[insert pretentious one-liner vaguely descriptive of the cool persona i want to project here]

(Warning: This is a long post. You may just wanna skip to the video again).

It started with a guy named Ross.

See, I knew about the Incubus concert in Singapore way back in December but I also knew they were playing in Manila. There was a chance I'd be around in Manila around that time and tickets for Singapore were free seating anyway so I thought I could afford to stall. Fast forward to March 2, I'm pretty sure I'm not going back to Manila on the 9th (and as it turns out it's in conflict with the Broken Social Scene concert TOMORROW) and I check out sistic.sg to buy myself a ticket and... what's this? They started offering VIP tickets and a chance to meet and greet Incubus on Feb 28!?

But it talked about the first 30 ticketholders getting to met Incubus. Unsure if I wanted to spend quadruple the regular ticket price on just a chance, I called Sistic and asked how many had already bought tickets - they politely declined to answer but they did tell me that the organizer would be calling each individual VIP ticket holder to confirm that they would be able to meet Incubus. So I decided to call LAMC, the concert organizers, themselves:


Me: Hey, I read about the VIP tickets at the sistic site but it said only 30 people would be able to meet and greet Incubus. Have you guys already filled out the meet and greet slots? Or like if I buy a VIP ticket am I guaranteed to meet Incubus?

LAMC Dude: Nope, we haven't called the people yet and the packages are still available. Yes, if you do purchase a VIP ticket you will get to do the meet and greet.

Me: Excellent! I'm purchasing the VIP ticket in the next minute.

LAMC Dude: Good. See you there man. It's gonna be a great show.

Me: I will. What's your name dude?

LAMC Dude: Ross. And you are?

Me: Pepe. All right Ross, I'll see you at the show!


Three days later, I call LAMC to really confirm:

Me: Hi, can I speak to Ross?

LAMC Girl: Just a moment.

Ross: Hey, what's up, who's this?

Me: Hey Ross, it's Pepe, the guy who bugged you about the VIP tickets for Incubus last Saturday.

Ross: Hey, what's up man? Did you get the ticket?

Me: Yeah I did. You're sure I'm gonna meet them right? Cause if I don't I'm going to look for you and I'm going to kill you.

Ross: Awesome! Haha, you'll get to meet them man, I'm sure.

Me: Great! See you there.

Ross: It's gonna be an awesome show!


Fast forward to March 7, I'm caught in a 4PM-5PM meeting and I know I have to to register at Fort Canning by 5:30. I can't focus... I picture the band in the back of my eyes. Meeting them backstage, proof of the prize. I-wanna-leave, I-wanna-leave, I-wanna leaave. Wait... there is no time, it's almost five, will I be able to make it, fate? Millions at stake. I could care less. I really need to leave in a while... OKAY I couldn't resist putting in a lyrical Incubus reference (Anna-Molly just in case you didn't get it because I suck).

At 5PM, even though the meeting wasn't done I leave the room because I already talked to my uber-cool new boss about how I really had to leave by 5PM the other day. I rush down to the Novena taxi stand and see a ginormous snake of a line. I walk up towards the intersection at Novena Church para kupalin sila at unahan sa Taxi (walang english ang kupalin). I manage to get a cab in less than 3 minutes and I have the following exchange with the driver:

Me: Fort Canning, uncle!

Driver: Bhotrk Gadding is it?

Me: Yep, Fort Canning!Driver: Okay, where should I drop you off here?

Me: (realizing we're nowhere near Fort Canning) uhhh.. at the Fort Canning carpark? Gothic gates.

Driver: OH Fort Canning! I thought you said Botanical Gardens! So sorry lah, so sorry lah! But I asked you lah!

Me (in my head): WHAT TANGINA MO AMBOBO MO AKO PA YUNG GINAWA MONG DI MARUNONG MAG PRONOUNCE HOW ABOUT I SMASH YOUR FACE, LAH!?

Me (what I really said): Fort Canning, uncle! Anyway it's okay, not too far from here right? We'll make it, We'll make it.

And we did:




VIP baby!




I got priority entry because that's how VIPs roll.




I hung out with the other VIPs some of whom had come from Indonesia, China and Malaysia just to meet and greet Incubus. We pass the time together. And we waited. Waited. Waited. Waited. Bought shirts. Ate food. Waited. Organizer tells us that the meet and greet would be delayed cause the sound check got delayed blah blah blah. Waited. Saosin comes onstage, like I could give a fuck. Waited, waited. Met these two lovely middle-aged Filipinas in the VIP booth who apparently had never heard an Incubus song before and on a whim decided to do something different and watch a rock concert instead of Harry Connick Jr. over at the Mosaic festival. Talked about what they're doing as founding directors of MarkProf. Talked about how incredible Filipinos are, with their footprints all over the world. Talked about how I actually know her children Juju and Tricia through LJ and eventually how I actually met Juju in UP (WHUT!?).



