The Fete That Was
Monday, June 20th, 2005
The Fete that was… electronic.
I’d like to start with how it all started.
2003 - I was already aware about the annual Fete but they didn’t have room for us electronic artists so with the help of some ‘contacts’ I was able to get in touch with the organizers and presented to them the idea of the Electronic Stage. I was willing to handle the whole thing coz I knew that I had the whole Electronica Manila crew to back me up if it pushes through… it did.
The year 2003 marked the beginning of Electronic artists’ presence at the Fete and since then, we slowly found our place not only at Fete but to the crowd as well.
The 2003 Fete was held in El Pueblo. Since we were just a last addition to the whole line-up, we were placed in an abandoned resto which had no electricity at all.
With the help of Electronica Manila heads, we were able to provide for our own sound system, our own video projector and screen, our own ventilation system (it was so hot), and we pulled it off independently. We not only pulled it off, we were able to put on a show that had people lookinout for local electronic acts.
It was a successful 2003 Fete and it made a mark with the music community that in 2004, they got us again.
2004 - Electronica Manila is such a happy bunch of people that we can get off on our own. That’s why in 2004 we got the talents organized again and were one of the stages who started early in the afternoon to bring in an early crowd and to expose as much electronic talent as we can.
Unfortunately, Fete 2004 was a memorable "Wet Fete" because it rained so hard that evening that stages were cancelled. But still, Electronica Manila won’t be stopped. we may have stopped coz of the rain. But it didn’t stop us from perfoming inside the venue. We wanted to keep the show going and not let rain stop the fun. We found our way into the crappy sound system of the resto and still made our way til the end of the whole Fete.
2005 - This years Fete was organized in a month compared to previous years where they had months and months to prepare. This year, the pressure was on.
Once again, since EM is a group, it was easier to get the artists together and organized for the event. Just one contact person (meeh!) and we’re set! hehe
we had the usual pre prod meeting. I was constantly on the phone, fax, and cell making sure everything was arranged for the electronic artists and for the stage from the line up changes, tech riders, etc.
Fete week arrives… I was swamped with everything… Fete stuff, work, Jammin, the album… everything.
I wanted to do the guitar set but since my original session guy (Mic Freak) left for Arizona, I had to train a new guy and that required hours and hourse of Jamming. I needed to perform well for this years Fete. I just needed to… and the guitar set already has its following so I really wanted to do a great show.
We jammed for days and then Friday came… bloody Friday.
Mike (the new guy) arrived at around 10pm. we started jammin and reviewing the songs and around midnight, his wife calls so we stopped coz he needed to pick her up. Since I had tons of stuff to do, I thought it was the perfect time to get the Electronica Manila streamer I had made while Mike picked up his wife. When I met up with my friend who had the streamer, he had 2 silverfilter streamers made and not one sf and one EM! Talk about adding to the pressure and panic. Now I had less than 24 hours to have an EM streamer made. I made it clear to my friend that I needed that streamer for Fete. Luckily, it arrived at around 5pm the next day. a little late for the start of our stage but it still made it. I slept at around 4 coz we finished jammin at 3 and I needed top make final arrangements online.
I woke up at around 10:30. I’d like to call it morning harassment.. woke up, ate breakfast, packed up all my gear into the car… the car was filled. There was no room for a passenger! hehehe After that, I prepared to leave. My calltime was at 12-1pm coz I was the host for the electronic stage and the assistant stage manager. So now I was so pressured, right? I then remember that I had to pick up the CDs I’ll be selling @ Fete along with the new batch of silverfilter tshirts… now the pressure was mounting. To add to that, my friend texts that the streamer might not make it. So now I’m kinda pissed about the whole thing already. I kept texting and calling him to make sure that my stage had the Electronica Manila streamer… it SHOULD arrive.
Driving to Ortigas, I felt like I was a business executive who was so busy with business matters. I was on the phone the whole trip. I asked my friend who made the silverfilter CDs to meet up with Neon8 to hand him the copies coz he lived near Neons house. At the same time, I was also communicating with the guy who did my shirts coz i needed to drop by makati to get em. I was pressured but I was excited at the same time. I’ll finally have my shirts!!! woohoo!!! I was also making sure that the streamer was being attended to. On top of that, I was answering texts and calls of everyone who was asking about Fete, calltime, performace sched, etc… man…
Halfway to Ortigas, I remembered I left something at home! haha good thing my mom was watchin, so she was able to bring it.
I got to El Pueblo and more work had to be done. hehehe Some of the artists was there already. I had to get them to do their soundchecks, follow up on artists who still weren’t there, get their ID’s and stubs, stuff… I was already tired even before the whole Fete started!!!
Now on to the performances…
3:30 - 4:00 Makkina -
He did a DNB/Jungle, downtempo breaks set that kicked off the Electronic Stage. It’s been a while since we last had Makkina and it was a treat to watch him live once again. This time with a new laptop added to his hardware set up!
4:00 - 4:40 Crystal Echo
A new player in the Electronic scene. He did a breaks/house set that was laptop based.
4:40 - 5:20 Chox
Chox’s set was awesome! He did a dark, cinematic intro and held on for almost 50 mins to make up for Crystal’s set. wicked set.
