CEBU, Philippines — It was a sentimental night at the “Legends of Rock in Cebu” concert on February 8 when its headliner White Lion, led by frontman and original member Mike Tramp, took the stage at Social Park Avenue in Mango Square Mall.
The band is currently on a five-city tour in the Philippines, with Cebu City its first stop before heading to Cagayan De Oro, Surigao, Leyte, and Quezon City.
“The Philippines has always been a place we wanted to perform in, but nobody invited us until three gentlemen who promoted our show in Florida last year asked if we would like to perform here. And then we asked, ‘When?’” Tramp told The FREEMAN in an interview a day before the show.
Throughout their one-hour set, the band took the audience on a nostalgic trip, most of whom had grown up listening to their music.
“I’ve played rock ‘n roll for 48 years. That’s half a lifetime. Some people don’t even make it to 48,” Tramp told the crowd. “There were times I asked myself why I am still doing this. And I realized it’s because I signed a contract with rock and roll for the rest of my life – and there’s no way out of that.”
For a rock concert, it was the band’s ballads – Till Death Do Us Part, When the Children Cry, You’re All I Need – that had the audience singing loudly. Acknowledging Filipinos’ love for sentimental songs, Tramp joked, “If I had ten songs like that, I’d be a superstar in the Philippines.”
“You’re All I Need”, their finale song, turned the venue into a massive karaoke session.
“I remember the immigration officer looked at my passport and asked why I was here. I told him, ‘I’m playing rock ‘n roll for some beautiful people.’ He replied, ‘Yes, but that’s not enough. You’re not allowed to leave the country if you don’t perform You’re All I Need,’” Tramp hilariously shared before closing the evening.
Recognizing how frequently some of White Lion’s songs are still played on the radio in the Philippines, the band aims to stay as faithful as possible to how fans remember their music, while also adapting to 64-year-old Tramp’s voice.
“The audience wants to hear it the way they remember it from when they were 15 or 16 years old because when you connect with music at that time in your life, it stays with you in a deeper way,” explained guitarist Marcus Nand, Tramp’s lifelong friend and the band’s newest guitarist.
“So I was tasked with recreating these songs in a way that still matches Tramp’s vocals today while staying true to the original White Lion sound.”
Tramp hopes that the Cebu audience walked away from the show knowing they had experienced an authentic performance.
“We’re in a part of the world where there’s a lot of karaoke and cover bands,” Tramp said. “But when you have the original band come in and play ‘You’re All I Need’, I want people to know that I am the one who wrote that song. You’re getting the real deal because you’re getting a band that plays for the love of music.”
Before White Lion took the stage, Cebuano bands Aeon, Xs, Missioned Souls, and Paper Dove opened the “Legends of Rock in Cebu"” concert. The event was produced by Tribe Production, Weird Emily Production, JUST4Show Production, Np.Asia Inc., and Electric Gold Tattoo Co.