You don’t think of the Eraserheads as the most punctual band in Filipino rock history. No, “punctuality” isn’t listed on their résumés. But then there was that Reunion Concert last Aug. 30, when a countdown clock signaled their return to the stage after about a decade … and when the fireworks went off, there they were, on time and ready to roll out the hits.
Showing up for a presscon at Italianni’s at High Street, Fort Bonifacio last Monday, they were (all four of them) right on time (give or take a few minutes) to face the cameras and the thickening crowd. The purpose: to spill all about their upcoming “second set” on March 7, 2009 — a return engagement to finish the business of their aborted reunion show that ended after 15 songs, cut short when singer Ely Buendia had to sit down on the stage; his mother had passed away a few days earlier, it was a very difficult personal time, and here he was sharing it with about 60,000 E-heads fans at an outdoor concert. Most fans were shocked, but more importantly, concerned about the singer’s heart condition.
All that is writ in Pinoy rock history books already. For this presscon, Ely, Marcus Adoro, Buddy Zabala and Raymund Marasigan sat before us in shades, just like the old days, and don’t even bother trying to figure out what’s going on behind them. The press kit (provided by MTV which, along with Smart Buddy, is putting on the concert dubbed, with an air of finality, “The Final Set”) mentions that “this is in itself a whole new concert and not just a continuation of the historic Aug. 30, 2008 reunion concert.” So those expecting a free “second set” are out of luck.
Not only that: “This will be the reunion of all reunions as it is said to be Buddy, Ely, Marcus and Raymund’s last performance as the Eraserheads in the country for the next 10 years.” The venue this time will be the SM Mall of Asia Grounds, and according to local MTV head Francis Lumen, tickets will be “reasonably” priced from about P300 to P3,000.
After an introduction and roll call of the band’s hits (presumably for the benefit of very young press members unlikely to have been of legal age back in the E-Heads’ touring days), there was a Q&A. We had only a short time to throw out our questions, but the Eraserheads were in good form, playing their accustomed roles of monosyllabic (Ely), perky (Buddy), sedated (Marcus) and diplomatic (Raymund). After the MTV intro, they were asked what, if anything, they wished to say to their legions of fans.
Raymund: “Let’s rock.”
Buddy: “We can’t wait to do the show because we did the concert last year and we never got to finish it, so this is our way of wrapping things up and saying, ‘Thank you.’”
Ely: “We’re planning to do a better show, if that’s possible. And we’re planning to finish this one.”
What can fans expect from the upcoming concert? Marcus provided a deadpan response: “More than 15 songs. Around 16 (laughter). And group hugs.”
I got to throw in my one-and-a-half questions: “Hi, guys. Welcome back. What did it feel like to be onstage after so many years? Was it numbing? Exhilarating? Isolating? Or just cool and fun playing together again?”
Buddy responded: “It felt very natural. Playing with these guys 12 years, it’s just like riding a bike. We got up onstage and played the old songs. Yeah, it’s pretty normal. I want to point out it became more interesting and more exciting when people started singing along. That’s when it got a little more interesting.”
It wasn’t surreal at all?
Marcus (deadma): “Yeah … Super surreal.”
Any sense of closure in this?
Buddy: “We’ve never done it before. We’ve never played a set that stopped and we had to do another concert to finish the set, so it’s a first for us.”
Raymund later added that “the stage was little limiting for us” at the Aug. 30 show. Many noticed the spacious stage seemed to leave the E-heads playing in separate zones, with stiff postures, little interaction and certainly no room for “group hugs.” “We hadn’t really rehearsed much on that stage,” Raymund pointed out, “but I think if you’ve seen the Heads since 1989, that’s exactly how we play … yeah, big stage, small stage, that’s basically how we perform. It wasn’t a put-on; that’s how we play.”
Expect to see Itchyworm Jazz Nicolas helping out onstage once again (“He has eight arms,” quipped Raymund). One fan asked if the guys planned to record a new album together to keep the E-Heads relevant for the next generation. “Wala,” answered Ely. “As of now, wala sa plans. If you want to hear new Eraserheads songs, buy a Sandwich album, buy a Markus Highway album and, especially, buy a Pupil album.” (Laughter)
My wife Therese managed to fire a question: “You’ve all gone into new musical directions since the breakup. Are you sharing any new material during rehearsals?”
Raymund doused such hopes: “The first rehearsal, we were all surprised that it was really easy. It took us two and a half rehearsals to rehearse the first show. We were just busy trying to remember the right chords or arrangements. I don’t think we were exploring new musical ground for the show. But I think we’re playing better this time.”
Ely agreed: “As a band, we are in uncharted territory. As you know, we have never been a great live band.” (Aww, says who?) “So we’re starting to explore being a good live act, and for us as a band, that’s worth trying. Sayang.”
Sayang indeed. But it’s good to have them together, at least for one more night.