Finally, the Manila Music Festival

There was a feeling of uncertainty and excitement in the air last Tuesday. It was the usual car ride from Makati to Pasay, but instead of turning right towards the SM Corporate Offices where I worked my ass off for over a year, I took a 180, past the iconic MOA sphere, past several empty fields and tall grasses, past fond memories of taking my lunch break at S&R with workmates, past the DFA, past my previous life, and into my new one—strangely exciting.

The jump-off was a barricaded driveway. At the end were various entry points to an event that I never, in my wildest dreams, would have imagined attending. Well, it wasn’t so much the event but rather, the culture behind it, especially since a couple of years back, I never would’ve been able to drop references like Laneway, Meiday, Malasimbo, or Morrissey in conversations. I kept from Broadway references for the most part. It was possibly the next big chapter of my life.

The lowdown

May 1. Labor Day. Aseana Avenue. The remote setting of the first ever Manila Music Festival that pitted both international and local OPM acts on the same musical stage. Over Afrika Bambaataa’s hip-hop set while the Philippine All-Stars grooved in the background, proprietor Katrina Razon aka DJ Katsunami shared with me the inspiration behind this more than half a day affair, “Since I live abroad, I get to attend all these music festivals. But the Philippines is so far away and it’s very unlikely that people will just get up on a plane and fly. So why not bring it here?”

All the people in the crowd: People started dancing, whether they knew the song or not. “Good music is good music,” as Sarah Meier said.

Bring, she did, along with several of her courageous partners and fellow organizers in the likes of Olivia D’ Aboville and the Department of Tourism. They ought to be worshipped really as this festival wasn’t an easy feat to pull off. The prospect of pioneering something is an accomplishment on its own. And then you have the logistical nightmare of having two stages, and both local and international artists playing round the clock. It would drive anyone bonkers.

Swag section

The event saw festival-goers maneuvering between a thrust stage for live acts like Nameless Heroes, Kjwan, and indie/techno DJ Shinichi Osawa, and a Red Bull DJ stage which generated a Prive-ish sort of party feel (lights, loud music and all). The likes of Similarobjects, DJ Kristian Hernandez, and Skratchmark brought the conyo-cum-hipster house down with their live DJ sets, hitting ten on the aural Richter scale  from ambient electronic, to afro funk, to deep tech to hip-hop, among other emergent and popular genres.

In addition, food stalls, ice cream carts, graffiti walls, and mobile bars littered the festival grounds for audience consumption while a VIP/Media section boasted of posh seating areas and side-access to the main concert stage. On the flipside however was this uncomfortable yet alluring mix of sand and dust that provided the groundwork for the festival and our moccasin/Doc Marten/Jesus sandal-encrusted feet. It was uncomfortable in that it was asthma-inducing and didn’t seem as well maintained as the fairgrounds of Laneway, or Malasimbo which evoked an out-of-town, island sort of mystique. But it was alluring in that it made an otherwise Manila event not so Manila. Photographer Joseph Pascual said it best, “I would think this is what it’s like to attend a music festival abroad.” My point exactly.

Spray it, don’t say it: Graffiti stood as public art on the festival grounds.

Host Sarah Meier-Albano often had to remind us to safeguard our eyes from “sandstorms” that may occur with the occasional gust of Manila Bay wind. There were a few  blinding at times, even soiling my overpriced drinks. But it may have also been the smokescreen of proverbial cool (or pretense) that swarmed the venue. Everyone was dressed, and everyone was game. Rogue’s Miguel Lugtu shares, “In fairness, people dressed up for it. And the setup is nice, too.”

The weather which went from sunny, to cloudy, to drizzling within an hour of DJ Nix Damn P!’s poppin’ set was that one variable that really activated the event. I was quick to unfurl my black umbrella to safeguard against the drizzle. But it didn’t shield me from the water spouting cray that possessed most of the festival goers. We were encouraged to bring water guns to add to the merriment. But unless the water gun contained vodka and it was being directed towards my mouth, I was having none of it. Seriously friends, not cool to wet those of us trying to stay dry amidst the unbearable heat.

The vertex

Thankfully, my hipster heartstrings were being pulled at all directions. From creatives and indie kids dressed in Coachella swag, to the rock, soul, reggae, and hip-hop heads coming together for the love of music (I was in the realm of the unfamiliar but the beats were so infectious and dance-worthy that I let myself go anyway), the festival seemed a vertex of culture and all sorts of awesome —where the music and alt lovers came to die.

Sharp shooters: Razorback Photos by JOSEPH PASCUAL

My ears are still ringing from the diverse sets of June Marieezey, Sinosikat, Katsunami and hiphop godfather Afrika Bambaataa. I moved between stages, and the seating area, being surprised by how different, diverse and eclectic the music and our local talent could be. Katrina adds, “Most of the acts were decided by Miro Grgic of Volume Unit but I suggested some of them like Shinichi Osawa. Of course we want to promote local musicians as well.”

Can’t win ‘em all

The only downside perhaps would be the not-so-great attendance of the event, which saw the venue only being one-fourth full at most. It picked up towards the evening. It may have been that the event’s main pull were international hip-hop acts, which cater to a very niche market in Manila. Don’t get me wrong, the hip-hop movement is growing steadily but has it grown enough to anchor a whole festival and idea on? Or maybe that it was held on a Tuesday (despite the holiday)? Or that half of its immediate X-market was still out of town for the long weekend? Or maybe it needed the proper support? Calling the marketing gods of #magnum and #itsmorefuninthephilippines.

Then again, everything has to start somewhere. Katrina adds, “Once we get the ground going, we’ll continue to invite other local musicians and international artists as well.” Heck, even Meiday! began as a private party before it blew up to its thousands-strong Cubao X bacchanalia. The fact remains: when those of us had to take an Exodus to Singapore to catch Laneway and spend s*itloads on drinks, flights and hotel accommodations, just to experience a music festival, we finally have one in our own backyard. All of a sudden the hundred-peso drinks weren’t so bad compared to the ten-dollar Baccardi Breezers. Sure, it’s far from the popularity of a La-Bora weekend, or Meiday!, and definitely from its overseas counterparts in Fuji Rock, Glastonbury, or Coachella. But as Mei Bastes who partook in the event’s festivities said, “It’s a good start!”

Reaching a fever itch: DJ Skratchmark