Who'dve thunk that I would drink with the mother of one of my college acquaintances at the VIP booth of Incubus' Singapore concert? WHAT?!


Talked about how her "suplada" daughter actually has a press pass for Incubus' Manila concert. Drank two beers. Waited, waited, waited. And then finally the organizer woman comes and herds us towards the backstage. We collectively express our need to pee out of excitement as we walk down from the hilltop towards the backstage. Saosin still playing and still none of us giving a fuck. We wait for a bit as we see a van backing into the backstage tent. It's Incubus. We wait. Moments later, we see Kilmore and Jose walk outside of the tent and then walk back again. We squeal. We wait. We're divided into two groups of eight. I walk in as part of the first group. We all go inside the tent. We see flashes of Ben and Mike. We stand around waiting , waiting, waiting. We go inside one of the rooms. Waiting, waiting and then... insanity (this is where my Malaysian friend exclaims "oh my geaaaaad" in the video in my previous post).


After we shake hands and have our group pictures taken (and after Brandon calls my watch cool and Kilmore calls it "raaaad" yahaha) I pull off the biggest kapal mukha stunt in my life



To the relief of the pushy organizer woman (you can hear her telling me to hurry up in the video, haha), we finally leave the tent and collectively ponder if Fort Canning HIll might actually be on top of the world.



To our dismay the front of the stage is absolutely packed with Saosignoramuses. But we make our way in. And I inch, slither, push, excuse me, "sorry I'm looking for my [non-existent] girlfriend" my way in. Until I am two feet from the fucking railing.



I don't think I can get into as detailed an account of the music as I did before. Suffice it to say, it was awesome and Incubus is and always will be the best live band for me. They just make their songs sound better live. They jam, they do the little extra things that make everyone always feel that they're part of this big unforgettable event. Favorite Things was an incredible surprise because they rarely play it live. The jams on Pistola and Sick Sad Little World were mind-blowing. And Mike actually uses that asian string instrument thing for Aqueous Transmission. Gahwesome.
There was one point though where I almost fucking fainted. People were actually fainting left and right because all the no one in the front area did not believe in the law of conservation of mass. Having drunk only beer and sweating like crazy and  hardly being able to breathe, I started slowing down right around when The Warmth was playing. Then the lights starting streaking in my vision. Then I started seeing black and started falling forward. But no, I didn't want to ruin this perfect night! Not when I just met the band! Not when I managed to so close up front! My last reserves of adrenaline suddenly kick in and I manage to shout for water. The bouncer behind the railing hears my call, gives me a bottle of water and saves my life. In a minute, I am back and singing Drive.

As the greatest concert experience in my life came to a close, I call up Andre, one of the organizer people who contacted me a few days prior and confirmed my attendance for the meet and greet. I ask him if there was any way I could get any kind of set memorabilia, anything at all and he tells me to hang by the side of the stage and see if I can catch any of the production people. I hang by the side of the stage. I see a good-mannered important-looking caucasian dude engaged in conversation with some of the production crew.

Me: Hey, you wouldn't happen to be Ross would you?

Ross: (stunned). Hey yeah, yes I am! Who are you?

Me: It's Pepe, man. I was the guy who had been bugging you all week!

Ross: Hey! Glad you made it man! D'you get to meet them?

Me: Yeah man it was awesome! Thanks so much! Hey listen, I know this might be a bit of stretch but is there any way I could get any kind of on-set memorabilia, like a setlist or something?

Ross: You know what, why not. (Talks to production girl beside him) Why don't you get Pepe like a setlist or something from the stage?

Me: Coool. Thanks a lot man.

Ross: No prob! (Walks away)


I wait. And wait. And wait. I see the girl frustrated, practically turning the stage upside down and then, she rushes back to Ross. I see Ross walking up to me with a piece of a paper...

Ross: How's this man? We cool?

Me: Oh wow Ross, this is awesome. This is awesome. Thank you so much, Ross.

Ross: Cherry on top, huh? Enjoy the rest of the night!


And so it practically ends with this guy named Ross. Drank a bit with a couple of random Australians at the top of the hill. Walked down Fort Canning road with a beer in hand, still dizzy from the experience.

Man, somewhere along the karmic lines, I'll have to pay back this guy called Ross, big time.

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What was once an ordinary shirt...




Is now the most epic piece of clothing on earth that no one shall wear ever again because it will be framed against the wall of all the rooms I will ever live in until I die.