joiner goes to the best concert ever

When I found out about the Tears for Fears concert more than a month ago, I was excited for my brother and Jan. They were true TFF fans whom I thought would enjoy a live performance of TFF. I, on the other hand, would just be happy to sing along with the band their most famous radio-released songs. As I told Jan, I am a joiner, who find particular pleasure in sharing an amazing experience with many people. I just love concerts of familiar artists in general. (I have to say familiar because Jan took me to the Nine Inch Nails concert, which I only know one song... I found myself sitting the concert out. I found joy in seeing Jan excited with NIN's arrival in the Philippines. :P)

I was soooo glad that I actually coerced Jan to watch the concert because it was absolutely amazing! For most of the crowd, it was 25 years worth of repressed fandom thus the VERY enthusiastic welcome for the band. And that is an understatement. Araneta became one big giant rockaoke bar with my estimate of 17,000 people singing to classic TFF. As Curt Smith declared on his twitter, he was speechless. And that they have officially peaked.

Jan and I went with my brother and met up with R, M and F at Araneta. We were supposed to have dinner at Volare first but there were already lines going inside the venue. They were ahead of us, so they were able to save good seats (as good as you can get in Upper B), twelve o' clock to the stage.

This looks like an empty Araneta but it was already half-full by 6.30PM. It's empty because everyone else is outside the lens range of my camera. And those near the stage, they have reserved seating and come as they please. Which is okay because they paid eight times I did. :P

Front acts were Pupil and Sandwich (which actually sealed the deal for me and made me finalize that I should go to the concernt). Sandwich sang their own song then proceeded with a sampling of 80's song from The Cure, Cult and The Smiths. The 40 year olds were quite happy. We, who were grade school at the peak of TFF career, just sat and enjoyed the older generation enjoy a flashback of high school.

Front act bonus was Ely singing with Sandwich, classic Eraserheads song, "Alapaap." I find it amusing that Raymund introduced Ely as "a friend from college." Raymund took to the drums for this song.

Pupil played afterwards. The crowd quieted down a bit because they sang their own hits. I think the people were unfamilar with their music. I, on the other hand, found it a little too angsty for movement or cheers. Polite clapping was the most people can offer.

R and I rocked to "Alapaap," reminiscent of our ORSEM days dancing to Indio-I performing "Baby, I love your way."

Music master M and R pose while waiting for the TFF to appear. As Ely said, "huwag muna kayo aalis, kasi may susunod pa."

The once empty stadium is now an SRO venue housing the excitement of people in their prime. Many of which are quite happy the next day is a holiday. This kind of crowd usually just happens when there is an Ateneo-DLSU game. But this crowd is just cheering for Tears for Fears.

I think we surprised Curt Smith and Roland Ozabal with our excitement. Their voices were drowned out by the crowd singing to their classic hits. I can see Roland singing amused as people belted out the lyrics with him. As he said... "we have been to the plains of Siberia, the deserts (?) of Scandinavia (there is a desert there?)... I don't know what took us so long..." and here the crowd drowns out the rest of his statement but I assume he meant Manila.

It was an awesome night. I was so glad to have gone to the concert even if I was not a hard core Tears for Fears fan. I like it when foreign artists love the Philippines. I love it when crowds act as one. I love it when artists and politicians alike turn ordinary fan girls.

This has been the best foreign artist concert I have been to!

Jan and I post-TFF. I am malat.

My brother and I. Kuya, I should say, is the more authentic TFF fan having enjoyed their music when he was in high school.

I do hope the rumors of them coming back for a round two is true. Whether I am able to watch again or not, I would like for those to missed the concert to have the same opportunity to enjoy such great 80's music.

Love live 80's music!