By Erika Tapalla
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The Eraserheads Reunion Concert was cut short Saturday night when lead singer Ely Buendia was rushed to the Makati Medical Center after collapsing backstage during a 20-minute intermission of the planned 30-song concert.
The concert’s sudden end was announced by Buendia’s sister Lally who went onstage with Ely’s band mates Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala, Marcus Adoro and concert organizers stating that the band’s lead vocalist and songwriter was in poor health. The band members apologized to the audience for cutting short their performance.
MTV Philippines President Francis Lumen asked the crowd for a minute of silence to pray for Buendia’s health.
“He had a slight attack because of stress due to the recent passing of his mother (Lisette Buendia), and their sound check which lasted till 3 a.m. today (Saturday),” said MTV Philippines and Radiohead director for marketing Ronald Esguerra in an interview with INQUIRER.net. “But we have received word that Ely is now in stable condition.”
Organizers also belied erroneous reports that Buendia is undergoing triple bypass surgery, adding that the Eraserheads frontman actually wants to check out of the Makati Medical Center and go instead to his personal doctor.
Esguerra confirmed reports that Buendia was transferred to the Philippine Heart Center last night after he requested to see his doctor. “But he is okay and in stable condition,” Esguerra told INQUIRER.net in a telephone interview.
According to Jing Garcia, former music journalist and currently technology editor at Manila Times and a friend of the Eraserheads members, Buendia collapsed backstage after the last song before the intermission, which was “Lightyears.” The band had already played 15 songs by then.
Buendia suffered a heart attack on January 7, 2007 and had already undergone surgery.
The concert, which was staged at the Fort Bonifacio Global City open field in Taguig, started at around 8:15 p.m. and paused for a break at around 9:30 p.m.
The Eraserheads opened their much-awaited reunion concert with “Alapaap” and “Ligaya,” complete with fireworks display.
After waiting at the open field for an hour since the intermission hoping for further developments, loyal fans of the band calmly left the concert area after being treated to a thrilling first set.
MTV Philippines’ Esguerra said that while he is hoping for a second Eraserheads reunion concert, there is still no word on whether another one would be staged.
“We have received no word of a Part Two but we also hope there will be one,” he said.
With a report from Pocholo Concepcion, Philippine Daily Inquirer
August 31st, 2008 at 2:55 pm
e kasi sino ba namang hindi magcocollapse, kayo kaya tutukan ng sangkatutak na usok ng fireworks… hehe
get well soon, ely… we’ll still be anticipating for your recovery so that kitakits na lang tayo sa bigger concert hall… we’ll pray for you..
August 31st, 2008 at 1:17 pm
[...] already knows how the big Eraserheads Reunion Concert ended last night, so no point rehashing the gory [...]
August 31st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
After the long wait, i was screaming and feeling overwhelmed when the countdown to the show started on the huge screen. i could feel the open field build up at the 15 second time to the show. when the lights went out and the screen showed ’sa wakas’ we were all crying. eto na. we were going to see them again. the four emerged from this green water lights and we were in shock. eto na sila. right before us.
a group in front of us were crying while screaming. we couldn’t believe it that the band is right in front of us. together again. the show was perfect, the lighting awesome. better than a foreign concert.
the band played around 15 great songs that by the time the show took a break we were already so fulfilled.
then after a while we felt na ang tagal na nga ng break.
finally marcus, raymund and buddy came up to the stage without ely.
akala namin,ely probably walked out.
we were shocked when ely’s sister annonced that he has been rushed to the hospital.
all of us were speechless. a girl beside me was crying.
sobrang emotional ng show. the best show still in philippine history. from the stage, the lights and the way the show had to be cut. walang tatalo sa concert na ito.
to ely, get well soon. to buddy, marcus and raymund, we understand. salamat for reuniting for us. the 15 songs were already worth it. salamat.
August 31st, 2008 at 10:04 am
the fact that his mom past away just recently, ely stilll did made an effort to reunite the band, did a soundcheck that long and maybe thinking if we r gonna make a performance ,lets make it a one hell of a show!!PARA SA MASA!!
August 31st, 2008 at 9:46 am
Sorry about the first link. Here it is again:
http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/27556/3hc1rsq86z5yepm