2nd Set of the Eraserheads Reunion Concert

We were all supposed to dance the Huling El Bimbo with a fantastic fireworks display. It was going to be the perfect song to end a perfect concert.

I know this thanks to someone from the inside. A day after the concert our source talked about  what was supposed to go down during the Eheads concert.

The first set went exactly as planned, except of course for Ely’s collapse. To refresh your memory, these are the songs we heard:

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. Wag Mo Nang Itanong
15. Lightyears

During the second set, the band was to sing ten more songs, in this order:

1. Maskara
2. Poor Man’s Grave
3. Torpedo
4. Trip to Jerusalem
5. Back To Me
6. walang Nagbago
7. Maling Akala
8. Tikman
9. Spoliarium
10.Magasin

When Magasin was to be played, the screen behind them would have montages of various news and magazine clippings of them. It would flash alternately with shots of the band and audience until the song reached the coda where Ely sings “…ay centerfold ka naaaa…woo hoo-hoo, haaa-haaa” part of the song. Then there would be fire works and a fountain of sparks, going on til the last note of the song. Then the hydraulic stage would be lowered and the band would make a “fake ending”.

The lights would then go out.

The source said the band would wait til the crowd chanted “more”. “It would take two beers’ worth of chanting. Then in the darkness, a very dramatic keyboard solo would be heard, and it would be the opening chords of Para Sa Masa.

The hydraulic stage would rise again and there they would be.

After Para Sa Masa, they’d switch into Overdrive. With the crowd pumped within an inch of insanity they were to hit us with Pare Ko. And then we would slow down and reminisce with Minsan.

Finally, they would perform Huling El Bimbo. Again, after the last refrain, at the coda (la la la laaa…) the grand fireworks display would go off, fountains of light surrounding the stage. The next la-la-la parts would see fireworks from behind the general admissions section, and as the song ended there would be a burst of confetti all over the audience.

Then the hydraulic stage would be lowered for the final exit.

Those were the plans for the Ultraelectromagnetic night. It may not have happened as planned but at least we knew they were going to give us a show we would never forget!

We our source if the band knew about all these plans. They did. In fact they were so excited about all the gimmicks and couldn’t wait to party with the audience. “Nag-usap pa nga sila kung may mga kailangang saluhin na kanta just in case (di na kaya ni Ely),” the source said. “And Ely said, hindi, Kakanta ako!”

I’m putting out an order to the Universe that we all get to watch the second set!

Reposted this from the Circus Yahoo! Groups. Orginal source was unclear.

Message from Raimund Marasigan

Posted to the Sandwich Yahoo! Groups and reposted to the Circus Yahoo! Groups

to whom it may concern

i dont usually rant but ive been hearing reports about people
questioning why we played saguijo after the concert.

first things first. when marlboro pulled out and cancelled the show a
week ago, the band was free of all obligation to play the show. if it
was about the money we could have just walked away fully paid no
explanations to the press or anybody. free from the contract. the band
decided to play nevertheless. the tickets and the prices was for the
new promoters to buy out the production from philip morris to put it
simply. contrary to what some people think it takes money to stage a
concert. stage, lights, and video screens don’t magically grow out of
the ground. that’s what the ticket prices were for. the band was not
in the negotiation meetings between the the two promoters and we did
not want to be in the meetings.

personally i said just call me cos i’m ready to rock. no extra pay no
contract negotiations. as far as the eheads was concerned were out of
the contract.

but here’s what you dont understand. playing music is what we do. we
play when we’re happy, play when we’re sad, play when we’re angry,
play when we’re sick, play til we die.

painters paint, writers write, my skateboarding friends skate or die.
when u ask nba superstars what they do in their spare time. they play
basketball.
us musicians, we play. thats what we do. getting paid is a bonus. i
will not apologize for that. when we don’t get paid we still play.

we played saguijo because we wanted to, we needed to. our hearts and
souls dictated it. we could just go home and sleep. we did not talk
about it. there was no invites there was no plan. we did not get paid.
we borrowed equipment.

yes ely knew about it. buddy told him the next day. yes pupil was in
saguijo too.

yes marcus buddy and i have lost a parent. we know how it feels.

ive been playing music for more than 30 years. professionally since
1993.there have been a few times when it was me who was unable to
continue the set due to illness. albeit it was a lesser scale and
(thankfully) never reported. it was nonetheless life threatening. ive
had a run in with losing my voice, food poisoning, diarreah
(embarassing) and a few more i do not care to mention that involved
blood and bones. i had to drop out of the set from the eheads, cambio
and sandwich. thankfully there was always someone there to finish the
set for me. and i am thankful that they were there. i did not feel
bad. ive also saved a few shows from other bands when shit happens. we
dont plan this and we dont complain but we still play.

my bmx friends ride with broken bones.

if we finished the eheads show that night you would STILL have found
us in guijo playing after.

yes i visited ely in the hospital yesterday. i hope he recovers soon.
we have a show to finish.

music is life
ill only stop playing when i die.

raym<s>

Ely Buendia recovering after 3rd angioplasty operation

Pupil and ex-Eraserheads frontman Ely Buendia needs to stay in the hospital for two more weeks after undergoing another angioplasty to clear his blocked arteries.

