Minsan: The Eraserheads Reunion Concert in Dubai

 “Nostalgia - it's delicate, but potent. It's a twinge in your heart far more powerful than memory alone. It takes us to a place where we ache to go again.” – Don Draper, Mad Men

The heads with Sancho, old time collaborator, friend and third guitarist, who Ely introduced to the crowd
as the “fifth Eraserhead. 

I was 13, on my first year at a co-ed highschool when I first saw the Eraserheads play at the UP sunken garden. It was my first ever real live concert. I went with one of my best friends and her cool older sister who was at the time, studying at the same University.  There were plastic balloons flying around which I later learned were called “condoms”. We know pretty much all of the songs from Circus, Ultraelectromagnetic pop and Cutterpillow, but even if you don’t have the records there’s no way you can escape them on the radio. Honestly, who can resist Ely Buendia and his witty common-guy lines about sem-break and heartache?

Such was the pull of the Eheads, it wasn’t just the music per se. In a way, there was a reason why they were always being compared to the Beatles. They were our generation’s (our country’s) Beatlemania. It was a cultural thing more than anything. They had too much influence in fact that everyone, young and old, even the resident “tambays” at your neighborhood sari-sari store would most certainly know the lyrics to  Pare Ko.

I moved to Dubai in 2009, like many other pinoys, in search of better opportunities. As a music fan, and having spent most of my adult life working for the “pop machine”, the news of the Eraserheads Reunion in Dubai was just too good to be true and when it was confirmed that they will be playing at the annual du Music Festival, all of us “Kabayans” based here were psyched.  It was collectively agreed, on all our facebook accounts and twitter feeds, that we HAVE to see them. 

When you work outside the country and your monthly budget is limited, divided into remittances, loans, and other responsibilities, you think twice about spending precious hard-earned money on concerts, but the Eraserheads Reunion, was not just a WANT, it was a NEED. We needed to be there. We needed to see Ely, Raimund, Buddy and Markus play our favorite songs. We needed to belong to that special place again. We needed a piece home as we remembered it.

The Eheads reunion couldn’t have come at a better time.  It was on the same week we launched our first Tagalog / OPM FM station in the Middle East, Tag 91.1 and all streets had banners of either the Eheads or Tag 91.1 that said “serving 645,000 Filipinos in the UAE.” It felt like, for once, the whole of Dubai, was nodding at our Community with respect, and we are finally getting the recognition we deserved.    

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the press conference and while waiting for the band, I met another Filipina, Maggie Lafuente, who came out there with her husband. She skipped work for the chance to meet the Eheads up close. She was trembling.  

 “I was working in London at the time of their first reunion concert in 2008, I badly wanted to go.” Maggie shares.  “I was ready to book a ticket. My sister had to stop me and told me it wasn’t practical. Then I heard about Ely’s heart attack, I CRIED, they just mean that much to me. I never thought I’d see them live again. You see those girls on old footages screaming out, crying over the Beatles, they look crazy but I’d be one of them for Eraserheads.”

Of course, 90% of the media representatives in room were Filipino. I came with former Pulp photographer and good friend Brutal Grace and for a second there I felt like I was at home.

We were told not ask “personal” questions and only stick to the “music festival”. There was a bit of awkwardness at first, but Markus, the more laid back member of the group, put everyone at ease with his clever one-liners. I asked them the most standard thing I could think of  - what was their impression of Dubai, of the place, of the people.

Buddy was quick to answer,  “We are impressed by the camaraderie of the Filipino Community and the incredible presence and support.  We also experienced a bit of the diverse culture in Dubai, like last night we tried Ethiopian food, which was really good.”

When asked if they learned to say any Arabic words, Markus came out with “Kebab, Kebab Dylan, Kebab Marley”, that cracked everyone up and after that the questions just came pouring in until finally somebody was brave enough to ask the obvious    - why a reunion? and why in Dubai? 

Raymund playfully sang “reunited coz it feels so good.” Buddy replies “how many Filipinos are now in Dubai? 600,000? So we have 600,000 reasons to play here and finally Ely spoke up with a cheeky retort – “peer pressure”.

More than 10,000 fans in the UAE came to Dubai Media City to see the Eraserheads perform live on stage again. 

“It was simply natural progression.” Ely explains further.  “We are all doing our own thing for awhile now and then there was this clamor to get back together again and play, especially for those who are based outside the Philippines, and have not seen us play live yet. We are music fans ourselves, and we know what its like to love a band and grow up with their songs. We are just grateful that our songs still resonate with our fans.”

About the songs that they packed for the concert, Raimund shares, “we picked the ones that we enjoy playing. We didn’t really think much about what people will like, or what other nationalities will be there to see us play, pinili namin yung masarap tugtugin.”

