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

JUST like the fans, former Eraserheads drummer Raimund Marasigan is excited. In a message posted on the Subsandwich mailing list, he narrates in very short sentences the days leading to the one-night reunion concert that would finally bring together his former bandmates in what would probably be the biggest gig in Filipino rock and roll. The former members of the band are set to play August 30 at the Fort Boni open field in Global City in Taguig.

He writes:

It’s been unbelievably crazy these past few days. I taped a few tugtugan episodes with Pedicab and Rivermaya, taped a Pedicab myx live episode, played a Cambio gig in route 196 , paid our respects to tita Lizette, played a Sandwich gig in up Manila, finished mixing the duster album and take care of last minute production details.

Marilou and R.A. treated me to something green and hairy. Maps played imago and duster gigs. Tarikim skipped school. I gave tix to the teachers haha.

I love my job. I thank God for this opportunity and blessing.

Filipino director Quark Henares has also posted a brief video on YouTube of the Eraserheads Reunion concert soundcheck. The video shows now Pupil frontman Ely Buendia singing “Sembrek” and Buddy Zabala backing him up on bass guitar. INQUIRER.net has confirmed with Henares that the video clip indeed came from him.

“After doing Ziggy Stardust, some adjustments are made and Ely starts doing the opening rifts of one of my favorite Eheads songs. You can actually hear me proclaiming ‘wow’ when it begins,” writes Henares in the description of the video he posted on YouTube.

Here are the rest of Marasigan’s message to fans on Subsandwich mailing list:

We had soundcheck midnight last night. My drum kit was tuned and inspected by Cholo of Ernville and Mike d. Thanx for the cymbals cholo.

I got Jamie and the Sherps Mickey, Tel and Jerry as my crew.

Brand new dad Darwin was there. Soupstar’s got a new baby in the family.

A few friends dropped by. the Itchyworms, Pupil, Mark Maya and AIA, Sinosikat, Direk Quark, Erwin Romulo, Direk Marie, and then some.

I’m a bit embarrassed were getting super rockstar treatment. We’re checked in a five star hotel, assigned a chauffeured van each, personal bodyguards (which i refused until later tonight) and we can actually raid the mini bar haha(after 20 years in rock n roll).

I didn’t get enough sleep. for the first time I’m actually excited about the concert. Went to the gym to sweat out last night’s beer. I’m having bacon eggs and fruits in the room as i’m typing this.

Earnest just dropped veda off. the kids are trashing the room. I’ll get a massage when they go swimming.

I can’t wait to play. I’ll see you all tonight.

Be safe.

By Erika Tapalla
INQUIRER.net

QUEZON CITY, Philippines — In a world where the concept of community has transcended barrios and has grown to include social networks, viral campaigns have worked to extend its reach by using the Internet.

KL Sol Cruz organized Project Savannah, a viral fund raising campaign aimed to raise some money to save “Savannah,” an unborn child who has been diagnosed with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. This is a condition in which the baby’s diaphragm, the organ that separates the chest cavity (containing the heart and lungs) from the abdominal cavity (containing the stomach, liver and intestines), fails to develop completely. It also involves an underdeveloped diaphragm that leaves a hole where the intestines and the stomach can enter the chest cavity, thereby affecting the development of the lungs. After birth, the lungs may collapse and the child may not be able to breathe.

Savannah must undergo a $100,000 operation, called intrauterine fetal surgery, which can only be performed in the United States.

Parents Vida and Brian Samson have approached several foundations to shoulder the cost of the procedure and are awaiting a positive response. The Philippine Airlines has already given the couple roundtrip tickets to San Francisco.

Meanwhile, Sol Cruz and a team of 13 other people have resorted to more creative ways to reach people. Through social networks Multiply and Facebook, they are gathering participants to attend “Rock the Cradle” and “Ultrasound,” to raise more funds to help cover for travel, tax and other expenses of the couple.

The advantages of Internet fund raising are many. It is quick, cheap and unobtrusive — but will it be enough to save Savannah?

By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

SURREAL yet real.

The misty atmosphere in the auditorium welcomed the audience to a seeming dreamland of entertainment. But when the strings, drums, keyboard, and voices began to mingle, it woke the audience to the reality of Pinoy music at its best.

Sugarfree and Up Dharma Down rocked the house as lights danced with the music.

Here’s Sugarfree singing “Hari ng Sablay.”

[Read the rest of this entry »]

By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer

DURAN DURAN bassist John Taylor once tried to go solo. In one of his club gigs, there were 20 people in the audience.

Thursday night at the Araneta Coliseum, Taylor proved he played best with his old band, dubbed the Fab Five at its peak in the mid-1980s. It’s been more than 20 years since and fab might have given way to some flab, especially in the case of front man Simon Le Bon. Still, something must be said about how Duran Duran could give its now middle-aged fans reason to get up and dance — with New Wavish poise.

The fun started on the second song, when Le Bon hinted he was kinda “hungry” — a cue for “Hungry Like the Wolf.” The vocalist, dressed in a dark suit with a slightly loosened tie, sounded in tip-top shape.

[Read the rest of this entry »]