His manager, Day Cabuhat, announced in a radio interview yesterday, September 1, that Ely is now resting to regain strength and that his newly-operated blood vessel is now “100 percent fully restored.”

Despite the success of the operation, Ely is still being required to undergo a cardiac rehabilitation, according to GMA-7 News.

Ely’s recent heart surgery was his third. He underwent the same procedure two times early last year after experiencing a heart attack during an out-of-town gig with his current band, Pupil.

The enigmatic singer-songwriter reportedly collapsed backstage while in the middle of the Eraserheads’ much-anticipated reunion concert last Saturday, August 30, held at the Bonifacio Global City Open Field in Taguig. Ely, along with former bandmates Marcus Adoro, Buddy Zabala, and Raimund Marasigan rocked anew as one cohesive unit during the concert after not playing together for six years following the band’s bitter fallout because of personal and creative differences.

The band managed to perform 15 songs straight out before calling for a break to give the quartet a few minutes of rest before coming back for a second set. It was later revealed that the Eraserheads originally intended to perform 30 of their original songs ranging to the popular tunes to some obscure stuff. Buendia, however, suffered chest pains after the first set prompting the organizers to call off the concert.

Ely’s mom, Mrs. Lisette Buendia, passed away two days before the concert, aggravating his already fragile physical and emotional condition brought by all the strenuous preparations leading to the concert. Regardless of the reported fat paycheck received by the four members, the one-night concert they all echoed was a gift to the fans who tirelessly clamored for the band to share one stage again even for a single night.

Original article here.
Photo by Jorem Catilo.

Eraserheads Reunion Concert Photos

Photos courtesy of my friend, Jorem Catilo.

Ely Buendia undergoes angioplasty; 3rd since 2007 heart attack

The manager of Ely Buendia confirmed Monday that the  former Eraserheads frontman underwent another angioplasty procedure Monday morning following the band’s Saturday reunion concert that was cut short by his hospitalization.

Day Cabuhat, who manages Buendia and his current band Pupil, confirmed that the singer underwent heart surgery earlier in the day. Cabuhat said that the blood vessel that was operated upon is now “100 percent fully restored”. She said Buendia is recovering.

An official statement from Radio Head Media Solutions, the producer of the Eraserheads reunion concert, meanwhile, said the band vocalist suffered from “extreme exhaustion” Saturday night. It said Buendia is in “stable condition but still under observation.”

On Sunday, record label Sony BMG, told ABS-CBN News that Buendia suffered from hypokalemia, a medical condition in which the concentration of potassium in the blood is low. He was administered with a potassium intravenous fluid for the said condition, the record label added.

Buendia experienced chest pains and reportedly collapsed backstage after the first set of the long-awaited reunion concert, held at the Fort Bonifacio Open Field in Taguig City.

He was transferred to the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) around 1 a.m. Sunday after being treated at the Makati Medical Center’s emergency room.

The concert was cut short because of the emergency, While Buendia was being rushed to the hospital, his former bandmates Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala and Marcus Adoro, accompanied by his sister Lally, relayed the unfortunate incident to the fans at the concert.

Buendia, 37, had a previous heart attack in January 2007. He previously underwent two angioplasty procedures (a surgical operation where narrowed or blocked arteries are widened) at the PHC after doctors found at least two blockages in his arteries.

Doctors said the singer has a history of heart disease in his family and was genetically predisposed to it.

Friends, fans react

On Sunday, Buendia’s friend, filmmaker Joyce Bernal, denied that the singer suffered a heart attack. She said Buendia suffered chest pains due to the stress brought about by his mother’s recent death and exhaustion due to the rehearsals for the concert.

Buendia’s mother died of cardiac arrest early morning of August 28. She had been recovering from surgery done just days before to treat her intestinal cancer.

MTV Philippines head Francis Lumen, who co-produced the concert, said that Buendia is resting to recover from stress and exhaustion.

Buendia’s family is requesting the media to refrain from interviews and shooting video of the singer.

Bandmembers and Buendia’s sister informed the crowd about what happened to the singer, and announced at the concert that the Eraserheads’ frontman “is in a lot of physical and emotional stress lately.”

Despite his mother’s death on August 28, the former Eraserheads vocalist decided to push through with the concert, anyway.

Concert problems

The Eraserheads reunion concert became controversial after its first sponsor, cigarette-maker Philip Morris, was accused of violating Philippine laws prohibiting tobacco companies from sponsoring concerts and other promotional events.

When Philip Morris pulled out of the production due to legal concerns, it was Lumen who took over the sponsorship of the show.

Marasigan said Buendia still pushed through in participating in their reunion concert even with the stress he had gone through lately.

While plans for a DVD release of the concert is being proposed, Marasigan, Zabala and Adoro are still hoping they would all get together onstage soon and perform as the Eraserheads one more time.

The Eraserheads, formed in the late 1980s, was the most successful Filipino band of the 1990s, and is widely credited for reviving the Filipino band scene.

The band broke up in 2002, but the members of the band are still active in the music scene.

With reports from Ginger Conejero, Gretchen Fullido and Jeff Canoy, ABS-CBN News

Posted from here.