The Cranberries Live in Manila

Ultra-short blond or black hair, petite-framed, big Doc Martens shoes. 20 years and six albums later, Dolores O'Riordan's appearance has changed quite a bit. Except for the Doc Martens, maybe, which stood in stark contrast to the black lace see-through bell-bottom pants and the bathrobe-like white coat she appeared in on stage. Reminders of the counter-culture?

Unchanged, for sure, is her distinctive voice, the identity of The Cranberries. Especially the songs of the older days, written to depicts and condemn political struggles in Northern Ireland at that time, brought out the unmistakably sound of The Cranberries.

I wondered more than once, how the band's motivation must have changed over the years. What stood out for me was the increased passion on stage with the older songs like Zombie. It felt like their roots were there and seem to rejuvenate while singing down memory lane.

Dolores dedicated one song to her daughter, whose 7th birthday it was today. She described her birth pains as: "Exactly seven years ago I was like WHOOOAA!" The crowd cheered! Go, mom!

Evanescence life in Manila!

Who says cool gigs don't stop by Manila? The Stone Temple Pilots,
Kylie Minogue during her sexy "Aphrodite Tour", and now Evanescence with opening act Bush - buy 1, get 2).

I missed Incubus due to travel which I deeply regret. That would have been just awesome!

Lined up are Avril Lavigne, The Cranberries, and Vertical Horizon.

Not too bad for the capital city of the Philippines, with no direct access road to the airport and airlines like Air France threatening to pull out due to the red tape by airport authorities. Given these obstacles I myself am already happy to be able to exit and enter this archipelago without further trouble (not throwing wasted time into the equation...).

Just imagine bands' considerations, bringing in all their stage equipment! I'm sure Amy from Evanescence wouldn't have wanted to find out her beautiful black piano is stuck at Customs because some of the crew didn't follow "local protocol".

The crowd at Araneta Coliseum was cheering when the piano was rolled on stage and the rock tunes became mellow and classic. The life Cello on stage together with Amy's incredible voice gave me goosebumps!

Bush's lead vocalist Gavin Rossdale was less subtle in turning the crowd on. During one of his songs he suddenly abandoned the stage, and started climbing up the lower and upper box of the stadium! The crowd was frantic and his bodyguards huffing (to keep up with him and the girls off his sweaty body!).

And then, he passed right by my friends Jeff, Tess, Maria and Joe, who all had to get up from their front seats to let him pass. Me, "behind the scene" in second row, had the best view and most importantly, the camera rolling!

Kylie rocks!

... or not as some might (and did) argue. Admitted, she doesn't rock in a musical sense but she sure rocks the crowd with a stunning stage show, costumes, and her incredible voice! Kylie is a great singer, an actress, and an entertainer.

Not many good acts find their way to Manila. If they do I usually find out the day after reading the local newspapers. This time I had a two day knowledge advantage! The choice between the few remaining tickets was either very expensive (15K Pesos - roughly 250 Euro) or really budget (800 Pesos - 15 Euro) . I went for the latter and prepared well by bringing my binoculars.

Kylie's "Aphrodite Tour" lived up to its name! Diva Kylie stepping out of an open shell, Kylie on a winged horse, and Kylie on a carriage drawn by two muscular guys strapped in leather... Provocative dance choreography and daring outfits including gagged guys and half naked women. The whole show was sexual and sensual.

I was impressed and at the same time pictured the critical headlines in the papers the next day for "undermining the Philippines' Catholic moral". Well, as a gay icon she attracted a diverse audience and catered to all of us.

After a 1.5 hours non-stop show a complete different Kylie appeared on stage. No fancy outfits but simple shorts and a shirt. Engaging the audience she sang her old old songs, laughed hearty, and was as natural as she could be. One could feel she owns the stage even without a show around her. She is the show. A refreshingly natural one, too.

Stone Temple Pilots

"Good evening, Manila! Or is it morning?" Scott Weiland, lead singer of the Stone Temple Pilots, was obviously still in jetlag delirium when he conquered the stage and later the audience at the Araneta Coliseum for the band's only concert in Manila.

Jetlag or not, Weiland remembered his manners and thanked the crowd by saying "It is an honor to be the invited guest to your party!" The honor is ours! For about an hour the band rocked its Pinoy audience (including us). It was my first time to see them life. I was impressed with Weiland's charismatic and unique voice!

The stage design was rather simple with a huge flower ornament on a dark red backdrop behind the stage. Scott Weiland's funky dance moves (a mixture of Tai Chi and Moonwalk) surely made up for it. So did the megaphone, amplifying his microphone-amplified brilliant voice. Apparently, the megaphone is a common feature on stage (looking at other STP videos posted on youtube).

After less than three songs he started peeling off his cool shades and "corporate suit" outfit, exposing various tattoos. Google didn't leave me wonder for long after the concert who the lady on his lower left arm is: his ex-wife and the mother of his two children.

The massive stage lights struggled to compete with the thousands of flashing camera and beaming LCD monitors of recording devices aimed at the band. Picture, picture tayo, as we say in the Philippines.

With a cheering crowd screaming "STP, STP, STP" the band came back on stage for an additional three or four songs. Soon after the stage was being dismantled already... Good by Manila!