Live In Manila

This is a blog compiling everything I've ever written for newspapers, magazines and other publications. The first entry is my very first column that appeared in Manila Times in April 2008. 

MAN ON THE SIDE

Paul John Caña

Live In Manila

These days, it’s a good time to be a concert geek living in Manila

In recent weeks, every time I find myself in the company of fellow music lovers, the talk always gravitates towards all the international artists that are stopping by to do shows in the country. Those that have already come and caused many of us to part with our hard-earned moolah include Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Josh Groban, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Ne-Yo, Maroon 5, Incubus and Harry Connick Jr. Heck, even Richard Carpenter flew in for a special performance with chanteuse-turned-bus operator Claire De La Fuente and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself in Malacañang. Scheduled to fly in over the next few weeks and months is a motley mix of old favorites and fresher faces: Swing Out Sister, Toto, James Blunt and Matchbox 20. But invariably the most interesting part of these chats involve the speculation on and anticipation for the supposed arrival of the really big guns; people get worked up hoping to finally witness shows by U2, the Dave Matthews Band and Madonna later in the year (if the buzz is to be believed) here in our little corner of the world.

For fans of live music, it’s obviously a pretty big deal to be suddenly inundated with all these artists making the trip to personally share their music with us. There hasn’t been such a significant number of popular foreign artists “invading” our shores since the wave of chinovela pop stars died down and left many of us gasping for breath (hyperventilation caused by either extreme adulation or plain disgust). I can’t help but wonder now about the sudden downpour of all of these artists. While we have the promoters to thank for bringing them in and putting on the shows, I have to wonder if anything has changed in the overall “concert climate” in these parts that has suddenly caused Manila to join the ranks of some of our more cosmopolitan neighbors in attracting top tier recording artists.

For sure, the general improvement in national security must have something to do with it. I can’t forget when shows here by Oasis, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Slipknot were suddenly cancelled purportedly because of security concerns. Despite the stifling political climate these days, there hasn’t been a major security issue (such as an explosion with a significant number of casualties) anywhere in the country in recent months that could shoo away potential visitors. And while we’re thankful enough for the relative peace and stability we’ve been enjoying, it doesn’t hurt that Aguilera, Adam Levine, Brandon Boyd and all the others and their managers and publicists believe, too, that it’s safe enough to come here and not worry about being blown up to bits in the middle of their set.

Promoters are, I think, becoming more aggressive in selling the idea of doing a show here in the country to international artists and their management. While big names like Bjork, The Police and The Cure (and many smaller acts with a devoted following like Damien Rice and Broken Social Scene) still only make it as far as Singapore and Hong Kong, local concert organizers are reaching farther and going deeper to try and convince big-ticket names to include Manila as a stop on their world tours. Bringing the biggest names in contemporary music here doesn’t come cheap, that much we know, but with the help of corporate sponsors, it’s becoming increasingly clear that astronomic ticket prices aren’t even an issue. Nosebleed seats for shows by Beyonce and Groban reached into the P20,000 area, and yet people still came in droves. When it comes to artists we like, we Pinoys have shown that we’re more than willing to shell out however much it takes so we can be right there in the audience, singing along to every word.

Finally, it’s our nature as a music-loving folk that must be reeling in all the prize catches. In particular, our penchant for Western pop music – the kind we see on music channels – doesn’t see any signs of abating anytime soon. The local offices of the major international record labels say their artists have a stronger-than-good chance of dropping by to do a show in Manila if their current releases achieve some kind of sales certification (like gold or platinum), so judging by the artists that have swung by our shores in recent months, and in spite of the worldwide trend of plummeting CD sales caused by digital downloads, we’ve pretty much proven that we’re still voracious music consumers.

Whatever it is, I gotta admit, it’s pretty cool that we’re finally getting some love from all of these artists. It’s one thing to hear Colbie Caillat, Maroon 5 or Vertical Horizon on CD or mp3, quite another to be right there watching them perform live. Whether I personally like them enough to spend my hard-earned cash for tickets is beside the point. What’s important is that we’re finally on their radar. For the consummate music lover, nothing beats the experience of a live concert put on by a favorite artist. Now if somebody can just bring in John Mayer, the Arctic Monkeys and Coldplay…