'm just a "plan" person. if something doesn't go according to planned i get cranky. so in times like this i just ask myself: What would Jesus do?
i remember downing a bottle of vodka cruiser last night before hitting the sack. and now here i am, cursing and bouncing here and there in an utter pain under my skull. the last time i felt pain like this was when Mitch and i challenged ourselves on a big bottle of white tequila. the pain was a monster in the head. unlike beer, you never really feel anything other than its distinct taste in your mouth when you wake up in the morning.
most of the time i just don't understand myself. i'm bored with my life. i feel like i'm not enjoying what i do. maybe because i haven't really been honest with myself.
ever since high school, all i wanted to do was to write & be in a band. i've never taken college seriously. i thought i'd take a very fascinating course but i knew i didn't want to end up practicing it. i thought there's no proper school for people who'd like to make music and i thought, i can write without proper educational background. i mean, i thought i could write and that was enough. i also wanted to stay out from the trappings of my parents, which i gladly did, by the way.
i guess what i'm really trying to say is ---- i'm lost. i've been trying to evaluate why i feel so lonely. why i bailed out on my friends and family.
i have this weird fascination of the rock n' roll lifestyle. now it's seems it'll never happen. i'm a very boring person and the lifestyle i dream myself to be in is too far fetch. and why do i even aspire it? when most people my age aspire for job promotions and starting a family? i weird myself out.
maybe today i'll focus on the writing part. i'm not great but i know i ain't so bad either. if i compare myself to a third-grader, that is :p
all i wanted to do within the last 30 minutes was sleep. at one point i felt like crying. come payday i'm going to buy myself a nice acoustic guitar.