I would say this decision just paid off big time. There is simply nothing better than seeing your favorite band enjoying themselves on stage while singing your favorite songs. I was there during the first reunion in 2008, I didn’t feel as connected to them as I was at the Dubai show. Perhaps it was the “homesickness” but I would say the Eraserheads Reunion concert in Dubai, was in the purest sense, about “connection”, about all of us, including the band, sharing the familiar songs and the memories.

The band kicked it off aptly with “Walang Nagbago”, then went on to perform 27 of their best hits, among them the well-loved songs -  ‘Maling Akala’, ‘Ligaya, Huwag Mo Ng Itanong’ , ‘Kailan’ ‘Overdrive’, ‘With A Smile’, ‘Julie Tear Jerky’, Magazin, Minsan and Super Proxy which they dedicated to the late Francis M, who were with them at their last concert in Dubai back in 1999. With over 10,000 fans in attendance, the Eraserheads Reunion at the du World Music Festival last 4^th April was one of the biggest, and possibly the loudest, Dubai has seen this year. 

A friend wrote on his facebook status the night after the concert –

"The best thing about watching Eraserheads is not about the band itself, It's about having the greatest time with your friends, friends that mean the whole song to you, people who you can sing and relate with, banging and just having a great time!Thanks mga pare ko!"

He is right. There was this magic moment, when everyone out in the open field of Dubai Media city was  all singing along to “With a Smile”. We all knew the lyrics to the entire song by heart. It’s hard not to get sentimental, coz the song was about us, about my friends, old and new, about every single struggling overseas filipino I've ever met in Dubai, including myself. 

Lift your head, baby don't be scared / with the things that could go wrong along the way.
We'll get by with a smile / We'll get along with a little prayer and a song.

Talk is Not Cheap

Growing up a wallflower, I know how awkwardly difficult it can be sometimes to strike up conversation with someone, most especially someone famous. The pressure is even higher if you are a writer or a journalist with a time limit.

Having worked in PR, then at a major Record label, and done some freelance writing for magazines, I would say I’ve pretty much had my share of artist interviews, exclusive press cons, and eavesdropped on enough 5-minute “phoners” to be able tell the good ones, from the decent, to the utter fails.

So I thought I’d share some tips I’ve picked up from my life backstage that might come in handy for both pros and non-pros. In case you ever find yourself in that tight spot or in that surreal defining–stuck in an elevator- moment with say Anne Hathaway or Brad Pitt, or in my case Dave Grohl or Johnny Depp,  DO NOT PANIC and try remember these few things –

How to talk to Artists / Celebrities :

William: "What do you like about music?"
 Russell : "To begin with, everything."

Put them – and yourself – at ease.  Breathe, smile, say Hi and exchange pleasantries like you would with an old friend you haven’t seen or talked to in a while. Make them comfortable and more importantly make yourself comfortable. Let them tell you about their day then tell them a little bit about yours. Assume that they are just as interested with you as you are with them (ok, they aren’t, but it's helpful to have a little bit confidence). Level with them, don’t play small, but don’t act tall either.  Limit the compliments and try not to gush like a school girl, just establish a comfort zone and pick up the pace from there. 

Be prepared, but not too much. Pack up enough ammunition, but don’t fire bullets. Let the conversation run its course. Shotgun interviews are usually the ones that end up awkward and messy. (This works out pretty well on first dates too.)

Be Relevant. If you are talking to Steven Spielberg, and he’s just out with a new movie, then its probably best not to ask him about working with a young Drew Barrymore in ET, or I’d say you would be better off not asking Thom Yorke about the song Creep, coz it reminds you of your crush in high school. In other words,  be relevant to your subject, because being relevant proves two things :  one –that you have a fairly good idea of what you’re talking about, and two – that you care enough about the artist to know what would interest him. These are pretty much basic conversation skills. Conversation is always a 2-way street.

Be Original (and try not to ask stupid questions). Understand that these people, celebs as they are, do this for a living, so it would be best to stay away from the obvious cliché questions that they’ve been asked 10,000 times before. In other words, unless you are a Japanese fan girl in Japan talking to Weezer, do not  dare ask questions like “where did you get the name of your band?”  You will probably get an answer but it won’t help your reputation (or your article). And if you absolutely must ask a stupid question, make it sound so stupid, that it is almost memorable.

 Observe. Sometimes the most important part of the conversation doesn’t involve words. Look out for the signals, the gestures, the slight facial expressions, if they are making eye contact with their managers to pull the plug. Sometimes the story is in the pause of the sentence, or that snicker after hearing another name mentioned. Plus when a subject go by one-liners and doesn’t  want to talk too much (and there are always a couple those) observing them would be very useful if you had to write 3000+words article.

Wrap it up nicely. I noticed this is a-must especially if you’re on a live interview. You can play around with the in-betweens, but there are only really 2 things you have to be ready for, the first question and the last question. Let them leave a good word, if possible hold their hand and lead them to that smart quote. Don’t, for the love of God or your fellow human beings, ever, ever ask them to invite (beg) their fans to watch the show or the movie.  They only do this in the Philippines – in the 80s. If you’re a host or a DJ on air, I believe that should be your job. If you don’t believe me, watch the late night show with David Letterman and take notes.

