First five…

There is a growing trend of my being the last to know about the goings on in the entertainment world. Had bro not told me about the davids’ concert in MOA and friend Makay about MTV exit, I would have missed attending both events. Today, an agent informed me during a call that my all time favorite band, Bamboo, is in town for Tanduay’s “first five” nationwide concert tour happening at the old airport just across the office. My!

Knowing about whom to get in touch with served me well…colleagues Jireh and Johanna. It was already 9pm when I got back from home after a short bonding with sis and pooh watching wolverine on dvd and the airport was already teeming with people when I arrived. As soon as I have deposited my stuff somewhere safe, armed with my vitamin C bottle, camera and some cash, I went in with the throng of bodies going through the narrow entrance which opened to the tarmac.

It took me ages figuring out how to secure a ticket. A man in uniform informed me that tickets are issued in exchange of 10 caps of the intoxicating drink that is sponsoring the concert. That posed to be a huge problem. Where on earth can I secure 10 caps at such a short notice especially when I wasn’t drinking at all?

At the parking lot I saw a man peddling some tickets for Php 50 apiece so I left the concert scene (Rico was already performing) and sought for the person in question to no avail. I went back inside dejectedly and was resigned to just listen to the concert at the back near the entrance to the VIP turf. Not completely relying to the information from the guard, I asked two girls who were just about to enter the gates as to where they got their tickets. One said they had a neighbor working at the plant and asked if I had company. When I said none, she gave me the ticket she had on hand. Boy, this night was mine to keep.

When I finally get to join Jireh, Johanna and Ronnie, Sandwich frontman Raimund was entertaining the crowd with his antics. Eraserheads alumni never cease to amaze me. After tonight, I will only need to see Buddy and Marcus, and still hope to see all four of them perform together.

Sandwich was followed by 6 cycle mind. Some songs were familiar but I only managed to sing along with their Eraserheads number.

Chicosci’s turn was the most eventful. It has been raining on and off and was almost midnight. Everyone’s impatient and couldn’t wait for Bamboo to take the stage. Well, we all have our ways of coping. Well, some weren’t that good at waiting and started to get a little rowdy (confounded by the chemical reaction of the alcohol in their brains from the rum that they imbibed). Well, Miggy (that cute vocalist) was a ‘little upset’ about some people in audience (which we couldn’t see being located right next to the dais :D), which escalated to his throwing profanities back at the ‘crowd’. That went on at least once in between their numbers and the guards had to finally take the kibitzers out of the concert grounds).

When Bamboo’s turn came, the crowd came alive and were either banging their heads or jumping up and down just as Bamboo did as he performed the 6(?) numbers on their repertoire. I did not get a high five from the main man when he jumped off the dais and pacify the screaming fans but I reached out my arm as far as it can go and managed to fleetingly press his right arm…a feat i wasn't able to make back in Sinulog...hahaha!

What a night! More than it being a fan’s dream night, it meant reporting for work sans sleep.