5:20 - 6:00 Names are for Tombstones
Nono did a great new wave/dark synth set a la new order. I called him Nono Order coz of his cool cover of a New Order track and of course, his originals that definitely had its unique sound that only he can make.
6:00 - 6:40 Flipperbaby
Ado, the bachelor… hehehe Did a superb beach/sexy house set accompanied by his GREAT skills on the guitar givin us jazz licks only heard on Naked label releases… Panalo! New guitar pa! (i think) hehehe
6:40 - 7:20 Bagetsafonik
Electronic band with a boom shakalak rapper (hehehe go Marcus) They did an awesome set that definitely started pulling in the crowd.
7:20 - 7:40 One Lone Clone
Awesome set by Karlo. I don’t know how to classify his set… technoniseindustrial hehehe it was short but it bit hard! Great set. Galeng!
7:40 - 8:20 Daydream Cycle
Need I say more? Galeng! definitely ad the crowd singin away to their um, hits? hehehe i’m not sure if Kathy would like that term hahaha
(break for Fete kick-off)
The break wasn’t a break for me! hahahaha I had to organize the 1st 4 artists from 9 so that we can have everything set up already during the break. we had to set up our gear, the video projector, the screen… by this time, the venue was PACKED. It was so Hot and it was hard to get gear inside the venue. Sorry to Pasto but their decision not to open the other door for the artists was just plain stupid and inconsiderate. It was so hard to get gear in coz of the crowd!!!
9:00 - 9:40 Drip
Wicked set… their CD was sellin like hot pandesal! hehe Grabe hayop talaga set nila. As usual, Drip did remixed versions again hehehehe we all know how drip is so I dont have to go on praising their set… alam naman natin na malupet sila eh! hehe
9:40 - 10:20 Morse
woohooo! THE Ian Magbanua and AJ Dimarucot! Hayop ang Morse set. DnB naman sound nila this time. Definitely a trip. had heads of people bangin!!!
10:20 - 11:00 silverfilter
My set of course… was so pissed coz of all the things that went wrong. add to that the sound guy on the mixer who thought I knew nothing about what he was doin. I hate that… It’s like a sickness of all sound guys. Masyadong know it all. Akala nya pag performer ka, tanga ka sa sound. kainis. then my delay box won’t work. Andaming problema… Thats the hassles of Hardware I suppose.
Good thing after I did shadows, the crowd response helped cool my mind and so the rest of the set was fun fun fun!!!
I especially loved the faces of Emanila heads when Born Slippy played! hahaha That was my biggest surprise for everyone. I knew everyone would have a blast that’s why I memorized it kahit napakahirap imemorize nung kantang yun!!! wahahaha
11:00 - 11:40 wolfmann+
Saya ng set ni Wolf! I was singin along Pinirito… ansaya! galeng nilang lahat eh!
11:40 - 12:20 rubber inc
This turned out to be MoonFear Inc coz John filled in for Noels place. Nice set, Unfortunately, John was pissed also at the sound guy coz their sound was so compressed it didn’t go with how they wanted it to sound.
12:20 - 1:00 neon8
Progrssive house set… I know you’re not surprised. Neons just the best prog house producer here in our country that’s why we need not wonder why his set was kickin.
1:00 - 1:40 Dayuhan
Definitely enjoyed dayuhan’s new format. may perfomer pa on stage! galeng. A la daft punk movements nya with matching helmet. Rem had a guitar synth and a cool guitar to match with the dayuhan sound. He got rid of his prophecy and replaced the synth duties with his guitar synth na. hayop! We should see more of Dayuhan!
1:40 - 2:20 Trip M
Of course, Trip M is made up of very talented idividuals from all over so we can expect a set that would take us into a trip… and it definitely did. With Rick and Junji’s guitar playin, Einers perx and Mon’s beats on his box and vinyl, Trip M’s set was a joy.
2:20 - 3:00 Skies of Ember
As cheesy as it sounded, I said, "we’ll end a memorable night with a memorable set from Skies" and it definitely was. Even if they were the last one on the lin up, they pulled in a crowd that was their own. Skies has a sound that’s distinctly their own. I like it actually. I first saw them during a gig I had at music museum and after their set, I immediately bought their CD coz their music’s great!
Well, as I mentioned ealier, I was already tired even before Fete started and after my set, my body crashed. I was so exhausted, thirsty, hungry… everything you could think of. members of Emanila had gone home and I had to stay til the end to close the show, put down the streamer, final stuff…
I was so tired. The only thing that got me goin til the end was the natural high i got from my set and from the people who enjoyed my set.
It’s funny, I’ve observed over the years through gigs that people who say they’re watchin are the ones who won’t show up. Those who don’t say a thing are the one’s who’ll actually surprise you with their presence. I saw a couple of my cousins, my friends from UP, a lot of unexpected people actually!
Too bad I missed out goin around and checkin out the other stages coz I was the host for the evening so I had to be there for every performance on the electronic stage. The only act I saw was Razorback!!! Woohooo!!! I went out for air and heard Payaso playin!!! I stuck around for the whole set. Mahal ko ang Razorback. Now that’s for another post hehehe
Fete was the best. Hope all the gigs we have after this would be like that.
God bless everyone
silverfilter