How NOT to talk to Celebrities :

Top 5 Things I Like About Ari Gold

Ari Gold - The iconic Talent Agent from HBO's Entourage. Boom!

 Top 5 Things I Like About Ari Gold

1. Humor.

Fucking no-holds bar, one-of-kind, can only be built by years of playing in Hardcore Hollywood, Ballsy kind of Humor. And he means it too. Its not just lip service.  I’d really rather have someone smash up something and mean it than take it back after the show. This is one of those things that for once, I like, about American Humor. I mean I like British dry subtle kind of humor because that’s more me, but characters like Ari Gold are the ones you can only dream of becoming in real life, but never could. You know you wish you can just be rude and tell your boss he should be licking Donald Trumps ass and mean it.  And he does this so effortlessly. Barney is a little pinky compared to Ari Gold.

Britney’s Beavershot

Ari: Have you seen Vince’s trailer?
Dana: I have, it’s good
Ari: Oh, please! It’s fucking great, gonna be downloaded more times than Britney’s beavershot.

Best Dress

Ari (wants Lloyd to go to a meeting to sign a gay tv-writer): Just go grab your best dress and know that today, your love of cock is a huge asset to the company.

2. Hardcore Hollywood Sharpness and just plain Balls.

Speaking of Hardcore Hollywood, Ari Gold is the realist in the field of dreams. He’s the proverbial shark in the suit, the one you either love or hate, no in betweens, and you always would wish he is on your side, because to be his enemy means a certain death, one way or another. He doesn’t let go of grudges easily, because he knows very well, by experience, that you are only as good as your last hit and that one thing always leads to another in Tinseltown, so you gotta pay your keep. He takes risks, but well-calculated risks. He picks a horse and bet on it with all he has. 

Jinx!

Mrs. Ari: And if we don’t open?
Ari: If we don’t open!? No no no… if we don’t open!?!? What do you mean by that? Would you say that to a fighter on the morning of a fight? Maybe you’ll get knocked out, see you after the fight if you’re not in a coma? Don’t jinx this baby.

3. The Godfather Loyalty

I love the Godfather series and this I think is the primary reason why I like Entourage and Ari Gold. It is a sort of Godfather translated into shallow-in-surface Hollywood. If there’s one thing about Ari Gold, he is LOYAL. Dedicated and Loyal.

He is loyal agent, loyal friend/bro,  loyal boss, if you’re with him he will fight for you till the end.

He is a dedicated dad and a loyal husband, and I love him for this. He works hard because he wants the best for his family and himself. He loves his wife, he is passionate about his wife, he is not the perfect husband but he never, not once cheats on his wife, despite his frequent sex innuendos and blatant dirty language, and the many available girls at his disposal, he never cheats on her, because he is also scared of his wife in a good way, scared to lose her, because Mrs. Ari stands her ground and Ari knows that no matter how many beautiful girls he bangs, nothing compares to what he has with Mrs. Ari, which is “A Team”.  I think this is the best kind of relationship, and it is best portrayed by this couple,  not the cheesy ones, or the confused-mad-love-ones we often see on TV these days, most esp on  Romantic sitcoms.

Special Johnny

Ari: Vince Chase wants this for his brother Johnny. Now we all know that Johnny Chase may have limited talent. But, like a child with special needs, a real family member will stand by his side. A real family member will buy that child’s way into Harvard if that’s what it takes. Vince Chase is standing by his brother, and I’m standing by both of them.

Wed

Ari (at the Playboy Mansion): God damn I wish I wasn’t married.

4. Ari loves Lloyd, and I love Lloyd so I love Ari and vice versa. Lloyd is Ari’s gay assistant who has been loyal to him through thick or thin, despite the daily Racial slurs and verbal abuse. I relate to Lloyd in a way I relate to Devil wears prada. Tough Love. It is how you learn, and in a way makes you respect people who got there before you, how you should not take things personally all the time, and if you want to move up, you gotta be ready for the daily slaying. Tough mentors make the best and most loyal students.

It’s Your Turn Now, Lloyd

Lloyd: How? You are my inspiration, Ari. I’m still learning to be more like you.
Ari: No, you’re not like me and you don’t want to be. You’re fair and honest and you don’t like women.

5. Ari is GOOD at what he does, and is committed. Anybody who is good at what he does gets my Respect, maybe not always my love, but always my respect.

No Chance

Ari (being interviewed on Medellin): I always try to steer my clients away from working with unexperienced directors and producers, because why take a chance? Vinnie really wanted to do this movie and there was no stopping him. But then when he wanted to put up his own money I thought that was crazy. ‘Cause look: most movies lose money. It’s my job as a talent representative to make sure that even if a movie loses all of it’s money, my client still sees al of his.