When Wolfgang announced that they would be having a concert last year, I was ecstatic. It had been two years since I last saw them onstage. This is a delayed entry as I contributed this to a paper but was not published.
Sadly, I was unable to see the band's concert just this March due to health reasons. But I heard it was great. Smaller venues are better, I daresay.
Kill me for being honest in my opinion but this is just what I thought of last December's concert.
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It was supposed to be the gig of the year for the die-hard fans of Filipino rock band Wolfgang. Every time the band announces that they would be holding a concert anticipation mounts as the day approaches.
On their recent outing with a concert titled “Black Christmas Project” at Eastwood City, Libis, band members—vocalist Basti Artadi, guitarist Manuel Legarda, and bassist Mon Legaspi--didn’t disappoint. It’s no longer “as if they never left” but “It’s as if they were never apart.” Judging from the energy each band member exuded, they were as excited as the fans.
Opening for the concert was up-and-coming band from Cebu, Powerspoonz, who described their sound as “reggametal.” Razorback, Wolfgang’s contemporary in the 1990s that is still active these days, performed next with their signature songs.
As soon as the band stepped onstage, the fans transformed into rock-hungry creatures. Artadi opened the main show with “Sanctified.” They howled and hollered with the band.
Wolfgang’s memorable songs like “Beast,” “Mata ng Diyos,” “Darkness Fell,” and “Tulisan” alternated with songs from the new album titled “Villains” such as “RP Death Squad,” “Ibrahim,” “John of the Cross,” and “Novus is Burning.” Artadi knew how faithful the fans are to their old songs that sometimes he had to “request” the crowd to allow them to play the new ones. After all, there is nothing like singing along with familiar songs.
But the sound of the songs in “Villains” proved that, together with the band, their music has, for lack of an appropriate word, matured. They tried not to veer away from the old ‘90s rock sound but the songs, like the singer and composers, moved on. It is a refreshing sound that when listened to over and over again, one will come to accept unconsciously, that it is indeed a newer sound with little touches of signature beats.
As promised, bassist Legaspi was given the spotlight for many of the new songs. Artadi said in earlier interviews that, “This is the first Wolfgang album where you can really hear the bass.” Not to be outshone is guitarist Legarda who wowed the crowd with his riffs done with precision. Francis Aquino of Monkeyspank has become a regular stand-in as drummer. He was not missed during the concert as he hit each song with unparalleled enthusiasm.
The concert did not only serve as an album launching of sorts but as always, the gathering of devoted fans. Only, the crowd at the Eastwood City concert seemed a bit “tamer” as the concert progresses as opposed to those who attended the Music Museum concerts in early 2007.
Some claimed they were “bitin” with 15 songs for a two-hour concert. It may be bitin because Artadi had to just carry on with the songs for the lack of enthusiastic reaction from the audience. It was contrary to what the press release stated prior to the concert: “Expect lots of singing, dancing, drinking and all-around head-banging because it’s gonna be a hell of a party!”
Artadi attempted to connect with the crowd many times during the concert but to no avail. Credit goes to Artadi, though, for trying to resurrect the rapport when he belted out the old songs and much admiration to the band for giving a performance worthy of the ticket price.
Wolfgang’s last album “Black Mantra” was released eight years ago. They occasionally held “reunion” concerts in-between those years. The new album was conceived by Artadi and Legarda communicating online as the former lives in the United States.
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